Summary
NCISalmost had its first female team lead eight years before Vanessa Lachey became the Special Agent in Charge of theNCIS: Hawai’iteam. The franchise has promoted many strong female characters throughout its varying team iterations in the main cast ofNCIS,like Special Agents Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) and Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham). That said, the franchise has recently normalized centering on women as team leaders.
The most recognizable team lead of the series is Jethro Gibbs ofNCIS. Mark Harmon portrayed the character for nearly two decades and served as the face of the franchise until Gibbs retired inNCISseason 19. Other influential team leaders have included Dwayne Cassius Pride (Scott Bakula) fromNCIS: New Orleansand G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell) from thecast ofNCIS: Los Angeles. While these characters are excellent in their own right, it’s exciting to see strong female characters take the lead.NCISnearly accomplished this feat years beforeNCIS: Hawai’ilaunched in 2021.
NCIS: Hawai’i Season 4 - Cancelation & Everything We Know
The popular spinoff series NCIS: Hawai’i has taken the procedural action to the Aloha state, but it has been canceled by CBS.
Special Agent in Charge Paris Summerskill Was Almost NCIS’s First Female Lead
The Honor Would Have Belonged To Kim Raver Of NCIS: Red
Paris Summerskill would have been the first female lead onNCIShadNCIS: Redbeen picked up for its own series after its launch onNCIS: Los Angeles.That said,NCIS: Redwas canceledbefore it ever reached production. The proposedNCISspinoff was spawned on theLos Angelesseries as a two-part backdoor pilot in season 4, episode 18, “Red,” and episode 19, “Red-2.” The Red Team was one of many mobile NCIS units designated by color, along with the Blue and Green teams.
The episode introduced Kim Raver as Summerskill, the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Red Team. The cast also included John Corbett as former Special Agent Roy Haines and Scott Grimes as Special Agent Dave Flynn, the team’s forensic specialist (who is cooking fish soup when G. Callen and Sam Hanna arrive at the Red Team’s temporary base). The teams were based in Georgia, but Daniela Ruah’s Kensi Blye described in the pilot how the teams were"never home"and how they worked, traveled, and slept together on the road.
Nina Tassler, the CBS entertainment president at the time, defended the cancelation, saying:“Protecting [the franchise] was really important.”
Eventually,Scott Grimes returned toNCIS: Los Angelesas Flynn, butRaver’s Special Agent in Charge didn’t appear in the franchise again after the backdoor pilot. According toDigital Spy, Nina Tassler, the CBS entertainment president at the time, defended the cancelation, saying:“Protecting [the franchise] was really important.“It’s hard to say precisely why theNCIS: Redspinoff didn’t receive the green light, but the network launchedNCIS: New Orleansthe following year with Scott Bakula as the team’s lead.
In a moment with G. Callen, Paris Summerskill reveals some of her backstory, which comprises most of what is known about the agent. Callen teases the fellow lead about her name, prompting her to open up. Raver’s character reveals that she was born in Paris (hence her name) and hails from a creative family. Her mother was a dancer, and her dad played the cello. While most NCIS agents come from military backgrounds that make them feel at home on the job, Summerskill had unique character qualities that were never adequately developed.
Since Summerskill’s team didn’t officially take off in theNCISfranchise,Vanessa Lachey becameNCIS’s first official female lead. The milestone happened whenNCIS: Hawai’ipremiered in 2021, eight years afterNCIS: Redfailed to launch. Lachey portrayed Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, who helmed theNCIS: Hawai’iteam. Vanessa Lachey brought depth to the character. In an interview withThe Talk, Lachey revealed that her character’s abandonment storyline mirrored her experience.
Jane was a decisive lead for the show and brought exciting representation to the franchise. Lachey’s character balanced the duality of being a caring parent and a capable agent, a balance that few NCIS agents have brought to the small screen. Unfortunately,NCIS: Hawai’iwas canceled before season 4, making it the shortest-livedNCISseries. The franchise is experiencing massive losses with its cancelation, including its first official female Special Agent in Charge.
How NCIS Continued The Trend Of Strong Female Leads With NCIS: Sydney
Fortunately, Special Agent in Charge Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) is another strong female lead for the franchise within thecast ofNCIS: Sydney.Mackey is the Team Leader of the AFP/NCIS Sydney Task Force, established in season 1 ofNCIS: Sydney.The former Marine Corps Captain was a helicopter pilot, serving several tours while assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, which included time in Afghanistan.
Mackey ultimately joined NCIS. When the series started, she was assigned to the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan as Agent Afloat. Mackey’s Marine Corps background makes her a capable leader and a skilled fighter. While she has many experiences that make her a fierce lead,Mackey keeps her tragic past a secretso she doesn’t come off as too vulnerable to her team. Hopefully, Mackey will open up inSydneyseason 2, since the agent’s vulnerability makes her strong leadership skills all the more impressive.
NCIS’s Future Looks Bright Regarding Female Leads (Despite Hawai’i’s Cancelation)
Cote de Pablo’s NCIS Return Will Center Her Ziva David Character
Despite the cancelation ofNCIS: Hawai’i,the franchise will have exciting female leadership to look forward to aside from Special Agent Mackey.NCIS: Tony & Zivawill bring back Ziva, and she will be in one of the two leading roles in the spinoff. While not a team lead, Cote de Pablo has a track record for bringing powerful feminine representation to the franchise in the originalNCISseries. In fact, when de Pablo felt that her character would cease to be a force of vital female representation, she left the show.
After departingNCISin season 11, de Pablo returned as a special guest star in season 16 and recurred for four episodes in season 17.
While de Pablo will reprise her role as Ziva inNCIS: Tony & Ziva, she will also return to executive produce the Paramount+ limited series. Her role in the show’s production includes her in the list ofNCISstars who expanded their roles beyond acting. Her work behind the scenes on the show will ensure thatZiva will continue to be the strong force of female Israeli-Jewish representationthat de Pablo spearheaded in the main series.
NCIS
Cast
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
