Newsletter Editor: Nancy P.

Asst. Editor: Jenni M.

As you can all see, the winner is "The Jackson Journal." It was a very interesting election - we had 44 votes cast in all, and our winner won by a margin of only 4 votes. "The Admiral's Briefing" was the next highest vote-getter, and it was only one vote ahead of "From the Admiral's Desk." Now, for the really interesting part - originally Jenni and I were going to call this newsletter "The JMJ Journal," but we decided it would be more fun to let everyone have a chance to vote on a name. But I thought it was interesting that we ended up so close to where we'd started out! Great minds, I guess.

The submitter of the winning name is Patty OS, who incidentally, also submitted our second-highest vote-getter, "The Admiral's Briefing." Patty will be receiving a small SEAL Team 3 patch for her efforts.

"From the Admiral's Desk" was submitted by Linda Campbell. Rounding out the top 5 vote-getters, HughesFan submitted "The Admiral's Mast" which came in 4th, and Kris Larsen submitted "The John M. Jackson Journal" which came in 5th. Since "The Admiral's Mast" did not win this contest, we decided to use it as the title for our feature section of fan reviews of JAG episodes. It seems to fit nicely. Don't be surprised if some of the other entries show up again as well - it would be a shame to waste such great names.

We'd like to thank everyone who submitted a name for this newsletter and everyone who took the time to vote. We appreciate the interest in and support of this newsletter.

Trivia Corner

First off, the answer to last month's Trivia Question: Admiral Chegwidden is looking at a portrait of Admiral Arleigh S. Burke, his role model. AJ explains to Harm that Admiral Burke was aggressive during World War II and that's why he was promoted to CNO over 90 other officers. He tells Harm that JAG is going to be aggressive too, which led to our favorite quote from last month. Congratulations to Virginia, Van, and Lisa C. who all knew the answer.

Now, this month we have an assortment of questions from easy to hard to give everyone a chance to play. So, for 1 point, AJ has a sister. What is her name?

Our next question is a two-parter worth from 1-3 points. Answer the first part for 1 point. Answer the second part generally for 1 point or specifically for 2 points. "I like you, son. I'm probably going to hang you, but I like you." What episode is that quote from? Who was AJ talking to?

Here's a 3-point question: We know AJ lives in McLean, Virginia. What other property does he own and where is it located?

To play our trivia game, e-mail your answer to admiralslady@oocities.com by October 31. The answers will appear in the November issue of The Journal.

(From People v. Rabb - Season 3)

Welcome New Members

We would like to extend a hearty "Welcome Aboard" to these members who joined us in September:

• Graham Bawden
• Traci "Tat" Tatman
• Elaine Davis
• Francesca Romana
• Cathy Edgley
• Janna Franklin
• Laura Kopp
• Jack Hammons
• Vicki Hsu
• Pam Inman
• Heidi McKeon
• Kathy Agel
• Kris16

Happy Birthday!!

We would like to wish a Very Happy Birthday and a joy-filled year to the following members with October birthdays:

Meg B. - Oct. 14

Sue V. - Oct. 17

Lisa C. - Oct. 22

 

(From People v. Rabb - Season 3)

Meet Our Members

From MPBryant@aol.com: I'm Meg (short for Megan, which I also use) and I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am truly a Northerner at heart - from Chicago. I'm 28, single, and live with my cat Elihu. I'm the collections manager (of historic artifact and archives, not money) at a history museum. Other than JAG, my obsessions are: figure skating, opera, some forms of science fiction (mostly the TV stuff - like Babylon 5, Highlander, and X-Files), traveling, reading and AIR CONDITIONING.

From bpeach@bellsouth.net:Hi Fellow AJ Lovers! <G>! I'm Lisa, though born in Brooklyn, NY, I live in Atlanta, GA (and have since just before my 6th birthday). I work for Bell South Cellular Corp., Executive Assistant to the Director of Paging. Besides JAG, my passion (read obsession - just kidding) is karate. I started training 5-1/2 years ago and never stopped. I got to see some cool places going to tournaments - Greenville, SC; Lakeland, Fl - no seriously, I'd probably never gotten to see California (Riverside), and definitely not Okinawa - we went last August for the World Championships. The people are great, and we had a blast. I have 1 brother. I am 32 and single. I also like to write fanfic. So far I have written 2 1/2 (not done yet) Meg/Harm stories - BUT - my next will be an AJ/Mac story! And I LOVE to read, besides fanfic - Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, among others.

From shery1225@hotmail.com:Hi! I am Sheryl.... I am 43, is that an old lady for this list???? [Ed.Note: No - that’s not old for this list! :) ] I am married and have 3 children. My oldest is 19 and an active duty Marine. My next is almost 12; he is a JAG fan and computer whiz. My youngest just turned 7. She is also a JAG fan and is pretty good at recognizing the guest stars when they turn up on other shows. I live in Missoula, Montana, in the mountains. I love to knit and read. We take advantage of the outdoors and I love to garden. Of course I love JAG, but other than that only watch ER regularly. I like some other shows, but am not faithful to them like I am JAG.

If you would like to introduce yourself to the group, please send a one-paragraph bio to Jenni M. at gypsy77@home.com. We'd love to get to know you.

FanFic Forum

Breaking the Ties

Author: LCDRR Ramsey

Rating: PG

Classification: SAR (AJ/Other)

Summary:

Breaking the Ties is the beginning of a series of stories about Trisha (Easton) Rabb and her move to Washington, D.C., after her marriage fails. She finds love and happiness in Washington. You are asking me now: why have this as a story of the month for the best Admiral on TV??? He ends up being her love interest. I don't know about anyone else, but I believe this is the first time this has happened. She brings them together beautifully. This brings up an interesting point in the stories about AJ and dating one of his subordinates’ mother's. They, of course have some rough times in this. It is believable though. I give this series a two thumbs up so to speak.

You'll find this story at http://exlibris.simplenet.com/archivestories/ breakingtheties.txt

About the Author

Name: Heather "Becca" DeLong (Soon to be Brown) <grin>

Where are you from: Atlanta, GA

How long have you been writing fanfic: Started writing Star Trek fanfic while still in middle school -- 6th grade. I picked up writing X-Files fanfic a few years back, as well as Forever Knight. It spread finally to JAG somewhere in the middle of the series' first season.

Why put AJ with Harm's Mom: To be honest, I don't know. I didn't really see him breaking the rules and fraternizing with Major Mackenzie...though we do know that he bends the rules for his officers from time to time. It more or less started out as an off-hand comment. And then it became, "How would Harm react?" Eventually, it became a series of stories I'm still working on. Besides, we all know the Admiral just doesn't get the attention he deserves.

How long have you been watching JAG: Since season one, after the pilot episode.

Who is your favorite character: Toss up there. Obviously, AJ is one side of the coin; I would love to know more about his past. While we know that Harm's motivation in joining the Navy was his father, we really know very little about AJ's reasons for joining. I would also love to see his reasons for becoming an officer. The *other* side of the coin would be Meg Austin. Because she was only seen in the first season, I really think there was a lot of room to grow and a lot of ground left to cover. As Harm has grown and evolved, and as David James Elliot has *become* Harm Rabb, I really think that, given the chance, Meg Austin could have evolved into a well rounded character also, with Tracey Needham *becoming* Meg Austin.

What is your favorite episode: Again, a toss up, this one between "Black Ops" and "Ghosts." I loved "Black Ops" because we learn a little more about how AJ feels about his past as a Navy SEAL, and that his tradition with Team Two has carried on. In "Ghosts," we see him humanized -- in love with a married (albeit separated) woman; in her loss, we see his grief; and in his revenge, we see his guilt and his anger. It proves that even the JAG himself is human. And I like seeing a character, not superman.

What other hobbies do you have: I don't have time for hobbies! <G> When I *make* time, I try to do more writing, work on my HTML coding for my web pages, fool around with Adobe PhotoShop. I really enjoy a good movie now and again. And music is my biggest inspiration in everything, from life itself to my writing!

Chegwidden Mailing List

For those of you who are not already aware of it, there exists an e-mail list for JMJ fans. In fact, joining the list is one way to join the JMJAS, and the JMJAS uses the list as its primary method of communication with our members. We post updates to the website, JMJ sightings, announce "publication" of the new issue of The Journal, circulate AJ fanfic, and the JMJTTF (John M. Jackson Travelling Tape Festival - more about that another time) is handled strictly through the list right now. You do not have to belong to the list to be in the Club or be in the Club to join the list, but we encourage list membership as the best way to keep current on JMJAS happenings. You can subscribe to the Chegwidden List through Onelist. It is available in regular or digest format. If you have a question about the mailing list - what it is or what it does - please e-mail sbose@ais.net for information.

The Judge Advocate General is one of SECNAV’s Staff Assistants who provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary of the Navy. He is the senior officer of the JAG Corps, and he commands the Office of the Judge Advocate General (known as OJAG). The JAG also serves as a Special Assistant for Legal Services to the Chief of Naval Operations, advising and assisting the CNO in formulating and implementing policies and initiatives regarding the provision of legal services within the Navy.

Four other field activities report directly to the JAG: the Naval Civil Law Support Activity, the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity, the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary, and the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. The JAG is assisted and supported by the Deputy Judge Advocate General (DJAG) and the Assistant Judge Advocates General (AJAGs) and their staffs. The JAG has his offices in the Pentagon.

The mission of the OJAG embraces all aspects of Department of the Navy activities, is grounded in law and regulation, and extends to all legal matters except for Board of Contract Appeals and Board for Correction of Naval Records. Worldwide there are eight (8) Naval Legal Service Offices and five (5) Trial Service Offices. The OJAG also provides legal training for judge advocates, paralegals, and line officers through the Naval Justice School.

So things are not quite as portrayed on the show, which should come as no surprise to anyone really. It’s a good thing, too, or we would never see Admiral Chegwidden.

Currently the Judge Advocate General is Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN. The Deputy Judge Advocate General (who performs the duties of the JAG during vacancies as well as other duties assigned by the JAG and who is assigned to the CNO as the Commander, Naval Legal Service Command) is Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, JAGC, USN. There are three (3) Assistant Judge Advocates General: Capt. Thomas J. Connolly, JAGC, USN (Civil Law), Col. David C. Hague, USMC (Military Justice), and Capt. Joseph D. Scranton, JAGC, USN (Operations and Management).

JAG Corps Training

After graduating from law school and passing the bar, JAG Corps officers go to Naval Indoctrination School (OIS) in Newport, Rhode Island. This is a six-week training program for commissioned officers. They take courses in everything from leadership to simulated damage control training on board a naval vessel to naval history to maritime strategy to the Code of Conduct for Naval officers. Military drills and physical fitness activities are included in their curriculum. JAG officers in the Student Program may attend OIS during the summer between semesters are law school.

All JAG Corps officers also attend the Naval Justice School, again located in Newport, Rhode Island, prior to the start of their initial extended active duty assignment. This nine-week course prepares the lawyers for the broad range of legal responsibilities they will be undertaking as Navy Judge Advocates.

Upon graduation, JAG Corps officers are certified to perform duties as trial and defense counsel and as legal assistance officers.

JMJ Website of the Month

The website we are reviewing this month is The John M. Jackson Admiration Society at http://www.oocities.org/Hollywood/Bungalow/6826/. Nancy P., who also is known as Mrs. A.J. Chegwidden, created the site. If you are reading this review, you are already a fan of this site because it is the home of the JMJ Fan Club and this newsletter.

When you go to the JMJ Admiration Society site, the first thing you realize is that it has THE MOST. The most what? It has:

THE MOST current information on John M. Jackson and the character he portrays, Admiral A. J. Chegwidden.

THE MOST detailed filmography on John M. Jackson. It is even better than sites that compile the information for a living!

THE MOST honest and detailed reviews of JMJ's appearances in films and on television.

THE MOST fanfics written with love and dedicated to the Admiral and all his many loves.

THE MOST wonderful opening screen. One look and is there any question this is truly a handsome man?

THE MOST variety of photos of our favorite actor. Nancy has some great Admiral pictures in her photo gallery but has also managed to find photos from other notable performances. You see the way that John transforms himself into a character and of course still remains handsome.

THE MOST frequent updates with the recent additions of the guest book, photo gallery, and most current news articles. Just added - the Admiral's Fact Sheet and coming soon are links to other JMJ and JAG sites.

The final "most" as you go through this web site is THE MOST devotion. Nancy has done a terrific job in the creation of this site. Could there be anyone else but the Admiral's number one sweetheart that could know and share so much information with the rest of us who just get to dream? If you want to know THE MOST about John and A.J., you have to keep coming back to the JMJ Admiration Society website. So be a true member of the John M. Jackson fan club, click this site into your Favorites and bookmark it! You will be glad you did.

PATTYOS@aol.com is our website feature editor. She will be scouting out JMJ 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. [Ed. Note: For those paying attention, yes our first 3 selected sites were all by Club officers. As A.J. would say - "Admiral's privilege." Future sites will come from our members and others.]

SEAL Merchandise

For those of you who have been around since the very beginning, it's time to heave a huge sigh of relief! We finally are making good on a promise to get you access to some U.S. Navy SEAL merchandise. I know it seems like forever, but it's actually only been about 2 months. As a MEMBER-ONLY benefit, you can place an order through the JMJAS (John M. Jackson Admiration Society - for those who are not yet used to the initials) for selected SEAL merchandise, including the bumper stickers we offered via the Chegwidden mailing list this summer. Other merchandise available includes SEAL Team 3 patches, baseball caps, and a variety of t-shirts. Member Sue V. has volunteered to coordinate this for us - a very big THANK YOU to Sue. 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 or your order will be returned to you. Thank you.

Trivia Corner

During the filming of everyone's favorite scene from the season premiere episode, "Gypsy Eyes," (for those not on the list - AJ decks Webb!), on the third take John M. Jackson missed - or I should say DIDN'T miss - and actually hit Steven Culp, the actor who plays Clayton Webb, the CIA agent we all love to hate - or is that hate to love? Anyway, SC's nose was broken and required surgery. They had to suspend filming on that episode and begin work on the second episode to allow SC's nose time to heal. Everyone took it with good humor, though - the producers gave JMJ a pair of boxing gloves and SC a hockey goalie's mask, which he wore the next time he was filming a scene in AJ's office. Who says actors have it easy!

The Jackson Vibe

Here's another one of our suggested newsletter titles that we'll be using in another capacity. From time to time we hear rumors, which we'll pass on to you when appropriate via this feature.

Rumor has it (otherwise known as "they say") that the October 13 episode is going to be a great one for AJ fans and there might be something in there for Mac/AJ 'shippers, too. The title of the episode is "Going After Francesca." Given that, could this be the episode where AJ's ex-wife shows up? And what would Mac think about that? Be sure to watch!

JMJAS Shirts!

We are pleased to offer to you the first official "unofficial fan club" merchandise - got that? We have JMJAS shirts that you can purchase for yourself or as a gift for a friend. The shirt is a Navy blue, medium-weight, polo shirt manufactured by Outer Banks - very nice and very sturdy. Our source will purchase the shirt and then embroider the SEAL trident with "JMJAS" above it on the left chest area. Your name will go on the left sleeve.

The cost is $35/shirt, which includes shipping. Please send a money order only - no checks, please. You may send cash at your own risk! Each shirt is made to order, so please allow 6-8 weeks to receive your shirt. As with the SEAL merchandise, the JMJAS makes no money from the sale of this shirt - we have simply found a supplier. If you would like to order a shirt or would like more information about this shirt, please e-mail chris45@jaguarsystems.com

Favorite Quote:

We are going to bring you our favorite quotes in episode order as much as possible. This month's quote comes from "Hemlock" - the second appearance by AJ on the show.

Harm and Commander Krennick tell the Admiral they have information that coud lead to the capture of Meg's shooter - should they turn it over to the other agencies?

AJ: Steal their thunder. S.O.B. comes in here and shoots one of my officers. I want him stuffed and put in my trophy room . . . and I want us to do it.

This is a new feature where 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 20th of each month. So for November, you may review the Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, and 20 episodes. We will extend the deadline to Oct. 23 to allow you a few days to gather your thoughts on that last episode.

Rating: JAG: 9 AJ: 8.5

Any episode co-written by Donald P. Bellisario and Larry Moskowitz (the two best JAG writers, in my opinion) has to be good. The plot of this episode is first-rate, especially as a cliff-hanger. There are elements of mystery, suspense, and action, just enough humor to lighten things up occasionally, and of course, a powerhouse ending that just about made this fan weep at the thought of having to wait four months to see the ending!

I'm sure I'm not the only fan who was hoping for more air time for our favorite Admiral, but as always, John M. Jackson certainly makes the most of what he's given to do. Even though he isn't in many scenes, the Admiral plays a key role here. For a man who has clear reservations about Harm's "quest" to find his father, he manages to come across as reluctantly and quietly supportive of Harm--if not the quest itself. Even "unofficially," I'm sure that allowing Harm and Mac to go to Russia could land him in serious trouble. At the same time, being a man of great integrity, AJ doesn't have the same capacity for lying that Harm does. Whereas Harm can look the Admiral in the eye and tell him he is only going to San Diego to update his flight status and see his mother, AJ seems very uncomfortable lying to SECNAV by telling him that Mac and Harm are in Russia "on vacation." But because AJ takes it upon himself to allow Mac and Harm to go in search of Harm's father, he also takes it upon himself to cover their sixes as best he can from Washington. Still, as Odysseus's wife Penelope could attest to, being the one left at home waiting and hoping for the safe return of people you care about is often far more difficult than being the hero on the journey. AJ's concern for Mac and Harm once he learns that the KGB is involved is evident during his phone conversation with Harm. There was a moment when I thought he might actually order Mac home. Yet, despite his obvious concern for her, he chooses to do the right thing by both his people. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to the consequences of his actions.

Anyone who has read my fanfiction knows how I feel about one glaring oversight in this episode: Why didn't we get to see Mac go to the Admiral to convince him to let Harm (and her) go to Russia? It was obvious that's where she was headed when she left Harm's office, and I fully expected to see that scene. So when it suddenly cut to the airport, I felt robbed. That's not the only place I felt that way: In the previews that aired last spring for this episode, there was a moment at the end of Webb and the Admiral's phone conversation with Harm in which Webb tells AJ: "You just signed both of their death warrants." I would have paid good money to see that as well--especially knowing as we all do by now from the previews for"Gypsy Eyes" that AJ receives word that Mac and Harm were killed when their plane was shot down. Hearing that remark from Webb would have added to the dramatic impact of this plot development.

I just want to go on record as saying that this episode contains the best acting I've seen out of David James Elliott to date. Harm is not my favorite character--he's a little too "right" all the time for me--but I really enjoyed David's performance here. He fluctuates between portraying Harm as being doggedly determined to find his father and looking like a lost little boy--both of which are entirely appropriate in these circumstances. The scene in the Admiral's office, when AJ chews Harm out for lying to him, is powerful. The raw emotion in that scene is palpable--both the emotion AJ vents, and the emotion, seething just beneath the surface, that Harm must restrain because he's the junior officer. In fact, this is the scene that finally crystallized for me why Harm has been so obsessed about his father for so long. Before this, I thought he was chasing a pipe dream; surely, a reasonable person would have accepted long ago that his father was dead and would have moved on with his life. But--and I've rewatched this scene a number of times--when Harm delivers his moving speech about the Japanese POW who was finally released after being forgotten in Siberia for 53 years, I consistently get all choked up. Wow.

Because "To Russia With Love" brings Harm's quest for the truth about his MIA father to a head, it should come as no surprise that it contains elements of the mythic heroic journey. The "call to adventure," the search for his MIA father, came long before this episode, but is sparked anew here by the arrival of the photo of his father at a train station in Russia. Within the mythic heroic motif, it is typical that the hero receives aid from "helpers" who appear throughout his journey. Harm has many such helpers here: Parlovsky (who, ironically, sends him the photo of his father); Webb (who provides him with intelligence about the figures in the photo and the KGB backgrounds of both Sokol and Parlovsky); Lushov (who tells him what he knows of his father's time in Russia); AJ (who "unofficially" sanctions Harm's and Mac's trip to Russia); Alexei (whose name literally means "helper," as Mac so aptly noted); Frank and his friend Hugh Blackadder (who provide financial assistance); and Sokol (who provides Harm and Mac with Harm Sr.'s last known location). In some of these cases, of course, I use the term "help" loosely, because whether Parlovsky, Sokol, and Webb are helping or using Harm remains to be seen.

During the journey, the hero must cross the boundary from his everyday existence to a land that seems alien to him; crossing this border presents various trials and dangers. In this case, crossing the ocean from the United States to Russia presents one such crossing, landing Harm and Mac in a foreign land amidst spies, where nothing is as it seems (as Maureen O'Brien so beautifully put it in her recent review of this episode). But there's another border crossing, entailing far more peril ahead for our hero and heroine when they steal the MIG-29 and attempt to make it to Beloika (my apologies if I have butchered the spelling). Since we don't seem to have witnessed Harm's descent into the underworld yet, we'll see whether my journey motif holds up in part two, "Gypsy Eyes."

Favorite quote: AJ: You didn't just lie to your commanding officer, you lied to me!

Review by Lyn:

Rating: JAG: 8 AJ: 9

Overall, I liked this episode. As usual, all of JMJ’s scenes were wonderful but also as usual, there weren’t enough of them (which is why it only got an AJ rating of 9 instead of 10). Although, to be honest, short of AJ showing up in every single scene, it might not be possible for me to get enough of him! <g> I especially liked the scene - almost a throwaway really - of AJ sitting in his office checking his watch and looking out the window. JMJ very effectively showed AJ’s concern for his people and his doubts about the wisdom of his actions in letting them go - all without saying a single word.

But Harm’s tendency to lie to people to get his own way bothers me. You’d think after Annie, he would have learned something, but it appears not. AJ was right when he said Harm should have given him the benefit of the doubt. AJ has backed Harm all the way, and this is a man that Harm respects and admires. I don’t know how Harm could handle knowing that he had disappointed this man. Which was the message that came through loud and clear during the "Hurricane Chegs" scene—that AJ was not so much mad that Harm had lied, but hurt and deeply disappointed. "You didn’t just lie to your C.O. - you lied to me!"

The cliffhanger ending didn’t do much for me - there was no doubt they’d survive, and I think most of us had figured out what would happen long before we saw it. For me, the real cliffhanger had to do with Parlovsky and Sokol and Alexi. I was dying to find out who were the good guys and who were the bad guys and who the heck was the "highest bidder." Not to mention the big question: what was really going on?? Someone wanted Harm to go to Russia but who and why were the big questions for me.

Review by HughesFan:

Ratings: JAG: 9.5 JMJ: 8

This episode is definitely one of my favorite of the third season. I can't think of a single element that was a weak link. I loved meeting Harm's parents though I can't imagine Harm growing up with that mother (she seemed too refined and patrician). And I have to admit that I felt sorry for his step-father, Frank. He seemed like a really nice guy. I wonder if Harm will give him a chance now that his search for his real father has come to an end.

I also have to say that I loved Mac in this episode. Anyone who knows me knows this is a prerequisite for me to give a good review to any given week's show, but it was especially true here. We have known for a while that Mac spoke fluent Russian, but I was amazed at Catherine Bell's ability to pull it off here. I'm not a native speaker, but she sure had me believing she could speak the language. Either she knows Russian (which I doubt) or she had to learn all of her lines phonetically without understanding a word she was saying. That is not easy to do--especially on an episodic television show's shooting schedule.

But Mac/Catherine's Russian was not the only thing that impressed me. Her loyalty and steadfast devotion to Harm, her confidence in dealing with every situation (except the flight in the MiG, of course), her deft handling of Sokol and the clerk at the hotel--I loved all of that and more. But what really surprised me was her chemistry with Sokol. I had thought the attraction between the two of them in Ghost Ship was very forced, but here....Wow! I don't know, maybe the antagonism that underlay it this time brought it to another level, but I'll definitely add Sokol to the list of men Mac has great chemistry with (a list that includes AJ, Farrow, and Harm in their own ways). I hope they find a way to keep Sokol in the JAG mix.

As for AJ (now that I brought him up), he did not, in my opinion, have enough to do here. But, as usual, he sure did make the most of his few minutes. I'd definitely have to include all of AJ's scenes as among my favorites, along with Mac telling off the hotel clerk, her dinner with Sokol, and the scene in Red Square. I just wish we had gotten to see his conversation with Mac about letting her and Harm go to Russia. You know that would have been interesting!

Rating: JAG: 8 AJ: 10

"Gypsy Eyes" represents the second half of the mythic heroic journey of Harm's odyssey to Russia and his quest for the truth about his father's fate. In this episode, our heroes descend (literally, from the skies above Russia!) into the "underworld," where they have to "survive behind enemy lines." Following the precedent set in part one of this journey, various helper figures arrive (including Sokol, which is quite a surprise!) to assist them, starting with the Gypsy brother and sister, Vasya and Rusza. Not only do Vasya and Rusza help Mac and Harm elude the Russian authorities for a long time by disguising them as Gypsies, but they are central to the title of the episode. "Gypsy Eyes," does not seem to be a literal reference, but rather a reference to Rusza's precognitive abilities--her ability to "see" visions, including the one which confirms the fate of Harm's father, who, of course, died as the hero his son always believed him to be, though not quite in the fashion Harm might have expected.

While Harm was not rewarded at the end of his quest with the news he'd hoped for, he did achieve his goal, which was to find the truth about what happened to his father. Carl Jung believed that "the essential function of the heroic myth is the development of the individual's ego-consciousness--his awareness of his own strengths and weaknesses--in a manner that will equip him for the arduous tasks with which life confronts him" (Man and His Symbols). The question that remains then is: How will achieving the end of his quest change Harm or contribute to his growth? Will it?

Not content with the "Penelope" role--waiting in Washington--which he had assumed in "To Russia With Love," AJ takes on a much more active role in this outing. (Oh please, oh please, let this be a trend for the rest of the show's run.) When he hears that his people have been killed in a crash, he doesn't believe the story concocted by the Russians. He determines to fly there himself to investigate, ignoring the SECNAV's warning: "Don't sail into those waters, AJ. It could scuttle your career." But, as Webb notes: "That's what you get when you make an Admiral out of a SEAL." Yeah--God bless him. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of AJ's more "fractious" side here. The AJ we see in this episode is the AJ from "With Intent to Die"--the one who won't rest until he discovers the truth about Mac and Harm and sees them safe, even if it jeopardizes his career.

I liked the fact that the plot of "Gypsy Eyes," in a sense, splits off to become two parallel heroic journeys: Harm's to find the truth about his father, and AJ's to find the truth about Mac and Harm. (Of course, AJ's is a bit less fraught with physical danger and hasn't lasted nearly as long as Harm's has, but I like the theme, so let's go with it.) Like Harm, AJ runs up against obstacles (mostly in the form of lies and half-truths) and acquires helpers along the way: Alexei, Webb (sort of), ZNN reporter Chuck DePalma, and the Embassy representative, Arnie McGill. Finally, in the end, Harm's and AJ's journeys collide, and together, they take down their enemies in a good old-fashioned showdown at the "OK Airfield."

While this episode gives us the conclusion of Harm's mythic heroic journey, I can't say it does it in an entirely satisfying way. I don't mind that Harm's father was dead--come on, people, what did you expect? The odds of him actually still being alive and living in Russia were slim to none. However, I have a problem with the manner of his death. It was his manner of death, in a sense, which necessitated the entire Gypsy storyline to begin with; somehow, Harm needed to find out that his father died defending a Russian woman's honor, and so voila! Enter Rusza, the Gypsy woman who has a "vision" of this event. Then, later, when the old Russian woman tells him what happened, Harm has Rusza's vision to confirm it. Therefore, it just had to be the Gypsies who found Harm and Mac in the forest after they crashed the MIG-29. That was just a tad too convenient. This episode would have been far better without the Gypsies; it was just a bad idea from the get-go. I don't know what Mr. Bellisario was thinking when he wrote that. Sure, we got to see that Harm's father died a hero--but he would still have been a hero even if he had died in prison. So what was the point of this ridiculous Gypsy storyline?

On the other hand, the all-too-brief subplot of Sokol and Parlovsky's intellectual "chess game," and the Russian Mafia trying to get ahold of missiles, was fascinating. It was far too important to take a backseat to Harm and Mac running around the countryside with Gypsies. The logical progression of this story about the fate of Harm's father should have led to the Sokol-Parlovsky plot, not to the Gypsies. I was sorry to see Parlovsky go; in my opinion, he was the best villain (read: most worthy adversary) this show has ever seen, and the scenes between Sokol and Parlovsky were delicious. It was like watching a game of cat and mouse--with both playing the role of cat to the other's mouse.

Last spring, when "To Russia With Love" first aired, I suspected that Webb was using Harm toward his own ends, and this episode confirmed that. What I didn't suspect--although I seem to recall someone on the mailing list calling this one accurately--was that Webb would turn out to be the "highest bidder," and thus Alexei's true boss. Very interesting development. (And was Webb's cohort at the Embassy really trying to recruit AJ for the CIA, or did he just mean for this particular case?)

In summary, it was a somewhat satisfying ending to the story established in "To Russia With Love"--in that at least we and Harm got some closure about his father--but it wasn't nearly as satisfying as I hoped it would be. Further, I didn't feel anything at the end when Harm learned from the old Russian woman about his father's fate. If this was supposed to be the big emotional payoff--and it's obvious that's what they were going for--I'm sorry, but it fell flat. I found Harm's moving speech (in To Russia With Love) about the Japanese POW to be far more emotional in a more subtle way.

What really saves this episode, in my opinion, is that we got to see a lot more of John M. Jackson (in civvies at that!). From start to finish, his scenes were a treat to watch. (I loved his subterfuge when he needed an excuse to go see Chuck DePalma, and he told Alexei that Chuck "ran off with my wife. We've got four kids. Two in diapers.") More of him, please. But here's something to file under Things That Make You Go "Huh?": When Chuck DePalma tells AJ he knew the Russians' story about Mac and Harm--that they flew into a flock of geese--wasn't true because geese thereabouts don't migrate until November, AJ replies (as if disgusted with himself) "I should have known that." Well, of course! Don't all Judge Advocate Generals/Navy Admirals/ex-SEALs know the migratory patterns of Russian geese?

Favorite quote: Harm: Webb--what are you doing here? AJ: Getting decked. (Slugs Webb.)

Review by Lyn:

Rating: JAG: 9 AJ: 10

As with TRWL, overall I liked this episode, but there were a few things I didn’t like.

I really enjoyed the gypsy brother and sister - obviously someone needed to help Harm and Mac or they’d probably have died wandering around the forest. Having their rescuers be gypsies was a good excuse to have Harm and Mac dress up, too. They did make good-looking gypsies. At the time I didn’t catch on that Rushya’s (sp?) dream was about Harm’s father, although as soon as the old woman said Harm Sr. had died, I immediately knew what she was going to tell Harm about how he died. I guess it was necessary to have the dream so that Harm had a reason to believe the woman’s story, but it seemed a little contrived at the end. I also was not really moved at the end (which I probably should not admit). I’m not sure why - I’ve always sympathized with Harm’s obsession to find his father even though I never expected he’d find him alive. Maybe it just seemed too rushed at the end or maybe it was the fact that there was nothing tangible of his father’s. I was really hoping the old woman would say Harm Sr. had left a diary or something behind. Having the voice of Harm’s father reading words he’d written about how much he loved his son and never stopped thinking about him would have made more of an emotional impact on me, I think.

I also hate to admit it, but I got a little lost a few times following the plot - especially at the end in the car. Talk about rushed and things coming out of left field! I have a feeling I’ll have to rewatch this episode a few more times before I figure it all out - if I do. I know that Parlovsky was supposed to be "Mr. Big," but did Webb have enough info on the rest of the group to be able to recover the missiles? Or did AJ’s rescuing of Harm and Mac destroy Webb’s chances of stopping the group? I’m still not sure about that! I think there really should have been at least one more scene sort of wrapping up that stuff.

As for AJ’s scenes - absolutely marvelous. I love Action AJ - although it may be unrealistic to expect that an Admiral would go charging off after his people, it seems quite realistic that AJ would. They’ve made much of his background as a former SEAL, and it seems totally in character that he’d not be content to sit on the sidelines and let others, who may or may not care what the truth is, take point. He had some of the best lines and scenes of the whole episode - as Mac would say, "Where do I start?" The whole scene with SECNAV; teasing Alexi about not tipping; "are you trying to recruit me for the CIA?" (and wouldn’t he make a good spy!!); "He stole my wife - we’ve got 4 kids - 2 in diapers;" the scene in the car - especially where he puts his foot over Alexi’s and stomps on the gas; and of course, decking Webb. This episode was a joy for JMJ fans.

Review by HughesFan:

Rating: JAG: 7 JMJ: 9.5

After the anticipation of the long summer and the near-perfection of the prequel to this episode, I have to admit that I was very disappointed in the season premiere. I was not terribly fond of the gypsy sub-plot, especially because it seemed to take away from the far more interesting subplots involving Sokol and Parlovsky's chess match and AJ's search for his people. I think I understand what was going on there, but another scene or two of explanation would have been nice. Instead, we had that single scene in the taxi that tried to explain all of the complicated spy and counter-spy elements in three minutes or less. I would have preferred that to be a little less rushed myself.

It was great to see the Admiral out of the office and in the middle of the action. We all know no real JAG would do that, but given AJ's SEAL background, it makes sense. I certainly hope that this is a portent of things to come this season. I just hope that next time we get to see a little more of him (which is why I only gave him a 9.5 here). And you can put me down as another person who really loved it when AJ decked Webb even though I already knew the real story behind the shooting of that scene.

As for the conclusion to Harm's search for his father, I can't say that I was particularly surprised. I had expected Harm to learn that his father was dead and I had also expected TPTB to leave the resolution open so that they could pick up the thread again in the future if they so desired. What did surprise me was how easily Harm accepted the Russian woman's story. I'm sorry, but I can't believe that any real family member of any real MIA would be so easily assuaged. Without any real proof--we saw no picture, no diary, no body, no grave, no personal effects, no physical evidence whatsoever--who's to say that the old woman's story is even true? After all it was Parlovsky that sent them to the location where they found her. Can we really be sure that she wasn't just feeding Harm the story Parlovsky wanted her to? I don't think so.

I was also disappointed in the emotional resolution to this story. While I'm normally a believer in underplaying scenes, I don't think it worked here. This was the conclusion to an almost thirty-year quest on Harm's part and all he does is look out over the Taiga with a few tears in his eyes and say goodbye? I don't think so. I think the emotions needed to be a lot stronger than that.

(JMJ as Donald Cunningham in "The Glimmer Man" (1996))

For more pictures from "The Glimmer Man," see the Photo Album on the JMJAS site. Also see the fan reviews under the "JMJ Movie Reviews" section of the JMJAS site.