‘NCIS’ season 14 episode 13: ‘Gibbs hugs like a bear trap’ says Brian Dietzen

“NCIS” season 14 episode 13 observed Jimmy Palmer’s (Brian Dietzen) heroic act of saving a stranger from committing suicide. That in turn led him to earn a hug from Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Dietzen recently discussed the scene that made many fans shed tears and said it was “fulfilling.”

Palmer is now one of the few people who have been hugged by Gibbs on the show. Talking about the emotional moment, Dietzen said, “As many would probably guess, Leroy Jethro Gibbs hugs like a bear trap, like he means it. He's not a man who does something halfway, and his hugs are as fulfilling as you'd imagine.”

He said that with this, Jimmy is now bestowed with a great amount of responsibility. “Jimmy is a part of a sacred brotherhood now, and he won't take that responsibility lightly.”

Jimmy’s character who often doesn’t get much of the screen time was the sole hero in “NCIS” season 14 episode 13. Dietzen said that that it was a fantastic opportunity for him as well.

“It felt like theatre! Just me, a talented scene partner (Spencer Clark) and words. It's a rare treat on NCIS to get to just sit and talk about life, instead of reviewing evidence and catching bad guys. I felt like we took full advantage,” he told CBS.

In the episode, lab assistant Jimmy Palmer comes across a stranger who is trying to commit suicide. Without giving a second thought, Jimmy puts his life in danger. He grabs him by the belt and says if he’ll jump off the building, he will also jump along with him.

Jimmy’s character will gain more importance in the show after this episode. His teammates will now look at him through a new lens. During conversation with the stranger, he revealed a lot about his personal life. Now, his team knows that he is a fully qualified medical examiner, hence, he will be addressed as Dr Palmer in the forthcoming episodes.

“We've filmed a few episodes since then where he's referred to as ‘Dr Palmer,’ and you have a bit of a ‘Doctor,’ ‘Doctor’ in the coroner's office downstairs. It's pretty cool. It's a neat next step for the character that just makes sense,” Dietzen told TV Guide.

When asked if this revelation about Jimmy would change his relationship with chief medical examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum), Dietzen said, “As Jimmy says in the episode, he didn't reveal his new title because he knew that the team had a special dynamic, and he didn't want to mess that up. So I think he'll try to prevent anything from changing too much.”

“NCIS” season 14 episode 13 aired on Jan. 24. The next episode titled “Nonstop” will air on Feb. 7 on SBS in the US. In Australia, the show airs on Channel Ten. The new season will be telecasted at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from Feb.7.

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