| 9/23/1995 |
JAG (2-Hour Pilot)
by Donald Bellisario
1 |
[This was the pilot episode which introduced: lazy JAG admiral Brovo, simpering "Teddy" Lindsey his legal side-kick, ex-pilot turned lawyer Harmon Rabb and Harvard law graduate Kaitlin Pike. The character, later to become "mikey" also had his debut as fisherman's son Antonio as well as the CAG and Bud Roberts.] Antonio and his fisherman father watched as the CAG and his Radio Intercept Officer (RIO) Angela Arruti, flew overhead to engage a Serbian fighter jet. Resenting women on a carrier, the CAG tested Arruti by ordering his wingman to "watch his six" while he took on both of the Serb jets. He turned off their main missile, over Arruti's panic'd objections, and was able to destroy one jet with a smaller missile; then the other with their 20MM guns. Arruti really "lost it" and when she challenged the CAG after landing, he said that he "wanted to see if you had the guts for a knife fight... and you don't!" Coincidentally, a reporter was coming to interview her the next day for being a woman who had downed two planes; but, listening to her own recording that she made of her whining and fearful voice, she wrote a letter of resignation on her computer. She had a "butch" roommate, Lt Puller, who was a pilot who had made an enemy of Lt "ripper" Carter by beating him at weightlifting. Incensed, Carter had been giving her extra wave offs on her landings which hurt her flying record. Puller interrupted Arutti's writing and tried to talk her out of resigning; but, Arruti left, wearing Puller's "LOBO" flight jacket. She went to the fantail where the COD was tied down and made love to someone unknown inside the plane. On the way back to her quarters she got caught in a moving deck part and went over the side; but, she caught on some rigging and pulled herself back to the top. When she finally got back on top, she was again pushed overboard by someone also unknown.
Lindsey had to interrupt Brovo, who was watching Jay Leno, to tell him that Arruti was missing. Realizing the political implications of a missing female pilot, Brovo told Lindsey to send the expendable "junior officer" Rabb who was less likely to intimidate the Sea Hawks captain. And, in case they needed to talk to the press, "a female JG who was easy on the eyes"- Pike. Bud Roberts was their host aboard the Seahawk and told them that the captain wanted to see them immediately. But, when Harm found that a reporter had been held incommunicado since the morning, he went to talk to him first. The reporter, De Palma, had met H when, at 16 years of age, H had gone to Vietnam to try and find his MIA father. De Palma agreed to "sit on the story" for 48 hours under the condition that he be given two rides over Bosnia in a jet. H revealed to the captain that someone had sent an anonymous encrypted message that "she was murdered" so they were there to investigate. The CAG asked H if his step-father, who was a Sr. VP at Chrysler, was still a "used car salesman."
H was harassed by a pilot, Lt Mace, about Hs crash, several years previously, in which his RIO was killed. Mace's RIO, Lt Painter, seemed to already know about the "being murdered" issue. Mace told them that Painter and Arruti were "tight in RIO school" but she had been "ice" on the cruise so far. Teddy had to wait until Brovo finished playing the clarinet before he could tell him that a Serb Terrorist had shot down a C130 UN relief flight with a MASH unit on board and that H still hadn't decided if it was murder or accident. Brovo told him that without incontrovertible evidence H's report must call it "accidental death" otherwise their investigation would be challenged in congress by either the feminists - if it was suicide, or the anti-feminists- if it was murder. "And," he said, "a junior officer always gets thrown to the sharks first."
Brovo was summoned to the Whitehouse by the first lady to talk about the Sea Hawk investigation. While there he met Adm Drake, who was lobbying for a naval "alpha strike" in retaliation for the downing of the UN flight, and suggested he use the reporter aboard the ship to "spin good press." Pike argued with the CAGs opinion that Arruti's death was suicide. She had her friend Zane, in crypto, restore Arruti's cassette tape of her mission, which Puller had erased. She also found from Painter that he had been Arruti's undisclosed husband and was the one who sent the encrypted message about her being murdered. While in the COD that night, he had talked Arruti out of resigning, so had been going back to her room to erase her resignation letter when she was killed. H & Pike confronted Puller who admitted to erasing the tape and the letter so she became a suspect. Painter also told Pike that the RIO, who had died in Hs night landing crash, was Mace's brother; which, was why he was so abusive to H. Arruti's body was eventually found by Antonio and his father in their fishing nets. She had died of drowning and had evidence of struggling on her fingertips. H noticed she was wearing a flight jacket with the name "Lobo" and had assumed that it was her call sign.
Resentfully, CAG took De Palma up for the flight that H had promised him and turned up the heat in the cockpit, did loops and pulled negative "g's," all designed to make him airsick and throw up. Then, when the alpha strike had finally been authorized and he was going up for an ATARS recon flight, the CAG offered to take De Palma up again for his second flight but he refused. H volunteered and was taken on the flight. The CAG had been Hs dad's wingman on the day he went down in Vietnam. In the flight H noticed that Puller was the CAGs wingman and was actually the one with the call sign "Lobo"; so, he realized that Arruti had been killed by mistake, probably by "ripper" Carter who thought it was "Lobo.". During the flight the CAG was shot and H had to fly the plane. He refused to "punch out" with the unconscious CAG on board and had to "fake" radio interference so he wouldn't hear the orders. The captain eventually told the air boss to let him land. Puller helped him with the alignment and checklist because he hadn't had a trap in 5 years. But Carter was the landing boss who H realized would probably try to give him a wave-off so he would crash. He radioed to Pike about Carter and she arrested him so he couldn't give H a wave off. H did land safely and saved both their lives.
In the hospital the CAG told H about being H's father's wingman on a similar recon flight over Vietnam. He said he "called the sandies and flew cap until he was bingo fuel. 5 minutes later when the sandies arrived Rabb was down. He had a tail wind and landed with 80 pounds of fuel so he could have stayed about 4 minutes longer over Rabb's punch out site, which might have made a difference to Rabb. He said he made a judgment call and has had to live with it; but, told H that his "eyes are not a judgment call and you have no need to 2nd guess." Mace was also shown giving H some aviators wings as a token of his getting over his anger. De Palma played up Hs rescue of the CAG on television and Brovo called him a "hero." Lindsey asked Brovo if he wasn't still worried about their finding of murder and Brovo said the sharks couldn't go after H because he was a hero. "If anyone goes it will be me," he said, "or you teddy." [Actually, and fortunately, when the show was finally picked up it was Brovo who left!] |
| 9/30/1995 |
Shadow
by Donald Bellisario
3 |
A malignant, computer nerd, techno-pirate, consultant, Mr. Grover, took control of an experimental "shadow" torpedo with his laptop which was also rigged to blow up remote bombs strategically placed around the submarine Tiger Shark. Teddy Lindsey picked Harm up in a helicopter disturbing the morning jog of president Clinton (in a cameo). Meg Austin is assigned to H now as Adm Brovo had made Caitlin Pike his aid. After the senate had grilled Lindsey on the Sea Hawk incident, Brovo told him to "get out of dodge." Transporting to the Tiger Shark in inclement weather H was about to pull Mg back up and she un-hooked dropping into the ocean. H jumped in 50 feet after her. Captain told them that Grover was demanding 40 million in gold and to be taken to Cuban waters or he would cause the Shadow to blow up a cruise liner. From his laptop he had caused the Shadow to dive below a thermocline but, when the sub followed to slip above it again looking like it had disappeared. Grover was an arrogant SOB who blew a bomb to show H & Mg he "was prepared to die."
H discovered that Mg was claustrophobic on sub and told her that he didn't like her because she had not disqualified herself. Mg said that she had broken computer codes in less than 30 seconds - and as long as three days, but that was in Chinese. Mg wanted to take Grover's laptop saying that his claim he needed to "contact" the Shadow randomly or it would attack was "bogus." H, however, wanted more proof and got Grisham, the sonar operator, to look at the tapes. He found a "fish fart" that revealed Grover's "trick" with the Shadow but agreed with Mg that he couldn't still be in touch with the Shadow. They deduced that a limited range "repeater" was placed in the new sub's hull along with the strategically placed bombs. H told Mg to go "sit with" Grover and she balked at having to "play the faint hearted female." He told her "she didn't need to PLAY," making her angry. Adm. Drake told Teddy that the president had agreed to pay the ransom and to take it out of their budget. He told him to: 1- deliver the gold to the Shark; 2- deliver Grover to Cuban waters; and 3- (most important) if he accomplished 1 & 2 his next assignment would be on the Arizona (at the bottom of Pearl Harbor). He said "get it back."
When the captain told H that his job was over, H had Grover arrested and took his laptop. Mg got close to breaking the code. She got through 4 levels, 2 booby traps and a fake program; but, she didn't think she could complete in the 20 minutes left. H noticed that all the bombs had been place in non-critical spaces so Grover wasn't REALLY prepared to die. He brought Grover to the bridge and set up a ruse that they had broken his code. He showed him turn the Shadow but it then targeted the Tiger Shark. The Captain took all kinds of evasive measures to no avail and, finally, Grover told Mg the secret pass codes to detonate the torpedo without actually harming any ship. Only afterwards did he realize he had been tricked. Sailing on the surface H & Mg were alone on the conning tower. She told him that she knew he was only making her mad to take her mind off being claustrophobic. He told her she was "ok," and he wouldn't mind being teamed with her again. |
| 10/7/1995 |
Desert Son
by Donald Bellisario & Elvis Cole & Evan Katz
5 |
The ner-do-well marine 2nd Lt, Jay Williams, son of the former marine commandant general Thomas Williams, was drunk while calling in range coordinates during a live fire exercise. He transposed the distance coordinates calling a round which wounded several men critically. H & Mg called off another case to investigate this one which everyone said was "open and shut" because Jay admitted to flipping the last two digits. This would mean the end of his Marine career, which is what he wanted as his father had "forced" him into the service. He resented his father partly because he continually compared him to his older brother Michael, who died in Desert Storm. Gen Larry Butler told H & Mg to go interview Capt Reed, who fired the gun, but who resented Jay being an officer "because of his daddy who had the 'button' (congressional medal of honor) from Vietnam." Reed impeded Hs investigation by ordering his men not to talk unless he was present. When H read him the riot act he "neglected" to tell H that the sign marking the "free fire zone" (FFZ) had been knocked down and they drove into fire. Angry H came back to talk to Reed and when he acted the stereotypical smart-aleck marine H decked him. Neither H or Reed would "fink" on the other in front of Gen Butler.
Reed told H to listen to the battlefield communication tape but they found it had been "degaussed" with 60hz hum. Gen Williams told H to basically "show no deference" to his son Jay who had never taken responsibility for anything in his life. His admitting flipping the numbers was completely out of character so H was suspicious of him. Reed's obstruction also pointed suspicion to him and 1st Sgt Hollis was so close to Gen Williams that he could have erased the tape to get Jay off the hook. Gen Williams described Jay's life long friend, Lt Boone, as "the only friend of Jay's I ever approved of." Mg told H she may be able to get the tape restored but wouldn't disclose that she was going to use an old family friend Oliver North ("Ollie"). Jay's girlfriend Tina ran a disco at a bar and told H that Jay wasn't really drunk, he only acted like it so he would be 'buddies' to his men and that she wasn't Jay's girlfriend. The platoon leader injured in the accident eventually died and H amended the charges to Involuntary Manslaughter so Jay changed his plea to not guilty and said that he had only switched labels on the tape "to protect Boone." The "real" tape showed that Lt Boone had kicked the numbers and Gen Butler talked H into leaving the evidence tampering charge up to his discretion under article 15. Jay got minimal punishment and went back to duty where he told his driver that it "was funny he DID range better sober than drunk."
Since Jay had long history of 'almost' being charged for things that were blamed on others, H listened again to the tape and found hiss on the digital tape. He believed that it was copy and that Jay had Tina alter the tape to blame the incident on Boone (who wouldn't get into as much trouble). "Ollie" was able to make a master tape from satellite spy radio conversations, which then proved the deception. Mg kissed Ollie when he gave her the tape and he said that "H will think you're my girlfriend." Mg replied, "That's the idea." When H and Boone went to arrest Jay he shot Boone then the radio, so they couldn't call in a helicopter. Driving away, H jumped on the vehicle and fought with Jay while they drove across the FFZ. When a shell hit, H was thrown clear but the vehicle flipped. As he was dying Jay said "why me." H, however, told Gen Williams that he had said "tell dad I'm sorry." When Mg challenged him on it, H said "that's the way I remember it." |
| 10/14/1995 |
Brig Break
by Reuben Ledir & Robert Cochran
6 |
Lt Martin Green, NCI, posed as PO1Peter Quinn & was arrested stealing a "stinger" missile from SEATAC naval ammunitions base. Harm & Meg investigate & meet Lt Caitlin Pike, Hs former partner. Mg & Pike argued that the brig release paperwork was on form 77501 (pike incorrectly saying 77401). While Mg was interviewing Green, "Davis and Jessie" staged a brig break along with the brig's Gunnery Sergeant Gentry. Green, who was a missile expert and black, handcuffed himself to Mg as a hostage in order to prevent her being killed. H noticed them escaping in a bus and ran to jump on board. After wrestling with the driver and KO'ing another he was kicked off the moving bus by Green (and shown getting up from the ground with a clean, pressed undamaged dress uniform.) Base CO Maj ASSpinal screwed up his face, put his nose in the air (and acted like the stereotypical know-it-all, screwed up marine) and refused to take help from any "lawyers" suggesting H start on his investigation. H grabbed his gun saying to Pike that he wasn't required to obey "suggestions." Two hunters claimed they were forced off the road by the bus who also stole their guns and food. They claimed to be hurt and ASSpinal sent them to the base infirmary and told H & Pike to go with them. The hunters refused and took off to the base on their own. ASSpinal argued some more with H refusing to believe that the escape was anything more than opportunistic. H finally shamed him into admitting that a break out involving the head of the brig wouldn't be anything but planned.
Gentry met up with some Aryan nation militia who were very upset that "black" Green was handcuffed to "white" Mg. A helicopter gunship took care of the militia but Gentry's group escaped in the bus. Without regard to any hostage ASSpinal had the bus shot up as well. In the turn-over Jessie was killed and Davis was trapped with a broken leg. Gentry executed Davis so he wouldn't talk then took Green, who was shot in the leg, and Mg with him in a Kodiak launch. ASSpinal ordered the helicopter after the Kodiak too so Gentry shot a stinger at it but it didn't detonate. He blamed Green for that and wondered why Mg was "protecting" him. Gentry shot Green point blank knocking him into the water and pulling Mg under with him. With his last effort Green gave Mg the handcuff keys and she was able to escape back to the surface, and Gentry. ASSpinal had pulled all his men from the base looking for the escapees.
The "hunters" left the infirmary and took over the control station where they could turn off the power to the perimeter fence and unlock the SADAM (Special Atomic Demolition AMmunition) devices and triggers vaults. They stole the SADAM devices and took them to the trigger vault where Gentry had handcuffed Mg to inside the vault. Gentry shot the hunters telling Mg that the Iraqi's paid more than the Aryan Nation. He armed a SADAM setting a 5 digit disarmament code and telling Mg she had 20 minutes to disarm it- "and the code has a seven in it." H & Pike intercepted Gentry escaping and killed him. H grabbed the SADAM to drive it as far from a populated area that 12 minutes would allow. Mg & Pike jumped in the car with him and used their "magic laptop" to find numbers that Gentry might have used. H suggested a number that he might have used every day - such as the brig release paperwork number and Mg & Pike had another argument over whether it was '-401 or -501." Mg disarmed it with 8 seconds left and when H asked which one had been right Mg said that the "person who was wrong wouldn’t want him to know." |
| 10/21/1995 |
Deja Vu
by Evan Katz
4 |
Harm and Meg investigate the series of murders of Navy Lieutenants in the DC area around Arlington cemetery. Detective Axelrad was territorial and refused to share information until Meg "schmoozed" him in a revealing red dress. The victim of the last murder, Lt Harbin, was seen in the company of the Thai ambassador's wife Angelique Sonsiri. She had an "attraction" to Harm and came to his apartment claiming the knife used in killing Harbin was from her set so the killer must have been either her husband or their security chief. CPO Markwood was in the cemetery the night of the death and was paid by someone "not to remember anything"; but later, with a bold of conscience, told H that it was the security chief who had paid him. H & Mg obtained military spy equipment with a requisition signed by acting JAG Ted Lindsay convincing him not to ask what they were for so he could maintain his "deniability." When Angelique went to Hs apartment the security chief "snipered" at them from an adjoining roof top but missed every shot except on Markwood. H cornered the sniper on the roof top and was forced to shoot him; but, a metal sternal plate from an old injury saved his life.
H went to dinner with Angelique who's looks produced "flashbacks" for him back to "Gym," the daughter of a Vietnamese woman who helped Stryker and him look for Rabb Sr. in Laos. H did distrust her and didn't drink the champagne she offered him which might have been spiked; but, she gave him a piece of chocolate containing the heavy antihistamine she used in her murders. She momentarily "lost it" when harm told her his story about Gym. She exclaimed "how do you know they weren't alive - you left them!" She and her mother had been abandoned by her father, Lt Lawton Parker, who had died and was buried in Arlington. She took H to the cemetery to kill him too, but Mg discovered that the security chief was a former sniper and could have killed them but deliberately missed his shots. He had been in love with Angelique for years and was covering up for her murders. He deliberately drew Hs fire to commit suicide. Lindsay told Mg that Parker was in Arlington so she went to find H and had to fight Angelique for the knife but saved the drugged Harm. |
| 11/4/1995 |
Pilot Error
by Jack Orman
7 |
Lt Lucas Pendry, Hs old roommate, was killed during testing maneuvers of a aircraft guidance system built for the air force but, because of budgetary reasons, was being "pushed" on the Navy. As he came over the ridge hugging the ground on APTURN autopilot he was inverted and was being blamed for causing accident by turning off equipment to win the scenario. James Reid, Macroplex representative, clearly announced himself as the champion of APTURN which couldn't be at fault and he would do anything to prove it. Reid tried to embarrass H by "letting slip" his friendship for the dead pilot and his family. After apologizing to Meg for not disclosing his relationship they began trying to prove what really happened because, knowing Pendry, he wouldn't have been that stupid to fly inverted over rough terrain 500 feet off the ground! H visited Annie, Pendry's wife, and Josh, their son, who was the same age as H when his father went missing in Vietnam. H had flashbacks to his own notification by military personnel and mothers grief. Lt McKee, Pendry's wingman, had been close to them and had been taken, by Pendry, to the doctor for a D&C. Reid threatened H with "smearing" Pendry's reputation if he didn't back off and, true to form, that just made H all the more intense. Mg interviewed McKee and found that she did have a D&C abortion; but, then told H Pendry wasn't the father but wouldn't tell him who was. They also found that APTURN had to be recalibrated three times more often in the navy than in the air force.
H flew in a simulator of the aircraft with every kind of "failure" anyone could think of thrown at him. He didn't crash and APTURN worked perfectly until Reid suggested he fly upside down. H couldn't prove that it wasn't Pendry's error until, remembering "Fate is a Hunter" movie, he wished out loud to Mg that he could fly and recreate Pendry's fatal mission because it had to be something they were overlooking. Mg sent him to Cdr Dale Bishop who wouldn't allow the flight until H told him of Reid's intention of blackmail and mentioned McKee's pregnancy. (Bishop probably was the father). H flew Pendry's exact mission, with McKee as RIO, which included five carrier traps before using APTURN. H said that was like preparing for a marathon with five boxing matched. H apologized to McKee after slamming on deck in his first trap saying "he was rusty." She replied, "you're corroded." Then after five such landings she said, "Thank God that's over, you're making me wish I'd joined the air force." After the last trap, H noticed that his flight indicator was slightly out of calibration. When they then used APTURN it flipped and wrongly thought it was inverted. H was told to turn off APTURN but he refused, using an override to gain altitude before switching it off. When he did the APTURN then went "wings level and 'climbed' (which really dove) nearly killing them both. When Mg said that APTURN was faulty and hadn't been engineered for use in carrier landings all Reid would say "it will be."
Annie was afraid Josh would become enamored w/ flying, like H had done with his father, and become a pilot. |
| 11/11/1995 |
War Cries
by Scott Gemmill
8 |
Ramon Escamilla, a 15 year old high school student, was shot and killed while trying to scale the wall of the Peruvian embassy near the embassador's quarters. Corporal Parr said he saw a muzzle flash before he shot at the boy but no weapon was found. He didn't tell anyone that he had been distracted by a girl, Tienna, who had called to him through the gate. Harm and Meg assigned to investigate and met at airport by Gunny Granger who didn't salute Mg and, when challenged, said he didn't want people to know she was an officer for security reasons. Ambassador Bartlet shown as an hysterical incompetent who tried on the phone to get someone to get the first lady to "get her out of here." At first H had to reign in Mg telling her to "try it with a little more objectivity." An old woman in black left a bomb at the embassy gate killing a marine. Ambassador told H & Mg to solve the problem or they would be in front of her at a dedication function the next day. Mg saw gunny intimidating Parr and loudly backed him down ordering him to leave Parr alone. H went to visit Ramon's mother & found Tienna, his sister, in the house as well. They had scrapbook pictures of "her son" and when Mrs. Escamilla asked if it was Parr who had killed her son, Tienna got upset and kicked them out but not before they heard that Tienna was pregnant by Parr.
Mg had Parr lift her to the wall & over and found a shell to an assassins weapon. Mg thought Granger was trigger happy and interferes w/ him several times including ordering him to "stand down" when Gunny was going to rescue Parr, who he thought had been kidnapped by the Sendero Luminoso (shining path). When they arrived at Escamilla's house they found Luminoso members there who fled. Mrs. Escamilla told them that the Luminoso came to kill Tienna who was at the church. H arrived to the church just as the Luminoso were trying to kill Parr. She told everyone that she had no where to go to be safe and H suggested sanctuary in the embassy. Hs skillful questioning got Tienna to admit that Ramon was Luminoso and the ambassador could have been the target. Pres Clinton shown telephoning the ambassador and she didn't cancel the dedication. When they left on a secret route Tienna shown trying to distract Parr in the communication room. The ambassador convoy was ambushed with missile weapons and her Kevlar vest saved her. Gunny jumped into the fray and took out most of the terrorists but with held firing on a grieving woman in a robe. When he turned away the woman shot him and Mg shot her. The woman was Mrs. Escamilla so they knew Tienna was probably as well. They notified Parr that the ambassador was on her way back to the embassy and Tienna was Luminoso. He didn't answer but when Tienna tried to con him again and pulled a gun on him, he shot her.
Mg finally accepted what a good soldier Gunny was as his coffin was being loaded onto air transport. They had finally discovered that all three "Escamilla's" were members of the same shining path cell, none of them were even related and Tienna was not pregnant - it was all a ruse. |
| 12/9/1995 |
Scimitar
by Robert Cochran
10 |
Corporal John Edner was killed and Corporal David Anderson captured when they got lost just inside the Iraqi border. President Clinton was shown watching SadDAM announce he would return Edner's body and allow US legal team to defend Anderson for espionage. Harm underwent extraction combat training but Meg, who was not told, worked with Lindsey to prep legally. H told her that she was to be lead council to "throw them off guard." Someone named Scimitar, who's information had been correct, but no one knew, was to give H a satellite uplink and escape route. Anderson's pregnant wife gave them a letter to give to her husband and H was to give him a small transponder locater. Lindsay was shown appreciating all the dirty "lawyer tricks" that Hussein was pulling. Colonel Ahmad al-Barzan was director of security and ran the show. He was also the judge. A Lieutenant Dumai was given as their "chaperone." Meg tried to befriend her but she challenged her "disrespect for men." Mg said she "respected but not feared." Barzan began mentioning his "scimitar" collection to H and "nearly winking" so H thought he must be the contact.
Ibram Talfa, who led the capture of Anderson, lied in court. When Mg started to cross, Barzan refused to let a woman speak. H then tripped up Talfa's lies showing they had actually been across the Kuwait border and Barzan recessed. Someone had written Scimitar and directions to the N E corner of the grounds on Hs papers, he thought it was Barzan. Mg saw him sneak out at night to get the uplink and nearly get caught on the way back. She went into Hs room and let Barzan find her there so H could sneak into hers. Dumai was beaten for not knowing they had switched rooms. Mg tried to get her to call her Meg but she refused saying that "US is like a child who has lived nothing but thinks it knows everything." Basically she said: you come back after 1000 years as a country and we might listen to you. The next day Talfa recanted his testimony. Mg went to dinner w/ Barzan over Hs objections. While gone Dumai told H that she was Scimitar and that the security force were expecting an escape and knew the name scimitar. They went to get Mg who they found being intimidated by Barzan's swords. Dumai shot Barzan and they used his body to get them past the guards in the car and into the prison. They shot the guards and escaped into the desert but were shot at and followed. Dumai asked H to hit her on the head and leave her but he said no so Mg hit her. She finally said thanks calling her Meg. As the helicopter was shooting rockets at them a US Cobra came over the hill and when fired on, shot them down. |
| 1/6/1996 |
Boot
by Lucian Truscott
12 |
Private Shuler was found hanging dead from a rappelling tower by abusive drill instructors Sgt Gonzalez and Staff Sgt Carrington. Lindsey told Harm that the State Department wasn't happy with defense of the CAG and wanted to know how a JAG lawyer ended up parachuting into Bosnia. Meg said their defense occasionally went beyond the courtroom and Lindsey agreed. State, however, wondered if staging jailbreaks in Iraq, flying missions in F-14s and recovering stolen nuclear weapons fit the definition of "occasionally." H repeated the recruiting slogan that the Navy wasn't just a job, it's an adventure. Lindsey said he told them that he wouldn't tell them how to run state if they didn't tell him how to run JAG; but, wanted H to take a lower profile for awhile. He said that Shuler's parents had received an anonymous letter saying she had been murdered and one of the drill instructors had been missing that night. He assigned H the investigation of Shuler case and Mg to go under cover as recruit MacEntyre. Carrington was maliciously severe taking every opportunity to set others on Mg and to belittle and intimidate her. Mg, continually assigned to police the head, found a letter and newspaper clipping behind a loose tile. It was Shuler's. H sensed obstruction from both the drill sergeants and the CO. Obviously there was no way Shuler could have been strangled in her own rappelling rope which the CO didn't even mention. Gonzalez was a shoe in for enlisted commissioning program next month. H asked Cline to get the whole newspaper to go along with the clipping.
Pvt. Whitley was Shuler's friend and Johnson the company bully. Johnson tried several times to intimidate Meg and was increasingly upset when she couldn't. Carrington intimidated Mg into the Pugil ring and Johnson volunteered as opponent. Johnson got the drop on Mg and began beating her while Carrington stood by and didn't blow whistle even though Johnson wasn't going for the win, only to beat her up. Finally, Mg took Johnson down. H wanted to take Mg out but she wouldn't leave. In the gas chamber someone pulled Mg's mask off and choked her leaving bruises. Mg still refused to pull out because she had overhead the sergeants talking about "they got a letter, but JAG still wouldn't find out." Whitley came to get Mg from the infirmary and overheard H & Mg talking about finding the newspaper clipping. That night, H followed Gonzalez into Maj Clines office. They told him that they were married but the corps wouldn’t allow Enlisted and Officers to fraternize which is why they hadn't revealed it and Gonzalez was going to officers program. H found that the newspaper clipping had an article about Whitley being wanted by the police on the back. Mg noticed what she thought was Johnson going toward the swamp and followed only have to rescue Whitley from quicksand; but, not before getting a confession of murdering Shuler because she found out about her. When she was out, Whitley pushed Mg into the quicksand. H arrived with Cline to pull Mg out and introduced her to Carrington. Mg told Carrington she knew she was "just doing her job"(??!) and shook her hand squishing quicksand mud all over her. H let Gonzalez report herself if she didn't get into Officer program and the platoon all said goodbye to Mg. [ this must have been written/aired after defensive action listed below] |
| 1/13/1996 |
Sightings
by Evan Katz
9 |
Kathy Gold, living with her uncle JD, in lieu of an orphanage went missing after some flying lights with painful sound and electromagnetic interference blasted their trailer. A former SEAL who wanted to distance himself from anything government by living as a hermit next to an abandoned air base, called the news media. Senator Dixon saw the story and asked JAG to investigate after an ATARs scan revealed nothing. The Sheriff disbelieved everything except that the "government" was probably doing something secret on the base without telling anybody. JD told Harm and Meg that there were funny smells with the north wind, painful noise and blinding lights. Others had reported "little green men." H & Mg went back to the base without the sheriff and climbed over the non-electrified fence. There was no sand in front of a hanger and fresh oil. They found Cathy, who ran into a hanger and disappeared. Still looking around at evening they saw an unidentified aircraft with blinding bright lights and painful screeching sound enter the hanger and disappear. They tried to exit but the fence was now electrified and they were chased by men in black suits and luminescent green eyes using green laser targeting lights on their guns. They narrowly escaped by Cathy directing them into a large air duct. Cathy took them to a pipe she used to get in and out of the base but it was so small that only she could fit. They sent her to the car to dial 0 three times and tell the operator that "Lt Harmon Rabb needs level Red support." The men in suits and night vision goggles saw her go down the pipe.
Cathy met the sheriff who didn't believe her and wouldn't let her use the phone but took her on the base in his car. The "green men" killed him but she ran away. This time they saw her infrared heat markings as she climbed through the air duct and threw an M33 baseball grenade in after her. It came out the other side and H threw it back at them before it exploded. H, Mg & Cathy went to the control tower where they watched an R5-D without markings land and go into the hanger & Cathy found some night vision goggles. H used the goggles to go get the sheriffs car and crash out of the gate. He was to pick up Mg & Cathy by the chapel but they were captured first. H took the car and blinded the men with his headlights before he escaped into an adjacent building realizing that the men were drug runners who were using the abandoned underground hanger as a drug lab. JD has snuck onto the base looking for Cathy and surprised H. The drug runners used Mg and Cathy as bait to bring in H but JD took his place. They took them all down a shaft into the below ground hanger and H followed. He picked off several one at a time. They were going to take one as a hostage and JD told them to take Cathy which really upset her making her say "I hate you." A man put Cathy into the helicopter that they were using as the "UFO" and H "incapacitated" him telling Cathy to turn on the lights and sound when he gave her the signal. With the distraction H was able to bring down all the other men including the one who was using Mg as a shield, after she gut punched him. Mg told Cathy that JD had told them to take her because he know the other two left would be shot. |
| 3/3/1996 |
The Brotherhood
by Scott Gemmill & Donald P. Bellisario
13 |
[A very weakly written plot, hokey and barely believable at times] Marine PFC Terrance Hansen was found beaten and in a coma on the beach during landing exercises. Dr Sanford requested an investigation of the Charlie Company of Capt Overton who has 2 times more injuries than other companies, mostly black. Sanford said that the companies investigation by Lt Teese was biased because "he reports to Overton." Overton, pouted his lips, tried to act like what he thought was a tough guy throughout the episode. Harm and Meg easily showed Teese's sloppy investigation, giving Overton what he wanted to see. H & Mg went through Hansen's locker and found photo's of people flashing gang signs. Mg said the signs looked like "hook em horns" from the University of Texas Longhorns. H descretely told her that in Europe the sign meant "You've been Cuckolded." [So Mg gave the sign to people during the whole episode… supposedly as humor?] Tyler, Hansen's brother was acting like a tough guy and eventually found to be in a gang. While H & Mg were looking over the beach, Overton had his camouflaged men surprise attack them. H was disgusted and told Overton that action had just told him that Overton was hiding something and when H found out what it was his days in the corps were over. Overton said that C company had more injuries because they trained harder- "the harder they train, the less bleeding they do." A sergeant told H that Hansen "didn't fit in" and "wasn't with the program" but there were others, and he listed three. H asked "how many are black" and was answered "all of them."
Overton tried to intimidate and obstruct H & Mg until they call him on his apparent racism. Top of his class, Hansen had asked for east or overseas billet but got stuck w/ LA & Overton refused transfer. He requested twice more but Overton turned him down. (He told H that, he didn't like quitters) H found Overton and his men digging on the beach and was told they were looking for mines. The a man asked "is this what you are looking for" and it was Crack. H conjectured to Overton that Hansen had probably been beaten by the gang when he didn't want to sell Crack in the military and that he had been acting like such a know-it-all smart ass that Hansen couldn’t come to him for help. So Overton went to Hansen's hospital bed and began screaming and threatening and ordered him to wake up, and he did. He then told them that he had grown up in LA, was in a gang, and was assigned by their leader, "stick," to join "The Proud" so he could sell drugs on the inside. But the Marines reformed him and he tried to avoid the gang but they beat him and left him on the beach w/ case of crack. Stick was going to send his brother Tyler to the morgue on "mission" avenue if he didn't sell the crack- so Overton said he would get Tyler out. Of course, he went in alone and was overpowered. Then H & Mg arrived and uncharacteristically stupid Mg was overpowered so H offered to trade their crack for Overton. Then he got the black men of C company to surround the "trade." Overton tackled Tyler during the trade and C company took them rescued everyone. Tyler agreed to go to a youth boot camp (for discipline and hard work) to get out of the gang. |
| 3/13/1996 |
Defensive Action
by Terry Curtis Fox
11 |
CAG Boone and wingmen Lt's Painter and Entwhistle were over Bosnia trying to "send a Serb Hind helicopter back home" when Painters Tomcat suffered catastrophic failure and blew up. They both ejected but the Hind swung around and CAG saw it strafing the chutes. He took it out. Serbs claimed they were "rendering assistance" and postured to break the "peace accord" so the State Department called for an investigation of Boone. Harm, who had just received cigars from the SECNAV for his promotion to Lt Commander, and Meg went to the Seahawk to investigate. Lindsey had said that State, trying to maintain the peace accord, may put CAG in the middle and sacrifice him in the name of peace; and, without even waiting for Hs report CINCFAIRMED ordered a court-martial. Krennick was assigned by "state" basically to railroad the CAG. DePalma, of the press, had been shooting "B roll" when the Hind came over the hill and exploded so it was shown over and over in the media. He hinted to Mg that there may have been more than was shown and Mg was going to have dinner with him to find out but CAG stood her down for "disgracing her uniform." She stood her ground and H had to tell him just to stay out of their way and let them do their jobs. Entwhistle's body was recovered and Krennick got the coroner to say that there were no bullet holes. H turned it back on him and revealed that there could have been more than one bullet that hit the many portions that weren't recovered; and tricked Krennick to objecting that no one could tell how many rounds the Hind fired that had missed. Deceitful Krennick, wanted to talk alone to CAG and stupid CAG dismissed H. She said State was claiming that the Serbs were "prepping" across the border and that they knew they could "diffuse" it if CAG would resign "for the good of the navy." When he finally spoke to H he said that Krennick wouldn't have talked to him if she wasn't worried.
Painter was in Bosnia, injured, trying to avoid Serb patrols and had lost his beacon radio. He eventually set it off, but De Palma told H that State wasn't going to allow a rescue mission until after the trial because it hadn't "been verified." Again H had to stand the CAG down from going back to the Seahawk to "climb the captains six" for a rescue. H turned case over to Mg - forcefully, as she didn't think she could "handle" the CAG. H ordered an over-flight as a "JAG officer defending a client" & parachuted himself in to rescue Painter. He found that Painter was not injured by bullets but couldn't remember even punching out including the helicopter firing. CAG wanted to speak to the court-martial board but Mg said only lawyers can to it so he fired her. He told the board that he had over11,000 flight hours (900 combat) and knew gunfire when he saw it. The board found him not guilty by 4 to 3 vote. H rescued Painter and brought back a piece of his chute. There were bullet holes in it. CAG said he "knew who the 3 (guilty votes) were" so they could see their faces! |
| 3/20/1996 |
Smoked
by Donald Bellisario
14 |
Krennick was sexually harassing Harm in her new job as aid to the New JAG, A. J. Chegwidden. "AJ" as he is called, was head of JAG in the pacific. He was a former SEAL in Vietnam who transferred to the fleet to command a destroyer then got a law degree and joined JAG. Krennick said that he had "gone from one branch of the service to the next, surfing the crest of them all. He eventually wanted the CNO position, like Adm. Arleigh Burke, who was chosen over the heads of many others by the president because he was "aggressive." Krennick said that because H was the "shining star" he was a threat to her ambitions. When H said "I'm not that good or ambitious" she said "that is one of the reasons I want to sleep with you," and "as long a you serve under me, you'll have a tough time earning a sea scout badge."
Chegwidden sent H & Mg to Cuba w/ K, telling him to sabotage the software in a downed F14 before the Cubans could download the technology and trade it for Iranian oil. H went up to the cockpit of the Lear Jet which was flying them to Cuban and helped fly. Cuban, Capt Fuentes shot at their Lear jet but missed, due to Hs acrobatics. Jack Keeter, an old roommate of Hs was the pilot of the downed F14 and H worried that he might have "screwed the pooch," probably intentionally. Without telling Bair, the weenie from the State Department, H use a Cuban Contra to cause a diversion in the hanger with his horse so he could slip in and rig an explosion using his belt in the intake. When Blair found out what H had done he confessed that he was really a NSA agent and Keeter had been on a black op to "let the Cubans have some software" which had "virus" code in it that would disable aircraft which 'locked on" to US aircraft. But the code, he said was in the last chip, so if the plane exploded they would have the good code but not the bad.
H then went back and told Fuentes of: the phony Blair, the software was "fake," he hadn't known about Blair when he sabotaged the plane, offered to disable the "bomb" if Fuentes would cause a diversion and let him escape, Iranians didn't need to know, Cubans would still get their oil, everyone would "save face." Fuentes said "ok" but he would have to give chase and try to shoot them down. H agreed and he and Keeter took off chased by Fuentes. They reminisced about spending some time in the Caribbean with a girl, who H could remember better than Keeter, and decided to go visit her again. Fuentes caught up with him and fired a missile just short of the border of the airspace. H went into a power dive and pulled out at 100ft causing the missile to miss and explode in the water. K entered Hs apt unannounced, expecting to bully herself into her threatened tryst, then stormed out, after finding Maria Elena Carmelita Moreno Gutierrez in the shower. |
| 3/27/1996 |
Hemlock
by Jack Orman & Donald P. Bellisario
15 |
Meg received a fax of "Shepard's" itinerary from someone who was breaking into the British Naval Intelligence building to use their computers. He was nearly caught and transposed the last two numbers of the fax. H went for a check-ride until about noon which really "ticked-off" Krennick who was burying them with scut work from another agency who had "overflow" to make points. H & Mg figured that "Shepard" was some dignitary, and possibly classified, so he locked it in the safe while he went to lunch with an Annapolis friend, now in intelligence, Bruce Carmichael. When H mentioned "Shepard" Carmichael nearly choked but stonewalled H and told him to "shred it immediately" but nothing more. The man who broke in came looking for Mg to find his fax posed as . While she was giving it to him K came in then stormed out when she found that H was gone again. A few seconds later she came back in just as Mg was being shot and nearly missed being shot herself. K inflicted her egoistical personality on everyone alienating the doctors and nurses trying to save Mg and H had to continually "bite his tongue" in order to work with her. She continually wanted to "involve state," H said "so she could make points," which was probably true although he had to apologize. H went to "Ollie" (Col Oliver North) who came and stayed with Mg through her surgery and recovery. He told them that "Shepard" was Boris Yeltzin who was coming to sign a ban on nuclear material sales to Pakistan. Also that it was the illusive, and unknown "Hemlock" who was assigned to assassinate Yeltzin.
K had an artist sketch drawn up of "Hemlock" as she was the ONLY known person to have seen him, thus making herself a target. Chegwidden said he'd been kept up all night with calls from people who wanted him to "call of his dogs because they were messing on peoples lawn." Instead he told H & K to "go get 'em." Ollie recommended a computer nerd who hacked into the government personnel files and found a custodian who had been hired but didn't have a photo in the database. He had a copper lined old house which was "bug-proof" and extracted a date from K before giving them the information. When they arrived at Ellzey's, the custodians, house, Carmichael and the SWAT team were already there. A gun battle ensued followed by a single shotgun shot. They found the person inside had "committed suicide" destroying his head to prevent recognition. H blasted down Carmichael, blaming him for stonewalling him and preventing them from taking precautions for Mg. Ollie didn't believe that it was Hemlock who had killed himself and H, later, discovered a bomb in Ks car which had been placed after the supposed "suicide." When they told Carmichael he was still angry with them; but, followed them to the Hotel where the signing was to be held, and got them through security. Hemlock, a master of disguise, got through security playing several parts and hiding a gun in a lobster. K recognized him, as he saw her, and ducked his shot, which hit Carmichael who was behind her. Hemlock joined the confused Russian security who was shuttling Yeltzin out of the hall. H gave chase but had to dodge a massive barrage of gunfire from the Russians. Hemlock escaped and removed all his disguise so H didn't recognize the driver of an escaping car, which he had stopped by unloading his gun at it. K finally caught up and ID'd Hemlock.
During her coma Mg "dreamed" of her deceased father who took her for a horseback ride. As she awakened her father was telling her that "it wasn't her time yet." She mistook Ollie for her dad as she woke up, then asked H "how was lunch." |
| 4/3/1996 |
High Ground
by Robert McCullough
16 |
An arrogant marine Col Gordon transferred Gunnery Sgt Ray Crockett back to the front and wouldn’t even listen to him trying to protest that he had an arrangement with two previous commanders for the rest of his three years of service. So, to get his attention he borrowed a rifle from one of his men and shot at Gordon's rear view mirror some 1000 meters away. Gordon put him in the brig for court-martial of attempted murder. Chegwidden assigned Harm to investigate and try and save him if he could. C said that Crockett had been a sniper in Vietnam when C was pinned down in an ambush at night. He heard 18 shots and the next day found 18 dead NVA from Crockets rifle and that he was the best sniper the military ever had. Crockett had refused to let C buy him a drink. Krennick suggested that she accompany H and C told her "he's capable of doing it on his own." In the brig Crockett said that he didn't remember Chegwidden and assured H that he wouldn't be going to court-martial-- he just wanted his deal that he had been promised, he had done enough killing. He caught a fly in his hand which impressed H. Crockett's entire file was redacted so he called K for help. She made a big deal out of helping him and flew to Quantico with Crockett's "real" file including his kill book. H read and learned it all so he could talk to him about his defense. Gordon tried to stack the investigation against Crockett and refused to even listen to H either.
K told H that he had to finish the case by the weekend because he was expected at an "officer's retreat" at Cs beach house on Hilton Head-- and it would be just the two of them! Crockett escaped from the brig, got equipment and took to the hills. Gordon refused to let H go with the helicopter until H backed him down with treats of impeding an investigation. They traced what they thought was Crockett on infrared and found that it was only a staked out wild pig. Crockett got the drop on then and sent them back without their clothes. H was still out there and traced Crockett to his hideout but set off a booby trap flare. He just waited for Crockett to show up and tried to reason with him. Gordon brought another contingent to capture Crockett and the gunny got the drop on them too but just shot a beehive over their heads. H said he'd had enough and tricked Crockett to get the drop on him. Crockett escaped from H and they had to fight until H bested him with a knife. Crockett told H that he should "never let him see him in his scope" and then refused to even let H or Mg see him in the brig. Gordon still wouldn't listen to any reason and took every opportunity to malign JAG, the navy and H. K made a deal on her own with Gordon for: a sanity hearing, loss of benefits, resignation with bad conduct discharge. H gave them the affidavits of the deal that Crockett's former commanders made with him and when Gordon got puffed up again told him that "if Crockett had wanted to kill you, you would be dead!" H had to hold a shooting exhibition or Gordon wouldn’t believe it. K called C to try and help, and he came but only greeted Crockett and said "a fine day for a shooting exhibition." H retraced Gordon's path in the jeep and gunny again shot out the rear-view mirror. Gordon finally gave Crockett back his rank, fined him and honored "the deal." C told Crockett he was going to buy him that drink now and H whispered to Crockett that he still didn't remember C did he? Crockett said that a gunny didn't tell a two star that he didn't remember him. K dismissed Mg until Monday, thinking that she could follow through with her sexual harassment of H but C invited H to have the drink with them. |
| 4/10/1996 |
Black Ops
by Greg Sturgis & Greg Strangis & Robert L McCullough
17 |
[A truly masterful episode. Compare with the season 10 episode "San Diego", filmed to please CBS minions wanting the "younger demographic," and it's: intrusive space-ship music; vertiginous, aimlessly wandering photography; disgustingly confusing character morality; and superficial entertainment despite a moderately interesting core plot. This was a well written and delivered episode. Music was grand, photography larger than life, character development captivating and script (as C said) "heroic."] Harm & Meg investigated the death of USN Pilot, Lt Douglas Marion, the son of unforgiving Senator Grace Marion, during a SEAL "black op" mission; but, they were "stonewalled" until finally they charged the entire team with obstruction. Marion's autopsy showed massive injury from his fall after his parachute didn't open but also hypoxic coma which proved some of their lies. The group leader, Lt Alexander Kellogue, thought Gen Behnke would get him out of trouble; but, the general just let them all hang. Chegwidden came personally to San Diego and brought the Senator. Kellogue still lied but C's threats got the men to tell the story. The General and changed the Op at the last minute from a 30 knotts/30 feet helicopter insertion into a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump, 2 hrs before the mission. He hoped the SEALs would decline so "his own men" could do it. Marion was to have flown back a drug lord plane; but his parachute didn't open and he hit the water. H found that he had suffocated on the way down due to a sabotaged o-ring on his oxygen. The General probably did it.
Kellogue gave C the pre-mission letter Marion had written to his mother - (a SEAL tradition started many years earlier by "Ensign Chegwidden".) H found that the General was repeating the mission with his own men, so C ordered him to HALO with the SEALS and recover the plane. The team quizzed each other on famous quotes as was their tradition in order to keep their minds off anxiety. The general had a "spy" watching the SEALs so was told of Cs plan. In the race to the site the SEALs win and beat general there, finding an old R4D prop plane; but, also that it had been outfitted with AWACs type black ops gear from McDill - apparently sold to them by Gen Behnke! That was why the general had to be first to the site, to prevent being found out. Worried that they couldn't get the old plane to fly, Kellogue asked "who said: I will fight no more, forever"? When others couldn't answer he continued, "I don't know either, but he wasn't a marine"! C and the senator flew in the aircraft with the seals insertion. She was impressed with the jump and the men, and and was visibly softened; so, C gave her son's letter to her, saying: "you're ready to read it." After he saw H take off with the plane he realized the trouble he was in and the General committed suicide by jumping out of his helicopter over the ocean. No Krennick in this episode (thankfully). |
| 4/17/1996 |
Survivors
by Scott Gemmill & Jack Orman & Donald P Bellisario
18 |
Col Matt Anderson's son Trevor was being moved away from his father by his divorced mother. The boy began calling his father by a nickname known only to him and his childhood/marine buddy, "digger." The Col wasn't able to keep a promise that he had made to "digger" and bring him back from Vietnam. The mothers attorney, on his own, got an arrest warrant for the Col who was trying to take Trevor back to their boyhood cabin in order to somehow fulfill his promise. Deputy Terrance Hodge (a bitter ex-marine) manhandled Trevor while he was arresting the Col and was "decked" by the Col. Then Hodge lied about it, forming a manhunt. Harm helped the Col escape in a helicopter twice, frustrating Hodge who then got a warrant for Hs arrest as well.
Hodge's partner had to restrain Hodge from shooting H when H threw himself between Hodge and the Col who was carrying Trevor up to the cabin. H and Meg bluff Hodge about actually having a videotape of his manhandling the col and backhanding Trevor, so he let H go and the Col surrender to H without Trevor being there and witnessing his fathers arrest. The Col and Mrs. Anderson were getting divorced only because of the Col's career - (which he doesn't have any more.) H and Mg don't believe in the psychic link between Trevor and "digger" until Trevor, in sort of a trance, turned and gave them a "diggers" thumbs up. |
| 5/1/1996 |
Recovery
by Jack Orman
19 |
The US recon satellite over China failed and a replacement satellite was launched but failed to reach proper orbit. The next Space Shuttle mission which was supposed to test High Energy Light experiments (laser) was transferred into a repair mission with a 3 day window of opportunity. During the launch there was a main engine breech which was supposed to become fatal in 60 seconds (but never did and was never explained) and required all the astronauts to use their escape baskets on a wire. During the escape the pilot, Cdr Atkins, fell to his death requiring Lt. Cdr. Mark Lowrey, the backup pilot, to take over. Harm and Meg came to the launch site to investigate to Atkins dismay. H & he exchanged insults prompting Mg to say that she "knew a cockfight when she saw one." A civilian contractor named Gallant called to Hs attention that the cable had been carefully hollowed out and weakened with a laser so as to fail when a basket loaded with a man rode in it. Then they found that Lowrey's access card was used the night before the accident to enter the laser storage area at night. H tried to get Colonel Fisher to remove Lowrey but he wouldn't. Then he made formal recommendation to the president that the mission be delayed, but he wouldn't either. H wanted to talk to Lowrey but he was scheduled for STA (Shuttle Training Aircraft). Lowrey dismissed his 2nd saying that Harm was "the best pilot in JAG." There was a catastrophic failure of Lowrey's controls and H had to land the aircraft. They turned off the fuel and H "dead-stick" landed.
Someone had set up an accident to kill the primary pilot and frame the only one who could replace him. Then Mg realized that if it hadn't been for Gallant they wouldn't have suspected Lowrey. She found threads of STA programming in the erased sectors of Gallant's hard drive and that he had been a researcher in the SDI program which had been scuttled. Being disgruntled they surmised that Gallant would have been approached by the Chinese and told Fisher, who relieved Gallant from his station. He ran and H had to give chase to capture him. Gallant denied everything so H asked if he could try interrogating him. Gallant said he was a visionary and would be known for his exploration of the galaxy with his Super-Conducting Magnetic Ion Engine. He wouldn't destroy the shuttle, he said, and intimated that China had promised to build his engine. H realized that he may have sabotaged the capture mechanism and convinced Fisher to re-test the mechanism before using it on the sattelite. It blew up during the test so they were without a capture arm. H suggested that they "get a bunch of people out there and grab it." they tried that too, and it worked. Mg suggested H still had time to be "the first lawyer in space" as "navy pilots make the best astronauts." H responded, later alone to himself... "maybe." |
| 5/8/1996 |
The Prisoner
by Evan Katz
20 |
[A sort of "odd" complicated plot difficult, at times, to follow. We do learn some more information about H, namely: Military ID number: 989-54-8301, DOB Oct 25th 1963 and several details about what he and his father did before leaving for Viet Nam Richard Crenna provided the voice of Harms "father"] Harm was captured and brainwashed by Chinese who thought that he would be able to tell them whether or not the "Americans will intervene if we take back Matsu and Quemoy" from Taiwan. Maria Elena Carmelita Moreno Gutierrez was supposed to meet H to go sailing with him but he ended up going alone and went missing. Sec Bair (dunderhead state flunky from the Cuban episode) told Krennick to keep working with him on the legal report to the president while Austin tried to find what happened to Harm. Harm's female interrogater, Captain Lishi, claimed they had processed many americans since Viet Nam and offered to tell Harm what happened to his father if he would cooperate. H began giving mis- and superfluous- information so she injected him with drugs. After cutting himself on a sharp rock in his cell, H heard morse code from a prisoner below being tapped on the pipes. The prisoner new all about American ways and allowed H to convinced himself that he really was his father. He knew that Harm's father had taken him to Belmont Park, in San Diego on Mission Boulevard, the day before he had shipped out for Viet Nam. He said that he wanted to show him the roller-coaster before they tore down the park and they carved their initials on one of the cars. They had carved "HR with a little 2 (squared)" on one of the cars. The prisoner said that he would help Harm "keep sane" from all the "mind games" Col Hahn would play on him.
Austin found grey paint that showed Harms boat was rammed by Chinese naval vessel. Baird said his job was to "avoid international incidents not create them" and refused to help. So Krennick began slipping out on him. Inspector Chang informed Krennick that Harm was being held in local Chinese Garrison and possibly might be "bribed" out through the "black market." Col Hahn told H that he was given drugs incorrectly and had been in a coma for 27 days, and that everyone thought he was dead. The "prisoner" couldn't confirm how long he'd been gone but H found his fairly fresh cut still unhealed. Chang was actually the black marketeer and said that he had a "highly placed contact, who was probably honest, and could break Harm out - he wanted asylum in the US" and Chang wanted a 24/7 phone number he could call for instant embassy sanctuary should he ever need it. They retrieved Harm's wallet, ID and info that Harm could be broken out the next day but Baird still refused to help until Krennick blackmailed him with telling his wife they were having an affair.
Lishi told Harm that she had arranged to get her, Harm and his father out the next day. Harm, still confused from drugs, confided his confusion to "his father." He reminded him that he had always told him that "our instincts are always right, we just learn to ignore them," Harm finished, "and deep down if we know something is not right, it isn't." Lishi and Col Hahn were shown watching H have his discussion with his father over closed circuit television. Hahn said "he's created his father in his mind, just like you said he would." Harm subdued his guard the next day and, with gun, found his "fathers cell empty, but with the letters HR2 carved on the wall. Lishi said that his father was "already on his way" then shot a guard herself when Harm didn't shoot. They left for the cars and Hahn was shown watching on TV, then the "killed guard" got up. Meg and Krennick watched at the border crossing while Harm found that his father wasn't there and Lishi told him that it had only been drugs. He tried to shoot her but the gun had only blanks and he was surrounded by Chinese guards. Hahn showed up, Lishi told him that she had learned that the US wouldn't attack, but he claimed that she was a spy and had her arrested. He then took Harm at gunpoint to cross the border quickly. Lishi grabbed a machine gun and fired, hitting Hahn; but Meg and Krennick fired and hit her, starting a barrage of gunfire only stopped by an arm waving guard captain. When Harm told Hahn thanks, the Col said that he wasn't Hahn he was Col Yang-Chai (replaced Hahn 10 years prior) leaving Harm with the suspense that if the "visions" of his father were only a figment of his own mind- how did it "know" something that he didn't know! (No Chegwidden this episode.) |
| 5/22/1996 |
Ares
by Eric Hall & Jack Orman
21 |
[A interesting episode even though it is only marginally believable. Campisano was played by the same actor who would later go on to become the weenie JAG lawyer, Lt Yuen. Also, cockpit footage was used (intentional or not) of a pilot with "Pendry" on his helmet.] Harm was in Okinawa in his Hawaiian shirt making a flight layover while on vacation; when, Lt Kate Pike came aboard, at the request of Chegwidden, to extract him into a murder investigation. Lt Mason had been chasing a teen thief when his shipmate, Lt Donovan, found him dead with a "Yankee go home" sign on his neck. Pike said that she had become expert into turning temporary assignments into semi-permanent exile, having been in Okinawa for over 6 months. Donovan had shipped out to war games so H and Pike shuttled out to the Destroyer, USS Daniel Boone, with Mason's replacement, Lt Cdr Gino Campisano. They met Pike's old partner, Cdr Brockman, already aboard the ship; and, who quickly became a pain in the ass, lording his rank over H at every chance. Pike admitted to having an affair with him but broke it off after he wanted to get married. Brockman was still pursuing her however. Campisano bragged to H that he had been the one who had trained Mason on the new ARES system which only 3 or 4 people knew how to run. It was a prototype navigation and combat computer system which could recognize, track and destroy targets by automating nearly every aspect of ships functions (all except conventional radar and ships com) - even locking doors!
Captain Evans had not allowed Brockman on the bridge and when H asked why he flippantly said: why don't you go, "in fact I'd like to see you try"! So harm went to the bridge and reported claiming that he'd been ordered there by Brockman. He convinced Evans to let him speak to Donovan before the games started. Brockman took over the interview and banned H and Pike to search Donovan's locker. They found Mason's old computer disks, which had been stolen, so they reported to the Captain that their mission was being compromised. While on the bridge H advised Evans that he had flown in his adversary's, Admiral Wiles, air wing; and, that he better "watch the deck" because he was a "hi lo man." That endeared him to the captain, so, when Brockman tried to extricate him from the bridge, Evans told him to "get off" and H to "stay." The ARES system unexpectedly switched to "live mode" when Wile's low-attack jets appeared and shot them down using missiles. The pilots ejected before explosion but couldn't be rescued, except by surface craft. Meg was arriving by helicopter, having past Bingo fuel, and was only saved by H racing to use a surface craft radio. He told them to "act like a boat" slow and skimming the waves. The ship automatically headed toward North Korea and H realized that, because North Korea hadn't launched aircraft, they already knew of the situation. The captain armed the crew to prevent boarding with a fight.
They interrogated Donovan, who was denying doing anything, and said that "Compisano had already tried the 'back-door' to the program but it didn't work." Brockman started to beat him up but Meg stopped him saying that when she had asked Compisano about the back door he had said that he "didn't know of one." After overhearing the captain prepare to set C4 charges to scuttle the ship in case of boarding, Compisano sneaked away and killed the seaman bringing the charge. H, Pike and Brockman began chasing Compisano. Pike told Brockman not to "try anything heroic" but he was nearly shot by H after getting into the way. H told him to "stay here" and he bristled "are you giving me an order"? H said, "no, a strategy." Meg went to get Donovan while N Korean ships were preparing to board. H found Compisano holding a gun to Brockman's throat in a compartment. He admitted to have been "inserted" by the North Koreans over a long time and threatened to shoot Brockman if H didn't put down his gun. H said "go ahead I don't like him anyway," and when he was distracted shot him right past Brockman's ear. H then told the Captain that "I found him but he didn't survive the encounter" as Meg used the retrieved codes to get in the back-door and restore the ships arms. Brockman asked H not to tell Pike what had happened and H agreed; but, told him to "let her go"! H invited Pike to accompany him on the remainder of his leave; but, on the plane again H was paged. |
| 12/1/1996 |
Skeleton Crew
by Donald Bellisario
22 |
[A "cliff hanger" which, because the show was cancelled by NBC, was not aired - until it was syndicated by the USA channel. To date it is still rarely, if ever, shown; and, I've just now seen it on the season one DVD. Catherine Bell, who played Lt Shoenke, only had a very brief role - but she was later brought back as "Mac," who was then explained as "a dead ringer for Diane." Patrick L. who had been in the pilot but took another position before the show was picked up, is now back in the series as Bud Roberts.] Lt. Diane Shoenke, Jr. OOD, left the just-returned-from-deployment USS Seahawk (CVN-65) after standing mid-watch the first night back in port. She was pursued by Lt. Lamm who was upset that chief Bannon had let her off the ship in the Officer of the watch, Bud Roberts' (B), absence. The next morning, while eating breakfast at a shore diner, B and Bannon found Shoenke shot dead in her car. Brian Turque (pronounced turkey by everyone but himself) was the NCIS agent aboard the Seahawk investigating the case when Harm (H) and Meg (Mg)showed up under Chegwidden's (C) orders. H was visibly shaken and admitted to Mg that he and Shoenke had been in the Academy together and were supposed to have had dinner together last night except she called to postpone due to assignment to the mid-watch. Turque (Tq) demanded H to pull himself off the case but was told that she had been "like a sister and I'm not leaving the murder investigation to someone who jumps to conclusions as much as you"! Then, in order to further her own advancement agenda, Krennick (K) devised a plan that she would go be "lead" and H would "be under me" in the investigation. C agreed and had to tell her that "you are sitting in my chair"!
Immediately upon her arriving, H had to answer to K that Shoenke had been his academy classmate and their relationship had been platonic. K initiated her customary sexual harassment of him until H finally had to shut her up with a "red light." K bellowed that any relationship on a ship could NOT be platonic "unless one was gay and the other neutered." H gave her another "red light" but she still continued to slink that she was "just trying to help you defend against Tq's demand to have you removed from the case." H told her that the rules at the academy were perfectly clear and that they both had "played by the rules so long that they might not have known how to do it any other way." He further told her "I don't care what you or Tq think about it and if you have any decency you won't ask me anything personal again"! The executive officer (XO) Commander Hobarth was in charge of the ship while the captain had been called to Washington. He had stood mid-watch himself, claiming that this was always his habit the first night back in port. That night Shoenke (the Jr. OOD) had also stood it with him on the bridge. Shoenke had only been aboard the ship for two months, having replaced the former crypto officer who went home after his wife was killed in an auto accident. Lamm was the communication officer for the mid-watch, in the communication room, and told Tq and Mg that he had run after Shoenke because he was supposed to have a date with her, and that Shoenke had previously told him that "someone was stalking her although she didn't know who."
B tried to explain the ships deck and compartment numbering system to K, but she said "it gives me a headache." Then K began sensing someone watching her. Tq began questioning Sarah Williams, Shoenke's roommate, about possible "one-night-stands" in Hs presence. K pulled H out of the room and made a big deal about H not rising to Tq baiting, because Tq only "wants to get us pulled off the case." Sarah said that Shoenke loved H like a brother and also that she had gotten hit on a lot because of her looks. She said that Shoenke had given Lamm "red lights" several times; but he was "one of those types who just doesn't get the message" so Diane had reported him to Hobarth several times. K then lit into Hobarth for not reporting Diane's concerns and also withholding that information from the investigation. Sarah told Mg that Shoenke was not like other beautiful women, she listened as if you were the only person in the room; and, that she really loved H and had saved all of his letters, which Tq had taken out of her lock box.
When Mg told H that Lamm had just left the ship for lunch, H tore after him thinking that Lamm was going to run. H found Lamm in the diner and confronted him with his lie about having a date with Shoenke… before he decked him. When Bannon pulled him off, H ordered him to confine Lamm to the ship and then report his own assault on Lamm. But later, Lamm asked "what assault… I can understand how someone who loved her feels." K came after H and began harassing him again. She lit up a cigarette, and when was told "no smoking" by the waitress, said defiantly "stuff it!" K went ahead and filed charges against H anyway as "damage control" saying she had "to distance myself from you!" "I'm not going to risk my career over your pining," she told him, and "better your career than mine." Hobarth was shown watching their discussion through binoculars from the bridge. K was shown being followed when she got lost on the ship. She called security and was told that to get out from where she was, she had to go down a level then come back up on the other side. The stalker turned out the lights just as she pushed through a secured hatch and escaped. Then she defiantly blustered at Hobarth and security when they were slow to believe her complaints. Hobarth said that with a skeleton crew they normally cut back lights. They went to find Lamm, believing he was the stalker, and found him shot in his quarters with a suicide note displayed on the computer. K was shown telling Tq that she had been wrong about him after thinking that he "was a rent-a-cop more concerned about control than solving murder." Tq admitted to her that he had though she was "just another hot shot female lawyer who thought her sweat didn't stink"! She replied, "It doesn't." K then told Hobarth that she didn't intend to put the fact that he hadn't responded to Diane's complaints in her report; but, couldn't guarantee someone else wouldn't charge him -- just not her. He replied that she must "find me callous with two deaths and me worried about my career." She said, "No, I find it refreshingly honest."
B was told by Tq "not to hand over any more faxes to H" so he "accidentally" dropped a copy of the autopsy report at Hs feet. Mg said she would read it so H wouldn't have to. H went back to his cabin in order to shower before his captain's mast which K had arranged and was continuing to pursue. He found Tq in his compartment with all of Diane's letters. Tq said that even though they had met like junkyard dogs he hoped they could part like men, and shook Hs hand. But, when Mg told H that the autopsy report revealed Diane had been raped, then shot, then moved to the car 2 hours later, he realized that Tq really suspected him of the murder and had been searching his room. He asked Mg to check with all the MPs to see if they remembered Shoenke leaving. After leaving the ship, H was shown being arrested by Tq on the dock, claiming that Hs fingerprints had been found on the murder weapon which they had recovered from the water that afternoon.
[I can see now why this episode is so rarely shown. Before the show was notifice that it had been cancelled, this episode had already been filmed intending it to be the season "cliff hanger." And, although the following resolution episode was most likely already written, it had never been filmed. So this story is incomplete and leaves one hanging in disbelief. When the show was picked up by another network, it chose to continue on as if this episode hadn't even happened. Later, because of how well Catherine Bell had been received by the audience, and her chemistry with Harm, they brought her back as Mac - needing to explain that merely coincidentally she was a look-alike "twin" of Diane.] |
