Dream Team - 226

PO Ferro caught PO Sanhuinius stealing candy bar from ships store then suffered continual harassment after that as Sanhuinius was twice his size. After shore leave from USS Carl Vincent in Japan Sanhuinius picked a fight; Ferro knocked him out and he later died. V told Cr he didn't need any help defending but Cr said "I think you do" and assigned H as 2nd. V played the same arrogance w/ H that he had w/ M and H set him in his place; but V "spit back." Barnes, original prosecutor, went to Iraq & B took his place. V kept showing his arrogance & inexperience; H kept bringing him back on track; B seemed annoyed about them being "buddies" - the "dream team." Cr, the boxer, advised V that there must have been some pre-existing problem; V found steroids & ETOH & visit to Medical officer w/ neurological symptoms after leave. Hs pathologist Gasden found Puffer fish toxin. H advised V to check out source (he didn't) thinking B would drop charges. M very suspicious about Vs "evidence" advises B to investigate further. B changed to murder charges after he found that Gasden convinced of the toxin but shipmates say Sanhuinius hated fish. M advised him that he had his case, he needed to find out why. B found that Ferro had charged puffer fish toxin (used for pain relief) on credit card; shop keeper photo id; Sanhuinius had power bar & toxin in stomach; power bar wrapper in pocket with Ferro's fingerprints INSIDE the wrapper & evidence of being re-glued. M told B they were 2 alpha males & deep down every dream team is a nightmare waiting to happen.

M kept trying to "be there" for H but he pushed her away - she said "you tried to be there for me but I pushed you away so I guess this is only fair." Co came uninvited to hospital on a Wed (her & Mattie's normal night out) & relieved H. Mattie opened her eyes. Later removed from respirator; began speaking; remembered Hs first words to her. M said "things will never be the same;" H said "trust me, it'll be awhile but you'll get back!" H lied when she asked where her father was; "That's the first time you've ever lied to me!" H said "he'll get back" - referring to Tom (her father) & "I'm not leaving."

M assigned to defend Seaman Apprentice Charles Bander who was caught releasing navy's trained dolphins. Everyone, B especially was making fish jokes: "on porpoise," "Squid pro Quo," "It's a red herring," "for the Halibut." T prosecuting under wrongful misappropriation (10yrs penalty). Bander testified under mitigation that he had been surfing and was targeted by Great White shark moving closer in circles. Dolphins came and circled between him and the shark for an hour and escorted him back to shore. He just couldn't see them penned - he owed them. Uncharacteristically T rec'd that he be "sentenced" to sea service w/ the dolphins. {Everyone's dialog in this whole episode was uncharacteristically relaxed & intimate)

Cr announced creation of Joint Legal Service Center Southwest & M commandant of the unit. H appointed Force Judge Advocate Naval Forces Europe, headquarted in London England, a Captain Billet and immediate frocking. 2 Days travel and 4 days proceed time. H & M looked at each other stunned… !

San Diego - 222

[apparently this was supposed to be an important episode on several levels] Cresswell (Cr) held his annual JAG conference in San Diego instead of Washington and relied on Cathy Graves (Gr) as his "advance person" and Lt. Tali Mayfield (Mf) as a keynote speaker on "the JAG involvement in combat operations." Turner and Bud were left behind "for trials" but then not seen again. Harm was made "acting" JAG and stayed behind. He was shown exibiting much more trust for Ts opinion than T ever showed for his. Mac prosecuted Corporal Caden Duran who was accused of manslaughter when a civilian in a mob he was trying to control died. Vukovic defended and Mf was assigned as 2nd chair. Cr told them "you have a history" but "consider this a test that neither of you wants to fail." V was his usual arrogant, smug and pontifical self throughout, demanding his client not to accept a settlement M had offered. Mf had to back V down just to be able to even hear the client get a chance to talk! Disagreements and condescending attitudes got to point where Mf told V "I don’t' know which drives you more your ego or libido," "It's one thing to be cocky with your own life but quite another to showboat with someone else's," and "You don't just use people, you use people UP."

V couldn't even see that M was "wiping" him in court. V, in his arrogant way, even tried to seduce M into accepting a plea bargain! Gr, smitten with V, had to point out that M was beating him and then spoon fed him forensic clues. It was actually Gr who defended Duran, not V or Mf who acted like she was just along for the ride. The victim was hit on crown of head (marines use gun butts on the side) and no one had even checked the blood type to match the victim and gun butt! V flew off to Nicaragua grandstanding instead of testing the blood. He brought back Fonseca Godoy who saw the man, Carlos Trjerino, killed when he had slipped and a crate fell on top of his head. Everyone,he said, knew that he had a "soft head." Godoy said that Duran couldn't have hit Trjerino because he was the man who Duran hit. Ashamedly, he said he had stepped on a child trying to get the food being distributed. M believed that V was using another actor like he had done before and asked for time to check credibility. Mf said "I know better than anyone the deception V is capable of" but she vouched for the truth of the witness. M got the blood analysis that V should have gotten at the beginning of the episode, and then cut off the trial reccomended to the convening authority that charges be dropped because of lack of evidence. Mf screwed up her face and told V, "now, that's integrity."

When V condescendingly complimented M, she began to believe that he had set her up, knowing she would do the blood test and drop charges; and then wondered if V had tampered with the blood samples too. She told him, "hope I never find out there was tampering" and he replied, "you won't" (he never denied it).

Meanwhile Mattie was on a respirator in intensive care after she hit a taxiing plane during a flight lesson which killed her instructor. The specialist doctor was portrayed as uncaring and delayed coming to the hospital. Tom began drinking again and when H tried to rally him, he completely broke down - "she's all I have, the only reason I stopped drinking." Dr Michael Rosenbaum said Mattie had a SUSPICIOUS "a white spot" AROUND C4 - a POSSIBLE spinal cord transection - and COULD be paralyzed from neck down - and that they MAY need to think of discontinuing life support - IF she doesn't wake up. Hs emotional involvement was suprising to the doctor (and frankly hadn't been developed in previous episodes to that extend.) H was upset and projected Mattie's future: "we're going to fly Mt McKinley, sail Mediterranean, ski Aspen. You've got college, love and babies."

Cr seemingly had a personality transplant, (reversing what the writers have inflicted on us to date). He was acting grateful, and amiable - even complimented Gr stating he "would like her to join JAG." Gr wouldn't listen to M & Mf warning her about becoming involved with V. [The "tone" of the episode is glaringly different. Vertiginous camera movement even on an increased number of tight shots, barely understandable rapid fire dialog, and more intrusive (loud), boinky, space-ship type background music. The scene of the L-CAC flying up on the beach was impressive however.]

Bridging the Gulf - 220

[Yet another episode with barely believable dialog and contrived conflict. New cast member touted as "the new Harm" (DJE leaving the show after this season) shown to be unethical, inconsiderate, full of himself- the complete antithesis of Harm; neither he or Cresswell are believable characters] Lt Vukovick (V) arrived at JAG, knocked into Mac flinging her papers, ogled he while he helped pick them up and announced that "I'm the new guy." Cresswell assigned him to second M in the case of Gunnery Sergeant Genuzzi charged with illegally commandeering a civilian vehicle in Iraq. He came in late, brusquely acknowledged Tali Mayfield (Mf), prosecutor, then led and directed Genuzzi in telling his story. Genuzzi said that his Lt Revere's vehicle had broken down and they had time sensitive intel so when a local, Azzam, came down the road after curfew in a SUV they commandeered it. Azzam became belligerent and drew a crowd so they drew weapons. Revere was killed in the vehicle by a land mine. V tried to push him to say Lt Revere had ordered him to take the vehicle, but Genuzzi refused. M asked Cr if V had "any experience with litigation" at all (he certainly was unbelievable to the audience) and Cr said "he's got something better, he's got fire in the belly, and we need that around here." Then Cr played his tiresome manipulation game of "can't you handle it M." Mf whined to Bud about being on the "wrong side" of yet another case because she believed Genuzzi wasn't being honest. B advised her to proceed with "zeal," which she did. V tried to elicit a bargain with Mf without even discussing it with M and was found out. She read him the riot act, commenting that he'd graduated "6th in class at Dickenson and still didn't learn anything about the chain of command." He patronizingly started to apologize but M called him on how "practiced" his apologies were. He had to repeat that he would "do nothing without Ms complete consent."

Cr shown "thinking" in empty court room when a "friend(?)"/acquaintance, sheik Suhaib al-Hassan came to demand that he "punish the man who took my son's car." Cr asked him if that was a threat and was told that if he wasn't "there would be consequences." M spoke to the Sheik in his language and asked him to request clemency. He argued so she said "forgiveness is the noblest revenge." He said "that's a woman's argument," and she replied "yet simple enough that even a man can understand." On the stand Azzam acted the expected spoiled-brat son of a Sheik. His father admitted son not harmed, and compensated financially- but "how can you compensate for loss of dignity." M said in court the real reason this was being pressed was to appease his politically powerful father. Cr got on her case about that. Even Genuzzi was admitting to M & V that he was ordered to take the vehicle but wouldn't "bad mouth" Revere, when in came a man announcing he was "Paul Revere" the father. He read a letter stating Revere had ordered Genuzzi and said either you tell the truth or I will. Mf reduced charge to wrongful appropriation and Cr asked the Sheik if he was satisfied. The sheik said yes and asked to have the sentence commuted. Cr went out of his way to commend V- and M happened to be there as well. When M got V alone she confronted him with using an actor- "do I look that stupid to you, that I wouldn't check?" Completely oblivious to his dishonesty he told her "whatever works." She landed on him for "fraud, unethical and despicable" and said "do it again and I'll have you before the rules council! I might anyway." He arrogantly said "you won't do it because you like what I did," and she told him "don't bet your career on it."

Harm completed his field quals in the F18 and told Cr he only needed 16 carrier traps until he was F18 qualified. Cr offered an investigation on the carrier JFK to Turner who deferred to H. A Huey pilot Lt Gutierrez shot the stern of the fishing boat of Jalal Sharif who was heading for an oil platform and refusing to stop when orders were broadcast in his language. The CAG authorized him to shoot warning shots across his bow which caused him to run and still not stop. The government was complaining. Iraqi commando battalion leader Colonel Fadil Najijar, Masters of engineering from MIT, was Hs counterpart. The CAG clearly held "seeing it my way" over Hs head to get on the schedule for his quals. H found he had acted within ROE because Sharif could speak English and didn't stop. The CAG gave him the flights, with bullets but no missiles, where he was diverted to intercept a small aircraft that was heading directly at the oil platform. The two occupants appeared unconscious & Hs getting in front of them then lifting their wing was still ineffective. At 5 seconds before impact H saw the pilot's lips moving before deciding to shoot. It was reportedly Hakim Ma'mun, an Iraqi minister, on a fact finding tour. T was sent to investigate and after perfunctory greetings H said "I guess were exchanging lies" and T agreed. T railroaded through a perfunctory "investigation" and charged H with negligent homicide because he didn't ask for permission to fire- despite 5 seconds to impact. H & T had it out. T accused H of jealousy & undermining his authority during his temporary JAG appointment. H said he was a "tight ass, pompous, sanctimonious prig or he would have had everyone's support." Najjar overhead them arguing and told H "best friends make the worst of enemies." H asked, "from the Koran?" He said, "no, John Wayne." Najijar discovered that two men speaking Arabic with Jordanian accents had spoken to Sharif on his boat and afterward Sharif had thrown up over the side. He admitted that he was forced by "Zarqawi's men" to head to platform to test security. They got him to wear a wire into the terrorists. Troops then entered the house killing all but one including Sharif. They also found the bodies of the minister and his pilot who were killed before their flight which exonerated H. T flew back with Sharif, who's death was staged to avoid retaliation, and said "it turned out well. I'm glad." H said "yea, I believe you." T said, "we're still swapping lies."

Camp Delta - 214

[When a protagonist just sit's and takes abuse, not offering defense arguments which are blatantly obvious, it makes the plot line seem arbitrary and "forced" and the characters weak. I didn't like the arrogant spinoza when he played on Murphy Brown either!] An angry, verbally abusive, history teacher started an argument with Bud (B) and Mikey (Mk) while they were shopping for shoes. Flailing his arms in histrionics, the man appeared to be striking Mk with a shoe so B defended his brother by slugging the man. B was then tried for assault. Creswell (Cr) was pissed that B hadn't told him of the incident and ordered Turner (T) to defend him, saying: "make it go away," then "you'll have to answer to me when it's over." The prosecuting attorney was shown with smug arrogance and the judge was clearly biased against B in nearly every objection T made. Big B "chatted up" the court reporter, then told T that the judge hated the military for getting her son killed. Mk testified that he never felt in danger (so B had over-reacted), and Harriet testified that when B got angry he got "that pouty face." When the prosecutor and judge seemed to be colluding to make B out to be an aggressor, with a history of temper outbursts, T asked for a mistrial. The judge angrily denied the request, threatening T with contempt for insulting her. Then, completely out of character with how she had acted the whole trial, the judge "magically" reversed her antagonistic attitude and judged that B had acted reasonably in defense of his brother when he had seen the shoe raised; but, then she called and tattled to Cr, recommending "anger management courses for B." She told T that her "son had been killed, but her daughter was still serving." Cr ordered B to attend the classes without even talking to him about it.

Harm (H) defended, and Mac (M) prosecuted, three MPs who beat and choked a Guantanamo detention camp prisoner into a coma. Army General Spinoza wanted "exposure to public opinion," so HE requested the court-martial for his own political reasons! H was assigned an army JAG, Captain Tam, as his co council, who then initially bull-dozed over her clients and H. When she justified herself to H by saying that she was only acting as "devils advocate," H told her that "the devil has enough advocates, you start defending your clients." The injured man was actually Corporal Gino Hatanian who had been posing as a detainee in a training exercise about uncooperative prisoners. He finally awoke from his coma, but refused to testify against the MPs. Both M and H tried to get him to tell the truth, so others wouldn't be mistreated; but, he replied, he didn't care if they were mistreated, because "they hate us and deserve it." The mistreatment had been video taped but the tape had been mysteriously "misplaced." Brett Orman, a private contractor for the CIA, denied that he expected MPs to abuse prisoners, but claimed they needed to "fear up" high value detainees. "Pain is not as good of motivator," he said, "as the fear of pain." Tam was the one who finally found the tape in the "recycle" bin, even though Spinoza said they were looking for it. It showed that Orman had lied and had been standing on the sidelines watching the beating. St. Sgt. Lantana, in charge of the detail, and others were found not guilty of two of the charges, but "guilty" of mistreatment.

The condescending and adversarial Gen. Spinoza got in M's face. Being pushed, M told him that in her opinion the "wrong person was on trial here." He smugly told her to "come and serve under me and then your opinion might count for something" and that "If you want to put me on trial you know where to find me." [It's too bad the show ended before we could see this happen]

Retrial - 210

[Turner is still acting JAG, Mac is still crusty with Harm and Bellisario is still giving them "soft" (non-action) cases. They also seem to have replaced the "love distraction," which Mac has lost, with one for Harm, preventing them from reconciling their differences.] A legal student, Rachel Hanna, uncovered new DNA evidence which she felt proved that Saul Wainright hadn't committed the murder of a transvestite hooker, Tamaray, for which he had been a prisoner in Leavenworth for 22 years. With her professor, Alicia Montez [the new "interest" for Harm], she convinced Harm (H) to review the case and intervene. But, H felt that Tamaray's blood on Wainright's knife, the knife cut on his face and his prints on the knife, all proved that Wainright was guilty. Wainright claimed, however, that when he was in the alley, and had realized that Tamaray was a transvestite, he wouldn't pay, so Tamaray pulled his knife and cut Wainright on the face. He said that defending himself, he had wrestled with Tamaray, and the knife accidentally stabbed Tamaray once. He then ran and threw the knife away. Unexplainedly, however, Tamaray had been stabbed 12 times. Hanna found that there had been another murder of a prostitute the following day, by someone named Waldo Sapphire; and, although Sapphire had died in prison, she subpoenaed his shirt and found Tamaray's DNA on it. H realized that, after this length of time, only the president could order another retrial; but, Turner (T) said he wouldn't go to the line for H, unless he had more than the DNA evidence - even when H asked him to "trust me." Hanna also stole records from Henry Kale's office, who was the former prosecutor of Waldo Sapphire. The records showed that Sapphire had been willing to confess to "another murder," for a plea bargain. Kale said he had given the information to Wainright's prosecutor, Lt. Cdr. Marvin Bolton - now a congressman; but Bolton had failed to turn it over to the defense, as required by the Supreme Court Brady decision. The SECNAV insisted on keeping the president out of it, because Bolton had led the opposition against the president's weapons program and now it would just look like "payback." When the SECNAV told harm "maybe next year," H didn't respond kindly. He argued that: this innocent man has spent 22 years behind bars, it's a mockery, and he can't wait another year just for political reasons! The SECNAV talked to Bolton, who admitted knowing the information; but, as expected, threatened the SECNAV for doing "payback." Trying to defuse the situation, the SECNAV authorized a simple pardon; but, when H offered it to Wainright, he refused it, saying that he wanted a whole new trial. Finally, the SECNAV got the president to authorize a new trial, stating that he "didn't like to be threatened." H asked T to let him to defend Wainright and T assigned himself to prosecute, against H. H called Bolton to testify and made him look a fool. Bolton threatened H that "your career is over!" Harm replied "so's yours." T tried to shame H about "not doing his homework," when he uncovered that Hanna was actually Wainright's daughter, and he claimed that Hanna had switched shirts while they were in her possession in order to free her father. But H showed that, in the first trial, Wainright's shirt was shown to have two types of blood - his, from the cut, and Tamaray's; while the shirt now in question, with the newly discovered DNA, showed only one type of blood - Tamaray's. He muttered back to T: "you should have done your homework, counselor." Wainwright was exonerated for murder.

Mac (M) prosecuted and Bud (B) defended Morris Renfield, found to have four wives. He had a job which required extended deployments, and had married all four in different areas of deployment, had children with two and financed it from his fathers trust fund. M took the whole thing personally, showing contempt for Renfield, who was sickeningly sweet. Renfield inappropriately tried to get personal with M, telling her that he "just knew she had been hurt" in the past. All of his wives loved him and tried to get M to drop the charges. Finally, when M wouldn't relent, they drew straws and all but one divorced him. That way M could drop the charges. She finally relented, but said she found his actions reprehensible and recommended dishonorable discharge with loss of pay and allowances. M asked H what had changed between he and T, because they "used to be friends." He said "people change, they grow apart," then interjected that he was still talking about he and T. She ragged on him about being attracted to Montez, and he said "when have I ever compromised my integrity for a woman?" She responded, "you've never compromised anything for a woman." Montez told H that Bolton was a bad enemy to have, and that she would help H "watch his back."

People vs. SecNav - 196

[This would be classified as a pretty far fetched episode if it just wasn't that the depiction of the Frenchman was too close to be funny. He is just the type who would make secret arms deals with the Iraqi tyrant; then, try to mask his vested interest behind a feigned moral principle, at the US's expense.] A Platoon of the 1st marine division was pinned down by cross fire coming from a Tikifa hospital. They called for air support but there were secondary explosions and several civilian buildings were destroyed. The Athens bar association filed a complaint with the international criminal court charging the US president, Secretary of Defense, SECNAV and others with war crimes - calling it the "Iraqi incursion." Even though Chegwidden (C) said it was meaningless because the US didn't recognize the court, the SECNAV said the Clinton administration was shifting policy and he had chosen, himself, to go to the Hague and answer the charges in order to "improve the US image" with the rest of the world. Thirty two civilians were killed (18 patients in the hospital) so Mac (M) said "if we loose we will be branded an outlaw nation by the entire civilized world." Afterwards, Harm (H) teased her for being "too dramatic." M, H and Bud (B) were summoned to the white house where Marcia Wheatstone, an advisor, said she disagreed with the decision; but, had set up meetings for them with Justice, Defense and State. A soldier told H that Iraqi's were overwhelmingly surrendering everywhere, making it impossible to do anything but take their weapons and send them home. Tikifa was on the road to Baghdad and had to be secured. Another, told M that that they couldn't wait for reinforcements, because the crossfire made it impossible to evacuate their wounded. Lieutenant Morris said that they had sent in corpsmen, to assist wounded civilians, but they were being shot. "We were the liberators, Saddam is the criminal," he told H, and said he would go to testify, even though he wouldn't have immunity. At the airport, chief inspector Doosman had a warrant, and arrested the SECNAV for a "perp walk." Immediately, H objected to the "glass booth," as visually prejudicial, so the SECNAV was allowed to sit with his defense team. A flamboyant, weenie, Frenchman with an "inspector Cleuseau" accent and an imperious attitude (weenie) read the "sharges," and the SECNAV plead "not guilty." The weenie first called a Dr. Aziz who said they had moved some patients to the lower level and the Iraqi soldiers were trying to "protect them from the American and British aggressors." H got him to reluctantly acknowledge that Iraqi's had stored munitions in the hospital long before the American's came, and that he had "protested" both that and the occupation of the building. Then the weenie called Mrs. Bahnam, a distraught mother, whose 6-year-old, crying son had been killed in a second explosion. H got her to admit that her husband, a teacher, had been taken to prison by Saddam's men six years ago and was now "missing." "Saddam," she said, "will get a trial but my husband didn't." Later M told H that "Webb sends his love," and H replied "that's a scary thought." He despaired to M that "it could have been me dropping the bomb, and Bahnam doesn't see any difference between me and a murderous dictator!" The weenie even called the secretary general of the UN who incredibly called the US action in Iraq "unsanctioned by the UN and therefore illegal." H got him to reluctantly admit that the UN allowed "military action for purposes of self defense." The secretary quoted the biblical passage about the lamb and lion lying down together and H responded "well before the 'lamb' rules against eating 'me,' he better get the wolf to agree." Lt Morris told that they were pinned down, had wounded, receiving fire from two locations including the hospital and were scrupulously avoiding hospital and civilian targets. "If Iraqi's hadn't used the hospital as a bunker it would still be standing today," he said. The Weenie pompously challenged "what gave you the right to be on Iraqi soil in the first place?" Morris said "first, my orders; but, then I saw the mass graves, spoke to a father forced to watch his little boy's arms cut off, a woman repeatedly raped and tortured. I didn't have the right to be there -- I had an obligation!" During a break, a man came from the audience with a knife and tried to stab the SECNAV in the back; but Morris got in the way and took the blow.

Coates (Co) was bitten on the leg by little AJ who was hiding under her desk. Harriet (Ht) complained that the school was out, her baby sitter was sick, she had a deadline on paperwork and AJ was "acting out, because of the new school and new baby." AJ broke into C's office and the admiral offered him a cookie. AJ asked "what is acting out," and C told him "when something is bothering you and you don't say what, but instead do things you shouldn't." AJ told C that "mom and dad are always with the baby and I'm always with the babysitter." Mikey (Mk) was babysitting AJ at an arcade and AJ didn't want to leave. He begged for "one more" and when Mk turned to get another token to give in to him, he ran away. Of course Ht came to the arcade flailing and blaming Mk. B left their case in the Hague and returned, only to flail at him as well, blaming and abusive. B spouted that "You're worthless, you've always been worthless, you'll always be worthless." Mk just walked out. He went back to the arcade and saw a boy with AJ's coat and "frog pet" that he had given him. The boy ran to his father, in a transient shelter, who told Mk that AJ had given them as presents and had told them that he 'didn't have a family.' AJ appeared as if nothing had happened and called Albert and Bobby his friends because "he doesn't have to go to work and take care of some dumb baby." Alfred didn't want any dealings with the police so had avoided their searches. B tried to tell Mk "he didn't mean it" and he "would make a fine officer." Mk said "yea, I know, but you don't." He said B would always see him as "a kid brother, dumb and worthless -- you and dad." He said he was tired of it so next time they needed a babysitter, chauffer or stooge to call someone else. "And," he said, "it's Mike not Mikey" as he walked out.

The weenie, who apparently was only providing security for the prosecution side of things, offered to drop charges if SECNAV plead guilty and made reparations. He called the US an "arrogant bully"; but SECNAV countered with "arrogant, that's a French word isn't it? After all these years of being friends and allies, you still don't have any idea who we are!"
The pompous-faced weenie taunted: "well tell us, just who you are." (The scene cut to the next day in court.)
SECNAV: "Since it's founding, America has been the symbol of hope for the world, and remains so today. We accept our responsibility, which all civilized nations should, to fight against aggression and tyranny. We don’t fight for land, oil, money or to impose our will -- we take up arms against violent men who threaten our freedom and the freedom of others."
Weenie: Did the world ask you to be its savior?
SECNAV: In 1917, 1941 and throughout the 40 years of cold war, the world asked us for help… and we gave it! Now that the war on terrorism has begun, we can't wait to be asked. We must do what has to be done!
Weenie: So you have the right to attack any nation of which you disagree?
SECNAV: If that nation poses imminent threat, we reserve the right to use military force to protect ourselves.
Weenie: (Just a stupid look on his face.) No further questions.

The court's decision: "The use of armed force without the mandate of the security counsel is a breech of international law; but, must be weighed against each particular case. Would greater loss of life have occurred if Iraq's tyrannical regime had continued? Moral, as well as legal factors, must influence court decision." The SECNAV was found "not guilty" on all counts, except "willful destruction of civilian property," and reparations of $20 million to the town was ordered. The weenie told the SECNAV that he disagreed with the decision; but, was glad that he "didn't have to spend his life in jail." The SECNAV spoke French to him and said that the two countries' long time friendship shouldn't be discarded, so asked him to go have a drink. (A bigger man than I am.)

Lifeline - 131

[An important series episode] Throughout the engagement party given by Chegwidden (C) for Mac (M) and Brumby (Brum), Harm (H) and M end up on the front porch reminiscing about their relationship and trying to understand here-to-fore unasked questions. Brum was shown warning Renee not to interrupt H & Ms "talks" by saying "we will have them for a long time. Let them say their good bye's." Frustratingly, not all the questions were answered as both H and M were shown still not fully wanting to be open with each other. Flashbacks (which seemed to be more than just lazy writers tricks) were used to show: --When M & H 1st met and the image of Hs girl friend Diane; --When H sandbagged Ms 1st case; --Their shipboard argument about respect; --Ms exclusion of H during the investigation of Jordan's death; and, --The night in Sydney harbor when H backed away. Then flashbacks also showed: --M quitting JAG; --fighting terrorists with C on a ship; and, --nearly kissing C. M asked C to give her away at her wedding. Out on the porch again M asked H: "why did you back away?" then H reminisced: --Their fight on ship saying "you honestly resent me, and you have no faith in me"; --His noticing Ms engagement ring in the Australian airport; and, --Their "baby deal." H asked M "do you love him" and instead of answering she diverted with "do you love Renee?" H diverted back with "I'm not marrying Renee" so M told him "that's not a question you get to ask."

Together they recalled: --When H saved Ms life in the forest; --When M saved Hs life in Panama; --When H got C to take M back after she quit JAG; --M being there for H in Russia while finding his father; and, --when M fell off the wagon and got drunk. M asked H "just what is it you want" and he remembered all of his "Hallucinations" of M being sexy. H asked M "why did you go to him so quickly?" and she responded, "you pushed me away, what did you want me to do?" "Wait," he said. "For how long?" " As long as it takes" They then kissed "goodbye" on the porch and remembered their other tearful goodbye when H left for the carrier, "why is it" M had said, "that I'm the only one crying?" H finally said "we're getting too good at saying goodbye."

Throughout the episode Bud progressively soiled and removed articles of his clothing to where he finally ended up wearing an apron and being embarrassed into serving drinks by Mattoni. C gave M a cake decorated with the US and Australian flags; and gave Harriet (Ht)her Lieutenant's bars. Ht asked B if he knew about it and he said "that's why I got all dressed up." The episode ended with H & M standing next to each other and the camera showing the backs of their hands touching.

Liberty - 128

On liberty in Matzatlan from the Wake Island Mikey bought Colina Ojeda (prostitute) a drink. She asked to dance and her "boyfriend" Efran Minas came in and began hitting her. Mikey was pulled into a fight when he tried to defend Colina. The shore patrol was called and when Minas dies Mikey was charged. Lt Ferrari (JAG in San Diego) offered 3 yrs negligent homicide before Mikey was assigned an attorney. H asked for the assignment after C denied Bs request. C relented to H that B take 2nd chair but said "keep him out of trouble." Ferrari maligned and baited both B and H over their handling BBs case. "Like father like son," he said. Capt O'Byrne was determined to make an example out of Mike. BB offered his help but H turned him down as having nothing to offer but bad advice. Ferrari slammed Mike hard during cross examination and brought up his father beating his mother. He got Mikey to say that he had wanted to kill his father back then. Colina and Santos Ramirez were Ferrari's witnesses and completely lied on the stand. Mikey was found guilty but when B saw his watch that had broken at the beginning of the fight he noticed that the shore patrol had been called 5 minutes before the fight started. Gunny & H found Hector Valdez a fisherman who had gotten a settlement of $1,000 6 mos prior when "beaten up" by another sailor. They got Valdez to admit that Ramirez had paid him $100 to start a fight with a sailor then they had beaten him up to make it look "real." B found that Colina was really Ramirez's girlfriend. They pulled a "sting" where gunny faked shooting BB to convince Colina that her life was in danger from Ramirez. She exonerated Mikey; but he was assigned to work during the next 6 shore leaves for fighting.

M was tricked into defending Sgt Joe Dutch an "official" marine mascot bulldog who impregnated a Borzoi while UA. M held a hearing and convinced the XO not to "discharge" Butch but to allow him to go to boot camp for re-training. They also got him a mate so he wouldn't go UA. C was shown talking on the phone to Adm Don Guter an old friend who was the SECNAVs top troubleshooter. At the end M met Guter (the real JAG in a walk-on) who told C that they "couldn't pay him enough to be the JAG."

Drop Zone - 105

Five brand new jumpers exited the plane 800 meters short of the drop zone with 75# of gear and 65# of parachute landing unexpectedly in the water. Senior Chief PO Braken was jumpmaster and court-martialed for culpable negligence. He claimed that the "jump light" was green when he sent the men out but the pilot had realized they were short and not flipped it to green. Bud (B) and Singer (S) were defending against Mac's (M) prosecution. She had taken a long time drafting the charges and when PO Comstock died she amended the charges to involuntary manslaughter. Harm (H) explained that was what attorneys did when the outcome of a victim was in question. They can delay up to the statute of limitations but couldn't change it once they had tried a person for a lesser charge. PO Scaline said he jettisoned his gear before hitting the water but Comstock had not. He was blue when retrieved from the water. Braken, feeling shaken, admitted to B and S that he had not been on the schedule and was out drinking the night before the mishap when he was called as a last minute replacement. He said only Capt Miller (of the mishap board) knew of this and S advised him not to say anything more to anyone. B took issue with that but S said she "intended to win" until Chegwidden (C), who had overheard their argument, asked them if they understood the first chair was in charge. M talked to Dr Eric Miller but he refused to reveal anything to her. Instead, he just said "do what you always do." That prompted her to have Gunny (G) check records and found a 12-year prior DUI. She told G to take his photo to all the bars in Norfolk. M called Miller on the stand and asked him only if the drug tests he did "would have" shown ETOH use and S shot up with her objection. B had to sit her back down, later telling her that she had just telegraphed to M that there was a problem in that area. S said "I underestimated her," B responded "or overestimated yourself." She said "it won't happen again" and that night M found Part B of the mishap board report on the seat of her car open to the page and circled in red. She took it to H (instead of reporting it) and burned it in his stove.

G had only finished half the search and asked M if she wanted him to continue. She responded "if those were your orders." He then found Krista Berren who saw Braken drinking and M called her to testify. When she did S was ready with her objections and B asked for exclusion of the testimony because it was obtained inappropriately from Part B. He said he would trust Ms word and she admitted she had seen it. Judge DeLario struck that testimony and filed charges against M. C removed M from the case and assigned H. Over lunch B said that it was S who had pointed out Ms transgression to him. PO Scaline testified that he had seen the green jump light then after Hs cross examination told Braken he had only gone off what he had said. Bracken said "it had to be." H came back with an plea bargain offer of negligent homicide with failure to use due care, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 3 years confinement. B disagreed then Braken began arguing. H gave him his full barrel closing argument that it was his job to not trust a .90 cent light and stick his head out the door to check for danger- which he would have done if he hadn't been hung over. Braken finally agreed to the settlement. H called S into his office and said he didn't know who put the report in Ms car but if he ever found out he'd "personally ruin that persons career." Smugly she asked "are you accusing me?" He said "no, warning you not to let your personal ambitions overtake your abilities." She retorted that she "wasn't a thief or liar but she'd use any means necessary to achieve her goal of being the first female JAG."

B had his "wires" removed last week and can eat and speak again. C was on a high, complimenting everyone to the point H asked Tiner, "is he being jolly." H had a dream of M and Renee kickboxing in a ring and when he tried to stop them M told him "YOU go to YOUR corner Hormone!" She then switched to Brumby, in boxing gloves and shorts, and when he turned away he saw his father in the crowd motioning for him to take Brumby on, just as he was punched in the face and awoke in a sweat. He called Renee and made a date for a walk in the park. She came still playing the martyr about him embarrassing her on the stand. C asked H where to take a woman for a romantic weekend. He suggested the Virgin Islands. C played telephone tag with Dr Walden the asked if she'd like to go to Aruba. She said no but suggested the VI. M made reservations for a flight to Australia. H asked her if it was to "go to Brumby or get away from here." She said "both." She unknowingly met Walden at the airport who told her that she though navy men were "so vigorous." When she saw C, she called him "admiral vigorous" to his confusion.

Sr Chief Walter Bracken caused trainees to jump short into water; one died. He was hung-over; as placed in "part B" of mishap report. Capt. Eric Miller of mishap board told prosecutor M to "do what she normally does" regarding Bracken." S advised Bracken not to talk to mishap board & argued w/ B (jaw unwired), C overheard & backed S down. An opened and circled "part B" left in Ms car; she talked w/ H, burned it & told no one. M eventually admitted she'd seen it, but Judge Delario wouldn't accept her assurances, quashed the witness G found & filed ethics charges. H gave Bracken a sample of his closing argument about "hould have stuck your head out the door to see" & got him to accept 3 yrs confinement. H realized S left report & reamed her but she didn't admit it & said she would "do anything it takes" to be "the first female JAG." H had dream of Renee & M boxing over him, changing to Brum & him. Renee finally returned & tried to seduce H. C took Dr Sydney Waldon to St Johns; M ran to Australia & met Waldon at airport where they talked about "vigorous" navy men.

People vs. Gunny - 102

Gunny (G) and his friend Manny were dropped off by a cab in front of a gay bar. A gay, Ed proxy bumped into Manny who ridiculed gays. Proxy insulted right back and Manny pressed him against the wall. Gunny broke it up and held Manny's arms so Proxy slugged into Manny and kicked him in the groin. Gunny was defending Manny slugging Proxy when Tiner (T) came out of the bar and took a swing at G who turned and decked him before recognizing him. Mac (M) was all excited about her new ring and tried it on her left hand where it got stuck. She hid her hand from Harm (H) who came in asking her to take some cases while he was in Iceland. When she kept the ring hidden he advised her to put "shampoo on her finger" and the ring would come off. Renee called from Valencia California where she was directing a Demented Dead Souls video. She pushed him into saying he missed her, then made a date saying he had stood her up twice and only got one more chance. Lt Aldridge was at JAG while his ship was in port. He commented on Tiner's black eye, Harm's bruised face and Bud's wired jaw. Detective Wanda Shilling, Baltimore PD, came after F for gay-bashing outside the pony express lounge. He told her what had happened and she seemed to believe him until he refused to give her Manny's identity. Proxy had a broken nose and cracked rib and had lied that G just beat him up "for no reason at all." G asked T to get Proxy to drop charges. He said "he's your boyfriend." T denied that he was so G asked if he "wanted to be outed" to which T flew off the handle. He said "you're the one who misunderstood." G talked to Manny who offered to talk with the cops but G refused because with only nine months to go it might effect his retirement benefits. Shilling came back with warrant for Gs arrest because T went to them and offered to be a witness against G. C intervened and took jurisdiction of the investigation. H and M investigated and G said while Manny was doubled over from the kick to his privates he tried to stop the attack on him. T said Ed was Gay and they were in the gay bar. M told H that going to gay bar doesn't mean your gay and H responded "like wearing an engagement ring on your right hand doesn't mean your engaged." They agreed it should go to a hearing and recommended Mattoni for defense and Aldridge for prosecution.

Baxter Stark, from the attorney generals office, came to Chegwidden (C) and in front of Owen Sebring claimed that the Navy was incapable of prosecuting hate crimes. Sebring noted that Stark was running for states attorney and before more was said, C dismissed Stark who retorted "we'll be watching you." Proxy blatantly lied on the stand and Aldridge bumbled around trying to bring in other issues. After H cross examined him, T realized that Proxy may be wrong and tried to get him to drop charges. Proxy refused and asked for his support holding him by the back of the neck. H asked M what she had against Renee and she responded "I'm just surprised you like that type. Then when M accused H of having problems with Brumby (Brum) he parroted back "I'm just surprised you like that type." M called it a "friendship ring" to Harriet (Ht). In Gs testimony he called proxy's attack on the fettered Manny "an act of a coward." G refused to give Sebring Manny's name so was charged with disobeying a lawful order. Sebring decided that the only evidence against G was the un-cooborated complaint by Proxy so it was dismissed. However, in the hallway, Stark had G re-arrested again for civil trial. Stark told Sebring and C that the trial was biased. How else could you explain it with such pitiful defense (Mattoni) and inept prosecution (Aldridge). Accused the entire military of bias. C, very restrained, told him that "we all know your only intent is to bolster your campaign. You're nothing but a hypocrite and opportunist and I'll be damned if I’m going to let a bottom feeder like you further your personal ambition trampling the integrity of this office."

Stark acted as the prosecuting attorney and C defended G himself. Despite Gs magnanimous act, Manny, a true bigot, G played his little games as well refusing to reveal the identification of Manny (a true bigot) called JAG at night and left a message designed to get rid of T. He claimed to M, who answered the phone, that he was Josh, Ts lover and wanted him to come home because he loved him. C gave T the benefit of the doubt and told M to advise him to keep his domestic life under control. Then, at long last, Tiner gave up his act and admitted to M that Proxy was his gay half-brother. M told C, so he called Tiner back on stand and asked him directly if he was gay. Tiner said "no, no one asked me (?!)" he just "wanted to see how it felt." He claimed that suddenly "everything took on a double meaning, some people bent over backward not to be offensive, others pulled away like I was contagious." C won Gs acquittal but Stark gloated "what defeat, they (the gays) see me as their protector. I just picked up a few thousand votes!" C gave G a letter of admonishment and forfeiture of half months pay for disobedience.

H was sent to Keflavik Iceland to a NATO conference and told Renee that he would be gone. Without confirming the date she just showed up at JAG then disbelieved M that H was snowed in in Iceland. She took Tiner to dinner instead. Ht was back to replace G during the trial and flounced around making Bs life miserable cause "it's so much fun making them pay."

Mishap - 95

Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes was acting as LSO ("Paddles") when Lt Dalton Jonas crashed into the fantail of the USS Patrick Henry. In investigation Mac (M) thought she was "culpable" and Brumby (Brum)said she was "not". M & Brum prosecute, Capt Ingles decided to hold court-martial and H (H) was assigned to defend her. She told him that Jonas was a "deck spotter" and didn't fly the ball. "He eased the gun on final and made a play for deck - he panicked." She didn’t want to send him around because "he probably couldn't keep it together." However she kept second guessing and blaming herself. H reminded her of when he grabbed her chute and kept her from going into the ocean and told her "I didn't drop you then and I won't drop you now." Jonas said Skates should have given him wave off sooner. Cdr Bates said he ordered her to "send him around again" while he was coming back to the deck. H asked B for his help overheard by Singer (S) who then came into his office and volunteered saying she wanted a chance to impress him. He declined and told her to "next time leave the door open." Hs friend "tuna" came to talk to talk and said that Skates was being "railroaded." He pointed out many accidents due to ship not being combat ready but H would "have to find the evidence on his own." H asked Ingles for ships records and Ingles threw him off the ship after he arrogantly maligned H. Then he preemptively sent a complaint to Chegwidden (C)that H had blackmailed him to drop the case. C told H that he would put the complaint "with all the others."

The XO, Cameron, tried to face down H saying he'd "badly misjudged the caliber of officers on the ship." H replied back "if you think you can intimidate me you've badly misjudged, period… sir." M accused H of turning it into a personal battle with Ingles. He showed they repaired radios by cannibalizing parts, had lost catapult pressure from gun-decking readiness checks, and Leatham testified of misallocation of funds and short staff. M reminded H of when, as acting JAG, he told her not to shift blame or wrestle with two stars. On the stand M tried to get Skates to admit she was thinking about being a RIO and not thinking about landing and the ship. She told the jury that no matter what their verdict she was resigning not wanting "to be a part of an organization who punishes me for carrying out my duties." H gave an eloquent closing saying he was going to blame others but they were just honest, hardworking people doing their jobs the best they could; and said "please don't accept her resignation." Verdict was not guilty and Ingles asked H if he meant what he said in his closing or if it was just a lawyers trick. H said he "always means what he says" then told him that he would be honored to serve under him. Ingles said "I'd like to have you under my command!"

Rogue - 92

Bud (B) was assigned as the JAG liaison to ex-SEAL Jack Raglan who conducts "mock" terrorist activities on naval facilities in order to test security. General Otis Flannick arrogantly ignored Raglan's breaking into and blowing up his base until Raglan added "believability" by adding public humiliation and "capturing" his wife from her shower. B hoped that would end his assignment but Chegwidden (C) told him that he was the most junior so he had to do it. B told Harm (H) that he didn't think the sentries, with live ammunition, knew it was a game so H went to talk with Raglan. During a manly hug Raglan stole Hs wallet- to teach him a lesson about security but H had already taken out his ID cards and lifted Raglan's walled as well. He said "fake left, go right" and reminded him of their football days together. Admiral Tom Kly told Raglan that his program was ended but gave him one last mission: "to sink a submarine." Instead, Raglan stole the San Pedro which was loaded with 60-mile range missiles. C took H with him to investigate and left Mac (M) in charge and to tell Harriet (Ht) at her own discretion. H told Kly that Raglan had done it "to prove you made a mistake in pulling the plug" and it would be in a "big and out-in-the-open way." Raglan had B, who injured his knee during the take over, read a prepared statement asking for $100 million or they would blow up a civilian target. The frigate USS Ellyson went to intercept the San Pedro so H joined it because he knew Raglan best. The skipper Cdr Wallace Burke [Malicious, know-it-all, who court-martialed the SECNAVs son in a previous episode] started with bullying and abusing H. Raglan hid below a thermocline then fired a water slug to confuse Burke and get away. B tried to signal but was tied up until he promised to behave.

H told Burke that Raglan would go west down the coast and Burke said East. A sensor was tripped east so Burke chased and ordered "sub bombs'' dropped over Hs vehement objections [baiting him as he had done the SECNAVs son]. They turned out to be low energy charges to Hs relief and said it was "payback" for Hs cross-examination which had embarrassed him. Raglan radioed "you blew up a decoy, you return to base." Kly and C discussed philosophical issues about evacuating New York and that it had become personal. Finally Kly offered to consider it a "misinterpretation of orders" if Raglan would give up. Raglan gave the order to blow up the Statue of Liberty then let B think that he had swayed one of the crew by letting him use the radio to "tattle" to H about the target. This gave Raglan time enough to leave the ship. Burke was enthused about "killing" the sub and had ordered to "fire" just as it surfaced and gave up. H figured out that Raglan wasn't on board and surmised that he was going after Kly's wife just as he had done with gen Flannick. H was ready to intercept him. Kly was going to court-martial Raglan but H intervened saying it was a legal minefield having been deceived and defeated by a security exercise he had authorized himself. C asked him if he really wanted the public to know he had been ready to blow up a $600 million sub. Kly relented.

Ht, who had gone home to be with little AJ upset that B was in danger, came back and hugged him. H said "don't I get a hug, I helped" and B replied "just as soon as I'm done with my wife."

The Return - 89

[Harm is back at JAG, but has lost the "fight for his client with the same tenacity he had as a naval aviator" as promised in the intro. The episode is about an emotionally abused child coping with continued abuse as an adult officer. And how easily, and insidiously, military justice can be perverted] Harm (H) returned to JAG he said it felt like he "had left yesterday and been gone 100 years." People didn't know him and he missed most of the office "inside" joking around. Chegwidden (C)feigned being offended when H expected to do "scut work" like Mac (M) was forced to do after she left then returned. "Do you think I would be so petty?" he asked as he assigned him a "good case" with a smirk- the SECNAVs son. Brumby (Brum) was in Hs old office and began baiting and pressing fights with H from the beginning. Lt. Brian Nelson was being court martialed for standing up to his arrogant vindictive CO Cdr Wallace Burke who was treating him like his father had done all his life. After a mistake at the helm, quickly corrected by Nelson, Seaman Rivera was unjustly and summarily sentenced to bread and water on the bridge. When Nelson pointed out lack of due process and refused to escort Rivera to the brig Burke relieved him of duties for court-martial. The SECNAV spoke with H and said "for the good of the Navy' it couldn't go to trial. He said he and Brian were alienated, having expected perfection from him during childhood to the point of taking him off his baseball team for not getting straight As. H got Burke to agree to drop charges if Nelson would "publicly admit he was wrong and apologize." Nelson said he had been subjected to verbal abuse, constant fault finding, rebukes in front of the crew and wouldn't accept the plea bargain. Brum maligned H in front of C for not making Nelson apologize to which H responded "as usual Cdr Brum has hit the nail squarely on his thumb." When Bud (B) asked why, Nelson said "why does any tyrant abuse his power- because he can!" B observed that his own father had also made him "feel like a looser." Gunny (G) found no official complaints about Burke but plenty of people who said he was "a hard ass" choosing one Jr. officer each cruise and "makes their life a living hell" until they break. When B began his standard defense to show that the order wasn't lawful Judge Sebring protected Burke with his rulings to the point of being similarly tyrannical to H. H told B to "back off" on their defense prompting M to ask him what was going on and say that she could advise C to have him removed from the case. The SECNAV came to Hs apartment and said that he had met Burke and told him to "see what his son had in him" and offered to testify. H didn't take that either and instead recalled Burke. H finally recalled Burke and while listing the points that showed lack of due process and judge Sebring stopped him. H was able to trip Burke into admitting he "intentionally provoked Nelson into disobeying your order for the sole purpose of punishing him later- making the order unlawful"; but, members found him guilty anyway. In the hallway Burke wanted an apology to reverse the charges but Nelson said "I would have made a good officer." Nelson told H "so he wins," and H responded "No, you loose."

H was told that Admiral Nash had nominated him for a second distinguished flying cross for pushing the F14 by its tail hook. M tried to begin socializing with H but he had other things to do. He called Jordan but she didn't return his calls until she came over and revealed she had orders for Spain. She said "maybe when I get back from Spain." C told him to change his uniform from that "line officer star" into the JAG Mill Rinde.

The Adversaries - 80

Harm (H) swore in Bud (B) as Lieutenant and his father Big Bud (BB) appeared unexpectedly, in uniform. He had been ordered back to duty to stand court-martial for stealing VCRs and Televisions from the Navy while he was chief of stores on his base. An owner of Dobie Electronics, Glen Dobie, was caught with stolen electronics having altered serial numbers. He was given immunity when he offered to give them BBs name. All records had disappeared mysteriously. He asked B to defend him and laid it on thick to Chegwidden (C) about being proud of B and wanting to get closer to his kids. C allowed B to defend him and said "God help you both." Dobie said that BB had inspected machines, erroneously claiming that they were faulty. He gave the old machines to Dobie and ordered new. When the new came Dobie switched serial numbers and gave the old machines back to BB, keeping and selling the new machines with the old serial numbers. BB met Dobie in the hall and slugged him. B had to drag him off and told BB that he would defend him as a lawyer and NOT his son. He was to call him sir from now on and not son or Bud. H prosecuted and offered to accept a plea until midnight. BB had to give B a pep talk because H had said that there were no holds barred and was psyching him out. BB told B to use Hs strengths against him- let him think he is better and then "Pow." Mikey (Mk) returned from boot camp all stiff and military, looking for his dad. He said that he was switching to combat ops (radar) instead of the art program that B had spent so long getting him in to. H found 27 units that had altered serial numbers and B had doubts that his dad was innocent so he talked to Mac (M). She said that H "wasn't invincible" and that she would help him. Harriet (Ht) talked with M and said that B didn't have an aggressive bone in his whole body while B was shown ripping into Dobie on the stand calling him a parasite. H offered to drop the larceny charges for 1 year confinement. B turned it down and Mk said "is this where H pulls a rabbit out of his hat." BB forced himself to Bs wetting down party at McMurphys and drunk, started to pick a fight with H. C physically took him away and home. C told H not to underestimate B- "remember who his teachers were." H talked to a sailor who worked for BB who said that she had seen a civilian come by who BB agitatedly hustled away. He was in a "Dopey electronics" van. H got Dobie to tell him the name of the driver of the van- Jerry Kemp; but, he said that only BB knew where he was. H pressured B to help find Kemp and was chastised by M. H said "he can handle it," and M retorted "but can he handle being hurt by a friend." B did get Kemp and H treated him as a "hostile witness" leading him into testifying damning evidence against BB. On cross examination B got Kemp to believe that he was his father. He had Korsakoff's Syndrome and no short term memory. He agreed with H because "he looked honest and figured he must know." The case was dropped and H congratulated him for a "brilliant diversionary tactic." later H confronted BB with selecting B as defense so he could appeal claiming inadequate defense. "He was willing to damage his son's career to get himself off." All BB said was "are you going to tell him?"

Jordie had volunteered to be psychiatrist for Dar Lin, the abused girl. Coulter called H to check on Dar Lin and before hanging up told H to "call her sometime when he didn't want something." Ht apologized to H for hitting him when she saw photos of Dar Lin's twin. H told her that "if everyone resigned who wanted to hit me we would loose half the Navy." NCIS found a match on fingerprints for Charlie Lynch and Dar Lin identified him from photos. He was dishonorably discharged 6 months previously. Jordan and Imes teased M about her relationship with H. M said that "nothing happened" but they didn't believe her. Jordan said that sometimes she thought she and harm "would go on forever" and other times "just until you decide you want him." M told her that "I am not a threat to you Jordan."

River's Run - 76

A teenager, Brian Yarrow, was shot and killed in a national forest where a SEAL team was conducting exercises. Lt Rivers received gunfire and returned fire only to find the dead boy. Chegwidden (C) sent Harm (H) and Mac (M) to investigate. FBI special agent Al Grenin, who previously and maliciously charged H for murdering a Russian mafia agent, said the FBI was tracking a federal building bombing fugitive in the area. Warren Toobin, who's bomb had killed a man, had become a local "folk hero" for the areas' separatists. They left food and supplies for him. Rivers told H & M that his team was only traversing through the forest to get to their normal exercise area and he had been shot at. When he heard that no gun was found he went UA to track who had shot and caused him to kill the boy. C gave H & M 24 hours to bring him in before filing. Having lunch in a small café, H revealed to M that he had washed dishes in the "Eagle and Key café in Julian California" during a high school summer break. Rivers found Toobin's hide-out and began tracking him. He was bit by a copperhead snake and was captured by the separatist gang. Harriet obsessed about the "dead little boy" and Bud (B) had to stop her. She was given her lieutenant JG bars by C and she said she had "completely forgot her two years were up" (yea right!). Grenin climbed on C for sending H & M into the area claiming they would "screw up his investigation."

A local red-neck thug, ex-sailor Lewis Beecham, started harassing M in the café and when H stood to back him down his gang had to be stopped by Mr. Yarrow. Yarrow said his son Brian didn't have a gun and that the "corrupt government had subverted our liberty and undermined the law of the people." He told them to leave but H put a tracking device on his truck which led them to the compound where they were holding a kangaroo "peoples" court for Rivers. M went to higher ground to try and call out on their cell phone while H went in to the compound and was allowed to "defend" Rivers. Yarrow's daughter testified that Brian had his gun in the forest and that her father had gotten it back the next day. Warren Toobin testified that Brian had brought supplies then saw soldiers coming and assumed they were after Toobin. He shot at Rivers, just to scare him, and allow time for Toobin to escape, but was shot. Toobin took the gun, gathered the casing and hid "while the soldiers went by." None of Rivers' men were there and when he tried to say so the judge gagged him. Yarrow quoted the Declaration of Independence and spouted rhetoric about his opinions of the government. H pointed out that the founding fathers said the established government shouldn't be abolished for light and trivial reasons so they gave the Constitution so that it wouldn't be. The separatists ignore the Constitution. Rivers only had returned fire, just like any of them would do. Brian had died because of the hate and suspicion his father had planted in his heart. C assigned B to see if the Forest Service was pressured to close the normal insertion area so the SEAL's would need to use the alternative near Toobin. Lewis' gang on the jury found Rivers guilty without deliberation and the judge sentenced him to be hanged just as a helicopter flew over. They put H, M & Rivers in a shed while Toobin escaped out a tunnel and the rest got their guns in a standoff. H realized that the autopsy had shown Brian was shot in the back exonerating Rivers. They surmised Grenan had done it and told Yarrow; but, he wouldn’t believe. C came into the compound and promised "someone would pay" to no avail so Rivers stood out to let Yarrow shoot him. Yarrow's daughter stopped him saying "she didn't want to loose him too." As Rivers limped out he told C that a Copperhead had bit him. C said "I hope you bit him back." [The producers felt the need for epilogue titles saying that Rivers had been exonerated and was back instructing SEALS, Grenan had been temporarily suspended and faced possible manslaughter charges, and Toobin was still at large. To my knowledge none of those plot lines were ever followed up.]

People vs. Mac - 70

[Follow-up from previous episode] Chris Ragle (Ms ex-con husband from whom she hasn't gotten a divorce) did not leave as promised and ran to Mac's (M) apartment as sanctuary from loan shark Benny Turpin. Turpin broke down her door and beat up Ragle but not before M had broken the nose of one of his thugs. When they left with a 24-hour ultimatum for repayment of "$15 bills" Ragle said "honey" I'm home. M went to Harm's (H) apartment to talk but found Bobbi Latham (L) and left. H was back from "straightening out a congressional committee" and found new Mic Brumby (Brum) at JAG with "open ended" TAD orders from his Australian command. Brum began disagreeing with H from his first meeting in a visible and challenging way. He tried to force his "advice" on H about M; and, being annoyed, H told him that M was "just a friend." M was noticeably distracted but told H "I already tried" when he attempted to get her to talk. He said "let's talk now" but was interrupted, again, by a phone call from L. When M got home, Ragle was still there and when she threw him out he began blackmailing her about her previous tryst with her ex-CO John Farrow in Okinawa. Chegwidden (C) had defended him last month for sending troops into Haiti without orders and, although found guilty, was awarded no punishment (The good of the service). Over Ms objections, Farrow said "I'll talk to him." Ragle was shown answering his hotel door and saying "I've been expecting you," then H answering his phone to M saying "I've been arrested for murdering my husband."

C told everyone the next day that Ragle had been murdered with a 9mm Sig Sauer, having partial prints of both Farrow and M, but "inconclusive" powder residues. The police thought it was a "lovers triangle" but turned the prosecution over to JAG. Brum slammed Hs request to defend M for emotional bias; but, C assigned him anyway, and gave Brum and Bud (B) the defense of Farrow. He told them both to "play nice" or be replaced. Ted Lindsey prosecuted and told C "things have changed here since I left." C replied "you don't know the half of it." Brum exposed the affair and justified it to H that it was "to show they acted differently and not complicitly." H accepted that but then Brum tried to pin the murder on M and H asked for "severance." In front of L, Brum said that he "was convinced M killed her husband" and accused H, B & C of all being "a little in love with M" and "blinded." H said that he was an "arrogant bastard" and Brum said they would eventually "strip blouses" to which H agreed. C said he "didn't think much of" Brum's tactics but left them both in their positions. At the severance hearing, Farrow reigned in Brum who told the judge that his "client would refuse to answer questions that would incriminate M." L exclaimed "is this the 5th by proxy?" and Admiral Morris asked if this was just their "attempt at setting him up for an appeal." The severance was not allowed. Farrow said that he had gone to Ragle with $20K but Ragle pulled his gun and was killed in their struggle. Lindsey called it a lie because no money was found. M was upset that Farrow was taking the blame and wanted to testify. When H wouldn't let her she said "either you put me on the stand or Brum will." She testified that she had gone to talk to Ragle, "one last time." When she was leaving Ragle had pulled his gun out and put it to his own chest saying "then you better kill me now." He told her she "wouldn't have a life" because he "would follow her and kill her man and her kids and her." She claimed she pulled the trigger. She was shown cleaning out her desk and taking boxes to her car. (Unbelievably) Brum was shown "making time" with her saying that "I wish there were something I could do to comfort you." She had him hold her boxes then slapped him saying "there, now I'm comforted."

H found that money had been withdrawn from Farrow's account so went, with B, to shake down the hotel manager who had done time for breaking and entering. They blackmailed him into admitting he had seen Turpin leave the room after M and Farrow had left. Then they met Turpin in a library with Brum and blackmailed him into testifying claiming to have a security videotape of his break in to Ms apartment. Turpin testified that "nobody killed Ragle." Turpin went to collect but when M came hid in the closet. Ragle got the gun and gave it to M telling her to shoot him just as she had testified. She threw it away and Farrow came with the money. Ragle grabbed the gun and was going to shoot Farrow but M wrestled with him and it went off. Turpin said if M hadn't shot, "Farrow would have been dead and probably her as well." Lindsey accused Turpin of being "paid to lie" but he said "no, I'm paying them." H gave the $20K to the judge that Turpin had returned. The case was dismissed and Farrow told H to "try and keep her out of trouble." Brum tried to chat up M again (!) and she said "maybe." H found it incredible! She said it was "to give him a chance to apologize." He disillusioned' "the men you pick!"

Act of Terror - 67

An Arab, Nassen, was hired, with others, to blow up the USS Wake Island. The attempt was discovered and Nassen was captured while a young Syrian was shown watching through binoculars from a car on land. Nassen was airlifted, under guard, back to Washington; and, on television a guard, Corporal Barry, shot him. Harm was assigned to defend and Mac prosecute and Admiral Morris felt obligated to remind H of when he shot a weapon in court- that wouldn't happen again! Agent Novak, FBI, was obstructive to Hs investigations telling him that "my only mistake was not sending you to prison."
On the stand H renewed his badgering of Novak by asking what Nassen had said before he died. Novak claimed, "nothing." H got the psychiatrist to admit that Barry didn't believe he committed murder because "killing a terrorist is not wrong." Barry fired H and got a civilian attorney, Juanita Ressler, who was Ms old law professor and had never lost a murder case. When H was upset about being fired, M told him to stay away, she didn't want a mistrial, and she was "taking Ressler down." For 14 weeks Ressler had humiliated M in class and told her that she should "drop out of law and take up lap dancing." M shot down her witnesses but told H, "She's good, I'll give her that." H replied, "but you're better" then rushed off to tail Ressler to the anonymous person who had hired her- Percival Bertram, a loud-mouthed, "super-patriot", tycoon at Vectrocomp. Bertram asked if he could call H "Harm" my friends call me "Bert." H replied "really, not Percy" and Ressler left to let them see "who's was bigger." A discussion ensued that Ressler, as a civilian, would do anything for an acquittal including blame the military, a "line that you won't cross." "We're the most powerful nation on earth, and by G we're going hunting," he said. H told him "it's because were the most powerful, that we can't. We are a nation of laws, which is what makes us great. Vigilantes like yourself are as dangerous to this country as the terrorists!"

Meanwhile the same Syrian was shown watching through binoculars as a hotel blew up under his command into his phone. Ressler began blaming the "brainwashing" of the military for Barry not knowing "right from wrong." M shot her arguments down again. Ressler told M that she had become a good lawyer and M commented that the world "had lost a lap dancer." Ressler said that she had "only said that to provoke you into staying in." H continued to distrust Novak and reviewed video tapes. Contrary to the autopsy revealing hemorrhage, there was no blood or wounds on the tape. He demanded that Novak produce the body and threatened to tell the SECNAV and Attorney General. Novak showed him Nassen who they were keeping hidden so that the "real" Syrian didn't go underground. He had already led them to money that was paid them and wanted H to keep quiet until they could trace serial numbers and capture the middleman. M, of course was incensed, C had H set up a meeting with Barry and Ressler. Ressler blew up and quit, Barry decided to "play it through" so they could capture the guy. He told them that "he had done wrong to shoot Nassan, that's what they do, and I don't want to be like them." The money was sent from a Washington bank to Amsterdam where it was sent to Riyadh then to Syria. H and Novak confronted Bertram and showed him some of the money they had retrieved from a Syrian apartment. Bertram said he had met with Fazal Kasi about an agreement to finance factories Another transfer was due and he was told to go through with it. Novak watched as Kasi left the bank with the money and was gunned down by a drive-by shooter. Bertram was shown exiting his building with a smug look on his face!

To Russia With Love - 61

[The season finale and 'cliff-hanger - A very key episode especially considering that creator Donald Bellisario appeared in a cameo (but pivotal) role, 'Hugh Blackadder,' Harm's stepfather's Russian friend] Harm's Russian nemesis, Parlovski, sent H a photo of his father in Russia with a note that said "this one's for real." Webb told H the names of the person's in the photo and revealed that Viktor Lushov, standing next to Rabb sr., was a Russian pilot who interrogated downed pilots in Vietnam, and was now working in San Diego. H flew there to inform his mother, Trish, and stepfather Frank Burnett about everything. Trish gave H an "if I don't come back" tape of his father's, that he'd never heard; and, Frank told him that "although you never thought of me as a father, you are the only son I've ever had" and offered help through Hugh Blackadder in Russia. Lushov then told H everything, including his dad's KGB number (S-394-652). He said that Rabb had given him misinformation under his interrogation "which was worse than telling me nothing." Both being pilots, Lushov and Rabb became unlikely friend's and Lushov got Rabb medical treatment, then told the KGB that he had been helpful and would probably continue to be in the future, so they took him to Russia instead of killing him. R was sent to the Gulag mines; then, after he injured his leg in an accident, was sent north to Siberia - a photo being taken at the train station.

Although C was initially upset that H had lied to him in order to get leave to take the flight to San Diageo, he let H take leave and go to Russia; but, sent M along with him to "watch his six - in Russian." They had to share a hotel room because there were no other vacancies. They met Alexi, a taxi driver, spy who worked for the highest bidder. They were picked up by Mark (Falcon) Sokol who told them that photos were really phony and that someone was trying to destabilize US Russian relations. Then Parlovski told them that it was Sokol who was trying to destabilize US Russian relations, and neither claimed to be KGB. Webb told H and M that they were really being "set up" because both were, in fact, KGB and may be working separately or together. Sokol revealed that he had grown up in Houston Texas with spy parents and tried to "spark" Mac. He said he wanted her to trust him so M said "then help H find his father." He agreed to help, IF H would give him the name of the informant and agree to never reveal the results to anyone. Sokol then brought the KGB file which M read finding that R had been taken "to Beloyka where he escaped from the train." Sokol was shown telling Parlovski that "they believe it and were going to Beloyka in the morning." Alexi found that all Beloyka flights were cancelled; so, H got money from Hugh Blackadder and bought a "ride" in a MIG. He and M stole the jet, however. Alexi, having second thoughts, tried to get them not to fly and had to finally reveal that "they are waiting for you, it's a trap so they can shoot you down as spies"; but, he wouldn't tell them who it was. Mac was getting sick and hated flying with H. They flew undetected until H got the radar working so he could climb. The "to be continued" showed Harm calling "incoming" as two missiles were heading toward them into the clouds.

The Stalker - 54

Being dumped by M for dishonesty Dalton Lowne began calling and following Mac to "get her back" not realizing he (and she) were being stalked themselves. At JAG Harm backed him down and told him to "let her go, walk away." H & M were defending CPO Anthony Sevalis, an electronics expert, for assaulting a prostitute. M though he was guilty and showed it with disgust. The Victim, Alicia Mars, picked Sevalis out of a lineup but Sevalis denied hitting her. Bud aced his law finals, and was given greater duties. He was to give Harriet some of his old duties. Chegwidden invited everyone to his house on Thursday, informal attire. He intended to introduce his daughter Francesca Pareti but didn't tell anyone. Dalton persistently called M and said "even God forgives more than that." She finally answered and agreed to meet at McMurphy's for "one last talk." He was met by a "mugger" outside the bar, mugged and fatally shot. M came out and he died in her arms forcing her to say she loved him. Detective Coster, who investigated told M that whoever it was may have done her a favor.

Francesca visited at JAG and backed into Hs car then refused to give him her name claiming it was his fault. He apparently was smitten with her as he foolishly let her just leave the scene. Ms apartment was found ransacked and with a graffiti message of "even God forgives," Dalton's last words. Coster advised that a man was stalking her and though he loved her so others might be in danger. She wouldn't tell him anyone else that she even "fantasized about." H found a bug in Ms phone which she stepped on and demolished. He thought Sevalis had set the bug so threatened him. M began getting stalker phone calls and H suggested that they flush him out using M as bait offering to "cover her six." She had Coster pull off surveillance. Francesca called to date H but he said that he had to go to his bosses dinner party and said that he was "sort of involved with someone who was in Orlando." M was alone, went to a bar and drank them came to JAG where she insulted H. He told her that she "wasn't just a drunk, she was a mean drunk."

B showed up at the party without a tie and Ht had to tell him that "informal isn't the same as casual." Of course he obsessed through the night that he didn't have a tie and Mattoni told him that he thought the Admiral was really upset. M didn't show up so H went to her apartment and found her alone and in the dark. He talked her into going to the party and said he would "watch her six." Francesca was introduced and H called her "diabolical" for not telling him who she was. C & M met in the bedroom going for aspirin and nearly kissed but C said "this is a mistake," and M agreed. Coster called M to say he had found the stalkers location. She left to meet him, H following. Coster took her to a warehouse basement and disabled her with a tazer, tied her up and forced alcohol into her mouth. H came, having followed with tracking equipment, and was tazed as well. He fought, dazed, and was able to disable Coster who eventually confessed and was sent to prison. H talked to the prostitutes pimp who said he had beaten the hooker. He returned the tracking device Sevalas had loaned him and apologized.

With Intent to Die - 50

Vice Admiral Bill Clancy, a post Vietnam mentor of Chegwidden's from the USS Farragut, was shot while hunting and it was ruled a suicide. C didn't believe it for a minute and had Harm and Mac investigate despite their obvious prejudice toward the suicide evidence. They talked to the hunting guide, Craig Allenby, and hunting partners Admiral Paul Whelan and Deputy Secretary of Defense Mitchell Schoenfield. Allenby said that Clancy had gone behind a tree to relieve himself when he heard a shot. The others said that Clancy was depressed and despondent over loosing funding for a pet project. Whelan was arrogant and rude about Clancy's weakness and being "in over his head" and told C that he though C was "made from the same mold." When H and M reported back that they thought it was suicide C still didn't believe them and took over the investigation himself. H seemed distracted with Annie so she used an analogy and asked what if someone told you that C had committed suicide. H couldn't even comprehend the concept so he realized what C was going through. Clancy's wife, Evelyn, told C that her husband didn't have much "joy to share" and she believed that it was suicide and she felt responsible.

The SECNAV enticed C with Clancy's DCNO job and told him to "give up the investigation." H offered to continue to help C and told him of Annie's analogy. C asked if he would investigate even at cost of his career and H said he would. Bud found that Clancy had been on Carbamazepam (anti-depressant) so Evelyn admitted to C that Clancy had been injured in the head on a ship several years previous and had begun having temporal lobe seizures- Carbamazepam is also an anti-convulsant. Then Whelan was also found stabbed to death. C kept having dreams of Clancy that made little sense. The dead Clancy awakened and told C that "there are bees on the bridge" and then "move on, he was innocent, it's too late, take your staff, run." When they were leaving Evelyn's house they saw Schoenfield drive up so they staked out the house through the night and talked. C admitted to H that after Vietnam, aboard ship, he had been one "fractious SOB" and Clancy had taken him to the fantail to "straighten me out." C won but realized if Clancy had been willing to get his nose broken he deserved listening to. H called Annie who had apparently been waiting anxiously for H to return. When he came out, Schoenfield admitted having an affair w/ Clancy's wife but called C and H "poor detectives."

H, M & B found that Allenby was father to Allen Broat a seaman on Clancy's ship, the USS Jim Bridger, with Whelan as the XO & C as JAG. Broat had been wrongfully imprisoned for setting a fire aboard ship then died in prison before he was exonerated by a subsequent similar fire aboard another ship caused by design flaws. Allenby was in prison at the time and became obsessed with "getting even" with his boys "killers." C went to Allenbys cabin and surprised him. He said he had been watching them all for years and had talked Clancy into letting him guide for him; but was cagy enough not to admit directly killing them both. They fought and Allenby pulled a gun. C had remembered to "bring his staff" so was rescued by M & H but was shot in the arm. NCIS told C that Allenby had claimed C started the fight and would be out in a year because there was "no forensic evidence."

Dalton was still pursuing M and challenged her for not answering his calls. He said he didn't want to loose her and asked if he should stop calling. M said NO (believe it or not!). C called his daughter Francesca but said there was nothing wrong. Annie was "blitzed" comparing Hs missed supper with her waiting for her husband to come home from a mission. H told her, "I'm a lawyer, what can happen, a paper cut?"