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[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the December 9 episode of NCIS.] 

Things are getting complicated on NCIS. 

The December 9 episode of the CBS procedural focused heavily on Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and his relationship with colleague Jessica Knight (Katrina Law). During his discussions with a new AI chatbot, DAWN, Palmer got some insight into his dynamic with Knight and why their romance ended. By the end of “Stolen Moments” – which Dietzen co-wrote – he’s realized he’s lonely spending all his time in the morgue and that it might be time to give things with Knight another shot. But just as he’s getting ready to approach her, he sees Knight with Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), causing him to hang back. 

Brian Dietzen weighs in on Jimmy Palmer’s ‘Stolen Moments’ realization

It’s not clear year if Knight and Torres are really involved or if Palmer is just imagining a connection. But Jimmy was definitely not prepared for the possibility that she had moved on, Dietzen says. 

“I think that he definitely wanted to go talk,” the longtime NCIS cast member told TV Insider. “I don’t think that there was a rushing into one another’s arms and then the music swelling sort of thing. But for him, this whole journey, this whole episode really was about how important is time, and more importantly, that currency of time is only valuable if you spend it with someone and saved time doesn’t really get you more quality time with someone unless you spend it again. So I think that he’s realizing, hey, I would love to try this thing. And wherever Knight and Torres are in their relationship or friendship or wherever they’re headed, I think Jimmy’s a little — that’s been his blind spot. He hasn’t seen that at all.”

“And so for him to recognize that there might be something there, I don’t know if it’s maybe something just Jimmy’s seeing or if it’s something that’s the beginnings of a romance of some sort, he’s been blinded by the fact that he’s been so focused on his day-to-day, his saving time in his basement surrounded by dead bodies, and I think he recognizes by the end, man, that’s no way to live,” Dietzen continued. “So, I’m hoping to see some cool growth from him after this.”

What’s ahead for Palmer and Knight on ‘NCIS’?

Jimmy’s earlier conversations with Torres would never have happened if he’d suspected that Torres and Knight were involved. 

“I think that he’s been blind to it. In this episode, he confesses to Nick that he doesn’t know why things ended before, and I think he wouldn’t be talking that way with Nick if he knew that there was something else going on there,” Dietzen said. “So yeah, I think it’s not that Jimmy’s obtuse about it. I think a lot of people could watch this show and not even see that there’s something going there. It is kind of simmering below the surface.”

Jimmy and Jessica’s future isn’t clear. But Dietzen says he’s glad he – and viewers – now know what he feels. 

“I like the concept of a guy going to maybe not get the girl so much as at least talk to her and then the harsh reality of, oh, shoot, maybe it’s not the right time to do this. It’s kind of a neat quandary,” he said. “And it doesn’t mean they won’t get back together. It doesn’t mean that they will. But you at least know where Jimmy stands.” 

NCIS Season 23 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Episodes stream on Paramount+. 

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