NCIS season 22 just released one of its strongest episodes in a while, but it was ruined by a preventable plot hole. CBS’ longest-running procedural continues in 2025 after a particularly rocky first half of the current TV cycle. In NCIS season 22, episode 14, “Close to Home,” it got another one of its core characters involved, as Jimmy Palmer found himself suddenly involved in the case because her daughter, Victoria, stumbled upon stolen money. While this wasn’t the first time this year that it has leaned on familial connections, this marked the Palmers’ first at the center of its storytelling.
As one of the longest-serving active member of the NCIS cast, Jimmy has already been a member of the MCRT through the Medical Examiner’s Office long before Victoria was born. During its second decade, he and his late wife, Breena, got married and decided to expand their family, which wasn’t an easy process. So while Victoria wasn’t exactly a staple of NCIS ever since she was born, her existence is ingrained in the procedural’s canon. As great as it was seeing her, however, one line from NCIS season 22 episode created a plot hole that could have easily been avoided.
Jess Says That Victoria Is 14 Years Old In NCIS Season 22
According To Canon, Victoria Was Born In 2015
When Elle Graper’s Victoria first found the cash that was eventually tied to a cold case, she opted to call Nick Torres for help and kept it from her dad. This was despite her uncle prompting her to tell Jimmy after roping MCRT into the matter. Apparently, there were a few reasons why she didn’t want to get her dad involved: she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be when she stumbled upon the money and she thought it was wiser to call an NCIS agent instead of the medical examiner. Ultimately, it was the right move.
Before she could explain, however, Palmer was seething that he put his daughter in the interrogation room for questioning. Jessica Knight argued that it wasn’t necessary, especially since Victoria was just a 14-year-old girl, she was bound to make mistakes. Sadly, this created a timeline inconsistency because Jimmy’s daughter was supposedly born in 2015, in NCIS season 12, episode 13, “We Build, We Fight.” The show roughly follows the year that episodes are released, so in 2025, Victoria should only be 10 years old.
Why NCIS Season 22 Had To Lie About Victoria’s Real Age
Victoria Had To Be Slightly Older For The Plot To Work
Ultimately, this plot hole wouldn’t exist if Jess didn’t get specific with Victoria’s age. She could have easily pointed out that Jimmy’s daughter was young and naive. Victoria might have been too terrified so she called Torres instead of her dad. On the other hand, however, making the Palmer daughter slightly older was necessary for the show episode to work. Victoria being just 10 years old would have made her too young to be involved in this NCIS case. Sneaking out would have been a far bigger crime in the eyes of Jimmy as well.
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