Big changes have been happening for NCIS lately, with the departure of cast member Michael Weatherly and the preparation for two new characters. Fortunately, a big guest star is soon to appear on the show that could eclipse all the other complications of the series these days. First Lady Michelle Obama will be part of an upcoming episode, and we now know just what she’ll be doing with her time on screen. She will promote the Joining Forces initiative.
Joining Forces is a nationwide initiative designed to support service members, veterans, and their families. Michele Obama joined with Jill Biden to launch the program in 2011. In the years since, Joining Forces has called upon Americans to help service members, veterans, and families through education, wellness, and employment opportunities.
Joining Forces is certainly a worthy cause, so Michelle Obama could have gotten away with just directly addressing the audience to spread awareness. Instead, however, her appearance will be carefully incorporated into the plot of the episode. The First Lady will welcome Agent Gibbs to the White House to attend a Joining Forces roundtable. He’ll be accompanied by the wife of a Marine. Interestingly, all of the extras present for the roundtable scene in the episode were real life military spouses.
The episode – entitled “Homefront” – filmed Michelle Obama’s scenes on-location at the White House. We’ll be able to see the First Lady in action on the small screen on Tuesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. It should be an event worth catching.
Of course, Michelle Obama’s appearance on NCIS won’t be the first time that she’s dropped in on a show to support a cause. Memorably, she ran into a very excited Leslie Knope in a Season 6 episode of Parks and Recreation to pitch her Moving Up campaign. The format of Parks and Rec meant that she could smash right through that fourth wall and talk directly to viewers. Personally, I have to say that I’m excited to see how she does on NCIS in comparison. At the very least, we can probably rule out Gibbs bouncing up and down in glee at crossing paths with her.
NCIS is going to be a different show in Season 14 thanks to the big cast changes, so it’s hard not to be a little bit anxious about what the series will look like next season. Luckily, Michelle Obama’s appearance in “Homefront” should be a great distraction from any worries about what the future will bring on NCIS, and her Joining Forces cause definitely deserves the primetime attention.
Don’t forget to tune in to CBS on May 3 at 8 p.m. ET to catch the First Lady on NCIS. For a refresher on some of the other fabulous guest stars from NCIS, check out our list of the ten greatest of the first thirteen seasons so far. Don’t forget to have a look at our schedule of summer TV premiere dates to see when your favorite shows will return to the airwaves in the not-too-distant future.
