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NCIS was doing something it hadn’t done in nearly two decades with Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law): showing a relationship between two main characters onscreen. But now the future’s looking grim for the two.
Until their romance, all previous ones happened offscreen—with pairs sharing a kiss as one exited the show. “Everyone’s saying ‘I love you’ as the other person’s leaving. That really isn’t much of an onscreen [relationship], that’s not really a romance at all, is it? It’s the, ‘Oh gosh, we could have had a romance,’” executive producer Steven D. Binder acknowledged to TV Insider after the Season 19 finale. “So we want to actually follow this journey a little more.”
And follow their journey the show has. Problems arose in Season 21, including when her father visited and the plan for her future was revealed, then in the finale when she got a job offer that would take her to California. Rather than be the one left (again, after his losses), Palmer ended their relationship. Season 22 began with the two still split and Knight in California, having accepted that job.
In Episode 4 of the season, the two finally talked—and “gently closed” the door, as Law put it. Palmer told her she deserved someone who would chase down future job opportunities around the world with her and leave at a moment’s notice, and that’s not him, at least not now, while Knight said he deserved that stability he so badly needed, that she wanted him to have, and she wished she could give that to him.
“While a decision is made between the two of them, I don’t think that there’s anything that’s said within there that slams the door shut on anything or establishes anything firmly in cement—because Steve is just a damn good writer and he’s also very smart about storytelling, and let’s leave some doors open on what may happen, but also what may not and see how it grows from there and how these two can continue to have a lot of great scenes together and see where their relationship grows from here because they’re going to be seeing each other every day at work,” Dietzen told TV Insider. “What does that evolve into?”
He added, “I think that it kind of comes back to that saying, if you love something, let it go. And then if it’s meant to be, it’ll come back. So I think they’re putting that ideology to the test.”
While it is clear that the two have things to work on as individuals—and it’s probably best they do so apart—we can’t help but hope for a reunion sooner rather than later. After all, the relationship was working and we do like them together. But before a reunion can happen, Knight does need to figure out if she wants to stay in DC or keep this as a stepping stone to her future. We do think we’ll see her leaning toward the former, which could help pave the way for Knight and Palmer to get back together.
But what do you think? Do you want to see Knight and Palmer get back together? Let us know in the poll and comments section below.
NCIS, Mondays, 9/8c, CBS