‘NCIS’ season 14, episode 13 review: Jumper stopped by Jimmy Palmer, a road rage murder
This week on “NCIS” the viewers got a glimpse of Jimmy Palmer’s life as he saved a man from jumping off a building. The shocking start of the show on Tuesday night had every fan of the show gasping. A hit and run, so quick that it could barely be seen and sounded incredibly awful, kicked off the show as a car sped by in the background of the shot. While the surprise of the action was just the beginning of the case, it was Agent Gibbs’ team that stepped up to find the killer.
At the scene of the crime, Jimmy Palmer along with the rest of the crew arrived to find the clues. However, it was Palmer who rushed into action when he first sees the victim’s son on a ledge completely distraught. Going up to save him, the assistant medical examiner quickly discovers he isn’t an everyday hero and he needs to share his life with the man to save him.
Opening up on the ledge, the viewers along with Palmer’s coworkers learn some new details about this typically simple man. A bug was planted on the food passed out the window and unbeknownst to Jimmy, everyone heard his information. The biggest surprise? He finally passed his medical exam and was officially a doctor.
As the episode moved forward, the relationship between Jimmy and Ryan (the jumper) increased. While Jimmy was hoping to save the man’s life, it was Agent Gibbs and his team looking for answers in quickly solving the case. Ryan was blaming himself over the situations and NCIS wanted to prove the man had nothing to do with the death of his father. Ultimately it was pinned down as a road rage incident. Missing a stop sign a few streets back, the dead Navy captain was run down because the other driver was angered.
A very moving episode, it was one of the first shows of the season where Jimmy’s character actually offered insight to what made the man tick. Looking for happiness in about everything he did, Palmer has always been happy. However he revealed his secret suggesting that he “opted” to be happy. Making the best of every situation, he found happiness in all that he did including his job at NCIS.
In the closing moments of the show, the team recognizes just how much JImmy Palmer loves being part of the bigger picture. A very strong ending has Agent Gibbs doing one thing that most viewers could never imagine. He summoned Palmer to his basement where he was working on his boat and gave him a big hug.
We were moved by the compassion and emotion in this episode of “NCIS.” While other crimes might be more detailed and offer more data, this episode gave an inside look to a beloved character. Episode grade A-. (Photo: CBS.)
This review was written by Jodi Jill. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter!