JAG (season 3)

JAG (season 3)
Starring	David James Elliott Catherine Bell Patrick Labyorteaux John M. Jackson Karri Turner
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 23, 1997 – May 19, 1998
Season chronology

The third season of JAG premiered on CBS on September 23, 1997, and concluded on May 19, 1998. The season, starring David James Elliott and Catherine Bell, was produced by Belisarius Productions in association with CBS Productions.

Plot

Following in his father's footsteps as a Naval Aviator, Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. suffered a crash while landing his Tomcat on a storm-tossed carrier at sea, diagnosed with night-blindness, Harm transferred to the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps, which investigates, prosecutes, and defends the law of the sea. There with fellow JAG lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie, he now fights in and out of the courtroom with the same daring and tenacity that made him a top gun in the air. - Introduction

Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott), a former aviator, and Marine Major Sarah MacKenzie (Catherine Bell) are employed by the Judge Advocate General Corps, the elite legal division of the United States Navy. Mac, a beautiful, by-the-book Marine, is JAG's Chief of Staff and Harm's partner. She oversees a team including Lieutenant J.G. Bud Roberts (Patrick Labyorteaux), Ensign Harriet Sims (Karri Turner), and Commander Carolyn Imes (Dana Sparks), as they investigate cases including the discovery of a skeleton aboard a decommissioned ship ("Ghost Ship"), a fraternization charge ("The Court-Martial of Sandra Gilbert"), a training accident ("Blindside"), and a murder in Vietnam ("Vanished"). Meanwhile, Mac comes face-to-face with her past ("The Good of the Service"), and departs JAG for private-practice ("Impact"), Bud tries his hand at Karaoke ("Above and Beyond"), Harm is accused of murder ("People v. Rabb"), Harm and Mac travel to Russia ("To Russia With Love"), Chegwidden (John M. Jackson) loses his mentor ("With Intent to Die"), and Mac learns of Lieutenant Diane Schonke ("Death Watch"), her doppelganger whose murder was investigated by Harm and Lieutenant Meg Austin (Tracey Needham) in 1996.

Production

Despite an initial reluctance to co-operate from the Department of the Navy (due to sensitivity in light of all the accumulative negative publicity that had been generated from the Tailhook scandal and its aftermath),^[1] during season three, the naval services had begun to change their minds, and began to render support to the production team on a script-by-script basis. Commander Bob Anderson of the Navy's entertainment media liaison office in Los Angeles stated that "we're fine with that as long as the bad guys are caught and punished, and the institution of the Navy is not the bad guy".^[1]

Cast and characters

Main cast

• David James Elliott as Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr.
• Catherine Bell as Major Sarah MacKenzie
• Patrick Labyorteaux as Lieutenant J. G. Bud Roberts
• John M. Jackson as Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden

Also starring

• Karri Turner as Ensign Harriet Sims

Recurring cast

• Terry O'Quinn as Captain Thomas Boone, "CAG"
• Steven Culp as CIA Officer Clayton Webb
• Paul Collins as Secretary Alexander Nelson
• Chuck Carrington as Petty Officer Jason Tiner
• Harrison Page as Captain Stiles Morris
• Michael Bellisario as Michael Roberts
• Anne-Marie Johnson as Congresswoman Roberta Latham
• Dana Sparks as Commander Carolyn Imes

Guest cast

• Rex Linn as KGB Agent Mark Falcon
• Tracey Needham as Lieutenant J. G. Meg Austin
• Andrea Thompson as Commander Alison Krennick

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
38	1	"Ghost Ship"	Donald P. Bellisario	Teleplay: Donald P. Bellisario Story: Rear Admiral Paul T. Gillcrist and Donald P. Bellisario	September 23, 1997	039
After a skeleton is discovered in the hull of the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-12), Harm becomes obsessed with discovering a link between the body and his missing father.
39	2	"The Court-Martial of Sandra Gilbert"	Alan J. Levi	Stephen Zito	September 30, 1997	040
The trial of a Marine pilot accused of fraternization is complicated when an activist female Congressman interferes in the name of "fairness".
40	3	"The Good of the Service"	Alan J. Levi	Larry Moskowitz	October 7, 1997	038
Harm and Mac must face the Admiral in court when he defends a Marine Colonel who disobeyed orders in rescuing his team from a Haitian warlord. Mac is doubly concerned because she and the Colonel used to be lovers.
41	4	"Blind Side"	Tony Wharmby	Dana Coen	October 14, 1997	041
When a training accident kills two civilians, Harm may have to end the career of his mentor to save the pilot from taking the fall. Guest-starring Sarah Silverman as Lt. Schipperelli.
42	5	"King of the Fleas"	Tony Wharmby	Dana Coen	October 21, 1997	043
A paraplegic Vietnam vet comes to JAG HQ and confesses to a murder, but the situation is complicated by the possibility that the man knows something about what happened to Harm's father.
43	6	"Vanished"	Alan J. Levi	R. Scott Gemmill	October 28, 1997	042
When a fully armed F-14 disappears without a trace, Harm and Mac must determine what happened to the plane and its pilot.
44	7	"Against All Enemies"	Joe Napolitano	Alex Davidson	November 4, 1997	044
When the U.S. is accused of shooting down a North Korean civilian plane, Harm, Mac and Bud must work to find the truth before the North Koreans sink a U.S. salvage vessel in retaliation.
45	8	"Above and Beyond"	Tony Wharmby	Paul Levine	November 11, 1997	045
Lt. Rivers, a SEAL up for the Medal of Honor for rescuing a Washington diplomat from Hezbollah, may not get the award when evidence shows that he may have left one of his men behind on the mission. Rivers refuses to clarify the matter one way or the other. Guest-starring Montel Williams as Lt. Rivers, incorporating news archive footage of Bill Clinton at an award ceremony. Bud gets drunk and sings the Tom Jones song, "Delilah".
46	9	"Impact"	Paul Schneider	R. Scott Gemmill	November 18, 1997	046
Harm and Bud encounter resistance when investigating the mid-air collision between a Marine helicopter and an "unknown" aircraft. Meanwhile, Mac leaves JAG for civilian practice at her boyfriend's law firm.
47	10	"People v. Rabb"	Greg Beeman	Larry Moskowitz	November 25, 1997	047
A member of the Russian mafia is shot as Harm attempts to buy information pertaining to the whereabouts of his father, and Harm is accused of murdering him and now-civilian Mac must defend him. In the end, Harm receives a photo of his father in Russia and Mac returns to JAG.
48	11	"Defenseless"	Tony Wharmby	Kimberly Costello	December 9, 1997	048
Harm and Mac work to defend a Navy Ensign who claims she killed a Turkish military attaché because she believed he was going to hurt her. At first Harm does not entirely believe Ensign Lang's story, but gradually becomes so convinced he rejects Chegwidden's advice to give in to political pressure and take the case.
49	12	"Someone to Watch over Annie"	Greg Beeman	Stephen Zito	January 6, 1998	049
Harm tries to protect Annie Pendry (his best friend's widow in "Pilot Error") and her son, Josh, when he witnesses a murder on a class field trip to Andrews Air Force Base. A German weapons buyer for Saddam Hussein puts out a hit on the kid, then later kidnaps him. This is the second episode in a row in which Harm takes a woman to his apartment after she gets shot at her house.
50	13	"With Intent to Die"	Winrich Kolbe	Larry Moskowitz	January 13, 1998	050
When an old mentor of Admiral Chegwidden's dies during a hunting trip with the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the coroner concludes it was suicide but Chegwidden remains convinced it was murder and starts his own investigation.
51	14	"Father's Day"	Tony Wharmby	Dana Coen	February 3, 1998	051
A marine corporal accused of dereliction of duty steals a tank and engages the military in a stand-off because a conviction will guarantee that he will lose custody of his son. Donald P. Bellisario has an uncredited cameo in this episode as the guest of honor to a Quantum Leap convention at the Treetop Inn.
52	15	"Yesterday's Heroes"	Greg Beeman	R. Scott Gemmill	February 24, 1998	052
Harm and Mac encounter three WWII vets engaged in a guerrilla war with a South American drug kingpin. At Mac's suggestion, Bud goes to Naples, Florida, to meet Harriet's parents.
53	16	"Chains of Command"	Tony Wharmby	Stephen Zito	March 3, 1998	053
A Chief aboard the USS Seahawk is accused of sexual harassment. He hires a civilian lawyer, Dalton Lowne (Mac's boyfriend), to defend him. The case becomes personal for Mac when Dalton shows up at her apartment to steal confidential information from her. At the end, the major trio sing the song, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted".
54	17	"The Stalker"	Scott Brazil	Larry Moskowitz	March 17, 1998	054
After her ex-boyfriend is gunned down, Mac tries to stay one step ahead of someone who is determined to get her. The Admiral's daughter, Francesca, from Italy pays a visit.
55	18	"Tiger, Tiger"	Tony Wharmby	Thom Parham	March 24, 1998	055
A "Tiger" cruise for Navy personnel and their kids turns deadly serious when Cuban terrorists seize the ship. Harm prevents the terrorists from using the ship's weapons to assassinate Fidel Castro while ensuring the hostages are not hurt. Harm brought along Annie's son Josh on the cruise without telling Annie about it. At the end of the episode, Bud proposes to Harriet almost at the same time Annie dumps Harm.
56	19	"Death Watch"	Donald P. Bellisario	Donald P. Bellisario	March 31, 1998	057
Harm's mental state becomes questionable when he starts having flashbacks about Lt. Schonke, who was murdered and the case closed when the prime suspect committed suicide. Mac finally learns of the woman who looked just like her.
57	20	"The Imposter"	Alan J. Levi	R. Scott Gemmill	April 21, 1998	058
Disgraced ex-spy Special Agent Clark Palmer assumes Harm's identity to kill a key witness in a trial that Harm and Mac are prosecuting, leaving Harm to die in his booby-trapped apartment. Bud gives Harriet a ring.
58	21	"The Return of Jimmy Blackhorse"	Alan J. Levi	Dana Coen	April 28, 1998	056
A Navajo medicine woman refuses to believe the coffin the Marines brought actually has the remains of her brother-in-law, a WWII Navajo code talker. The people also refuse to allow DNA testing and are opposed to the Navy naming a ship after Jimmy Blackhorse. It isn't until Harm and Mac go to New Zealand to find Jimmy Blackhorse Jr. that the medicine woman accepts the remains, as well as a suggestion to name the ship after one of Blackhorse's comrades. Harm also quits smoking cigars in this episode.
59	22	"Clipped Wings"	Tony Wharmby	Stephen Zito	May 5, 1998	059
When an F-14 clips an Italian helicopter, killing 6 people, Harm and Mac must face each other in court and an Italian government eager to prosecute the pilot themselves. With the help of Francesca (Chegwidden's daughter), Harm finds a teenage girl who piloted the craft that actually collided with the F-14, a small plane she flew without her father's permission. The episode was aired three months after American pilots clipped the cables supporting a cable car near Cavalese, Italy, killing 20.
60	23	"Wedding Bell Blues"	Alan J. Levi	Teleplay: R. Scott Gemmill & Stephen Zito Story: Larry Moskowitz	May 12, 1998	060
Bud and Harriet's wedding preparations are complicated when Harriet's domineering mother tries to take over the planning and brings her to the strip club for her bachelorette party. The wedding plans are further derailed when Harm — who is to be Bud's best man and commander of the honor guard at the wedding — loses his dress whites due to a mix-up at the laundromat and then a chain of events at Bud's bachelor party ends in a mass brawl that lands Harm, Bud and the Admiral in the lock-up. Meanwhile, Bud Jr. is concerned that his father Bud Sr. is abusive of his younger brother, Mikey, whom he believes does not want to enlist in the Navy against their father's wishes. After getting out of jail, Bud Jr. marries Harriet in a military wedding concluding with an honor guard commanded by Harm.
61	24	"To Russia with Love"	Tony Wharmby	Larry Moskowitz & Donald P. Bellisario	May 19, 1998	061
Harm receives a picture which suggests that after Vietnam his father was sent to Siberia. Harm requests leave to California, which Chegwidden immediately suspects is really to go to Russia. Chegwidden reluctantly grants the leave and sends Mac along with Harm. After visiting his mother in California, Harm proceeds to Russia, where he is assisted by a taxi driver named Alexei who claims to be loyal only to the highest bidder. In Russia, Harm and Mac once again encounter "Falcon" (Sokol) and Colonel Parlovsky. The trail points to Lubyanka. Harm and Mac steal a MIG-29 to go to Lubyanka, but before they can go far, they are chased and fired upon, and the season closes with a cliffhanger.

References

1. Erickson: p. 129.