We can let a collective sigh of relief that Trigger has survived.

There were a few times during NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 13 when it felt like his number was up. However, we didn't escape the hour without a casualty.

It just made many on the team really appreciate one another and the dynamics they have.

Lone Wolf Part Two is just as strong as NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 12, and once again, I found Claude Jabbour's performance as Trigger captivating.

There are so many layers to Trigger. Jabbour truly sells the pain in his eyes, as well as the difficulty of grasping that he has connected with this team, especially Evie.

The intensity of his work on her bomb collar got to me. It was easy to see that if it were just him, he'd probably embrace his fate, but because Evie was there, he wasn't going to let her die.

Evie bringing him back to the land of the conscious as seconds ticked away added that extra layer of fear.

Suddenly, we have these two people with an inexplicable bond that largely formed offscreen during one of the most intense, life-and-death moments ever.

Being in the thick of it together would bond them. They forged a bond by sharing trauma and getting through the darkness and into the other side.

Ironically, Kyle forged a bond with his friend through similar experiences.

In an effort to strip Trigger of everything he loves, he gives Trigger the same thing: a unique bond with someone who has stood on the edges of darkness with him and breached all his defenses.

The dynamic between Trigger and Evie is fascinating. It's still not something I buy into romantically, but it works if we don't have to be so reductive.

I tend to find that the most compelling relationships are those that reside in the gray, indefinable spaces and cracks.

My only wish is that they gave us more of them in some capacity leading up to this, so that when we got to a point where they were making pacts, and Evie became Trigger's next of kin, I could feel the weight of that more.

It's like we missed the exact moment when something clicked for him, specifically, where a closed-off guy like him realized that Evie could be his person. Whatever that actually means to him.

After this traumatic experience, we at least have that to build on a bit more. And the series may very well intend to keep doing that now, which is fine.

What does work for this duo is the two different types of darkness they hide behind. Trigger is intense and enigmatic, usually. He's been a bit of a raw nerve now because all of his dirty laundry and his history are out there.

Evie has so much darkness, too. She hides behind and deflects with humor. But the self-awareness she has, to the point of expressing it openly now, makes things interesting.

Through that, their connection has some roots, even though it still feels like it came out of nowhere. But they are interesting to watch. And they may both offer each other something that those around them can't necessarily deliver.

Because when you have that darkness, sometimes, you're more cognizant of not wanting to dim the light in your world (Trigger with Blue, perhaps, and Evie with DeShawn).

It was upsetting to learn that Trigger shot an unarmed man. He just didn't know it because Rory covered for him. Rory's intentions were all good and well. He didn't want to ruin the career of a young, up-and-coming Trigger because he did his job.

Someone yelled "Gun," and Trigger shot. On paper, that's a clean shoot for him. He did what he was trained to do.

But Rory's efforts to protect Trigger turned him into a monster.

One's actions will always come back around to haunt a person. Kyle basically had his entire life ruined in the split second it took for a cop to mistake an inhaler for a gun.

There was no end to Kyle's revenge. It was like he couldn't rest until Trigger was dead.

Trigger survived the bomb collar, so Kyle attacked him at the hospital. And when he served that, somehow (because the logistics aren't sensible), he arranged for two bombs at Rory's funeral.

He never got his wish, so is there an end to Kyle? The guy is relentless.

The hour does the absolute most sometimes with the bomb content, though. Waiting until mere seconds remained for no real reason other than "dramatic effect" got grating.

If they had to hold off, Trigger, grappling with his desire to be with Charlotte again versus calling in Evie, because he's learned to trust her, with mere seconds remaining, was the one time they used that tactic.

Nevertheless, the stakes were high, and we didn't escape the hour without a bomb taking someone out.

I didn't trust Rory, so it was a relief to learn that he didn't have ill will and was genuinely being shady because he was protecting Trigger. He broke protocol and did something unethical, but that doesn't make him a bad person.

I've given Jabbour his kudos, but Todd Lansance wrecked me, particularly in the back half after Rory's death.

It's hard not to obsess over the partnership between JD and Mackey.

We've seen how they blossomed from a working dynamic into a partnership, and into something far deeper and more intimate than either of them will ever articulate.

Oddly enough, trusting someone with your life in that gig is a bit easier, simpler. The real intimacy that makes them work and feels electric in those quiet moments is knowing that they trust each other with their vulnerability.

JD fully leaned in and on Mackey as he processed Rory's death. There wasn't any holding back for either of them. There are two people fully displaying their emotions and care. It seems like such a small thing, but it's so important.

Even Mackey panicked when she figured out why the dogs were barking.

We got two "Jims" out of her rather than just calling JD. She was fully terrified that he'd get blown up in the blast, and she was beside herself, cradling his head and trying to make sure he was still alive.

Her panic in the moment when he wasn't breathing was palpable. You could sense that she felt horrible that he lost someone, but she was also just so damn relieved that she didn't lose her someone.

The weight of her reminding him that his friend is still a good person, and his friend, even though he did a bad thing, hangs heavy, as we still have to wait to see how this conspiracy plot will play out.

But she did finally tell him about the missing photo of her son. And I'm so relieved that she's flying Trey out. He'll be a bit safer with her having eyes on him, but I'm still stressed out about this.

Stakeout Sessions:

DeShawn telling Evie that Doris, the Bagel lady, is his next of kin in Australia, felt like him pulling an Evie on Evie. Seriously, it's Evie, isn't it?!
Blue taking so long to figure out that Doc and the doctor are probably doing fun adult things and not just working another case made me laugh out loud.
Most of the season has played up Evie's humor as a defense mechanism. I'm so glad the past two episodes have shown her depth.
I'm really missing some quality Blue content. We haven't had much since the beginning of the season.

Over to you, NCIS: Sydney Fanatics.

Was this a great two-parter? How are you feeling about the Evie/Trigger dynamic? Are you bummed by Rory's death? Let's hear all of your thoughts in the comments below.

Or share this with a fellow NCIS: Sydney fan! Thanks for all of your support!

NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 13 Review: A Thrilling Conclusion Deepens Bonds Amid Chaos