Why Michelle Obama’s ‘NCIS’ Cameo Was Controversial

Most TV showrunners can only dream of the longevity of NCIS. In a television landscape where cancelations are more common than renewals, the military police procedural television series continues to fascinate viewers. For over 22 years, the show has largely fulfilled its commitment to be entertaining and clever as it takes us through the adventures of a team of special agents working for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The unit — labeled the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) — handles crimes related to the United States Navy and Marine Corps (USMC), and their associated branches of government.

During its run, the show has had many iconic episodes. Few can forget “Call of Silence,” where a veteran turns himself in for a murder he committed 60 years ago, or “Devil’s Triangle,” where the ex-wife of the protagonist, Gibbs, shows up and asks him and her other ex working in the FBI to help her find her missing husband. Many episodes have memorable cameos, and one of the best ones happened in Season 13’s “Homefront,” where former First Lady Michelle Obama had a small but pivotal role.

The Episode “Homefront” Is a Home Invasion Story with a Twist

“Homefront” is a moving episode with compassion and meticulous devotion to the rhythms of military households. The characters and events seem ripped from home invasion movies, but this observational, unreservedly winning episode gently sneaks up on you by defying narrative expectations. First, we are introduced to Marine Master Sgt. David Marshall. He has just learned he is about to be redeployed to Iraq, but he doesn’t flinch. After all, he signed up for this kind of job.

Before he leaves, David gives his 14-year-old son, Henry, the standard “You are the man of the house, now!” speech. He expects young Henry to protect his mother and sister in case something happens… and something does happen. A home invader shows up, and because Henry was taught well, he goes all Kevin McCallister on the guy. But is this really a home invader? It turns out the invader didn’t come to steal cash or jewels. He was specifically after Henry. What’s the little boy hiding?

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A parallel plot involves Henry’s mom, Anne, who knew life as an army wife would be tough and lonely, but when her own career stalls, she finds life even more troublesome. Despite 15 years of experience, she hasn’t been able to practice law in West Virginia because the state’s bar is different from that of California. Irked by this, NCIS agent, Eleanor Bishop, suggests contacting Joining Forces, a real initiative that supports military veterans and their families.

The organization is the brainchild of none other than Michelle Obama, so FLOTUS shows up, vamps up the proceedings, and almost steals the spotlight. She invites both Anne and the NCIS team to the White House for a roundtable, and things go well.

‘NCIS’ Was a Perfect Platform to Raise Awareness of Michelle Obama’s Initiative

Michelle Obama’s NCIS cameo presumably did wonders for the initiative. Even though there are multiple great military-themed shows, none draws numbers like NCIS. According to the White House’s website, Joining Forces focuses on three key areas: Employment and Entrepreneurship, Military Child Education, and Health and well-being. Because the military spouse unemployment rate currently stands at 13%, it was wise to include this as part of the plot and use it to promote the initiative.

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While shows of this kind often feature fictional political characters, NCIS writers have always made an effort to keep things as close to real life as possible, so much so that the series premiere, “Yankee White,” focuses on an assassination attempt on President George W. Bush (portrayed by comedian and impressionist Steve Bridges). Lately, the show hasn’t featured any major political figures, but past events prove that President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are somewhere in the background.

Why There Was So Much Backlash Against Michelle Obama’s Cameo

Predictably, Michelle Obama’s cameo triggered puzzlement and bedlam among viewers. Her appearance was controversial at the time because she was a prominent Democrat appearing on a show that had a Republican fanbase. According to the Washington Post, the military-themed procedural mostly appeals to conservatives in rural America.

Executive producer Mark Horowitz recalls the controversy well and believes the cameo was a good move. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, he said:

“It was a very positive thing, and it really came out great, and she was fantastic. Some people really reacted very positively to the show, and then other people did not like seeing Michelle Obama on the show.”

The backlash aside, Michelle Obama’s cameo was groundbreaking. Showrunner Gary Glasberg told E! that the crew was given an unprecedented opportunity to film at the heart of the President’s official residence without chaperones or censorship.

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More impressive is the fact that no other non-news crew had ever been allowed to create fiction inside the White House.

“We were the first film production outside of a news organization to film in the White House.
The West Wing
filmed outside, other shows have filmed outside, but we actually went in and had an extraordinary day filming this scene. She was just wonderful and welcoming and I can’t thank her enough for what she did for our crew. And then we did a couple of scenes outside the White House as well.”

Detractors had also assumed that the idea was proposed by the First Lady herself (or the higher-ups in the Democratic Party) to woo the Republican base before the 2016 elections, but this wasn’t the case. The production team simply felt that the initiative needed to be highlighted. They initially wanted her to come on set, but scheduling reasons couldn’t allow that, so they went to the White House.

Hopefully, we’ll get more such cool cameos in the future.