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The Jackson Journal |  |
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| The On-Line Publication of the John M. Jackson Admiration society | ||||
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March 1999 | |||
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The Jackson Journal | |
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| The On-Line Publication of the John M. Jackson Admiration society | ||||
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March 1999 | |||
Congratulations to jag on its renewal for a fifth season!!!!
Website of the Month Maeve’s JAG Page is One in a Million What JAG site has had over one million visitors? Maeve’s JAG Page, http://www.geocities/Hollywood/Lot/7414,a place where JAGniks can call home. When I first started ‘surfing the net’, Maeve’s page was my first JAG bookmark. If you consider yourself a true JAGnik, this site is a must. What I like most about this site is it is a place to communicate. Maeve has created a site for fans where they can share their opinions and learn interesting facts about the show and its stars. There is so much available, where to start is the most difficult decision to make. First, check out JAGnik Central, a message board where fans can post their opinion about the show, share tidbits they learn about the stars and upcoming events as well as wish friends Happy Birthday. Other ways on Maeve’s site to communicate with fellow JAGniks are through the JAGchat and Onelist. If you want to stay up to date on JAG happenings, I would suggest signing up for the JAG Onelist mailing list. You have the option of receiving each informative email individually or as a daily archive. The Trading Post is where fans can search for copies of episodes, interviews or movies starring your favorite JAG star, as well as other JAG related pieces. There also is the Fly by Night Video club to check out too. At Maeve’s site you will find the Golden Wings Awards for FanFiction. FanFiction is short stories written by truly talented fans for the enjoyment of other fans. They involve the characters in story lines that the fans, especially shippers, would love to see happen on the show. The awards are presented for stories submitted during a season. Winners for the third season are posted! The final communication tools Maeve offers are ways for the JAGniks to share their opinions with The Powers That Be and various publications/TV shows asking them to do stories on the show and its cast. This tool is for fans to use to hopefully generate more publicity. If you want to communicate with the stars, Maeve has addresses and e-mails you can use to contact them directly. Looking just for information about the show? Maeve’s site has this too. You will find the Story of JAG, which offers the basic premise of the show. This Week On is where you can go to find out what the story line for the upcoming show will be. Repeat coming up? Check out the archive for past show story lines as well as fans’ commentaries. Do you remember what the Admiral said to Webb when he put his people in danger? Go to Maeve’s quotes section to find the answer. Think you’re a JAG ‘know it all’? Then try your skills at the weekly trivia contest or sign up for the Cyber Institute of Jagology. Need to learn more? Then go to the News section or the Bios and Filmography section. Finally, see what other JAG sites offer by clicking on the Links. So much to see and be a part of, so don’t miss out! Visit Maeve’s JAG Page today at http://www.geocities/Hollywood/Lot/7414 ! PATTYOS@aol.com is our
website feature editor. She will be scouting out JMJ (and
JAG) websites and reviewing them so you'll know the best
places on the web to go for your JMJ fix! If you know of
a good JMJ site or if you yourself have a JMJ site,
please let Patty know - yours may be next to be our
Website of the Month.
Trivia Corner Last month's trivia question was: Who does AJ credit with having saved his life in Vietnam? The answer was found in the Season 1 episode "High Ground." He credits Gunnery Sgt. Roy Crockett with having saved his life, as well as the lives of the rest of his SEAL team. We have a slightly easier question for you this month. It's got two parts worth a combined total of 3 points: AJ came up against an old enemy twice in Season 2. Who was this person (1 pt.) and why did he hate AJ so much? (2 pts.) There are two possible answers to the second part. Either is acceptable - you can get a bonus point if you can name both reasons. To play
our trivia game, e-mail your answers to admiralslady@oocities.com by March 31. Answers will be in
the next issue of The Journal.
JMJAS Shirts!
From the Admiral's Desk This feature is our new book review section. We will let you know about interesting JAG-related books, both fiction and nonfiction. This review was submitted by Jennifer. I just finished reading a book about Lt. Kara Hultgreen, "Call Sign Revlon" by Sally Spears. The book was written by her mother, using Kara's diaries as well as letters she wrote and received from friends and relatives over the years. The book was surprisingly balanced considering the author was the mother of the person the book was about. It was a very interesting story about the life of someone trying to break into a "man's world." Lt Hultgreen made many mistakes as well as had many victories in her career. The controversy surrounding her crash was delved into very deeply, and all sides were represented. Unfortunately, because she was the first female F-14 pilot, the press got hold of the story and in their own irritating way questioned her fitness to fly. Many of the attacks against her came from people who didn't want women in such positions in the military. The findings stated that engine malfunction precipitated the crash. When they recreated the situation in a simulator, eight of the nine F-14A pilots who tried it crashed. Yet in the press, they made it look as if she were incapable of handling her aircraft, and that she was underqualified but able to fly because the bar was being lowered for women. Anyway, I'd highly recommend the book, because it is so well written. It's written not by a military person, but by a "layman" so a lot is explained in simple terms as opposed to technical babble. The book is not just about a "female pilot" but about a "Naval aviator." If you have read a JAG-related (in one
way or another) book that you think others might like,
please send your review to us at moviesii@aol.com.
Birthday Greetings for JMJ Although it may seem a
little early to some, the JMJAS is starting to collect
birthday greetings for Mr. Jackson, who will turn 49 on
June 1. We have set up an internet birthday card for him
(thanks to Yankee Rose for designing and maintaining this
page for us). A few weeks before his birthday, we will
print out and mail the messages to him in a card designed
just for him. So be sure to include your birthday wishes.
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 (From "Wedding Bell Blues" - Season 3) Welcome New Members We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following members who joined the fan club during the month of February:
Welcome
aboard! We can now count a new country among the places
where we have members - Singapore. We're glad to have you
join our (not-so) little family.
We would like to wish a Very Happy Birthday and a joy-filled year to the following members with March birthdays: Jenni Martin - March ?? Sylvia Mohr - March 4 Wendy Powell - March 11 Nancy Oroian - March 31
Meet Our Members Valerie says, "I am a 39-yr.-old, married (8-4-84) female who lived most of my childhood down south where my relatives live still today. I have 2 daughters ages 8 and 10 3/4 yrs old (2nd and 5th grade). I live in Cortland, Ohio, which is NE of Youngstown, Ohio. I worked as an accounting clerk in college and as temporary worker right after graduating with BS (12-1981) from Kent State University at the university. Then my father needed help in his medical office. So, I was his office manager for several years until his business adventure turned into deep trouble financially. Then in 1985 until 11-1996 I was the (the catch all manager) office manager/comptroller for 2 automobile dealerships with over 100 employees including payroll and full operating and maintaining an in house main frame computer (8800 ADP Maximum) with over 100 ports and all the other peripherals that go along with it. (PC's, videos, lasers, printers, etc., and programming). I was responsible for running the stores when my parents were away. Needless to say, 12 to 16 hr days 6 days a week. I managed to persuade my parents to sell the businesses. Thank God above. Then I returned to my father's neurosurgical medical practice and computerized the office and managed it until he had to retire in December 1997 due to loss of vision in his left eye. I was employed by the physician who purchased my father's practice for a while then he laid me off. I have not worked since April 1998. I have had interviews but no takers. I'm too experienced. But I've enjoyed being off since I have had time to spent with my daughters. I also had the eye surgeries that I had needed for a while too. Currently I've been looking at returning to college for further computer education but I have not yet decided which is the best way to go on this front. It's confusing in the computer field which is the best avenue to go as far as education goes. My interests are the following: (other than raising and spending time with my girls) doing jigsaw puzzles (1000 pieces and up), doing crossword puzzles (easy ones now), work find books, listening to music (mostly country but no hard rock or opera), watching movies (I have a collection of over 1000 movies includes my kids movies), good conversation (which I don't get to often except with y'all), learning about new things especially about computers, driving especially in looking at beautiful scenery, taking walks in the woods and in the parks, reading JAG fanfics (including PSL and y'all stories), enjoy rocking in a rocking chair, walking on the beach especially on moonlit nights, collecting cookbooks, reading poetry, working with people and with numbers, and last but not least JAG fan especially of John M. Jackson. Of course I'm sure that I have left out things about myself. The one thing that I have learned about working the various jobs that I have had is that life's to short and one needs to try and stop to enjoy to little things in life or else you will miss the best thing about life. I've heard from to many of my father's patient the if only I had done this and that and taken the time to do this or that. I don't want to be like those people who wish that they had done something at the end of their lives. So I don't miss the extreme stress of owning/running/beating off the wolves at your door so to speak when you own your own business. I just miss the people I worked with all those years. Wow, I got long-winded. Oh well, my grandfather used to say that I could talk the hears off an elephant." If you
would like to introduce yourself to the group, please
send a one-paragraph bio to Jenni at gypsy77@home.com. We'd love to get to know you.
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FanFic Forum Timelines
"Hi, I'm Bear." She broke into a big grin at the look on AJ's face. "Bear? How'd you get that name?" He smiled at the sound of her throaty chuckle. "My name's Ursula Schmidt. I just graduated from pilot training, the first class with women. My classmates decided 'Ursula' was too much of a mouthful during flight ops, and since ursa major is Latin for great bear, the play on words was too good to pass up. 'Bear' stuck." Timelines is a great series featuring our favorite Admiral and a new character. Ursula is a great woman in a man's world. I am happy to see it set the way it is, by year not event. It makes it more interesting like this. I could probably never do it myself. Chris stays true to character with AJ. She is ahead of her time with her fan fiction. It is great to see her striving to be better and more intriguing stories. This is a definite must read, unless you would rather have our Admiral with a certain Major... You will find these stories (or at least as many as are finished) in the FanFic Archives on the JMJAS site. About the Author Name: Christine West Where are you from: South Jersey What made you write Timelines: Trisha, another writer I correspond with, had e-mailed me a story about an incident she had at work which involved kicking tires on a truck. I got a laugh out of it, and started playing with it as a story line. I quickly came to the conclusion that Kate (from Second Chances) wouldn't work, because I couldn't see her losing her temper like that. So I had to come up with a new protagonist. The new character, Ursula, started generating more questions, such as how AJ would have known her, and the story just took off from there. Is Ursula based on anyone: Ursula is a composite of several women I had either served with or knew. Plus a healthy dose of "what I would have done differently". <g> When I was stationed in Germany, I worked for a female Air Force captain who was married to an Army captain. I saw first hand that inter-service marriages were possible, but usually were a joint-assignment nightmare. Ursula's hair is based on a woman in my squadron when I was a student. She had waist-length red hair. Amazingly she could pin the mass up and still wear the headgear correctly. We wore berets back then, not flight caps. How many do you see writing: Timelines? This could be a mini-series! <g> I just had a suggestion thrown out for another plot line/episode. What is your next project going to be: Either try to keep up with Timelines, or shift gears. I have an outline for another story involving Kate and AJ. I'm letting that one percolate to see what comes of it. There are times when I start writing, I'm as surprised as anyone as to what evolves. What is your favorite episode this
season: Jaggle Bells and the one where AJ's on leave. The
title escapes me at the moment. [Ed. Note: The episode is
"War Stories."]!
Favorite Quotes: We skip to "Trinity" to get our next favorite quote: Mac: "I thought you said this Barnes was a ghost." AJ: "Well, Major, I
guess that makes you . . . ghostbusters."
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About AJ’s
Awards, Medals and Decorations You can tell a lot about a military person by the awards, medals, and decorations they receive throughout their career. So here is a look at the various ones that AJ proudly displays on his uniform. I’ve included pictures of both the medals themselves and the associated ribbons that he actually wears. Decorations for Valor, Meritorious Service, and Achievement
(I do have to wonder if we should infer anything from the fact that AJ does not wear a Good Conduct Medal? <g>) Next month we’ll look at the various Military Campaign and Service Medals that he has. (My thanks to John Strandberg, Tat, and
the United States Navy for their invaluable assistance in
researching this article.)
As a
MEMBER-ONLY benefit, you can place an order through the
JMJAS for selected SEAL merchandise. Merchandise
available includes bumper stickers, SEAL Team 3 patches,
baseball caps, and a variety of t-shirts. The JMJAS makes
no profit on this merchandise - prices quoted are what we
pay. Please allow 6-8 weeks to receive merchandise. To
order SEAL Merchandise, please print out the order
form you'll find at that link, fill it out completely,
and mail it with your check or money order to the address
given. Be sure to include your e-mail address or phone
number (we will call collect) so we can contact you in
case of a question or problem with your order. Again,
this is a member-only benefit, so if you do not already
belong to the JMJAS, please join before placing an order. Thank
you.
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| The
Admiral's Mast In this feature, you - the viewer - get to be the critic. We invite you to review the JAG episodes and give them two ratings - one for the overall episode and one for the episode as a showcase for JMJ. Please rank them based on a system of 1-10 where 10 is the best. You can review every episode or just your favorites. You can write two sentences or two paragraphs or two pages. You can write about the plot (although you do not need to summarize the plot as we will have seen the episodes ourselves), the special effects, the acting, "bloopers," whatever aspect appeals to you. But do write! This is truly a case of "the more the merrier." This column is being compiled by HughesFan so send your reviews to HughesFan@aol.com. The subject line should read "JAG/JMJ Review." Please do not put anything else in the reference line. Send your reviews in as early as possible, but the deadline is the 25th of each month. For April, only the March 2 episode ("Nobody's Child") is scheduled to be a new one - the others have already been reviewed. |
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Webb of Lies (aired Feb. 9, 1999) |
| Review by Gray Cargill: Ratings: JAG: 7 AJ: 4 This was one of those episodes where JAG stretched credibility to the breaking point repeatedly: First, where did Webb get a body to pass off as his own, when it didn't look like he had time to do anything more than survive the explosion? And how did he make sure the dental records matched? That would imply that he had access to not only his own dental records, but those of the real dead man, and that he had time to switch them before the body was found and identified. How realistic is that, given Webb's leg wound and the fact that he would have had to act covertly to make the switch? Second, just how far does the JAG's jurisdiction extend? How realistic is it that AJ can assign two of his lawyers to investigate the death of a CIA operative? Just because they know Clay and want to find out who killed him doesn't mean they legally have the right or ability to do so, and I'm surprised no one (Agent Candella or Agent King, for instance) challenged them on that. (Although, as Harm noted, Candella seemed to want them to investigate for his own purposes, King presumably had no such motivations.) Third, what could the DSD have promised the pseudo-Palmer in Leavenworth in return for serving a life sentence in prison masquerading as Palmer? It must have been something very, very BIG. I can't imagine anything big enough. But if there was something, it would have been nice to know what it was. Harm's guilt over not answering Webb's phone call the night of his alleged death played very well, I thought. It gave him added incentive for wanting to catch Webb's killer. However, I did not like the way everyone, after they thought Webb was dead, so readily forgave him for all the times he lied to them and put their lives in danger. While it's a very human response when someone has died to begin to think better of them than you did during their life, it bothered me that ALL of them would fall into that pattern of behavior. Surely, at least one of them would have felt like a hypocrite doing so. In particular, I think AJ would have. But since we didn't see much of AJ in this episode, we don't really know what he was feeling, do we? That was disappointing; given AJ's very complex relationship with Webb, I should have thought that more time would have been spent examining his feelings upon hearing of Webb's death. Of the cast of regulars, I think Harriet was the most level-headed in her response to Webb's death. She knew Bud didn't really like Webb, but acknowledged that it was only human to make concessions for Webb's behavior now that he was dead. In my opinion, the others didn't spend enough time reflecting on their own motives for suddenly forgiving Webb's transgressions; instead, the transgressions themselves were simply swept under the carpet. I was glad to finally learn some more details about Webb's background and life: That he comes from a family of spies, that he is a pianist and an equestrian and that his pet of choice is fish all fit with what I would have expected of his character, and although past episodes have left the distinct impression that the only woman in Webb's life is his mother (we have seen him out on the town with her at least twice, but we've never seen or heard mention that he dates at all), I can certainly accept the presence of a girlfriend in his life--if, indeed, the photo in his apartment was of his girlfriend. And it certainly was nice to see Webb "spitting on his own fire"--doing his own dirty work--for a change (about damn time!). That said, I think R. Scott Gemmill went a little overboard in trying to persuade us that Webb is more of a "man of action" than he has been portrayed over the past three and a half years. Are we really supposed to believe that Webb is not just a closet athlete, but that he was good enough to compete in the 1988 Olympics in modern pentathlon? Try selling that one elsewhere; I'm not buying it. Olympic equestrian events would have been more believable. But Webb has never physically exerted himself prior to this episode. If he really was a closet athlete, I think we would have seen some signs or clues of it before now. I also don't buy this sudden turnaround in his attitude about physical danger. A few months ago he was quaking in his shoes at the thought that he might have to go toe-to-toe with the Admiral (who had already broken his nose once), and suddenly in this episode, he's so stoic that he's uttering that most cliche of all action hero phrases: "Oh no, it's just a flesh wound." Puhleez. Even within this episode, we were sent mixed signals about Webb's character. I found it ironic that in one scene, Webb's mother says, "For men like my husband and my son, there's no greater honor than giving one's life for one's country." Yet, at the end of the episode, when Palmer is about to kill him, Webb gives Palmer the superconductor to save his own life. Whatever happened to giving one's life for one's country? And if there's no greater honor, then how come we've never seen Webb risk his own life before now? Why does he usually send Harm and Mac in to do the dangerous stuff while he remains behind in safety? It's as if TPTB have suddenly decided this season that they want Webb to be as heroic as Harm, Mac, and AJ, and have revised his character accordingly. But that's like saying: "Remember all those things we told you before? Well, forget about them. We've changed our minds." This is like Harriet's sister all over again: One week she exists, the next week she doesn't, because it's more convenient for plot purposes if Harriet's an only child (so Mac can be her maid of honor). They should have thought of that before! The same goes for Webb. If they wanted to change his image, a preferable way to do it would have been to work with the information we already had about him, rather than against it. What we previously knew about Webb was that he was a behind-the-scenes Intelligence agent who preferred to play puppeteer in the background while someone else did the front-line dirty work for him. So, taking that into account, what would it take for him to put his own life on the line for a change? Guilt? Moral compulsion? A threat to a loved one? I would have been far more impressed if we had seen that Webb, while not a very brave or physical man, had worked up the courage to place his life on the line--despite being terrified--for a cause he believed in. It would have given us more of a glimpse into his psyche and shown us just how a person does gain courage when they don't have it to begin with. What does it take to get a person to cross that threshold and change his life? Instead, they took the easy way out and rewrote the character. If, indeed, they always felt that Webb was an action hero with the courage of carrying out his own missions himself, then they should have done a better job laying the groundwork for that characteristic in previous episodes. Otherwise, it looks like revisionism; and revisionism most certainly does not work for me. The next thing you know, we'll be finding out that Bud is having an affair with that librarian. Favorite quote:
Review by Elixabeth Whitaker Ratings: JAG: 9 AJ: 8 I agree with the assessment of this as a great episode. Not only AJ's *very* expressive face right before giving the news to Harm and Mac, but -- wow! -- Webb's parents sound like *fascinating* people...And somehow it doesn't surprise me that he's gone into the "family business." If you're wondering about the reference to Arlington Hall. Arlington Hall, an ugly yellow brick building near the Pentagon (at least it was in the mid 80s), was a previous headquarters of what's now known as the Defense Intelligence Agency. (I worked for the Navy as a civilian secretary for 18 months in the mid 80s. I worked in two offices over in Crystal City, which is an office complex on the other side of I-395 from the Pentagon and Arlington Hall.) A *very* clever episode... And I'm glad Harm's still seeing the doctor. Review by Janna Franklin: Ratings: JAG: 7 AJ: 6 (I'm sure he would have gotten a 10 if only we'd seen more of him.) My initial reaction to this episode was extreme disappointment. The storyline was good enough, and all that, but it was written with an extreme shortage of AJ scenes. I realize the episode was supposed to focus on Webb, not AJ, but there were many obvious spots where the Admiral was conspicuously absent. After Mac figures out the "Lt. Abby Cowen" encryption, she and Harm say "We'd better bring the Admiral up to speed," yet that scene never happens. There are all sorts of things AJ could have offered input on, but nope. Even at the end, when Webb actually sets foot in JAG headquarters, we don't get an AJ/Webb interaction scene. Nothing. Zilch. There were some nice moments for Mac/Harm shippers in the scene at Harm's apartment. However, since most readers are probably Mac/AJ shippers, I'll avoid any further elaboration on my approval. I must say Webb looked very handsome in this episode. Something about the tousled hair, I think. As usual, Steven Culp did an excellent job with his part. I know some of us on the Chegs list were speculating that Webb wouldn't really die, but I was still waiting anxiously to find out. I'm glad he's still with us! Now there can continue to be more AJ/Webb interaction scenes—if the writers wake up and start including them. Again, I really was very disappointed that so many AJ scenes--scenes I fully expected to see-- were conspicuously missing. As we all know, JMJ did a superb job with the few scenes he was given-- like that facial expression in the first scene. He truly looked like he was experiencing grief. Excellent acting. And when he said the line about wanting to know where to send flowers... wow. Powerful and poignant. The writers include these little gems for AJ, and he does them so well, it's a shame he's not given more screen time. Two brief scenes per episode is simply not enough. Review by Meg Bryant: Ratings: JAG: 10 (what can I say? It's a Webb thing.) AJ: 5 My main opinion of the ep was: great stuff (but I'm one of the original Webbies, don't forget), but definitely could have used more AJ. Especially considering the antagonism that was so nicely developed between Webb and AJ in previous eps. I've always said that my favorite Webb scenes are the ones he has with AJ--some of the best lines in the show come from those confrontations! Review by Kelly Ludgwig: Ratings: JAG: 10 AJ: 8 (If only more scenes DAMNIT!!!) THANK YOU TPTB!!!!! This goes to the top of my list for favorite episode this season, and maybe for the series. We got SO much more information about Webb's background *doing a happy dance* and I think we saw how everyone at JAG really feels about him. Was I the only one that didn't recognize Jordan Parker with Harm in the first scene? I had no idea it was her til the next scene with her. At least Harm acted like he felt guilty for not catching Webb when he called, especially when they thought he was dead....that's an improvement over his attitude thru most of this season, although I wasn't thrilled with the way Jordan had to push him to answer in the first place. I loved Chegwidden....but WHY only one scene with him?? I actually thought for a moment AJ was going to just walk away from Clay's disappearance (which would be EXTREMELY atypical of the Admiral we all know and love)........until he looked at Harm....but do we have to trade off him for Webb??? TPTB finally made AJ a regular, now if only we can get Webb as often! And honestly....with just the one scene JMJ had in this episode, what other actor have any of us seen that can convey so much with so little dialogue? Actions speak louder then words, and JMJ is a Master of subtle expressions that still manage to be so damn expressive *l* Palmer was even creepier tonight then in the past...and as soon as I heard the splash I knew he was gone...leaves it nice and open-ended, eh? I liked Parker in Jaggle Bells, liked her even more here....and Mac's reaction to her...very nice. Overall, a very nice gift for Valentine's Day, THANK YOU TPTB!!! Now if only a LITTLE more of AJ and Clay (I'd be greedy and say a lot, but any additions would be blessings!).... ...and the show'd be perfect! *l* Review by Pat Murray: Ratings: JAG: 7 AJ: 6 Harriet: 8.5. <VBG> I do wish TPTB would read fanfic!! I mean, I killed Palmer off in a wonderfully sick way. And now the dolt turns up like a rash!! ARRGGH!!! <VBG> Why can't that schmuck be a good little wetboy and stay dead like everybody else!! I am still no where close to being a Webbie. And I never will. I do not like Webb at all. But I admit I like Palmer better. It is easier to hate Palmer like it was with Krennick. I still do not see why everyone was crying for Webb. He has been nothing but trouble for everyone at JAG. He screws things up then calls in his "friends" at Falls Church to save his sorry six! Harm, I can see rushing to help solve it since Webb did cough up evidence of Daddy Rabb still alive in Russia, but Mac and Bud and AJ? I'm sorry, Webbies, but I do not see this. I do wish the writers and the TPTB would stop making Harriet look like a stereotype of the "dumb blonde"!! She is so paranoid lately, she makes Mulder look normal!! It may be the hormones kicking in, but c'mon writers! Get with it!! She is much more intelligent than what she showed last night. Why can't she be more actively involved in the stories rather than someone to fill up space! While I am not saying a full hour of Harriet (though that would not be bad! <VBG>) have Harriet be more than the standard pregnant plot device! She has a brain! Let her use it effectively like Mac does! On the plus side, it was very nice to see Harriet in civvies! While the Webbies got a "crotch shot", we Harriet-heads got a treat of her in civvies. <VBG> Yoo-hoo!! Nice to see she doesn't live in her uniforms! <VBG> One Webbie I chat with said her hair actually looked good for once! C'mon! Her hair is always lovely! Except for her "bun" Ack! She is an ensign in the 1990s, not a schoolmarm from the 1890s! Since we learned more about the Webb man, let's find out more about Harriet!! I'll be happy to write it and pass it along to the writers!! Since the guys got CB in a bikini last year, the female side gets DJE in boxers. What's next, AJ in a Speedo? Ack!!! <VBG> Review by Sandy Martinez: Ratings: JAG: 9 AJ: 6 Webb of Lies was with no doubt a Webb driven episode. Fans were able to learn so much about JAG’s most mysterious character in this episode that it made it one of the favorites of this season. This of course was specially true for the Webbies, of which, yes I’m glad to admit I am one. For AJ fans it may not have been one of the best, since there was not much of the Admiral in it, so based on that the JMJ factor gets a mark of 6. However, as it is usually the case with the character of Admiral Chegwidden, with just one scene JMJ made his presence felt. Yes, I would like to have seen more of AJ, and more of Webb. In my opinion the scenes when those 2 characters are together have been some of the best this season. I would of liked to have heard AJ say more about Webb. We did after all find out that Mac finds Clay lovable, that Harm considers him a friend and even Bud who has never liked Webb, admitted that he was a decent man dedicated to his job. But what about AJ ? How did he feel about Clayton Webb? How did he feel about Webb being dead? This is where JMJ's scene comes in. As the camera focuses on him in his office as he is about to give Harm and Mac the news about Webb's death, the expression on his face says it all. Here is a man who is obviously saddened. The look in his eyes is one of grief. With just one scene JMJ manages to show that even though AJ may not have gotten along with Webb in the past, he does feel the loss and is sad that the man who has given him so many headaches is dead. It was for this one scene, this one look in his eyes that I gave the JMJ factor a 6. I have always said that one of the most enjoyable qualities of JMJ and DJE is the fact that they can say so much with just one look, one smile. This was the case with this scene. AJ again shows us that he does care about Webb’s death when asked if he wants to know what happened to Webb. At first he tells us he wants to know where to send flowers, where the funeral is going to be, and this gets a reaction of disbelief from Harm & Mac. However he quickly makes it clear that he also wants to know who killed Webb. Yes ! AJ does care ! He wants to know more! But as much as I like AJ’s scenes, this was with no doubt Webb’s episode. Fans found out a lot about our mysterious spy. Clay plays the piano, the cello, he was in the 1988 Olympics and comes from a family of spies? We also got to see where he lives, his mom's mansion and learned about his dad Neville. This was a very revealing episode for Webb fans, and that alone made it an episode to remember for me. In my opinion the writers did an outstanding job in keeping the balance of the good and bad of Clayton Webb. He was not eulogized only as a good guy, but we were reminded of what he has done in the past as well. But most importantly, he was finally given the credit he deserves by the staff of JAG.. Steven Culp was of course great in his portrayal of Webb, and it seemed to me that with this episode he has further secured his place in JAG the series. The speculation and comments regarding his death sent the lists and boards into a frenzy of messages for a couple of weeks, something amazing for a character that is not even a regular on the show. The episode was also good for Harm & Mac shippers, as it gave fans one of the most loving scenes between them. It showed us how Harm still cant understand what Mac is all about. It showed fans that Harm is not afraid to reach out to her, to caress her, to lovingly look into her eyes. The scene finally had Mac dealing with the emotions she has been carrying inside of her since Dalton's death. Over all I loved this episode, it had a bit of everything. We learned more about Webb, Mac and Harm. It was incredibly acted by all, and well written. Was it perfect? No, there were faults and besides there is no such thing as a perfect episode anyway, but it came close. It gave most fans what they wanted, and entertained us. And at least that’s why I watch JAG. I would have liked to have heard what AJ had to say about Webb. And wouldn't it have been great to have AJ end up saving Webb? That would have been a scene to remember ! But I will settle for that look of sadness on his face in that one scene. I am glad of course that Webb survived and hope we get more scenes between AJ and Webb. They have in my opinion, one of the most interesting relationships on the show. Review by Sue Valera: Ratings: JAG: 7 AJ: 5 I glad everyone liked last night's episode. I definitely enjoyed watching even though AJ wasn't in it a lot. I would have had Palmer poison Jordan by pricking her finger and then having the champagne set the poison off. I really like Palmer. He makes a great villain. I hope they continue to bring him back which this episode seems to suggest. Review by HughesFan: Ratings: JAG: 5 AJ: 5 I feel about this episode the same way that many other people felt about People v. Mac--why did they have to do that to a perfectly good character? I know the Webbies loved it because it featured their favorite guy, but I barely recognized Webb in it. What happened to the guy in Game of Go who didn't even know how to release the safety on his gun? Well, it turns out he's an Olympic pentathlete, meaning he's a world class horseman, fencer, swimmer, runner, and....marksman. Guess that goes right up there with Harriet's sister in the category of things TPTB told us in past episodes that are no longer true. I didn't like it with Harriet, I don't like it now. If they'd left it at Olympic horseman or Olympic swimmer or even Olympic fencer, I would have thought that was a neat--and unexpected--revelation about the character that added an interesting new layer. Unfortunately, the writer/TPTB didn't have such self-restraint. They were so intent on throwing a new light on Webb that they went way overboard (a problem throughout this episode). Too bad, because in the process they took away some of the things that made Webb one of the best characters on JAG. And that gets to the real injustice they did to Webb in this episode, the real character assassination. What made Webb such an interesting character to me (while I may not be a Webbie, I've always loved Webb--things always got more interesting when he showed up) was that he was one of the few morally gray characters on the show (my favorite kind and the reason I much prefer Mac to Harm). To him, the ends justified the means, duty came before personal considerations and relationships, and nothing mattered but the mission. Yeah, if things got tight for Harm and Mac, he'd usually come through for them, but never (that I can recall) at the expense of his ultimate goal. I always walked away from Webb's previous appearances thinking about what happened and the choices he made. I always loved him and hated him for them at the same time--his callousness to the interests of other people (which angered me), his single-minded determination to do what was in the best interests of his country (which I almost always agreed with). At the end of the episode I'd always be left wondering about those age-old moral dilemmas like whether the interests of the many outweigh those of the few or the one; whether the ends ever justified the means; and whether it was ever right to do the wrong thing to protect someone you cared about. I like stories that challenge me to think about those issues and while JAG notoriously does not challenge its characters or audience that way (and that is why I loved People v. Mac so much despite its flaws, it did challenge Mac), those issues had a way of coming up every time Webb appeared. But not here. Here, Webb acted against everything we thought we knew about him. Instead of using others to do his dirty work (one of the things that made Webb most compelling), he did it himself. To some degree that was understandable--he knew there was a mole in the agency (although that in itself wasn't necessarily enough to drive Webb into action)--but it would have been interesting to see him struggle with doing it himself for once. He shouldn't have been so super-heroish about it. Even worse, later Webb seemed all too eager to retrieve the briefcase and turn it over to Palmer. I am sure that Webb would let a thousand people he had never met die before doing that and I even believe he would have died first himself (while he's quick to put others in danger to protect himself, I've never doubted Webb's ability to make the final sacrifice). Instead, he barely hesitated when Palmer confronted him alone. The CIA should fire him or prosecute him for that choice. I mean do we really want agents handing over top secret and potentially dangerous information to enemies of the country to protect a single innocent person or themselves? The only way that choice would have worked for me is if we later learned that Webb, while arranging with his mother for the fake body and dental records (the only way that makes sense to me), also ferreted the real briefcase off the ship and this was just a fake all along. That I'd expect and believe of Webb. Caving in so easily--was that supposed to be a remnant of the cowardly Webb?--I wouldn't. And I do have to say this: When Webb acted against his principles and everything we thought we knew about him to protect a friend, that friend was Harm and everyone seemed to cheer. But when Mac did the same for her friend in People v. Mac, the friend was her former lover Farrow and they didn't. I wonder how people would have felt if Harm had been the one Mac was protecting on the stand and Farrow the one who's interests Webb put before his career and his duty. Just something to think about. A few final comments. First, as with most JAG episodes this season, it was utterly predictable, which is too bad. Even worse, this time I wasn't just predicting what would happen before it did, I was actually whispering lines of dialogue--word for word--before they were spoken on-screen. That's not a sign of good writing. Second, while I was not happy with (indeed found implausible) many of the choices TPTB made for the Webb character, there were also quite a few I did like, not the least of which was the little bit we learned about his family. It had been intimated in the past that Webb's father was a spook, but it didn't surprise me at all to find out his mother had been a spy, too. And speaking of spies, isn't it interesting that Mac knew what a "wilderness of mirrors" is and Harm didn't? TPTB must be reading Love, Honor, & Glory! <LOL> (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Review by Lyn: JAG: 7 AJ: 7 It was nice finding out more about Webb, and it was nicer still finding out that he didn’t actually die, but overall I found this episode not quite satisfying. To start off with, as is often the case, there was too little AJ in it. However, the scenes he did have were wonderful. His very expressive face and eyes was used to good effect here, as we see him first standing looking out the window. Even though there is no love lost between those two, there is a certain measure of respect, and it shows. I would have liked this episode better without the need to hit us over the head with what a good guy Webb is. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Webb is a great character, and Steven Culp does a wonderful job making him likable even though most of the time he’s a jerk. But anyone who’s been watching the show for any length of time knows that while Webb usually ends up doing the right thing for the wrong reason, he is at heart one of the good guys. He believes the end justifies the means, and so has no trouble using people to achieve his own objectives. But he is not without heart, as is shown by the number of times he comes through for our heroes - in "Secrets," he comes up with the files, warns Harm about Osbourne, finds Mulka, and helps Harm get into the Admiral’s office; in "Someone to Watch Over Annie," he joins (belatedly) the others in rescuing Josh; in "The Black Jet," he is persuaded not to leave Keeter behind. So we know he’s not basically a bad person. But he has repeatedly used Harm and Mac and the Admiral to do his dirty work without telling them what they are getting themselves in for and in so doing has jeopardized Harm’s and Mac’s lives on more than one occasion. So it was very jarring to see the lovefest take over after his death. Mac frequently treats Webb with barely concealed contempt, so seeing her cry over his death and saying there was always something "lovable" about him struck a very strange note. At least they had her preface it, "in spite of his faults." That helped somewhat. Bud admits he never liked Webb, but we see him gushing over how Webb made the "hard choices" and so on. An acknowledgment that he realized Webb was doing a difficult job the best he could would have been sufficient coupled with his later defense of Webb. Harm’s reaction was the most believable. His true feelings about Webb were shown in the opening scene - Webb calls and Harm does not want to pick up the phone because it’s "always urgent" with Webb. He suspected, with ample justification, that Webb was planning on using him again. His guilt when he found out Webb was dead was understandable as was his telling Webb’s mother that he was Webb’s friend. What else was he going to say to a grieving mother, "Your son was a jerk, and he nearly got me killed many times, but I still want to know who killed him?" At least we were spared the indignity of seeing AJ get all sentimental about Webb - his reaction was left understated. I did like the fact that, while they idealized Webb through most of the show, he reverted to "normal" character at the end He refuses to turn over the superconductor to Palmer after Palmer threatens Jordan. He tells Harm he wouldn’t give it up if it were *his* girlfriend whose life was in danger. (So should we assume that the blonde in the picture in his apartment is his girlfriend? - never had a hint he had one!) Yet as soon as Palmer has the gun to his head, we see Webb give it up to save his own skin. Remember the "Game of Go"? Palmer is a wonderful
villain—smart, egotistical, ruthless, cunning,
daring. I sometimes wonder if Webb doesn’t wish he
were more like Palmer. The scene at the end where they
cut back and forth between the trio in the ship and
Jordan in Harm’s apartment was very effective - I
kept waiting for something to happen to Jordan, and TPTB
kept teasing us with pricking her finger, drinking the
champagne, opening the box. I really would not have been
surprised to see her get killed, and I found that scene
quite tense. Also loved the ending with Palmer leaving
his picture in Harm’s apartment. I don’t know
if finding Palmer is going to be Harm’s new
obsession, but he is certainly a worthwhile opponent, and
it is somewhat satisfying to see Harm go up against
someone that he cannot dispose of so easily and
heroically as he usually does. I hope we see more of him.
.
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Rivers' Run (aired Feb. 16, 1999) |
| Review by Gray Cargill: Ratings: JAG: 5 AJ: 7 This episode is notable as Montel Williams' second outing as Lt. Rivers, a SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient last seen in "Above and Beyond." (It also features the return of Agent Grenin from "People v. Rabb.") Otherwise, this episode is unremarkable. Montel Williams is a very credible actor--more so than many actors who have their own series. He could give up his day job if he wanted to, but if I were him, I'd hold out for a better script than this one. It pains me to say that, since Larry Moskowitz wrote it, and he is my favorite JAG writer. But this is one of his weaker scripts. (Hey, we all have bad days.) What makes this script weaker is the prevalence of too many stereotypical characters and cliched dialogue and plot devices. Among other things, the use of a paramilitary group has fast become a Hollywood cliche. Further, the portrayal of the rural West Virginians in this episode as, um, "less evolved" is stereotypical. Why is it that every time Hollywood writes rural characters, they are either portrayed as goodhearted and overly-simplistic (both in character and culture), or they are portrayed as evolutionary "missing links" straight out of "Deliverance"? The final scene between Mr. Yarrow and his daughter Amy was too cliche and sentimental, as Amy pleads with him not to kill Rivers: "Don't do it, Daddy!. . .I lost Brian, I don't want to lose you, too." How many hundreds of times have I heard variations on that expression before? The other stock Hollywood plot device was the "kangaroo court" trial of Rivers by the separatists. Has anyone ever actually been through a "kangaroo court" in the real world??? Ever??? Come on, Larry. You can do better than this. Please write more episodes like "The Stalker" and "Acts of Terror." I found the "Patriots Prayer" to be interesting: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and THE WEAPONRY to make the difference. Never Surrender Your Firearms." Isn't that the NRA's Prayer? <G> It was good to see more of AJ in this episode, and as usual, he got most of the best lines. When Toobin told AJ to call Harm and Mac back from Hemmings, I loved the dangerous gleam in AJ's eye when he replied, "Are you giving me an order?" I also got a kick out of Grenin grumbling about AJ being late ("He's supposed to be an ex-SEAL"), and AJ's sudden appearance and reply: "There's nothing 'ex' about me, Grenin." Heh heh heh. It's about time Harriet received her promotion. It took me by surprise when AJ said, "You're out of uniform, Lieutenant." I didn't realize he was talking about Harriet any more than Bud or Harriet did. It was a cute way to let her know. The scene with Rivers getting bit by the copperhead seemed superfluous, except that it was plot-dictated. If it hadn't been for that copperhead, those separatists never would have been able to overpower him--he is, after all, a SEAL. It also gave us that wonderful closing exchange between AJ and Rivers. Favorite quotes:
Review by Elizabeth Whitaker: Ratings: JAG: 5 AJ: 8 I didn't like the usual stereotypes that popped up -- ignorant, rural people supposedly with Southern accents, rude behavior by one of these towards a lady, etc.* The food was completely wrong. Being a Southerner, I never encountered meat loaf at home (except the two or three times my mother experimented) or in a non-chain restaurant. Down here, in a non-chain restaurant, you're more likely to have a choice between some variety of hamburger (sometimes "Salisbury Steak"), chicken, and some sort of pork. I don't believe rural West Virginians could be that organized. My father was a Boy Scout leader in Alderson -- He was the Public Health Service doctor at the prison** -- and apparently threw up his hands: his troop wouldn't take to organization. (This was about the time I was born or shortly thereafter, so it is third hand information.) Alderson is in southeastern West Virginia, just across the mountains from Roanoke, Virginia. That "oath" was interesting: it's a nearly total quote from the AA's Serenity Prayer. Black people aren't *completely* unknown in the rural Southern mountain areas: they are usually rare. Sometimes, there's a black extended family or few in a rural area who are descendants of the slaves of a wealthy local landowner, but, more often, they're post-World War II transplants who came South to work in a factory of some sort, or government employees. (Daddy met a black physician working off government loans who had been assigned to a tiny town deep in the hill country of northwestern Alabama.) I agree about the AJ moments--very good. *I am a native Southerner who mainly grew up in the rural South, but not just in one place. The only Southern states I never lived in are Florida and Mississippi. **The U.S. Public Health Service was founded about 150 years ago to care for injured and sick sailors. Some time between then and the 1950s, its responsibilities were expanded to include care for Federal prisoners and the inhabitants of Indian reservations. My father fulfilled his military obligation by joining the Public Health Service after he finished his internship and working in three Federal prisons. (btw, the Public Health Service officers' uniforms look just like those of Naval officers', excepting the insignia.) Review by Yankee Rose: Ratings: JAG: 8 AJ: 8 I liked it. There was more than the usual amount of AJ, and the sight of him in a trench coat acting all surly... what wonderful brain candy. ;-) This was an excellent, entertaining, episode. Good tube, if you know what I mean. The scene locations were believable, the casting was very good, the storyline was relevant and current. All in all, one of the more enjoyable episodes I've seen. Did I mention AJ in a trench coat, acting all surly....... thud. Review by HughesFan: Ratings: JAG: 7 AJ: 7 This definitely has to be my least favorite episode written by Larry Moskowitz. Indeed, it is hard for me to imagine that the person behind For the Good of the Service, People vs. Rabb (and Mac), Wedding Belle Blues, From Russia to Love, and Act of Terror, could write something so cliched. Even in the past when the plots of his scripts were dorky (The Stalker) or full of holes (People v. Mac), the character bits always ensured that the episode was above average. But not here. This script and this story were just that: Average. Let me start with what I liked about this episode: I liked the separatist's prayer on the back wall (though I wished they hadn't felt like banging us over the head with that close-up of it--I'd read it and gotten a good laugh out of it long before that). I actually liked the kangaroo court trial of Rivers. I know others don't agree and found it farfetched, but maybe I grew up too close to the Iron Curtain and knew too many refugees from it to find it laughable or unbelievable. The group had already made up their mind about who'd done it (not surprising under the circumstances; many without a political agenda might have come to a similar conclusion) and were more than eager to mete out justice. They weren't about to let anything get in the way. Besides, I've been hungering for more trials--any trial--this season. And I liked seeing Lt. Rivers again. I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the last time. What didn't I like? First and foremost, the daughter character. The moment I saw her I knew what role she would play in the episode and I was right. Also, the way the separatists just walked away at the end because it turned out Rivers wasn't guilty. Excuse me, but officials from the hated government were telling them this and they just believed it. Oh yeah, the daughter urged them to walk away. Yeah, right. Third, why did it take a bunch of bright people--and experienced criminal lawyers--so long to realize that Rivers was shot through the back? That's one of the first things they would have caught and Harm would have used it in his defense of Rivers. And finally, I agree with everyone else who said that the portrayal of the separatists was cliched. While I think that was inevitable to some degree (the truth of the matter is that most people are separatists because they are disenfranchised from the society at large), a little more care and attention to character could have allowed them to rise above the stereotype. Here, however, they fell right into it. As for AJ, it was nice to see him out of the office and the scene with Harriet getting her promotion was cute, but this was hardly what I'd call a great AJ episode--just not enough of him to qualify for that. Review by Lyn: JAG: 8 AJ: 9 So far, any JAG episode that gets AJ out of the office and into the action has been a good one. This one was no exception. JMJ was great in this one, from the opening scenes in his office through the way he figures out that the FBI was illegally using SEALs to hunt down a fugitive on American soil and all the way to his appearance at the militia camp to take over getting his people out safely. I got the feeling Agent Grenin had a whole lot more respect for AJ by the end than he did at the beginning. AJ had some of the best lines in this one, too. "There’s nothing ex about me." And to Rivers, "Did you get shot?" "No, a copperhead bit me." "Hope you bit him back." It was neat seeing the instant bond between SEALs. (It was great seeing AJ in that coat, too. Wow - very nice indeed!) I really like the character of Lt. Rivers. I would not have expected Montel Williams to be able to do such a good acting job, but he has turned in two fine performances now. I hope Lt. Rivers will continue to show up from time to time. Loved the scene in AJ’s office where Harm makes reference to Lt. Rivers chasing the one-armed man, and Mac tries to explain it to the Admiral. I also thought Harriet’s distress at hearing of the boy’s death was right on the money. As a mother, I know exactly how she feels. The interaction between Harm and Mac was good, although I was surprised to see Harm feeling the need to defend Mac in the diner. He has been so inobservant and cavalier of late that I did not expect it, especially since he had to know that Mac was perfectly capable of taking care of that guy herself. Still, it was nice to see that chivalry is not totally dead. I hated the character of Warren Toobin. That man struck me as such a coward and a weasel that I could not believe these people were actually protecting him and viewing him as some kind of hero. He deliberately commits a crime and then hides, allowing a 14-year-old boy to protect him and later leaving the others to face possible death at the hands of the FBI - because of him - so he could stay safe. It aggravated me that no one pointed out the hypocrisy of the whole situation. They were trying Lt. Rivers because someone needed to be held accountable for the death of the boy, even though they were willing to admit (albeit grudgingly) that it was an accident and that Lt. Rivers was acting in self-defense as the boy fired first. But not one of them seemed to think that Warren Toobin should be held accountable for the death of the janitor in the Federal Building. That man had a wife and children he left behind, Toobin deliberately planned to blow up the building, and while he did not mean to kill anybody, nevertheless he did. And yet everyone was protecting him from having to answer to that man’s wife and children. I just wanted to scream. I kept waiting for Harm or Mac to bring up the fact that they were going to kill Lt. Rivers for the same offense for which they were protecting Toobin, but no one did. Of course, I also expected they were going to find out that Toobin had shot the boy himself - that’s how much of a coward I thought he was. But, overall, I thought it was a very
good episode. It was a nice touch that the sister was the
one who finally defused the situation - gives one hope
that she’s not totally lost..
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Silent Service (aired Feb. 23, 1999) |
| Review by Gray Cargill: Ratings: JAG: 5 AJ: 5 This episode seemed to have multiple personality disorder: It couldn't make up its mind what it wanted to be--a claustrophobic thriller, a character-driven episode, or a comedy. It could have been great if it had focused on any one (or even two) of those things, but because it tried to incorporate all of them, it felt disjointed to me. Instead of working together, the three elements worked against each other. Every time I started caring about the Mac-Harm conflict, something humorous would happen that distracted me from that and made me feel as though it wasn't as much of a crisis as it should have been. Every time I started thinking the episode was more of a lighthearted, humorous piece, something very serious would happen, like the death of the Petty Officer. Every time I started getting into the claustrophobic thriller atmosphere of the main plot, I would be distracted by the Mac-Harm interactions or a moment of humor. That didn't work for me, although each of these elements had moments that were enjoyable. Given the fact that Mac and Harm were at each other's throats AND that the U.S.S. Watertown was a submarine filled with men, men, and nothing but men, I think AJ's decision to assign Mac to this particular case was misguided, to say the least. Next to his decision to send Harm off to Iran to rescue Keeter in "The Black Jet," I have to say this was definitely one of the poorer leadership decisions I've seen AJ make. When two people who are normally very good friends are at each other's throats, like Mac and Harm were in this episode, that's usually an indication that they need to spend some time away from each other, not trapped in a confining location together. Forcing them to work together in the confining space of a submarine could have had the opposite effect from what AJ intended. And despite the seemingly "all's well that ends well" resolution, I really don't feel that the underlying tension between them has been resolved at all. They've temporarily agreed not to let it get in the way of their partnership, but I'm sure it will rear its ugly head again. A little counseling session probably wouldn't hurt them. As so often happens, there wasn't nearly enough AJ in this episode. It's becoming more and more difficult to work up the enthusiasm to write these reviews when my favorite character has so little to do. Sigh. Miscellaneous: I am stunned that TPTB actually admitted in this episode that Lt. Meg Austin actually existed. I never thought I'd see that. The Meg fans must have been ecstatic. It was great to see the little "Untouchables" reunion between Tom Amandes and David James Elliott. I wish someone would give Tom another series. He's great to watch. Favorite quotes: None. That's a first for me. Review by Carol Preflatish: Ratings: JAG: 9 AJ: 8.5 I really liked this episode, Dana Coen is an excellent writer. When I first heard the Sub Captain's voice I knew it was familiar, then I finally recognized it. It was Elliott Ness from the Untouchables show that DJE was in. I loved the tension between Harm and Mac. Hey, their lips touch twice, great shipper stuff, well sort of. LOL My favorite part was when Mac chewed out the enlisted guys, I kept saying "Go Mac, go." DJE and CB's acting was great in this episode. Too bad we didn't see more of the Admiral, but what we did see of him was really good. His timing is always great, like when he took the phone from Bud. Review by Pat Murray: Ratings: JAG: 4.5 AJ: 5.5 Harriet: n/a <Grrrrr!> Okay, where oh where shall I begin? Should I start with the fact that Harriet was not in this one which automatically downgrades it? What about the THREE year wait to see if Meg actually does exist in JAG folklore and she was not my imagination? Will we EVER find out where she was transferred to? Or maybe the sudden head to head combativeness between Harm and Mac? Ah! I know where to begin! The sub: Maybe the TPTB be can confirm this, but it looked like the attack center (plot, navigation, the TWO periscopes, etc.) area looked an awful lot like the set of "Crimson Tide: (which was also used for the JAG ep "Shadow") And to be honest, a sub is that big, but the only class to be that big is a Typhoon- a Russian boomer or missile boat! And did I hear right that the sub had female crew members? I know this will sound sexist, but THERE ARE NO WOMEN ON SUBMARINE DUTY!!! Federal law prohibits it, even though women are allowed surface front line combatants. Oh and why was Mac so upset at the bikini model in the head when she was not at all miffed when she saw the swimsuit model in Bud's "Future File" in Wedding Bell Blues?? And the way Harm and Bud communicated, would never happen for the simple reason that the sub would lose its greatest weapon- stealth. I really miss the joking banter between Harm and Mac like in the early episodes. Lately it seemed Harm is getting a little tired of JAG. Good thing he will be back on active flight status soon! Maybe every one will kick him out for a week! And that will be the Harm-less episode I have been longing for! <VBG> But I know Harm is the star and it ain't gonna happen! The plot itself was decent- too many unnatural fights and too many things that made it too hard to believe, at least in my eyes. The performances were good- loved the scene where Mac tore into the crewmen. There she looked and sounded like a Marine Officer! Review by Sandy Bose: Ratings: JAG: 8.5 AJ: 8 (because he makes so much of what lines he's given). Dana Coen strikes again! :) I love everything this guy writes! The plots are better. The characterizations are more believable and the dialog really rings true. Even when you sort of know where the plot is going it's still so much fun to watch! Likes ......
Dislikes...... ......Has John Jackson ticked off DPB or something?? We're seeing less and less of him and he's a great part of the show. C'mon TPTB -- toss us JMJ fans a loaf instead of crumbs. Please give us another episode written by Dana Coen where AJ is a major part of the story line. Review by Yankee Rose: Ratings: JAG: 8 AJ: 6 I really enjoyed the episode "Silent Service" tonight. I thought the XO would be the bad guy, and was kinda surprised when it turned out to be the medic. Yes, there were discrepancies big enough to drive a MAC truck through, like the guy in quarantine.... At the end the CO said he had lost two men, that would be the high pressure steam death... and the other one must have been the guy in quarantine. As for the fight scene... it is TV, and it is supposed to be entertaining and exciting... but I think that any recruit out of boot camp knows enough to turn your head to keep your airway open while being choked. And the way the Medic was choking Mac... he left his happy sac fully exposed to either of her hands... I think Mac would have grabbed hold of him and ripped that sucker like starting up a chainsaw! AJ was great as usual... I loved the humor with Mac about being confined on a submarine with 141 men, and that she should prepare herself. I wish they would have had a shot of AJ's face when Mac said that he should give the same warning to the crew of the submarine. Then there was the scene where the Master Chief Engineer had to explain to Mac how to flush the toilet... the actor who played the Chief was absolutely wonderful in getting across his uncomfortableness of discussing the subject. The phone scene with AJ, Harm, and Bud had me laughing out loud. It seems like AJ's weekly appearances are getting longer and more involved all the time. JMJ really pulls off the CO role very well... his commanding presence blasts off the screen. I just wish there was more of him. Review by HughesFan: Ratings: JAG: 5 AJ: 5 (loved the phone call scene, but other than that he didn't have much to do) Boy do I have mixed feelings about this episode. I was really enjoying it most of the way through, even if I did guess that Hodges was the guilty party as soon as he mentioned (quite early on) that he was new to the crew. That is primarily because Mac and Harm were saying some things to each other that I think needed to be said (particularly on Mac's side). Harm has taken Mac for granted practically from the beginning. He is a typical Bellisario hero, the loner doing things on his own, his own way. The show's structure that seems to mimic a true male-female partnership such as on X-Files (from what I understand), Hunter (though Hunter was something of a loner, too, that partnership was more equal), and other TV programs is really more misleading than anything else and anyone who expects Mac to get equal treatment is just in for disappointment (like me). But even if the treatment has been there from the beginning, I do think it has gotten worse this season (even before Mac gave Harm a reason not to trust him in People v. Mac). So I liked the fact that the show was addressing that reality, even if it isn't likely to change it. Especially for an abuse survivor like Mac, Harm's treatment of her has to be quite painful, though her inability to stand up for herself (as she can in so many other situations) is quite understandable (and typical). So I liked the fact that these issues were being addressed here. The problem was that after bringing them up, they got dropped like a hot potato in the final act for a dopey, unrealistic, and I thought insulting action resolution that seems to have magically resolved the problems between them. Yeah right. The point may have been that the two had to rely on each other to survive, but the ultimate message with Harm having to save Mac yet again (worse yet, after this trained Marine didn't even struggle against being strangled to death) was the same. And while I doubt TPTB will ever deal with it again (a new mindset on my part from the beginning of the season when I did trust them to carry through on character issues), I don't think anything has changed between Harm and Mac as a result of this. The underlying issues and problems remain. Too bad, because I'd love to see a show with a real partnership between the two and a relationship worthy of rooting for the two of them to be together. Both characters, but especially Harm, have a long way to go before I'll feel that way again. Okay, enough complaining. Here are the reasons I did enjoy the first three acts of the show: First, Mac having to deal with life on the sub and particularly with dozens (hundreds?) of men starved for female company was quite amusing. I'm referring, of course, to my favorite scene of the episode, Mac dressing down the three sailors, but also to the scene in the head, her bemused reaction to the pinup, and her general responses to the situation she found herself in. Second, as mentioned above, I did enjoy the way the episode was dealing with the problems and issues between Mac and Harm (legitimate ones even if they seemed to come out of the blue here) up until Harm figured out that Hodges was the culprit. And third, Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome was certainly a unique resolution to the situation here even if it has become somewhat of a staple in television in general. If they could only have done a better job with that final act (and I've only briefly mentioned some of my many problems with it) and the resolution of the issues between Harm and Mac, this episode might have earned an A or A+ from me--and left me feeling better about the rest of the season. Oh well, as a JAG fan and as a Mac fan, I still remain forever hopeful. Review by Lyn: JAG: 5 AJ: 6 Not enough AJ, that’s for sure. JMJ turned in his usual good performance - especially when he took the phone from Bud just in time to catch Rabb in the act of trying to get around him. His timing is perfect. <g> Also enjoyed the opening scene where he interjects himself into Harm and Mac’s argument - very well done. I thought it was illogical that he sent Mac along with Harm to investigate on the submarine. According to the insiders, he thought it would be a good way for Harm and Mac to work through their differences, but I’m not sure I’d agree that the solution for two people who are getting on each other’s nerves is to confine them together in a small space. Especially given the fact that there are no women on submarines, and so they are not geared to accommodate women. That was setting Mac up for a possible rough time, and it seemed uncharacteristic. But that is not JMJ’s fault - he did a good job with what he had to work with, and of course, the story must be advanced. I enjoyed this episode right up to the end. I was willing to go along with the fact that last week, in Rivers’ Run, they were getting along just ducky, and now this week they could barely stand each other. Chalk it up to time lapsed that we didn’t get to see. Besides, the following scene where Mac accuses Harm of not trusting her and Harm accuses her of resenting him rang true considering all they’ve been through this year. Why should Harm trust her? She’s been keeping secrets and doing some very un-Mac-like things. I’ve felt all along that the events of "People v. Mac" should have affected their relationship more than we’ve seen. And why shouldn’t Mac resent Harm? She’s a bright, capable attorney and supposedly his partner - his "equal" partner - yet he insists on playing The Lone Ranger and doing what he wants regardless of those around him. It would have to bother her that she’s relegated to playing second fiddle. The mystery of what was happening on board ship kept me involved. I did not expect the ending at all. I was half expecting them to come up with someone hiding on board who had a grudge against the crew for some reason or something else along those lines. That it was the medic never occurred to me at all. But the big finale fell short - it was
hokey and contrived and made two very bright people seem
awfully dumb. Harm tried to take in a suspect on his own
once before - it got him held hostage and forced to play
a plane off a ship. Nearly got him killed, too. But did
he learn anything? Apparently not, as he does it again,
and again is nearly killed. He has the presence of mind
to remember that Mac has that little personal computer,
and he sends her an e-mail to warn her. But why stop
there? Why not contact the Captain to send security to
their aid? And Mac - well, she’s just been warned
that Hodges is the culprit so she lets him come close
enough to blind her? Then the two of them together in
Sick Bay don’t fare any better. Why doesn’t
Harm let Mac wash out her own eyes while he barricades
the door? Instead, he helps her and lets Hodges force his
way in. Then we have Mac turning valves on hot pipes not
knowing what might come out? Not to mention the fact that
Mac can apparently kick box quite well in high heels and
evening gown but cannot defend herself adequately when
wearing pants and sensible shoes. Very disappointing.
I’m sure the ‘shippers loved all the
touchy-feely nonsense at the end and the symbolism of
Harm being Mac’s eyes when she couldn’t see and
Mac being Harm’s voice when he couldn’t speak,
but I thought it was just plain dumb. Then we see them
leaving the ship, apparently with everything all right
between them once again. Now, I will buy that, after
nearly being killed, they were able to decide their
differences weren’t all that important at the
moment. However, I will be very disappointed if this does
not raise its ugly head again soon. They have some very
real issues to face, and while this is not a
"relationship" show but an action adventure
show, all but the most die-hard ‘shippers will stop
caring about these characters if they are allowed to be
unaffected (except when it suits the story line) by
events around them.
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| JMJ On Television |  |
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| (Unless otherwise specified, all times shown are Eastern Standard Time) | ||||
| March 2 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG: "Nobody's Child" | |
| March 3 | 11:15 p.m. | ENCORE | "Back Roads" (1981) | |
| March 4 | 2:15 a.m. | ENCORE | "Back Roads" (1981) | |
| March 9 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG: "Angels 30" | |
| March 16 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG: "Mr. Rabb Goes to Washington: | |
| March 23 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG: "People v. Mac" | |
| March 27 | 7 p.m. | SCI/FI | "Eve of Destruction" | |
| March 27 | 11 p.m. | SCI/FI | "Eve of Destruction: | |
| March 30 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG: "Shakedown" | |
Except as otherwise noted, all articles are original compositions for this newsletter. If you download any articles or photographs for use on your website, please give appropriate credit to this newsletter as follows: "Taken from The Jackson Journal, March 1999 edition." We also ask that you create a link from your website to "The John M. Jackson Admiration Society" page at http://www.oocities.org/Hollywood/Bungalow/6826/ Thank you.
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