After calling it quits in NCIS Season 22, it seemed Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) had moved on for good. Both started seeing other people and followed separate paths – Jessica took a post on the West Coast with the REACT Team, while Palmer focused on fatherhood and his demanding work in the lab. But even with their breakup behind them, fans could still sense the lingering sparks between the two.
Now, NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder says the story is far from over. “It’s complicated,” Binder teased, “and it’s going to get even more complicated.” While he didn’t reveal how, he hinted that the fallout will stem from the pair’s ongoing personal journeys – the same challenges that tore them apart in the first place.
Season 23 sees Jessica being recruited once again – this time for NCIS Elite, led by NCIS: Los Angeles’ Sam Hanna (LL Cool J). But Binder warned that this new opportunity might “blow up in her face in a really emotionally charged way.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy remains the team’s steady heart, juggling single fatherhood with solving medical mysteries. Binder teased that fans will finally get a Palmer-focused episode, showing “a day in the life of Jimmy – the world through his eyes,” and hinted it might even be written by Dietzen himself, who previously co-wrote several episodes, including Ducky’s moving tribute.
The entire main cast returns for Season 23 – including Sean Murray (McGee), Gary Cole (Parker), Wilmer Valderrama (Torres), Diona Reasonover (Kasie), Rocky Carroll (Vance), and of course, Law and Dietzen.
It looks like love, loyalty, and a bit of heartbreak will once again collide in NCIS Season 23 – and for Palmer and Knight, the story is far from over.
