Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) made NCIS history with how quickly two main characters in the franchise became a couple. For Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), it took over a decade for the duo to confess their love. But when it happened, Ziva exited the series. The next couple involving two main NCIS characters were Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham). While it only took three seasons for them to express their feelings to each other, fans couldn’t see their love flourish since Ellie also left the show. These past examples make the relationship journey for Jessica and Jimmy all the more refreshing.
Not long after Law joined NCIS Season 19 in a main role, viewers got to witness the relationship between Jimmy and Jessica grow. Not only was it sweet to see them together, but it allowed the actors to show off a different side of their characters, Jessica and Jimmy. By the end of Season 21, Jessica’s decision to be a REACT (Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team) Training Officer in California caused a rift between her and Jimmy. When she returned to the NCIS team in Season 22, the couple were left in limbo. In NCIS Season 22, Episode 4, Jessica and Jimmy admit their love for each other, but they also agree that it’s for the best that they officially break up to work on themselves. Considering the lack of episodes devoted to them, the choice to end their relationship is good for everyone involved.
Jessica and Jimmy Need More Character-Focused ‘NCIS’ Episodes
For a character who’s been part of NCIS since Season 1, Jimmy hasn’t gotten many episodes centered on him. Longtime fans may remember that Jimmy is a widower with a teenage daughter, Victoria Elizabeth Palmer (Elle Graper). In NCIS Season 18, it’s revealed that his wife, Breena Palmer (Michelle Pierce), passed away from COVID-19. In the very next season, Jimmy and Jessica have their first kiss. While it was a happy surprise to see the series skip the slow-burn romance, it was also shocking to see how fast Jimmy processed his grief.
Despite being introduced in NCIS Season 7, Breena was only featured in a handful of episodes before being written out of the series entirely. Even Victoria has only been featured in one episode with speaking lines. While the series never showed his parents or his brother, the NCIS writers make Jimmy forge his own family, only for these characters to barely be featured. There is so much room for Jimmy to grow as a character, whether it be as a father or a medical examiner.
As for Jessica, she made a big life change, transferring from the REACT to the MCRT (Major Crimes Response Team) at NCIS following the deaths of the agents she trained. While she brought a new dynamic to the team and Jessica’s family members have popped up in NCIS a couple of times, she also hasn’t gotten much development as a main character. Although it was nice for the creative team to break the trend of slow-burn romances via Jessica and Jimmy, NCIS now has the opportunity to show off what happens when a major couple breaks up without either of them exiting the series. It will be a new dynamic for these characters and allow the writers to continue exploring a new side to Jimmy and Jessica that is completely independent.
Will Jessica and Jimmy Get Back Together in ‘NCIS’?
While most breakups can be very painful to watch, Jessica and Jimmy have a very mutual understanding. In NCIS Season 22, Episode 4, Jimmy tells Jessica she deserves an Indiana Jones-type partner who’s spontaneous and flies across the world with her, while Jessica notes that Jimmy needs someone to give him the stability he deserves. Even though they know they can’t fulfill each other’s needs, Jessica and Jimmy make a point to say it isn’t in the cards for them at the moment. They still leave the door open so that maybe one day they could find their way back to each other. But like they mentioned, they still have a lot of personal growth to experience before then.
Considering how fast Jessica and Jimmy entered into a relationship, it’s for the best that these characters are developed individually so they can stand out as fully fleshed-out characters. They can evolve without feeling held back by the other. On the other hand, after skipping through their slow-burn romance, NCIS can use their time apart to work toward bringing them back together after a long period. With only four episodes of NCIS Season 22 so far, there are still plenty of stories to get through before the series reopens this chapter of their lives.