The Witches of Gulfport - 106

[For some reason this episode has been shown many times. To me, it was less interesting than most other episodes having a weak and often silly plot line and acting.] Mac went undercover as CPO Bonnie Johnson in a Mississippi Wicken coven to investigate by PO Plunket's claim of rape after being bewitched by chief Lane Merker the "high priest." Harm and Bud also investigated without being able to obtain much imformation decided to "go public" in order to see if M could pick up more inside "talk." A slick southern attorney countered Plunkets testimony of not being able to move or talk. Another wicken, Seaman Stortz, was upset at the turn of events and, failing to get compliance, M introduced her to H. H called M to the stand. The Judge wouldn't let her give "hearsay"; so H called Stortz and she refused to talk even with threats of contempt. H quoted the hearsay exemption rule, so M could testify, and Stortz finally testified that Merker had forcibly raped her also, but without spells. Merker was found guilty. Tiner received an "all seeing eye" pyramid that B had ordered for research. Tiner believed that Chegwidden had accidentally used the tower to "curse" both congressman Steelsmith the ACLU rep, Wilfred Waller. When C had enough of Tiner's speculation he transferred his "power" to Tiner who then began using it on people's problems at JAG. Seeing that, C destroyed the pyramid. M called Brumby several times. He was also undercover and making out with a lady arms smuggler. The episode closed with Brum and M "talking dirty" to each other over the phone.

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.

Promises - 104

[A weakly written, mostly unbelievable episode; but which "set up" the base for future "back-story" episodes.] Renee's recruitment video was unveiled- (not containing any shot of the Washington monument at "magic hour", and mostly voice over shots of sub's, jets, and "exciting stuff.") Chegwidden (C) noticed for Harm (H) that Renee, Leatham (L) and Mac (M) were talking in a group and the only thing they had in common was HIM. Seaman Andrea Granato walked off the USS Hartung after continually being given grunt work by an apparently sexist chief. Then her equally sexist female CO charged her with desertion for missing ships deployment. H was assigned defense and M prosecution. Singer (S) volunteered to help H but C denied and instead gave her the prosecution of a "joyriding" PO. Cdr Woodling told M that Granato was a "whiner." M asked directly if "it was personal" and she launched into rhetoric about how hard females were discriminated against in the military and said M "had better understand that if you were going to prosecute the case." H spoke with Granato who said that her recruiter had lied to her about air traffic controller positions being available. She told H that if he couldn't get his head around that, then he shouldn't be her lawyer. She had seen his recruiting commercial and called him "just a recruiter." Recruiter Roger Pearson denied he had promised her anything but let slip that his quota of 1.5/month was doable where the former requirement of 4/month was not. H asked S to do some checking and see if there were others that Pearson had lied to. She turned around and dumped the job on Gunny (G) and when he found someone, she then ran and gave it to H taking all the credit in full sight of G. L came to M to interject herself into the women's issue wanting Granato to testify to her "retention subcommittee." Granato's mother told H that the recruiter "filled her head with exciting stuff" and didn't know she was unhappy until she got home. M found that Granato had gone directly to boyfriend Peter Skowron's house and on the stand Skowron claimed Granato wanted to get back together with him. H shot down his ego trip to that he only had a casual relationship with her.

The chief Rowe complained how angry he was that Granato quit cause everyone else were working like plow horses. H had him admit that he was singling her out for drudge work. Woodling claimed that Granato's absence made life harder for everyone else. H showed that her absence hadn't hurt the ships readiness and that Woodling had basically "let off" 3 men for U/A under her command but charged the one female with desertion; basically to prove that she was a tough commander. When H told M that Woodling was doing exactly what I said she did "and you know it," M called Renee as a witness (????) M claimed she was a "recruiting expert" and Renee said she was chosen for "my edge, my honesty, my independence. The Navy wanted to present a fair picture of itself." It was easy for H to box her into admitting the picture she portrayed wasn't anywhere near the image that she, herself, had of the Navy." She went from the courtroom in tears portraying the martyr. Pearson was shown to have had another male recruit who was given an honorable discharge eight months after signing when the navy failed to honor a contract that Pearson had made. He admitted he didn't lie but didn't point out any of the "bad things that could happen." H told the jury that the charges "far outweigh" the transgression and they found her not guilty on everything except being UA. H told Granato that she would probably get a dishonorable discharge.

C was asked by his friend, Peter Tulley, to help him with his FNAEB for taxiing his jet off the end of the ramp having taken Viagra 21 hours prior. It supposedly hinders ability to distinguish green and blue (taxiway lights) but civilian requirements are only 6 hours. C went to see urologist Sydney Walden "about his friend" and she assumed he was lying. He told her "I am the JAG for the US NAVY and as such I think I possess enough respect for the truth to be forthcoming if I had a problem, which I don't." He commented on noticing the photo of her son Danny, who played lacrosse for Maryland. She wanted to test Tulley to see if the drug really effects him; but, he refused because the alternative meant that he was a bad pilot. C just stood up for him at the hearing and said that Tulley's career didn't deserve to end on such a note. Tully was returned to duty and suggested C come to dinner and "bring a date." Harriet flit through the episode angry and annoying everyone until she admitted that she was again pregnant. C was shown calling Walden for a date.

Bridge at Kang So Ri - 103

[An episode with more than usual amounts of plot "holes"] A US military unit in the Korean war had orders not to let anyone cross the bridge at Kang So Ri. When a whole bunch of what looked like civilians tried crossing and kept coming after warning shots were fired they were fired upon when one of them put his hand inside his jacket. Apparently no investigation was done to definitively ascertain whether the killed "civilians" were carrying weapons. Twenty three years later some of the soldiers gave press interviews claiming they had shot civilians. A general Wolfe headed the former investigation which exonerated the men and was believed by the South Koreans. The North Koreans, however, didn't believe it. Wolfe, arrogant and insulting, was accompanying Harm (H) and Mac (M) on there new investigation. They were surprised to find Renee Peterson on the 747 to Korea with them. She said she was doing a ZNN interview with Charley Hoskins (one of the informers). She went flying all over, alienating people, insulting M and said she had already talked to the N Koreans. She played the "hurt lady" when H told her about confidentiality and that she "was not working WITH them." Wolfe told Renee that two days before the bridge incident soldiers let civilians pass with pregnant women who were actually soldiers with grenades in belly packs and killed 11. Terrorists took over the plane with a gun made from smuggled in parts and some placed in the Vegetarian meal cartons. Solla Jong, a woman, claimed that Hoskins had killed her grandparents. She, with her two male companions, shot the co-pilot and ordered the plane to N Korea. She said she was going to have a trial of Wolfe and Hoskins for murder. M masqueraded as a flight attendant and hid a fire extinguisher under her seat.

When he found out about it, C sent Bud (B) to find Webb (W) and get information. B stuffed the Burpee Bear -containing a small recorder- that he had gotten for AJs present, into his briefcase. Renee was the one who had given their flight information to the N Koreans and Solla threatened to shoot her if H didn't tell the location of M. H didn't tell but M stood up. C and the SECNAV monitored the flight and communications from the conference room. The SECNAV refused to scramble fighters saying that the N Koreans would help because they wanted the US aid dollars. N Korea said the terrorists were counter revolutionary anarchists adventurers and would deny them entrance into air space. Solla wanted Renee to film their mock trial with H and M as attorneys and her as judge. The N Koreans launched mig's but the SECNAV still refused to put up fighters but finally admitted that Wolfe was in intelligence and knew all the N Koreans who had turned spy. Just as Solla was going to shoot Wolfe and Hoskins she found out Wolfe's intelligence connection. The SECNAV claimed that he had info from the CIA that the N Koreans wouldn't fire so C called W himself. W confidentially communicated that the CIA knew they would be shot down but didn't want to compromise their agents. C called the president himself. The mig's were coming at the plane so the pilot refused Solla and turned back. She shot him and the plan dove toward the ocean. H scrambled forward and pulled the plane out of the dive. M sprayed one man with the fire extinguisher and Wolfe knocked him out. H grabbed Solla's gun while M decked her. The third man shot Hoskins and Wolfe shot him down. H played "chicken" with two migs flying directly toward him. Clinton shown finally scrambling fighters and H evaded migs again as they were locking on with missiles. H told the fighters "Navy at controls" and when a mig locked and fired missiles the fighters warned to break left then dropped chaff. Hs engine flamed and had to be extinguished. The migs turned tail and ran when it was a fair fight. H landed the 747 with reminders from the tower. Renee got her film. M, in the co-pilots chair, said that the "next time she would take a boat."

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."

Boomerang - Part 2 - 101

[Continuation of a confusing- on many levels- but somewhat key episode] Brumby (Brum) continued to bait Harm (H) with his insipid smirk, especially regarding Mac (M) and rubbing oil on her etc. H had to dress in a wig for court then right out of the box embarrassed Brum for his lack of providing even proof of death. The judge chastised him and gave custody of Lee to the defense on the desertion charge. Outside the court, Lee was attacked by, Barry Toohey, the friend of Dunsmore's who was keeping watch when Dunsmore went to attack Lee. H pulled Toohey off Lee then Lee hit Toohey. Brum pulled Toohey off then stared at H. They both said "let go" and did, then reared back to take a swing at each other. Seeing it, B jumped in the middle and was slugged from both directions breaking his jaw in two places. C flew to Australia in a rage to "keelhaul" H; but, B (going through M as interpreter for his wired-jaw mumble) let them both off the hook. M was the only one who understood him saying she had "learned the language" when her father's jaw was wired for 3 months. C didn't believe B, so made H and Brum go into a warehouse and duke it out until reaching "as much pain as they inflicted on B!" M invited H to dinner and tried to have a romantic conversation with him. H was very uneasy and she opinioned that "you're just this way with me, aren't you?" He said "yes, only with you." She responded "I suppose I should be flattered" and he said "you should be, Sarah." At Luna park they discovered that there couldn't have been a cleat to trip over so Lee and Jenny had lied. Back at court, both all beat up, H and Brum began again. C and M set together comparing their ratings over the speeches. Toohey continued to lie on the stand claiming that Lee "never owned a knife and was killed by that sepo bastard." H calmly proved that he was deliberately lying. Brum smugly presented documents of Lee's previous marriage and called Jenny to testify against Lee. H countered with documents of his own that Lee had married Jenny after being declared dead in Tennessee which should have prevented her testifying but the judge said "this wasn't Tennessee" and allowed it.

H had to have the judge keep Brum "a respectable distance" from the witness; but Brum was able to manipulate her reenactment of the stabbing to his advantage. She, however, surprised everyone by saying she "couldn't lie anymore and Lee had stabbed Dunsmore." Lee told H that he had put everything they owned into Jenny's name when he was arrested so H began tailing Jenny. They got video tape of her leaving her 2 times per week "art class" amorously with "Harold" which they presented in court. She finally recanted and said she lied because she wanted Harold and Harold wanted money. Lee was found not guilty then talked H into letting him have the night to go try to "save his marriage." That night M finally went to dinner with Brum who completely threw himself at her saying he would "make ANY sacrifice." He proposed while she was looking up at the Southern Cross; but, when she hesitated he insisted on her "wearing the ring on the other hand so when she decides she can change it." They both then saw the boat Uluru sailing by with Lee, Jenny and Harold all celebrating their deception. The next day they were all at the airport awaiting Lee's return, expecting just to return for his perfunctory separation. They arrested him for desertion and H said he wanted to go for the death penalty for doing it in a time of war. C mused that the death penalty might not happen but "life in prison is a slam dunk." They met Clayton Webb at the airport who thanked them for not blowing his cover. They had seen him several times, unacknowledged, while they had been there. Each time with a different girl and speaking a different language. Boarding the plane M embraced and kissed Brum. C advised H "you win some, you loose some." Then "don't look back." He did anyway.

Boomerang - Part 1 - 100

[A confusing but somewhat key episode] During the Vietnam war PO Kevin Lee of the USS Chicago and Ian Dunsmore of the Australian Navy had a fight over Dunsmore's old girlfriend, Jenny Brooker, when the Chicago docked in Sydney Australia. Jealous, Dunsmore, with his buddies, started a fight then continued it alone on an amusement park dock. He pulled a switchblade then was killed in the tussle when they fell on his knife. Lee, having been forced to marry a girl who was pregnant in Tennessee decided to switch identities with Dunsmore and married Jenny under the name Tom Kingsley. After living in Woolgoolga, in the bush, they eventually moved to Sydney and opened the Uluru restaurant. When their home was burgled a policeman recognized Jenny then eventually arrested "Dunsmore" aka Lee aka Kingsley. He wouldn't talk until JAG was called and Brumby (Brum) called Chegwidden (C) to request Harm (H) and Bud (B) come down to handle the case. Mac (M) was upset that Brum would "sink so low" because he had been trying to get her to Australia ever since he left. He offered plane tickets and sent her water temperature Emails daily. Then, knowing she wasn't requested, she was really upset- Harm said: "he's one smart dingo." When they arrived Brum talked to Bud but ignored H then offered to let H drive thinking he would make a fool of himself driving on the left side. H played into it and gave them a harrowing ride; but, then parallel parked the SUV with ease before announcing he had learned to drive in the Bahamas (on the left side) as a kid. H and Brum stare, smirk, snipe, snarl and malign each other the whole episode. After Brum had snarled accusations at Lee, hell-bent to convict him for murder, and H had calmly tried to find the truth, B told them there were "real good at playing good-cop/bad-cop." In unison they responded "who's playing!"

Washington DC was buried in a blizzard and M caught cold. H called to convince C to extradite Lee for trial but was turned down. Brum smugly sniped that only H had ever been uncertain who had jurisdiction and H told him that "one day they would strip blouses." Brum retorted "the question has only been when!" H believed that civilian courts would handle it but then found that Brum had gotten appointed prosecutor and was upset. C apparently left it up to Brum's Australian CO to inform him that H had been appointed defense counsel(?!) M volunteered and finagled a trip to Australia to accompany the "real" Dunsmore's body back. C quipped to Gunny that he wished he could be there to see the story (H, M and Brum) unfold. Immediately upon Ms arrival Brum became "on-the-make" and convinced her to go to the beach with him. He whined at her about wearing an "Australian bikini" (hat and bottoms) over her objections just to tie her straps behind her. [it wasn't shown if he complied or not] B and H saw them sitting together believing she was topless. B thought he was talking to gunny about the topless beaches but Harriet was on the phone and spent the rest of the episode in a snit. Brum took H and B to lunch unknowingly at the Uluru restaurant where Jenny overheard them talking and ran away. Talking with Lee, B said that desertion charges were usually dropped and the Irony was that his wife Jenny's testimony would probably be believed if it was against him but wouldn't be now that he was married to her. H voiced his disrespect of Lee saying that "my father died doing his duty and you lived running from yours." Lee asked "how can I trust that you won't let them hang me?" and H responded "because, like my father, I do my duty." When H finally got to talk to Jenny she "parroted" her description of events and told them "you don't want to know what I really remember, because it would hang him." (Continued to next episode)

Cabin Pressure - 99

Chegwidden (C) assigned Harm (H) and Mac (M) to investigate the murder of PO Chinick aboard the USS Suribache while he flew to the USS Manassas for a retirement party of, Vice Admiral Richard Kern, the last other member of his SEAL team on active duty. PO De Mara (DM)was seen leaving the machinery room, where Chinick was found with a rope around his neck; and, was put in the brig where H was interrogating him with Chief Master at Arms Sturdevant. The ship hit an uncharted reef and grounded blocking the brig hatch and trapping them all below. DM freaked out and became very angry and loud. Above, M called to the brig and told H that Chinick was a "one man black market for booze, drugs, and porn" but the captain had become suspicious and NCIS was going to bust him when they docked. Bud (B), who was dog-sitting Jingo, found that DM had a captains mast on his last ship for having a "habit of falling asleep on watch." H told M that "to call DM unstable would be an insult to unstable people." The brig began leaking and DM attacked Sturdevant when he tripped while trying to remove him from the cell in handcuffs. DM had the gun and forced H to continue to talk about the murder. H deduced that DM was having withdrawals from drugs. He admitted Chinick was his supplier of seed, so he could stay awake; but continued to raise prices, claiming that he had "increased overhead." They argued then, later, he got a note from Chinick to meet him in the mechanical room. The note was still in the sweatband of his cap in his locker and H said that he could lift some fingerprints from it because someone may be trying to frame him.

C was worried about "slowing down" in his abilities and Kern reminisced that they had always said "if they couldn't be out front they'd rather be out of sight." The Manassas (with C) was sent to assist and during the tow the ship shifted trapping DM under a heavy steel cage. Water rose & boat shifted trapping DM under metal cage. The phone went dead and chlorine gas began leaking. C told M that "H is too pig headed to leave this world, he'll find a way out." M asked "even if they offer him wings, sir?" Lt Jenarette finally opened the hatch and Sturtevant came out but told everyone that H and DM were dead. They resealed the hatch and left them there. The Capt. wouldn't let Jenarette go back with breathing equipment. C and M argued with him but he didn't give in. C didn't believe Sturtevant's story so, outranking the captain, C went to rescue H himself with Jenarette. Just as the water was passing DMs mouth, the ship shifted and released him. He asked H "how did you do that?" and H answered "faith." When they got to the locked hatch H asked, rhetorically, "how are we going to get out?" DM answered, "faith, sir?" just as C opened it and brilliant light streamed down on them.

H appeared in Sturtevant's quarters dripping wet and asked him if he had a towel. H and C told the captain that Sturdevant was "on the take" with Chinick and, when he found Chinick was going to be arrested, killed him so he wouldn't talk. He framed DM and when DM said he had a note in his locker that proved his innocence Sturtevant decided to kill them too. The captain asked "how did you know they were alive." C responded "we didn't" and M said they just had "experience with H." The captain asked H if he was "tenacious" and C broke in "have you ever tried to get gum off your shoe?"

Life or Death - 98

[A somewhat dark episode. The actor playing Caleb Farmer will, in later episodes, play Tom, Mattie's father] Corporal Caleb Farmer received the death sentence for pre-meditatedly shooting a marine squad doing calisthenics, killing 3 and wounding three. Mac (M) voiced personal agreement with capital punishment and Chegwidden (C) assigned her the defense. Brumby (Brum) got the prosecution and was still "on the make" for M. H was trying to avoid Renee Peterson who was trying to snare him into "doing looping" for her recruiting commercial. Gunny (G) was a friend of Sgt Kryler, now a quadriplegic, and told M he hoped she lost her appeal. Farmer told M he had no excuses but said the squad had made his life hell, he'd asked for help but was turned down, was driven to drink and lost his mind. M told Bud (B) farmer was like a broken down one eyed cat, a bird killer- you loathed him but felt sorry for him at the same time. She found that Farmers previous attorney, then commander AJ Chegwidden, had not given adequate defense. Discouraged, M asked H to dinner but he told her he couldn't; so, Brum asked her. They saw Renee come in and M called her "Cecilia B DeMille" the "bitch director from hell." She cattily denigrated anyone who would date with her as a "whipped momma's boy who loves being dominated." Brum let her continue as he saw that it was H who walked in. She continued, "or a pot bellied sugar daddy financing her movie." When she said "or a mindless toy boy," Brum said "you're getting close." M looked then seemed a bit pissed at Brum. Renee had H overdub saying "pleasure" over the "privilege to serve" that he had originally said.

Farmer was given a new sentencing trial. Brum was recalled back to Australia, to help with peacekeeping in East Timor, and H was given the prosecution job. M tried to get him to agree to life in prison but he said they should let the jury decide. She asked to be taken off the case but C faced her down saying that she "wasn't at JAG to protect his (Cs) reputation." M showed that Farmer had 0.14% blood ETOH, that his platoon wanted him out of the service and harassed him, that he had sought help but the sociologist who saw him told him to "pretend he was a duck and let it roll off him," refusing to refer to a psychiatrist. Later, after arrest, a psychiatrist diagnosed a "marked personality disorder with paranoid tendencies." Farmer attempted suicide during the trial and M tried to get him to keep fighting. He couldn't give M even one witness for his defense. He asked M to be there for his execution and she agreed. Farmer asked to speak to the jury and promised that he would spend rest of life seeking redemption and hoping that "a man is more than just the worst thing he's ever done." C gave advice for closing arguments: to M- don't look at the widow, and to H- don't look at the defendant. Brum kept fishing for M to tell him she wanted him to come back to her, then kissed her. He told her that he kept after her because she didn't tell him to stop. The jury upheld the death sentence and Farmer called out for M to "remember her promise to him."

At Brums farewell party in McMurray's bar, Brum told H that he thought "he'd see him again." Singer offered H a drink and H told her to call him Harm, out of uniform. M kissed Brum goodbye and as he walked out B started the group singing "waltzing mathilda." [The closing scene was later used again as a memorial tribute to Trevor Goddard after his death.]

Into the Breech - 97

[Renee Peterson was introduced to produce a recruiting commercial] Renee Peterson was hired to produce a recruiting commercial and was frustrated by being stuck with the "legal" aspect instead of something interesting. She ran around arrogantly abusing everyone at JAG, even Singer (S). Chegwidden (C) tried to give Harm (H) acting advice from his experience on the film "field of gold." He assigned H and Mac (M) to assist in a mock trial by cadets at Iron Force Naval academy where his friend Cmd Haglan worked. They were trying gunners mate Gregory Riordan, posthumously, for 29 counts of 1st degree murder when he blew up a gun turret to get even with his shipmates for hazing him. Original investigation believed he had filled his boda bag with accelerant and placed it in the turret. Billy played the part of Riordan and Luisa (and M) his defense council. Steve (and H) were prosecution. They found a real witness that would testify so Haglan said "lets have the trial that the Navy never had." Terence Connor testified that he had filled Riordan's boda bag with grease and saw him throw it overboard. H and M asked C to re-open the case. C said no and to just finish the case and get back to work. The kids said no, however, cause they didn't work for C. Steve, who was trying to hit on Louisa, chastised her for hanging out with "losers" like Billy. While chatting, H told M that he "missed out on being a kid, trying to be the man of the house, shoulda gone to a disco." M said "I know what you mean, I've seen you dance." M counseled Louisa to be "better than the men but don’t rub their noses in it. Think like a woman but act like a man."

Shepard Carmine testified that he saw a man come out of the turret with a bloody nose 15 minutes before the explosion. He sort of turned out to be a nut but Bud (B) checked sick bay records and found PO Michael Saunders had lied about how he got his bloody nose. Gunny (G) helped B find Saunders through his ex-wife, Kathy. H went to the tavern Saunders worked at and got him to admit he had thrown Riordan a blanket party and held him upside down by the ankles over the rail above the screw until he cried. Happy about the findings, Louisa hugged Billy and Steve beat up Billy in the restroom. Louisa advised Billy to report it and he declined saying he'd beat him in court. Billy remembered a letter written to Riordan by Kathy "with love," so M and H went to talk to Saunders "ex" again. This time she admitted that the two had been fighting over her and she had chosen Riordan. When he had died she was four months pregnant with her son, now named Greg Riordan after his father. H went back to Saunders and shamed him into testifying to prevent Greg from being embarrassed when he found out. C attended the final day of trial to correct any possible miscarriages. Saunders said he had gone into Riordan's turret and picket a fight over Kathy. While Riordan's back was turned he saw someone load an extra bag of propellant but didn't say anything about it. Riordan was acquitted in the mock trial and C said he would take care of the real case.

C had tried to help Renee with her commercial and, when she maligned most of the navy who were "were not exciting," gave a masterfully powerful speech about being "trained in the art of war, but the profession of peace." Paused and told him that he had "great presence, but it was too hokey and would never sell." She called B the Pillsbury Dough Boy then said that H almost works "if only he'd done something beside being a lawyer." When the case was over, C told H to report to the Washington Monument during "magic hour" to help Renee.