Cameo appearances can be a lot of fun, and both NCIS and The Testaments recently opted for them.
NCIS brought back Sam Hanna for two episodes, and his appearance quickly took over the story — and definitely not in the right way.
Meanwhile, The Testaments brought back both June and Rita, and the two characters integrated into the overall story, with the hope of long-awaited reunions to finally happen.
(Disney/Steve Wilkie)
I’m not the biggest fan of cameos in the first place, but that’s because they usually add little to the overall plot. However, NCIS loves to do them.
NCIS needs to rethink how it does cameos — and The Testaments shows a better way.
Cameos Need to Serve the Story
In most cases, a cameo needs to fit into the overall story, furthering the plot for the show’s main characters.
The Testaments did this each time June and Rita showed up.
(Disney/Steve Wilkie)
While there was an element of fan service packed into the reveals, they weren’t there to make The Handmaid’s Tale fans happy.
June initially turned up as a surprise, but she was there to help get Daisy to safety after her parents died.
June initially appeared as a surprise to help get Daisy to safety after her parents died, establishing immediate trust between them.
Rita’s return also served the story, giving Daisy motivation and training as she moved toward becoming a Mayday operative. There was even a brief glimpse of Rita adjusting to life outside Gilead, but it never pulled focus from Daisy’s arc.
June’s second return tied directly into the larger mythology, with the reveal about Hannah and the school with Aunt Lydia, setting up a long-awaited reunion.
(Disney/Steve Wilkie)
June’s second return was all about finding out about Hannah being at the school with Aunt Lydia. It’s that promise that the reunion between June and Hannah can finally happen, after waiting nine years for it!
NCIS didn’t do any of that.
That’s not to say the show hasn’t done it in the past. When Sam turned up during NCIS Season 22, it brought some long-awaited answers about Hetty — and I’ll get to that soon!
However, on NCIS Season 23, his cameo was purely about fan service.
(Robert Voets/CBS )
There was no real reason for him to be at NCIS’s HQ, with him bringing up some layover excuse.
The advice he gave could have easily come from one of the main NCIS characters.
Kasie could have had someone like Knight or Torres get her to New York, which might have avoided Torres’ babyish comments when she found out how much Kasie could sell her software for.
Instead, the two episodes became the Sam Hanna show, and as much as I loved him on NCIS: Los Angeles, I didn’t need the flagship series turning into that.
(Robert Voets/CBS)
Cameos Can Help to Offer Much-Needed Answers About Forgotten Questions
That’s not to say that Sam can never turn up. It’s not to say that I don’t want cameos to happen.
There are times when they can, even without a full plot dedicated to furthering the main characters.
Sam has turned up in the past, and he’s offered some much-needed answers.
As mentioned, on NCIS Season 22, his cameo meant that we learned Nell’s operation to get Hetty out of Syria worked.
(Sonja Flemming/CBS )
With Hetty back, it meant a new task force had been set up.
On top of that, it was a chance to learn a little more about how Sam was dealing with the loss of his entire team on NCIS: Hawai’i.
This should have been covered during Hawai’i’s fourth season, but the series was canceled abruptly.
I wouldn’t be opposed to cameos from other characters to get further updates. After all, Hawai’i left some major cliffhangers for everyone, and we all deserve answers.
Without cameos, there is no other way to get answers to burning questions.
(Robert Voets/CBS)
Maybe Kate Whistler is needed on the FBI side of things, or maybe Ernie is the one who can help Kasie with a genuine tech issue, for example.
Cameos can work — but only when they serve the story.
Over to you, NCIS and The Testaments Fanatics. What are your thoughts on how the two shows handle cameos?
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NCIS and The Testaments opted for cameo appearances, and only one show managed it just right. It’s time for NCIS to learn.
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