We begin with Navy Capt.
Paul Smith and his son, Ryan, fighting over Ryan losing his job that day.
Not only that, but it’s Ryan’s birthday, and he doesn’t feel up to dinner.
Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
The captain gets worked up and blows a stop sign, causing chaos in the intersection.
Horrified, Ryan races to his father’s body.
Ducky offers some advice: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
He takes off running without a word to anyone else.
Yep, that’s some good advice.
He chose college over the military and studying architecture over business.
He didn’t even land the job he wanted and then got laid off.
(Flashback to Palmer’s third day on the job.
He was just a baby 14 years ago!)
However, this agitates Ryan, who makes another attempt to jump, knocking Palmer off balance.
Why bother saving him if Ryan’s going to follow him in mere moments?
He says his dad was never the same, disciplining him one minute, then babying him the next.
He kisses Abby on the forehead occasionally but isn’t a hugger and certainly has never hugged Palmer.
“I really worry about him.”
(Flashback to the day Palmer’s adoption fell through and he and his wife lost their child.
“Hugs or no hugs, I will never forget his kindness that day,” Palmer says.
This gets the attention of everyone in the orange room.
When Ryan tells him, the team scrambles to get the traffic cam footage.
Ryan snarks that just his luck, he’d land right on it, and Palmer has had ENOUGH.
Ryan scoffs and asks Palmer if he ever wanted more.
And then, dear friends, we learn something amazing.
Ducky’s praise and mentorship convinced Palmer to finish med school and take the ME test.
“So you’re an actual doctor?”
Still, nobody at work knows," Palmer replies, still unaware of the mic, poor guy.
“I opt for happiness.”
The team easily find him and his banged-up SUV, making a swift arrest.
“You turn on the news, and we’re all so divided, yelling and pointing fingers.
There’s so much meanness out there.”
And if you want good friends,bea good friend.
They will find you, I promise."
Ladies and gentlemen, yo take a moment to appreciate the innate goodness of Jimmy Palmer,NCIS’unsung hero.
For Ryan’s father, “you are the something good that he left behind.”
Palmer says now Ryan has to make the same choice.
Then he hands Ryan his dad’s wallet with a well-worn picture of the two of them in it.
Palmer slowly releases his hold on Ryan’s belt, and the two men head inside.
But this beingNCIS, Palmer slips on his way through the window, requiring Torres to grab him.
Not funny, show!
Once he’s inside, Palmer realizes that the whole team was listening in.
Ducky asks, and I’m crying.
The episode ends with Palmer answering a summons to Gibbs' basement.
Gibbs works on his boat in (what else?)
stoic silence while Palmer babbles an apology for airing Gibbs' painful history for a stranger.
Gibbs cuts off his apology and wordlessly folds Palmer into a hug.
Strong work all around, but particularly from Brian Dietzen.
Never change, Mr. Palmer sorry, Dr. Palmer.
