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.]

Straits of Malacca - 221

[Another episode with poorly defined new characters made worse by writers untrue to existing characters and insulting to viewers by telling us, directly, we should overlook what they've done so far instead of giving us a storyline that would develop our change of mind.] A ship, the Palau, became disabled and asked for the assistance of Captain Manning Donovan of the USS Condon. When they arrived assistance was refused making Donovan suspect pirates. Cresswell sent Mac to negotiate the release of the crew and capture Akay Anwar who had a reputation of killing the entire crew of a ship if any person resisted. Cr made her take Vukovic with her, explaining: 1- he is a surface officer, and 2- to "make a man out of him. He just needs direction and discipline." She said he was "too much a man and not enough lawyer." Cr said that V and Harm were "too much alike" (?) to be assigned together. Cr told M to "consider it a vote of confidence." She said it was "more like a plaque of locusts." Anwar couldn't get away with anything with M, so he turned the retoric into being an issue with a "woman." V just took the microphone, countermanded M, and said "just send the hostages and you can go." They set up a trap to capture Anwar when the pirates feigned being hostages and tried to take over the Condon. Anwar had killed the Palau's crew, except four which had escaped in a lifeboat.

Commander Sandakan, of the Indonesian KRI Mataram, shot across the bow of the Condon and demanded custody of Anwar. Donovan was ordered to "cease resisting" while an un-named white house lackey [instead of SECNAV] told Cr "my boss can beat up your boss." Then Indonesian Admiral Lutarno boarded the Condon to hold a "custody hearing." V arrogantly tried to force M into "clearing the air," saying he didn't feel comfortable in proceeding until they had done so. M said she wasn't concerned with his "comfort level" and he said he wanted to be "on the same page." She said we're not in the same book or even library!" She told him to just "listen" but instead he insulted Lutarno, then refusing to inform M (or anyone), walked out of the hearing, commandeered a boat and boarded the Pulau (without a sidearm). From out of nowhere, Donovan had a heart-to-heart about V being a "train wreck" and M should "cut him some slack." (probably directed to the viewers) M & V had deduced that the Pulau had made explosives from their fertilizer cargo and ships fuel. Capt Donovan, still suspecting treachery, found the Pulau had been repaired and was now heading for Singapore- and that V was on it. Indonesia finally wised up and accepted US help and M was "inserted," with SEALs onto the Pulau. She found and saved V, who then, with 15 min left, defied logic and grandstanded disarming a small cell phone detonator risking early explosion, (instead of simply moving it away from the room with the explosives.) M said "it's a good thing you were as good as you think you are."

Bud & Harriett held an open house so that people could meet their new twins (only the girls name was revealed - Nicky). H appeared at the party, "passing through" on his way to Florida, ostensibly to help with hurricane aftermath assessment. Mattie, he said, is taking flying lessons, coming to visit over spring break and is going to the prom with Kevin. Cr's wife Dora was introduced as a real "people person," counterbalance to Cr. Their daughter Cammie (18) is in her first year at Annapolis and flirted with Mikey until Cr introduced her as his daughter telling them to chaperone themselves appropriately. She told Mk, "don't even think about asking me out" as she was a plebe; and, he said he was third year so "don't think about it either." She dropped her books on the sidewalk at school and he, not at first knowing it was her, braced her up. As others were looking, she told him that he was supposed to be asking her questions so he asked her "what color underwear are you wearing(?!!)" She said "what part of sexual harassment DO you understand?" Uncharacteristically, Cr talked to Bud about having a daughter, raising her midst boys, and teaching them to "hold their own." Unbelievably, he told B that he thought he had "taught Cammie not to back down from anything and had probably gone too far." Dora appeared and told B that "only good parents have doubts. It's the one's who think they know it all that never learn a thing." Cammie was "killed" in paintball at the academy by Mk. She cheated by taking off her spattered shirt then, when Mk called her on it, she bargained for each of them to give fair passage and stay in the game. When he agreed, she shot him anyway and said "sometimes you've got to play dirty to win." Then, out of the blue, Cammie took a "day off" from the academy and told Cr she "was pretty much a social washout because you've raised me to see everyone as a rival." She didn't make friends "because I'm too busy trying to win all the time." She wants out of Annapolis because "you don't know how hard it is being a woman there!" She hadn't thought it through to make other plans. Dora told Cr "blaming yourself for the way our kids (also Cade-15) turned out won't change anything."

[The most incredible part of the script] M asked V if he was "always going to be this insubordinate?" He responded: "When I give MY respect it's because they've earned it … like you did." [oh, good grief!!]

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."

Fit For Duty - 218

PFC Jeff Kilpatrick was killed when his unit was ambushed and taking fire from all sides and he stood up in a daze walking toward insurgents firing. His COC blamed navy psychiatrist Cdr Lucy Maron for "incompetence." M was antagonistic from the beginning, even Cr told her she looked like she was "on a mission" against psychiatrists. H got Dr Elgin (Jordan's friend) to review the case. When H asked her to be a witness she told him that M had already asked her. On cross examination H had to discredit her. Then Maron's private diary was found on a navy computer she used and forgot to erase which revealed SHE was under "secondary stress" as well. Kilpatrick had "combat addiction" with adrenalin rush and wanted to go back to the fighting & "it was so easy to let him" Maron told H.

Maron in her own stress "felt" responsible and cried in front of cpl Dominick who then blamed Maron as well. Maron was following the "3 hot's and a cot" protocol that she was under orders to follow. Elgin described that there was an Omni-present threat, no front line, supporting roles to independent contractors, and a greater % of troops now see action than in years past. She described Marons caseload as completely unrealistic. H showed that Kilpatricks CO, Capt Damon White, had disregarded ALL of Maron's many prior suggestions for prevention. He called them "touchy feely" but he was overwrought in his condemnation of Maron. Maron was found guilty of Dereliction but judge Blakeley thanked her for her courage and delayed sentencing 60 days for stress counseling and assessment w/ "possible return to full duty." Elgin told H that Maron was in a daze & didn't even hear judges "no confinement." They make arrangements for dinner in Ms hearing & H, uncomfortable, asked M to join them although she declined.

B defended Cdr Stefanopoulis who refused to vacate his command of the USS LeGrande when relieved of command after a pilot hit a pier. He had to keep encouraging B as he wanted his "day in court" even though he "knew he was done." Lt Tali Mayfield, an arrogant new JAG prosecuting attny, was introduced and "psyched out" B. Stefanopoulis had been summarily dismissed w/o ANYONE, including his arrogant strike group commander Admiral Renfield. He had just been summarily dismissed for "lack of confidence" and had absolutely no recourse so he chose to refuse to stand down to get his "day in court." During Bs questioning Adm Renfield was cocky until B showed that in the past 3 years Renfield had only taken action on TWO (of TEN) officers who had committed infractions which rose to level of court-martial and they were the ones who were over 40 years old! Then he showed that Stefanopoulis had been ordered to turn over piloting of the ship to a private pilot who had LIED to the navy about his amount of experience because of his companies pressure. Stefanopoulis still relieved of command but was grateful to B that he had his day in court - "I'm not too old to serve my country."

Heart of Darkness - 217

Capt Jack Ramsey who went UA (after the battle of Tora Bora & bin Laden was "allowed" to escape) was leading a mujahadeem and trying capture bin Laden. He was charged with killing 5 Zaran village men after they lied to him about the whereabouts of Fahim Khalili a pharmacist in Moquot who Ramsey believed was tied to bin Laden. After the incident the Afghan people turned against Ramsey so his sources dried up. He offered to clear his name of deaths if he could speak with US legal personnel first and avoid Afghan trial.

Cresswell sent Mac & Harm who got an agreement with Zabi, the Afghan prosecutor general, to allow a US militarytrial; but, then he double crossed and captured Ramsey. Wahid (who's mother & father were killed by Taliban) was sent to "fetch" H & M. On the way they stopped to see Mazin (who was blinded by the Taliban after helping Ramsey). Mazin said that he had seen Ramsey at the same time the villagers were killed, so he couldn't have been in Zaran during the killings. The Judge, without any sense of fairness, didn't allow H or M to see any witnesses or evidence; but, was shown as an honorable person at the end. The only evidence was that: Ramsey had been in the village earlier, been lied to about where Kalili was, the men were killed at night by masked persons, and that a US flag patch was dropped at scene - all circumstantial! Wahid brought Khalili's wife to the trial "so Ramsey could be tried on one that he did, not on the 5 that he didn't do."

Ramsey finally admitted that they had found the pharmacist, Khalili, carrying kidney failure medicines (bin Laden has renal failure) and wanted him to lead them to bin Laden. Before before they could make him, Khalili had killed himself by running off a cliff. Zabi had to choose which crime to try for, he warned that slaying unjustly (?suicide defense not even addressed?) got retaliation at the hands of the family - loss of Right hand & Left leg. Ramsey admitted Khalili's "accidental" death. M talked to Mrs. Khalili who, the next day, was shown ready to cut off Ramseys hand but then changed her mind accepting "blood money" instead: a pickup truck, a well for the town and 100 goats. Zibi was extremely upset. Ramsey was given 60 days brig time & discharge from service.

Big B owns a bikini-wrestling bar but was called back to active duty as one of a few "old timers" who knew the old paper and pencil system - needed in Iraq. He got B to try and help him escape from the recall. His girlfriend Doris got OTC ephedrine and blood pressure pills but they didn't have any effect on preventing his acceptance. He claimed he was gay to the corps wave but she talked dirty in his ear and he had "a hard day." B helped him plead before Capt Curry at NAVSUP who didn't buy all his excuses but told BB that he found 12 other retirees, some older with families, who were willing to go so "we don't need you or want you and won't call you again." The rejection upset BB. B later chided him for malingering over a "broken ankle" he received from being thrown out of the ring by his two female wrestlers but not caught as it was scripted. BB advised that his recal had been recinded but that he had "volunteered" and was going to Athens Georgia to teach at the naval supply school.

The Final shot was of Ramsay offering to give H & M a "home" in his unit and M asking H "you'd like to be joining him wouldn't you?" to which H replied "wouldn't you?" [This was a refreshingly good episode which was well written and where no "short man" crud came from Cr; but, the "elephant is still in the room," although H & M are dealing with it in their usual way - by ignoring it. Even with that, however, it was good to be "back on track," for a bit,with the series!]

Editorial comment - sorry!

[The show has a list of producers as long as your arm - what are they doing? Harm and Mac's relations have long been an interesting side issue; but, now they have become a giant elephant in the room, preventing the series from progressing until resolved!! Cresswell's character is sucking enjoyment out of the program. Why, on earth, bring such arrogant, continuous, antagonism inside the circle? Didn't the "powers" learn anything from the terrible first year ratings, and cancellation, when it was basically only Harm against not only the villians, but the entire rest of the cast? [i.e. the disinterested and condescending Brovo; simpering, deceptive fool "teddy"; "king of the hill" Pike; and, angry, "agendized" SECNAV.] This show works when: "it's all of US" (insiders) against THEM (outsiders); uses military related action plots; and, when it's still based on the ideals (as Harm told Xman) "we didn't get to be the good guys by shooting first."

Yes, the military (especially politics and the world) is full of: agenda, deception, adults acting like children doing "parallel play," and arrogant "short men"; but, we don't invite them into our living rooms after a hard day at work - (for very long anyway.) And, please, plot development should, at least, be within 100 nautical miles of believability!]

The Sixth Juror - 219

[Weak (actually, completely stupid) plot with "contrived," gratuitous tension] Cr (Cr) sent Harm (H) and Mac (M) to Key West to investigate PO 2nd class Russ Foyle, who was charged with the "love triangle" murder of civilian Ben Hewitt over Lt. Eve Sorrens. Cr forced Coates (Co) on M as an assistant and kept Bud (B) in the office to continually bait him (as if it would make B jealous?) and assign him scut work. When H called and asked B for help deciphering a log book of the victims, Cr belittled B even more.

It was almost impossible to Voir Dire a jury on the small Boca Chi base. The Judge, Cdr Don Pulone, pushed Co into being the 6th juror (despite having already set in on several initial interviews with M?!) Then, when Co saw another juror romantically meeting Sorrens and reported it, Pulone accused her of "stalking" the other juror (?!) So: Hewitt was shot AFTER it had already started raining; Foyle was passed out drunk BEFORE it started raining (the flower stains on his shirt proved it!??). The judge chastised Coates for reporting juror misconduct, and juror 1was allowed to stand in the middle of the court and verbally discredit a witness! To which Coates, also on the jury, then rose and debated him! The 1st juror, who had lied in voir dire, finally admitted his affair with Sorrens. Then, now that she was openly discovered, Sorrens charged Capt Layton (her female base CO) with being sexually obsessed with her!(?!!).

B discovered that the log book, which H wanted him to decipher, actually used an old Civil War code. So, with a grand flourish, H wheeled a computer screen into court, asked for a continuance, and when the judge wouldn't grant it - called the judge to testify(?!!) The dead Hewitt was a bookie and Pulone's name was coded in his ledger for lots of money! The judge (Pulone) proceeded to hear Hs "testimony" and then testified (argued) himself in open court (!!???)

The conviening authority, Capt Layton, set aside Foyle's trial and remanded judge Palone to court marshal. Then, to cap off the absurdities, Cr pronounced his customary, final blustering belittlement of Capt Layton's positive evaluation of H, M and Coates. [This was definitely not the usual quality of work of the writer who also gave us: Wilderness of Mirrors, Walk on Wings, Answered Prayers and others!]

Automatic for the People - 216

[The "elephant" is still in the room and Creswell's attitude has long ago become tiresome. A new character was introduced, as well as yet another new "love option" for H.] Bud (B) went to his mandated anger management meeting and was baited by another participant, Korski. When another participant, PO Mooney, tried to defend B, Korski started a fight. B stood up, but knocked his chair over. As B picked up the chair, Korski rammed the instructor, Lt Harriman, into it, breaking his jaw. Cresswell (Cr) told Turner (T) that "he didn't like loose cannons in his department", and T agreed (probably thinking it was Mac (M) and Harm (H) ). When Cr mentioned he was thinking about B, T showed surprise; so, Cr asked him who "you though I meant," but T wouldn’t answer. T was assigned to investigate Bs activities, and assumed that B was at fault. Harriman explained the incident and told T flatly that B "doesn't need to be in this class!" When T exonerated B to Cr, Cr belittled him saying "you aren't objective."(!?) Finally, Cr related to B a story of a crippled veteran that he knew, who was demoralized by being the brunt of a joke. He admitted that "I was small for my age" as a child. He then, condescendingly, told B that he would "cut him some slack" (basically because he was "crippled" on duty, not because he believed him).

M had to re-qualify on weapons so Cr turned it into a competition showing up, uninvited, to her shoot. Then, when he lost to M he expected everyone to think he was magnanimous by admitting the loss "as the first step to improvement." He told M that he "would get her next time," and she said "… like hell you will."

Lt Cathy Graves (Gr) , who said she "knew 10 ways to commit a perfect murder, was assigned to H who went to China Lake to investigate the crash of an F-14 which was assigned to a Navy contractor, Larmoss industries. Gr played a doofus (as B used to be), not above using sexuality to get what she wanted; but, also like B, unexpectedly intelligent. They found that the F-14 had crashed next to a school playground and had killed a local artist who had been painting a bridge - the father of Megan Ransford. It turned out that the jet was only a drone with "Oscar," a dummy, at the controls; yet, there was unidentified DNA at the scene. A second aircraft, previously undisclosed by Larmoss, was discovered, along with the empty apartment of the fictitious pilot who had supposedly been killed. Eventually the second F-14 was found to have been piloted by Lt. Itzhak Meier, of the Israeli air force, who was testing a top secret airborne platform for a laser weapon (Deuterium Fluoride Chemical Laser). H strong armed a $2 million (probably) settlement from Larmoss. Megan rewarded him with a lingering kiss and said "don't forget about me." Gr told H that she wanted to be at JAG, and H told her "you never know."

The Four Percent Solution - 206

[A substantial and significant episode- Cdr. McCool's words are in italics.] Christmas eve Mac (M) was driving in the rain, and was distracted by her personal feelings, triggered by a radio program, causing her to toal her car. During the ambulance ride, she had "flashbacks within flashbacks" back to the previous two months. She had gone to see Lt. Cdr. V. McCool for sleeping pills, due to having insomnia. M was flippant and evasive. McCool was judgmental, challenging and held the prescription over Ms head in order to extract information. M finally told her that W (W) had faked his own death, deceived her, had no sense of what he put her through and did it with his mother's help! Dalton had been stalking her, and had been shot by a cop who was also stalking her. She was saved by Harm (H) but not before being captured and held. She revealed that she had been leaving the lights off at night in her apartment. "Not having to look at choices you've made." She said that she discusses things with H "endlessly." She had lived with Brumby, who then left; but, hadn't lived with W. She initially refused to talk about having children; but, then confessed she had had diagnostic surgery - advanced endometriosis - that left her with less than a 5% chance of possible conception. She regretted waiting too long. Right guy didn't appear? "I Wasn't looking." She said she was involved with H, "in ways you can't imagine. We've been dancing around a relationship for 8 yrs" What's keeping you apart? "Me... him. We made a 5 year deal for having baby." A backup plan. A set up for failure? She had told H about her endometriosis because the 5 years are up. H had told her that: "it didn't change things. There is IVF, surrogacy, donor eggs. HOW doesn't matter, only that it happens between US. I'm tired of looking in on your life, I want to be a part of it." M said: "I can't do it" - because she thought he had an agenda - namely: the loss of Mattie.

Why didn't you allow yourself a chance to consider it? "It is too close to Ws death". H hadn't shown emotion at Ws death, but told her: "I've been concentrating on what you were feeling - I'm going to miss the way YOU looked when you talked about him - No pressure, lets just look into possibilities." M said "He gave me space… (not what I wanted)." M went to H during crises in her other relationships. Will he ever abandon you? "No" Isn't He the one you’ve always intended to be with? Why do you always choose to be alone? That made M cry. "I've always wanted to CARRY a child," she said, "raising one is not enough." Harriet had told her that pregnancy felt like "Collaborating with God." "I've never created anything," M said. M had seen H with Alicia Montez (the attorney from a previous episode) the previous night. "H has moved on." "If I could have the conversation with W again I would ask different questions… but, I will never see him again." "My chances of drawing closer to H are less than 5%." Well, McCool said: I'm offering a 4% return on your personal investment, a satisfying conclusion to former relationships, a bright outlook on a future one, a shot at having a family… that’s better odds than a T-Bill! M didn't get the sleeping pills she was requesting.

H came to the ED because M had been repeating his name to the ambulance attendant. He gave up his usual X-mas eve trip to "the wall" (Vietnam memorial for his father) to stay with M instead. She told him "I've been pushing you away… I’m sorry." H said "nothing's changed, I'm still here. Enjoy the miracle, you're alive." M replied "The best thing about that news is that we both are."

The Man On The Bridge - 215

[An interesting, but complicated mystery episode with a unexpected ending, although no military action like we've come to expect.] The car belonging to Cdr. Adam Kohler, a top naval biodefense researcher, was found abandoned on a bridge without a trace of where he went. H (H) and M (M) investigated, along side Rod Benton of the FBI anti-terrorist unit, and all evidence pointed to It having been a suicide. But, there was progressive disclosure of clues such as: H finding a flashlight on the bridge with a partial print on it along with Kohler's blood; sideswipe damage to Kohler's car; files of bioweapons data found erased on his computer's hard drive; and spy-ware found on his computer along with information about his fathers death. His father, Robert Kohler, had also been a top bioweapons researcher; but, he had been accused of selling information to the Russians. Before trial, however, he committed "suicide" by jumping out a several story window. H found that Hank Olin, an ex-CIA agent turned private investigator, was the one who had sloppily investigated Robert Kohler's treason and death.

In an "NCIS-like," rapid-fire, disclosure of sophisticated forensic info, a trail of clues was revealed leading back to Dr. Morris Sperling, Kohler's boss, and Sperling's wife Marta. With Webb's help they found that Marta had been a KGB spy who had been "looking for a scientist to marry." Sperling gave her the secrets, then had "set up" Robert Kohler as the spy When Kohler discovered the truth, Sperling and his wife murdered him using the CIA "assassination manual" technique (used also by the KGB), of drugging with Nembutal, hitting on head and throwing from a great height. After H, M & Benton confronted Sperling with their findings, Sperling denied knowing anything about Adam Kohler's death. The flashlight, belonging to Sperling, had "gone missing" several days before; someone had previously "side-swiped" his car in the parking lot; Adam Kohler had "picked" a fight after a meeting in clear view of video surveillance cameras; Sperling had never seen the bottle of Nembutal, which was found in his desk, and matched the Nembutal found in Adam Kohler's coffee cup etc. Although they had him dead-to-rights, H reviewed the video tape and found that Kohler's car actually had been damaged BEFORE leaving the meeting's parking lot, as Sperling had said. They let the Sperling's go, after the FBI had bugged their car and house. Adam Kohler then called Sperling "from the grave" and arranged for a meeting back at the bridge. Adam had discovered the truth about his father's death, then faked his own death/suicide and masterfully "set up" all the clues to point back to Sperling, believing that whoever investigated his disappearance would also be smart enough to discover the Sperling's guilt. Kohler got Sperling to discuss his fathers innocence and that he and his wife had "assassinated" him. Police surveillance did get it on tape.

Bud (B) was assigned to review a female marine's, Cpl Maria Hoyos, request to box in the men's league which had been turned down by her CO. Cresswell played his tiresome "lets see if you're smart enough to guess what I'm thinking" game warning B that: "I have definite feelings on the matter," but not telling him what they were. Hoyos told B that she didn't want to be just "an exception," and that she wanted any female to be able to box like the men. B "shamed" Cr into using his influence at the pentagon for equality reasons; but was told that "I want to have a little give and take with her in the ring 1st, to test her mettle." Cr told Hoyos "you want to fight with men you might as well start with me" - to try and back her down? Then he continued the charade, ordering her not "to hold back" etc; but then only sparred with her claiming "you didn't think I was going to throw leather did you?" She lied and said "of course not." Cr told B that that he thought she was capable and that he would suggest to her general that he let her compete with the men. When B looked surprised, Cr threatened him with "you thought that I didn't think women should compete with men!?" As Cr took a step toward him, into his face, B stood up to him and said: "yes." Cr backed down and said "you were right" and walked away.