I'm really moved by how NCIS actor Brian Dietzen wants Jimmy Palmer to die after 20 years on the show

Summary

• Brian Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer on NCIS, wants his character to die of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).
• Jimmy Palmer's death from ALS would be significant because he was a skilled physician and scientist with a thorough understanding of human anatomy.
• Jimmy's ALS storyline would affect his role on NCIS, shifting from being a victim of loss to being the source of it, focusing on how the grief would affect his daughter.

After 20 years NCIS, the actor who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer, Brian Dietzen Revealed How He Wanted His Character To Dieand I found it moving. The actor has been with the series since 2004, when he appeared in a guest role at the end of Season 1. While Palmer was originally featured sporadically as Dr. Mallard's assistant, his role eventually evolved into a series regular, with Jimmy eventually becoming the team's chief medical examiner. Brian Dietzen's NCIS The character plays a crucial role in the series, but the actor has thought about how it will end.

As the franchise prepares for NCIS season 22, Brian Dietzen is one of the longest-serving cast members on the show, and I think he's one of the most important. He and co-star Sean Murray are the only remaining regular characters from the series featured in NCIS season 1. I'm sad to think about the loss of Jimmy Palmer's character, but I think the way Brian Dietzen wants it to happen makes his death so meaningful. The show has lost many major characters, and I'm always sad to see my favorites go. Jimmy Palmer is definitely no exception.

Brian Dietzen Said He Wanted NCIS' Jimmy to Get ALS

Dietzen was part of a panel with Wilmer Valderrama, Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo

In June 2024, a group of NCIS The actors sat down for a roundtable discussion at the 2024 Monte Carlo Television Festival. The panel included Wilmer Valderrama and Brian Dietzen from the current cast of NCIS and former cast members Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo from the upcoming spin-off NCIS: Tony and Ziva. During the panel, Wilmer Valderrama suggests he wanted his character Nick Torres to die “in a storm of bullets” However, Dietzen had a more profound death in mind for his character Jimmy Palmer. Dietzen Wants Jimmy to Get ALSalso known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a rare disease of the nervous system that causes the progressive breakdown of cells in the spinal cord and brain, leading to muscle weakness and fatal loss of motor function.

Dietzen confirmed that he had already thought about Jimmy's death. I found it moving that Dietzen considered his character's death in terms of This could spread positive awareness for a cause that is bigger than him and his character.. Although there have been many moves NCIS deaths over the years as characters leave the show, I think what Brian Dietzen has laid out for his character is a way to make the show more meaningful than a police procedural and a character drama and that NCIS must support the narrative at all costs.

Why Dr. Jimmy Palmer's Death From ALS Would Be So Significant on NCIS

Brian Dietzen's character is a competent doctor

Jimmy's death from ALS would be significant because Jimmy is a doctor and scientist, generally in control of human anatomy. Jimmy has dealt with hundreds of cadavers NCIS and can solve many of the world's problems through scientific processes. Brian Dietzen mentioned this during the panel, and I think it shows that the actor has thought about his character's final development. It makes sense that after 20 years on the show, Dietzen would be personally invested in the role and want to say a meaningful goodbye to his character Jimmy after two decades on television.

Early symptoms of ALS include muscle twitching in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue, muscle cramps and spasms, muscle weakness affecting an arm, leg, or neck, slurred speech, and difficulty chewing or swallowing.

What struck me was Dietzen's take on his character as he struggles with the disease over time. The actor suggested that the character might try to hide his flaws at first, and I think it would be deeply moving to see Jimmy experience that on screen.. If Dietzen can deliver an authentic portrayal of the disease, which I think the actor is capable of, this could be one of the most profound deaths the show has ever seen. I think it's fitting that Jimmy's character is battling something internal and personal rather than dying in the line of fire.

How Jimmy's Illness Would Affect His Role on NCIS

Brian Dietzen's character would become the source of the loss

Jimmy's contracted ALS will profoundly affect his role in NCIS. A central part of Jimmy Palmer's character development, especially in the later seasons, is that he carries a heavy burden. He said goodbye to MCRT members Eleanor Bishop and Gibbs in NCIS seasons 18 and 19. Most importantly, Dr. Palmer also lost his wife, Breena, to COVID-19 during Season 18. I think the most important change in Dietzen's character is that he will have to stop focusing so much on his loss and change his perspective on the loss that others will experience after his death.

Jimmy's shift from being the victim of loss in his world to being the source of it would be a wake-up call.

Jimmy's shift from a victim of loss in his world to the source of that loss would be a wake-up call. He would be forced to focus entirely on how grief would affect his daughter Victoria, preparing her to navigate the world after both her parents have died. Suppose the show chooses to add even more loss to Dietzen's character. In that case, I think it would be essential for Jimmy and Victoria to experience a new chapter of happiness in the next seasons. before his character experiences another tragedy.

Brian Dietzen's Other NCIS Role Could Make Jimmy's Story Even More Emotional

Dietzen May Co-Write NCIS Episodes Dealing with Jimmy's Death

Brian Dietzen writes for NCIS, and he could co-write the episodes that deal with Jimmy Palmer's illness to make their impact even deeper. I think it would be a natural choice to have Dietzen contribute to the story of his character's death.and it's clear that the actor has already thought about it. Since it's Dietzen's idea, I think it's crucial to consult him on how he envisions the narrative around his character's death evolving. In my opinion, Brian Dietzen has already proven that he can contribute to the development of his character.

Dietzen co-wrote NCIS Season 19, Episode 13, “The Assistants.” In this episode, Jimmy Palmer's character discusses his impending death with his daughter Victoria. Jimmy and Kasie were exposed to a deadly biotoxin in the lab that they thought was alcohol but turned out to be a deadly gas. As the team races to find the antidote, Jimmy reveals some disturbing truths about his death, as Victoria had come to work with him and witnessed his collapse. The main message Jimmy conveyed in “The Assistants” is that What matters is not how they die but how they live.

Jimmy had a tragic past, but Dietzen handles it intentionally, and the actor could apply the same care to the character's death. Brian Dietzen imagined his character would leave the series with death rather than a happy endingwhich I think Jimmy deserves after all the losses he has suffered. Jimmy's death, like Breena's, would be the result of a disease over which he had no control, even as a doctor. That said, if Jimmy dies of ALS in NCIS, the actor can develop the narrative that how a person lives is more important than how they die.

Source: People, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke