If you were watching NCIS in early 2021, you probably remember the absolute gut-punch that was Season 18, Episode 7. It’s called "The First Day." One minute, we’re catching up with the team after a time jump, and the next, Jimmy Palmer is casually mentioning his mother moved in to help him. Why? Because Breena Palmer, his wife and the mother of his child, was gone.
Just like that.
It felt wrong. Breena had been a part of the show’s DNA since Season 7. She wasn't in every episode, sure, but she was the light in Jimmy’s life. To have her die off-screen felt like a betrayal to some fans. Honestly, it was one of the boldest—and most controversial—writing choices the show has ever made.
Who was Breena Palmer?
Breena Slater (later Palmer) was played by Michelle Pierce. She first showed up as a mortician. Talk about a match made in heaven—or at least in the morgue. She and Jimmy had this quirky, sweet energy that balanced out the high-octane violence of the rest of the show.
They got married in the Season 9 finale, "Till Death Do Us Part," even though a bomb literally went off at NCIS right before the wedding. They eventually had a daughter, Victoria, named after Ducky’s mother. For years, Breena was the reason Jimmy stayed the "eternal optimist" of the group.
The heartbreaking truth about her death
So, how did Jimmy Palmer's wife on NCIS actually die? The show attributed it to COVID-19 complications. Because the episode aired when the real world was still deep in the pandemic, the writers wanted to reflect that reality.
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Jimmy couldn't even be with her.
He had to say goodbye through a tablet screen. It was brutal. In the episode, Jimmy is running around like a man possessed, acting way too happy. He’s buying weighted blankets and recommending chiropractors to everyone. It’s classic denial. Gibbs eventually has to be the one to break through that wall.
Why did they kill her off-screen?
The showrunners, including Brian Dietzen himself (who plays Jimmy), have talked about this. They wanted the pandemic to affect the team personally, but they didn't want to lose a core cast member like McGee or Torres.
Killing Breena served a few purposes:
- It gave Jimmy a massive, soul-crushing character arc.
- It allowed the show to acknowledge the global tragedy of 2020-2021 without turning every episode into a "medical drama."
- It created a shared bond between Jimmy and Gibbs, both of whom are widowers.
Michelle Pierce's return in Season 19
Thankfully, that off-screen exit wasn't the last we saw of her. In Season 19, an episode titled "The Helpers" (which Dietzen actually co-wrote) gave fans the closure they needed. Jimmy and Kasie get exposed to a deadly biotoxin and are fighting for their lives in the lab.
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While unconscious, Jimmy has a vision.
He’s in a field. It’s sunny. And there she is. Breena.
It wasn't a "ghost" story, really—it was Jimmy’s subconscious processing his grief. She tells him it's okay to let go. This was the moment he finally took off his wedding ring. It was the show's way of saying, "Okay, Jimmy is allowed to be happy again."
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of casual viewers think there was some behind-the-scenes drama with Michelle Pierce. They assume she wanted out or that there was a contract dispute.
That's not actually the case.
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Pierce hadn't appeared on the show since 2015 before her 2022 "vision" appearance. The decision to kill the character was purely a creative one to push Jimmy’s development. It wasn't about the actress wanting to leave; she had basically already transitioned away from the recurring role years prior.
Life after Breena
Watching Jimmy navigate being a single dad to Victoria has been one of the more grounded parts of recent seasons. Eventually, he started a relationship with Jessica Knight, which fans dubbed "Knight-in-Shining-Palmer."
It’s been a bumpy road. If you've kept up with Season 22, you know their relationship has hit some serious snags. But the shadow of Breena is always there. It’s what makes Jimmy so protective and, sometimes, so afraid of losing someone again.
Key takeaways for NCIS fans:
- Breena died of COVID-19 in December 2020 (revealed in Season 18).
- Michelle Pierce returned for a dream sequence in Season 19 to give the character a proper goodbye.
- The death was meant to ground the show in the real-life events of the pandemic.
- Jimmy’s daughter, Victoria, remains his primary focus, though his dating life has moved forward with Jessica Knight.
If you’re catching up on the series, pay close attention to the episode "The Helpers." It’s widely considered one of the best performances of Brian Dietzen’s career and finally puts the mystery of Jimmy Palmer's wife on NCIS to rest with a beautiful, albeit late, farewell.
For those looking to revisit these specific moments, check out Season 18, Episode 7 for the revelation and Season 19, Episode 13 for the "reunion" scene. Understanding this backstory is essential if you want to understand why Jimmy acts the way he does in the current seasons.