“NCIS” is a fictional crime drama franchise that itself is a spinoff of “JAG,” and it’s also spawned several other series, such as “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” and “NCIS: Hawai’i.” As part of the NCIS, the team at the center of the series is tasked with investigating crimes that involve either the US Navy or the Marine Corps. This mix of both crime drama and military drama makes the show and its spinoffs unique in a way that has fans excited about the show’s upcoming return for Season 20.
One aspect of “NCIS” which is a pure work of fiction for entertainment purposes is the presence of medical personnel on the team. Real NCIS teams don’t have their own medical examiners, according to the USO’s official site. This partially explains why characters like Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (played by David McCallum) and Jimmy Palmer (played by Brian Dietzen), although well-intentioned, don’t seem to be all that great at their jobs. But which one is objectively the worst? It’s a tough call, but we have an answer.
Jimmy Palmer means well but makes a lot of mistakes
Ducky is the first medical examiner in “NCIS” history, bleeding over into the new series after a two-episode appearance as a cast member on the original “JAG.” You might think that an old man who doesn’t seem to know the difference between a right and a left hand — a blunder pointed out by a fan (via Express) — would be one of the worst medical professionals in the history of TV. But to his credit, there’s someone whose blunders are even worse than that: his trainee and eventual replacement, Palmer.
For starters, Palmer fails to hire an assistant the way his mentor does, which u/mchollahan pointed out on Reddit. Palmer is very close to his predecessor and mentor, so one would think he would follow in his footsteps by hiring an assistant of his own. Taking on this massive workload all by himself is likely to create an environment where mistakes are made more often. On top of that, Palmer also takes his sweet time graduating medical school, which led to fans like u/airbornchaos speculating about his credentials.
The road to his degree is a rocky one, and Palmer fails the exam more than once, not bothering to disclose this information to his superiors. Seeing as how doctors must regularly pass their MOC exams in order to remain certified, Palmer could easily be suspended from his position until he can prove his credentials. Despite his shortcomings, Palmer is still an important member of the team in “NCIS” — but he could arguably use some improvements.
