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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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November 1998 | |||
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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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November 1998 | |||
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Have Answers . . . John M. Jackson, through his agent, has graciously provided us with the answers to some of the most-frequently-asked questions we get about him. So read on for some information you won't find anywhere else! 1. How tall is JMJ? - 6'3" 2. Where is he from? - Texas. 3. What does the "M" in John M. Jackson stand for? - Nothing. At the time he applied for membership in SAG (Screen Actors Guild), there was already a John Jackson registered. Since SAG rules do not allow for duplicate names, the "M" was added to differentiate him from the other "John Jackson." 4. Does he have any children? - Yes. We have not yet gotten an answer as to his exact age, although his agent did say that she thought our guess of late 40s was pretty accurate--actually we had guesstimated 47 years of age. I hope to get a definite answer from her at some point. And I would like to thank his agent for her graciousness in getting this information for us. She's a lovely lady. So far no word yet on
whether we will be allowed to use the designation
"Official" for this fan club, but we do know
that Mr. Jackson is considering the idea. Apparently he
had no idea he had so many fans and is not quite sure
about the whole idea of an official fan club. He is a
very private man we have been told. We will let you know
when we get an answer one way or the other.
Congratulations Are In Order!! At the end of October, the winners of the first Gold Wings Fanfic Awards sponsored by Maeve's JAGnik Central were announced, and we are very proud that three of our JMJAS members - Sandy B., our Club President, Virginia B., our Membership Secretary, and HughesFan, who puts together our "The Admiral's Mast" feature on JAG reviews - won four awards between them!
In addition, although the author is not a member, another story awarded a prize was written about our favorite Admiral:
If you have not read any of these stories, they can all be accessed through the fanfic page on the JMJAS site. All winners receive a certificate of achievement and a NAVY bumper sticker!! The First Place winner of the Fanfiction of the Year Category will receive a pair of Official Navy Aviator Gold Wings... just like Harm's and an Autographed photo of the cast of JAG. And the The Second Place winner of the Fanfiction of the Year Category will receive a small pair of Official Navy Aviator Gold Wings, a certificate of Excellence and a NAVY sticker. Here are the rest of the award-winners:
Our congratulations to all of these
talented winners. Here's looking forward to another year
of more wonderful fanfic about our favorite JAG
characters.
Trivia Corner As usual, we'll start off with the answers to last month's trivia questions. On the easy one - AJ's sister's name is Adele, and we learned about her in the Season 2 episode "Ghosts." Our quote (if I did it right, you should be able to hear the quote) was from the Season 1 episode "Black Ops," and AJ was talking to Lt. Alex Kellogg, leader of SEAL Team Two. (See our "Favorite Quotes" section for more quotes from "Black Ops.") And for our third question, we found out in "High Ground" (also Season 1) that AJ has a beach house in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Congratulations to Janna and Marie who knew all the answers. We're going to stick with the SEALs for our trivia questions this month, since we are spotlighting quotes from "Black Ops" and our feature article is "About Navy SEALs." Our question this month has three parts and each part is worth 1 point. Which SEAL Team did AJ lead in Vietnam? What was his rank at the time? How many members of that team are still alive? To play
our trivia game, e-mail your answers to admiralslady@oocities.com by Nov. 30. Answers will be in
the next issue of The Journal.
SEAL Merchandise 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.
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 (From "Hemlock" - Season 1)
Welcome New Members We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following members who joined the fan club during the month of October:
Welcome
aboard! With these new members, we are now at 100
members. We have members from 6 foreign countries -
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, South Africa, and The
Netherlands.
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 (Photo of Navy SEAL Garry Abrahamson in Vietnam taken by John Ware and taken from the cover of "The Men Behind the Trident: SEAL Team One in Vietnam" by Dennis J. Cummings) FanFic Forum Women's Intuition
I have to admit that I love this story. Yes, I am a Mac/Admiral shipper. I know... it is a bald thing I think. Sharon did a great job in picking the right moment to write this one. It takes place after "Defenseless." Not many authors would take a moment in the show to be the prolog to a story. She did a fine job of that. The story is what happens when Mac decides to go home for the night. It brings together lots of unresolved sexual tension (UST) and makes the plot feasible. Without giving away the story, let's just say the Admiral is in rare form and Mac is at the receiving end of his concern. This one is a must read for Mac/Admiral shippers and a must avoid for Mac/anyone else. You'll find a link to this story in our FanFic Archives. About the Author Name: Sharon Nuttycombe Where are you from: Grande Prairie, Alberta What do you do: Librarian -- but actually, I look after the care and feeding of a bunch of computers and do all the "techie" things. If someone asked me a reference question, I'd be in *big* trouble! :) When did you start watching: Just this summer, thanks to my friend Linda Campbell, who kept pestering...ah...reminding me to watch. OK. I admit it. She was right. I was wrong! A.J. rules! Who is your favorite charecter: A.J., of course. Are there any others? <gr> What is your favorite episode: Hmm. Well, given that I've seen so few, I'd have to go with "The Stalker". That was the one where I went "ooh" and reached for the remote control to rewind the tape not once, but several times. What other fan fic do you write: I started out with one Forever Knight story, then did some X-Files (Scully and Skinner) fanfic, moved on to Star Trek: Voyager (Janeway/Chakotay), and am just now getting into the world of JAG. Trouble is, there aren't enough hours in the day. Maybe I could give up sleeping... How long have you been writing: My first fanfic was posted in 1996 (whoa - time flies!). I've been doing original stories forever though. Nothing published...make that *finished* yet, but I live in hope! What is your favorite story (not written by you and yours if JAG): Um...er...I kind of hate to admit it, but I don't have much time to read other people's fanfic. I wish I did! I guess I'll have to turn to published works to answer this question -- they're not my all-time favourites, but I've just finished Laurell K. Hamilton's last two books ("The Killing Dance" and "Burnt Offerings") in the space of 48 hours. Excellent, excellent stuff! I want to be Laurell K. Hamilton when I grow up! :) What are your favorite hobbies:
Drooling over A.J. Ahem. I mean, bicycling, horseback
riding, reading, writing fanfic and original things,
photography, and drawing. Did I mention drooling over
A.J....?
JMJ Website of the Month Okay, you have just finished watching this week’s episode of JAG, and you didn’t get enough of everyone’s favorite Admiral? What to do? Go check out Linda Campbell’s web site: John M. Jackson On-Line at http://www. oocities.com/TelevisionCity/Studio/8240/. This site is truly a visually amazing site! This award-winning site has received the Maeve’s Jag Page Award of Excellence as well as JAGgirl’s Headquarters’ Prestige JAG Website Awards. Congratulations Linda! John M. Jackson On-Line offers the largest gallery of Admiral episode shots anywhere. The site’s selection currently includes Season 1 and Season 3 to current. Did I say current? After each episode airs, Linda usually has that week’s gallery up for your viewing pleasure within a week. You have to check back often! I have found this episode gallery also helps out as a memory jogger when people refer back to former episodes. If you want to share a little AJ with a friend, Linda offers customizable postcards under the e-mail tab. There currently are ten different cover pictures and the back can be customized with your own greeting. You can even attach the JAG theme to your card. Having a bad day? Send yourself a little pick-me-up. Who wouldn’t smile if they found the Admiral in their mailbox? I’m waiting to see if Linda comes out with a postcard for the holidays of AJ with a superimposed Santa hat. It could get ugly with all the good little girls in the JMJAS fighting to sit on Admiral Santa’s lap. Oops - off the subject. Want even more AJ? At the John M. Jackson On-Line site you can find ways to customize your computer with Multimedia options created just for Admiral-crazy fans. You can choose from two different wallpapers, screen savers, and--coming soon--desktop themes, start-up logos, shut down logos and sounds. WARNING: it is very difficult to surf the web, work, check e-mail, etc. when you don’t want to disturb your screen saver! Also, excessive staring at the screen saver can put you into a hypnotic state where you find yourself on a deserted island sipping mai tais with a handsome Navy Seal in a wet suit. Oops - off the subject again. It is really easy to get lost in dreamland with all the visual stimulants this site has to offer! Other offerings at this site are an Archive of fanfics (a shipper moment for all the Mac/AJ shippers is the video box on the top that replays the scene from The Stalker of the "near kiss"), Episode AJ--a summary of upcoming episodes and Links to other Admiral/Fan Sites, Jag and Related Jag sites. Want to share your opinion with Linda about the site? Be sure to sign her guest book. If you are a JMJ/AJ fan, you must check
out this site. With all the photos and multimedia choices
to choose from, you will be in cyber-heaven.
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About
Navy SEALs The name "SEAL" stands for Sea, Air, and Land - the three environments in which they operate. Navy SEALs are perhaps the most elite fighting force in the world today - certainly they are the most feared and respected commando force in the U.S. military, as well as being the most highly trained - and most flexible - fighting force in the world. Their training is the toughest around - one class graduated no one, and the "washout" rate is said to be 60 percent or higher!! The wide range of tasks they perform and their outstanding combat record have earned Navy SEALs an enduring reputation; they have become legendary in their exploits both on and off duty. Navy SEALs have their roots in the "frogmen" of World War II. Frogmen were volunteers selected from the Naval Construction Battalions in the Spring of 1943 to become Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs). Their mission was to clear obstacles from beaches chosen for amphibious landings. They distinguished themselves well at Utah and Omaha beaches in Normandy and in Southern France. In the Pacific, the NCDUs were consolidated into Underwater Demolition Teams or UDTs. They saw action all over the Pacific during World War II, and in September 1950, the UDTs participated in the Korean War at Inchon, Wonsan, Iwon, and Chinnampo. In 1962, then-President John F. Kennedy decided to organize an elite group of men specializing in counter-terrorist tactics as a Naval counterpart to the U.S. Army "Green Berets." The first SEALs came from the ranks of the UDTs, and by 1983, the term "UDT" was eliminated, and all UDT teams became SEAL teams. The first SEAL Teams were commissioned to conduct unconventional warfare, counter-guerrilla warfare and clandestine operations. SEAL Team ONE was on the West Coast, and SEAL Team TWO was on the East Coast. The task assigned to SEAL Team ONE (10 officers and 50 enlisted men) was to conduct unconventional warfare operations such as destroying enemy shipping, harbor facilities, bridges, railway lines, and other facilities. They were also to infiltrate and exfiltrate agents, guerrillas, evaders and escapees, as well as conduct reconnaissance and surveillance and gather intelligence. In addition, they were asked to do such things as conduct boat operations and provide boat maintenance, supply medical aid, and contribute to the basic education of the native population. And, as if that weren’t enough, they would also be used to train, assist, and advise U.S., allied, and other friendly military or paramilitary forces in conducting any of the previously-stated missions. During Vietnam, SEAL Teams ONE and TWO compiled an impressive record of combat success, amassing a combined kill ratio of 200:1, with only 46 deaths among them. The deaths resulted more from accidents or poor intelligence than from direct enemy fire. Navy SEALs also performed heroically in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Just Cause in Panama, and Desert Storm in Iraq (where they completed 200 combat missions without a casualty). In Desert Storm a unit of six SEALs (five enlisted men led by Lt. j.g. Tom Dietz) successfully undertook "Operation Deception," the object of which was to fake Iraqi troops into waiting for an amphibious invasion that would never come. They planted explosive charges a few hundred yards apart along a length of beach in Kuwait and Iraq and set the charges to detonate a few seconds apart. The mission was carried out about 25 miles from the Iraqi elite Republican Guards. When the charges went off, large portions of two Iraqi divisions were spotted by U.S. Recon satellites moving towards the Gulf area and away from the main front of the Allied ground forces. Two days after the mission, the SEALs received a message from General Schwarzkopf (who was said to have hated the Special Forces teams) that said, "Enemy forces moving to beach. Allied forces going behind them. You have saved the lives of many of our fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Bravo Zulu." High praise indeed. More recently, Navy SEALs have been deployed in Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia. SEAL and SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams and Special Boat Units make up the elite combat units of Naval Special Warfare. These units are organized, trained, and equipped to conduct special operations, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and clandestine operations, and they are deployed worldwide in support of fleet and national operations. SEALs are trained to operate in small units of one or two men up to platoon strength of 16, but they work best in squads of 8 or fewer. An actual SEAL Team consists, for the most part, of 10 or more platoons, and each platoon has two teams of eight men. There are two officers per platoon, each leading a "fire team." Rather than being called the "CO" and "XO" as in the "regular" Navy, SEAL Team leaders are called OIC (Officer In Command) and 2IC (Second In Command). When serving in a forward area (like Vietnam or the Gulf), they are based far from the main headquarters but close to the front lines. They pride themselves on being unconventional in a conventional military. SEALs always take care of one another - no SEAL has ever been captured or left behind and no SEAL has ever surrendered. The basic concept of the SEALs is Teamwork. During training, they learn "There is no "i" in team." They comprise less than 1 percent of the entire Navy, but they carry out specialized missions which no other military unit can. A typical mission for a SEAL might include free-fall parachuting from 10,000 feet, travelling by small rubber boat for 100 miles, conducting the actual mission, and then travelling 30 miles out to sea to rendezvous with a submarine. Most of their missions are clandestine in nature - planned in minute detail and executed with precision and swiftness. They train as hard in peacetime as they do during war - the belief being that the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you will bleed in war. Today there are six SEAL Teams operating plus the Naval Special Warfare Development Group or DEVGRU. (This is the SEALs’ counter-terrorist unit.) SEAL Headquarters are at Coronado Naval Base in San Diego, and SEAL Teams 1, 3 and 5 are stationed there. The Eastern Teams (SEAL Teams 2, 4, and 8, which is doing some work in deploying as a strike force from carriers) are stationed at Little Creek, Virginia. DEVGRU is found at Dam Neck, Virginia, which, if you look at a map of Virginia, does not exist. DEVGRU took the place of SEAL Team 6. These guys are on-call 24/7 for such things as the hijacking of the cruise liner Achille Lauro (which was planned with SEAL Team 6 as the primary force if the ship were still at sea when the green light was given). On October 16, 1970, an insignia was authorized for wear by SEALs. It consisted of an eagle with its wings spread grasping a trident in one claw and an old-style flintlock pistol in the other claw. The center of the design was a Navy anchor, and these elements together were meant to stand for SEa, Air, and Land. In the Teams, it was simply referred to as "the Trident." Today the Trident is well known by both military personnel and civilians as the symbol of the U.S Navy SEALs. For Navy SEALs, the only easy day was yesterday! Hooyah! (This article was compiled from
information found at the official Navy SEALs website as
well as several other SEAL websites, from information in
the book "The Men Behind the Trident: SEAL Team One
in Vietnam," by Dennis J. Cummings, and from
information supplied by Virginia B. and Pat M. Special
thanks to Pat for reviewing this article for me.)
JMJAS Shirts!
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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 20th of each month. So for December, you may review the Oct.27 and Nov. 3, 10, and 17 episodes. |
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Embassy (aired 9/29/98) |
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by Gray Cargill Rating: JAG: 5 AJ: 8.5 This wretched plot, by R. Scott Gemmill, is an embarrassment to JAG--or at least, it should be. To begin with, it was too formulaic. I think even if I hadn't been tipped off about the plot beforehand by spoilers, I still would have known that the Ambassador was in on the takeover and that it was all engineered to make General Zulake (sp?) look bad. During the party, Ambassador Moshak comes across as a playboy who enjoys beautiful women, good booze, and lavish parties. When he therefore makes his "noble" gesture to remain behind with the other hostages when the "terrorist leader" offers to let him go to receive medical attention, it just rang false. While I liked Professor Dubatu for the most part, I found him to be too stereotypically the "peacemaker" character--in contrast with the terrorists and even Harm. When he went on TV to speak to his people at the end, I kept expecting to hear him say: "Can't we all just get along?" (It was that kind of an episode.) Finally, when they threw in the Ebola virus, wasn't that just (pardon the pun) overkill? As if the main plot weren't bad enough to begin with, there were far too many cop-outs in the details as well--for instance, why were all of those Sudanese terrorists speaking English amongst themselves, when they should have been speaking their native language? This is the same cheap plot device HughesFan pointed out as a problem with Season Two's "Code Blue"; it is used for no logical reason, but only serves to allow Harm and Mac to understand what the terrorists are up to. That is simply not good enough. It's lazy writing, as HughesFan would say. While the episode had some really funny one-liners, a series of one-liners strung together isn't enough to sustain an entire hour-long episode. Finally, I was extremely unhappy with the way Mac's character was written in this episode. Catherine Bell certainly does the best she can with what she's given to work with, but in the end, she was plugged into the "helpless girlie" role, getting captured while Harm saves the day--yet again. (To read my thoughts on this aspect of the episode, please see the November Catherine Bell Newsletter.) Truly, the only saving graces in this episode are a handful of one-liners--which wouldn't in themselves be enough to salvage it--and the scenes between AJ and Webb, who stole the show. The antagonistic relationship between these two just gets more delightful all the time. AJ's hesitance to participate in this mission was a direct result of the events in the season premiere, "Gypsy Eyes," but since the SECNAV approved it, there was little he could do except remind Harm and Mac that it was purely voluntary and they didn't have to participate. Still, once the Embassy was taken over by "terrorists," I enjoyed watching AJ order Webb around and threaten him. To hell with Webb's mission, AJ's primary concern became the welfare of his people, and that was evident in every scene through his facial expressions and body language. In fact, his SEAL instincts were evident in abundance here, from his concern for his "team" to his realization that there was something "not quite right" about the whole takeover of the Embassy, even though he couldn't pinpoint what that was. I loved seeing him stand up to the SECNAV (and how DARE the SECNAV blame Harm and Mac for what happened? HE was the one who approved the operation! They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.). The best scene in the episode was when the view from Ambassador Moshak's office is telecast on ZNN. Webb forgets where he is and tells a colleague on the phone: "It's on the desk!" (Referring to the container holding vials of the Ebola virus.) Immediately, AJ realizes that Webb has once again misled him and put his people in unnecessary danger for one of his covert operations. He slowly gets up and glares threateningly at Webb, then yells at him to get his people out of there. Webb replies: "What are you going to do, break my nose again?" AJ doesn't have to say "yes," all he has to do is order Bud out of the room, and Webb knows he is in serious trouble. He tells his colleague over the phone: "We've got to get in there now!" Priceless! Regarding the subplot of Bud and Harriet's pregnancy, I'm not sure it's such a good thing that the writers rushed into this already. They could have explored some newlywed issues before they leapt into pregnancy issues. Some of this storyline worked for me--especially the one-liners it provided Bud, like "Sir, it's Commander Rabb. He's on line one. He's got morning sickness." But the scene in the Admiral's office where Harriet confirms that she's pregnant was too sickeningly sweet. Pass me the Tums. As an aside, why is it that Bud vacillates between being so brilliant one minute that he figures out that Harm is using the cigarette lighter to send Morse code, and the next minute, he's overstating the obvious: "That's Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie!" Duh. Thanks, Bud, but I believe both Webb and AJ have twenty-twenty vision, too. Favorite quotes:
Review by Lyn: Rating: JAG: 6 AJ: 9 Judging from the comments on the various lists after this one was shown, I’m in the minority in saying that I liked this episode immensely. True, it was not a "great" JAG episode. We knew from the description in the TV Guide that the takeover was fake, and it was pretty obvious within the first 5 minutes or so of the episode where it was going. No real suspense - we knew Harm and Mac would get out just fine and save the day - don’t they always? And as willing as I am to suspend disbelief, even I had to go "Oh please" when Harm used the cigarette lighter to send a signal by Morse Code. And wasn’t it so convenient that the television crew just happened to decide to televise live right then and do a close-up on the window or Bud would never have been able to figure it out. But as silly as all that was, I just can’t condemn this episode too badly. How can I condemn any episode that gives us so many great character moments and one-liners! We had the scenes between Webb and AJ - always a delight. "You’ve got to be kidding." "Do I look like I’m kidding?" and countless other lines too numerous to mention. We had Mac and Webb - "you’re a regular James Bond, Webb" - not to mention his rattling off of her vital statistics and her defensive correction on her weight and "That dress is Government property." "Send me a bill." Or the look on Webb’s face when Mac came in in that dress. Then we had Harm and Mac moments, which even I, a non-‘shipper, could appreciate: their rationale for going along with the mission - Mac’s already dressed and Harm’s shaved twice today - and their easy camaraderie at the end as they walk out the door: "We should go out more often." "Yeah, I had fun." Whether you see that as a great friendship or evidence of deeper feelings, it’s still a great moment. So maybe I
should actually have said at the beginning that I liked
"many parts" of this episode immensely. Because
I do tend to skip over several scenes to get to the good
stuff, but there’s so much good stuff as far as
I’m concerned, that I tend to forgive the rest of
it.
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Innocence (aired 10/6/98) |
| Review
by Gray Cargill: Rating: JAG: 7 AJ: 7.5 I have mixed feelings about "Innocence." It wasn't a bad episode, but I found myself pretty ambivalent about its outcome. I sensed from the beginning that there was no way the writers/producers of JAG were going to write a story about a Japanese girl actually getting raped by an American serviceman (echoing "Clipped Wings," another instance where the show soft-pedaled a real-life incident), so it was pretty much a given that Ensign Guitry would turn out to be innocent of the rape. Because of this, I knew that by the end of the episode, Harm et al would have found a way to prove that. Hence, there was no suspense or real sense of jeopardy here. Consequently, it was hard to feel anything for any of the characters (with the exception of the Japanese defense lawyer, Jiro Kitamura, played by Yuji Okumoto, whom I thought was outstanding). Ensign Guitry might have done the chivalric thing by June, but he violated his oath to the military by lying and making the whole U.S. Navy look bad. June wasn't on screen long enough for me to feel anything for her, especially once it became apparent that she could have saved everyone a lot of trouble by coming forward with the truth, but didn't. Her father's grudge against the U.S. made him unsympathetic. The B storyline, about Admiral Fessendon, was slightly more interesting, especially seeing the subtle shift in his personality from a complete boor to a pathetic, misfit soul. But the A and B storylines really didn't mesh all that well, and so I was left feeling disjointed about the whole episode. I was also completely mystified by Harm's erratic and self-destructive behavior here. I know we received early warning that he was going to be "more fallible" this season, and I applaud that decision, but shouldn't there be a reason for that fallibility? First we see him clash with Jiro, whose lawyering style was so different from Harm's that Harm felt he wasn't being aggressive enough. That was understandable. What wasn't understandable was that he didn't bother seeking Mac's advice about potential Japanese cultural differences prior to arriving and putting his foot in his mouth on numerous occasions. He knew she had experience with Japanese culture and he didn't--so why didn't he seek her advice? Please tell me he's not such an "ugly American" that he believes all countries do things the way we do? But if not, what was going on here? On top of the cultural blunders he makes throughout this episode, he takes on not one, but two Admirals; talk about career suicide! Certainly Fessendon was not the most likable person on the planet, and was not the best person to be in charge of the situation. But I've always had a sense that Harm's self-protective radar tells him exactly how far to push his superiors and when to pull back before it jeopardizes his career--that radar was definitely not on in this episode. His scene with Chegwidden was shocking. Yes, it's understandable that the very independent Harm would feel resentful about having his superior arrive to supervise the situation, but surely this isn't the only time in his career that's happened? What made this situation so different? Did his earlier mistakes leave him feeling unsure of himself, so that when the Admiral arrived to supervise, his defensive reaction was to dig himself in deeper by challenging AJ? Or did his recent discovery about his father's death throw him so off-kilter that he's just an emotional mess now? Whatever the reason, I would have appreciated seeing some sort of explicit acknowledgment in the script about what was causing his uncharacteristically self-destructive behavior. Otherwise, he just looks out of control for no good reason. That said, the scene between Harm and AJ was fantastic. The tension between them was thick, and Harm's frustration over losing control of the case was evident in the way his voice went up in pitch while arguing with the Admiral. The Admiral, who is not used to having his authority challenged, finally lost his cool, but I thought he showed remarkable self- restraint overall. If I were AJ, I would be completely fed up with Harm's holier-than-thou attitude. This is not the first time he has accused AJ of covering things up and putting politics ahead of the welfare of individual servicemen and women (he did the same thing in "Defenseless"). He has a way of insinuating that somehow, he cares more than AJ does about truth, justice, and the American way. Lucky for him, AJ has been tolerant until now, but it's obvious here that Harm's relentless pushing of boundaries is taking its toll. As usual, AJ didn't get enough air time. This was disappointing, as the previews made it look like we'd be seeing more of him than we did. But as always, John M. Jackson was excellent in the few scenes he had. In addition to the confrontation scene with Harm, there was the Guitry butt-chewing scene at the end. This wasn't an easy scene, either. AJ was caught between a rock and a hard place: On the one hand, he had to make it very clear that what Guitry did was incredibly wrong, because it jeopardized the whole U.S. Navy and our presence in Japan. On the other hand, if he hadn't backed down when he did (admitting that no, a relationship isn't "irrelevant"), he would have come across as a heartless bastard. Once again, John M. Jackson managed to strike just the right balance in all his scenes, portraying AJ as tough and by-the-book, yet not inflexible and not without a heart. Finally, I loved the softball game! It's nice to see these characters doing something during their time off, and doing it together. I'd like to see more of this kind of thing. Favorite quote: AJ: Lieutenant
Commander Rabb, as you know, I've always been open to
respectful disagreement. But if you ever badger me like
that again, I'll supervise your ass right out of
Washington. Review by Lyn: Rating: JAG: 6 AJ: 7 I have very mixed feelings about this episode. It started off with such great promise - that softball game scene was wonderful. I love the chance to see these characters outside of the office, and while some of us have always suspected there might be something like a JAG softball team, it was nice to see it confirmed. But by the end I was disappointed overall in the episode. I liked seeing Harm be such a jerk. Don’t get me wrong - I like the character of Harm - but he’s always so righteous and so good and so sure of himself that it was good to see him finally taken down a peg and be out of his element. Although it figures that he would not be allowed to end the episode on a fallible note - of course it had to be Harm and only Harm who figures out what’s really happening. And what was with Harm going alone to talk to the girl??? I’m sorry - it should have been Mac or at least Mac should have been with Harm. He was - bottom line - still guessing at that point about what had really happened. If he’d been wrong or if she hadn’t been convinced to cooperate with him, Harm could have been in a world of trouble, not to mention giving the Navy another black eye. Needless to say, that scene annoyed me no end. And the other scene that left me feeling disappointed overall was the ending scene. AJ was doing great up until the writers had him go soft on us. If he wanted to acknowledge that he understood that feelings were important to the ensign, that could have been and should have been handled differently. Because the bottom line was that the ensign screwed things up just about as badly as he could have. I know he was trying to protect the girl, but if he’d been listening to anything his lawyers (especially the Japanese lawyer) were telling him, he would have realized there was little chance of his being acquitted. If he had told them the truth to begin with, the case would have been quietly dropped. Yes, the girl and her family would have been embarrassed, but it would have been a private embarrassment. Instead, the family was publicly humiliated. Now the whole world knows that June was a prostitute and that she was because her father couldn’t provide properly for the family. That’s so much better, don’t you think? Meanwhile, the ensign is undoubtedly going to prison anyway for perjury, not to mention losing his career, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll never see June again. After that kind of public humiliation, she won’t leave her father and cause the family further embarrassment. But if it had been handled privately, she might have had the courage to stay with the ensign, and, of course, he’d still have a career and no prison record. So someone really needed to point out forcefully to this kid that he was absolutely and completely wrong in what he did - not only for the girl’s sake but for his as well. He violated his oath to the Navy and put the entire Naval program in jeopardy and gained absolutely nothing in return. He could not have handled it worse if he’d tried. I was so disappointed that AJ didn’t let him know what a complete jerk he’d been. JMJ was, of
course, terrific as usual. Loved the scene on the tarmac
and, of course, the softball game. But as is so often the
case, there wasn’t enough of him.
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Going After Francesca (aired 10/13/98) |
| Review
by Gray Cargill: Ratings: JAG: 9.5 AJ: 10 I don't think it's a coincidence that the first near-perfect episode of Season 4 was an AJ-centered episode. We all know what a great actor John M. Jackson is, but the writing and directing here were exceptionally well-done, too (kudos to Stephen Zito and Alan J. Levi). Not only was this an insightful character study of AJ and a suspenseful personal jeopardy story line, but the underlying plot about Dillard stealing the stinger missiles and the Italian Mafia all made sense, too. I have to admit, I didn't anticipate the whole Antinori-Paretti feud plot development, but it certainly worked well. In this episode, we learn a great deal more about our favorite Admiral, his family, and how they all feel about each other: Though she's only known him for a few years, Francesca feels a bond with AJ; she loves him enough to kill the "love of her life" after he shoots her father; and she believes her parents are a "good fit" (and just what was she smoking when she wrote that?! They weren't a terrible fit, but not exactly a natural pairing, either, given their radically different lifestyles and outlooks on life). Marcella reveals that Francesca has her father's habit of keeping things to herself. We learn that poor clueless AJ had no idea that Marcella wanted him to follow her to Italy when she left him, that she cried many nights while listening for his footsteps, that she married him because he "looked splendid in his dress whites and had a good heart," and that she still has feelings for him (despite an apparently happy marriage with Vittorio). We learn that AJ has never stopped loving her. We see that Marcella has a fiery temper to match AJ's. In addition, we learn from her that the real reason she left him wasn't because she "missed her mother," as AJ suggested in Someone to Watch Over Annie, but because of the violent life he led and "the trail of blood he left behind him" as a SEAL. (Isn't it ironic that she left AJ for this reason, only to wind up married to the Mafia?) Also, we see to what extremes AJ will go to protect his daughter when he offers Dillard immunity on new offenses discovered if he tells him where Francesca is. Wow. My head is reeling from everything we learned in this episode. Barbara Carrera was wonderful as Marcella Paretti. She was right on the mark with all of her reactions and emotions; I was impressed. (And this coming from a Mac/AJ fan!) Speaking of Mac, the scene between Mac and AJ in the wardroom was very sweet. It's been a pleasure to watch their relationship slowly evolve over the past year; though it's uncertain where it's ultimately headed, it's a fun ride. I've reviewed this scene in some detail for the Catherine Bell newsletter, so I won't repeat myself here (except to say why, oh why, don't we get more scenes between just AJ and Mac?). I have mixed feelings about AJ's interactions with Harm. The scene between them and Dillard worked very well. Even though Harm knew the Admiral needed the information and that Francesca's life was at stake, he also knew he had to advise his client to do what was best for Dillard. That's a tough choice to make. John M. Jackson's facial expression in that scene said it all: AJ was initially pissed off, but then realized Harm was just being a good defense attorney, and he respected him for it. Later, I enjoyed the humorous scene when AJ and Harm were procuring weapons for their foray into the Italian countryside. But I still don't like the fact that AJ told Harm to call him AJ because they were about to break all sorts of rules and risk their lives. So what? AJ went out of his way to maintain a professional distance with Mac earlier in the episode, and yet, with Harm, he tossed that professional distance aside. While it's not entirely out of character for him to treat Mac and Harm differently (AJ does seem to have double-standards where they're concerned), I still have a hard time believing he'd go so far as asking Harm to call him by his first name. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Francesca has more of her father in her than I thought: After she failed to shoot Luscino when she first got ahold of his gun, I never expected that she would be the one to kill him in the end. What a shocker. What wasn't a shocker was that Vittorio Paretti, Marcella's husband, got killed. Once we found out that AJ and Marcella still had feelings for each other, Vittorio stood about as much chance of surviving this episode as a Star Trek "red shirt" has of surviving an away team mission. I'd lay odds that as soon as the appropriate mourning period is up (what's that--six months?), Marcella will be paying AJ a visit in DC. Finally, I was very excited at first to see the show use subtitles while people spoke Italian, since too often, the show tries to convince us that foreigners speak English amongst themselves (yeah, right)--yet it was inconsistently done. Why did Francesca and Luscino, for instance, speak English when they were alone together? It was a minor nit in an otherwise very satisfying episode. Favorite quotes:
* * * * *
Review by Sue Valera: Rating: JAG: 8 AJ: 10 I really enjoyed Going After Francesca. It was nice to see the Admiral in the entire episode. We had a chance to see him more on a personal level than in past shows. I liked seeing all the different emotions he portrayed from anger to realizing that both he and Marcella still had feelings after all these years. I don't see them getting together, personally I would prefer someone younger for AJ. I also enjoyed the scene where AJ says thank you to Sarah after she leaves the room. To me, it showed how vulnerable he could be if he would allow himself to be. And on a final
note, Francesca can be on my team anytime. I love a woman
who will not play victim and stand up for herself. Good
shooting. Review by Lyn: Rating: JAG: 10 AJ: 10 What can I say - I *loved* this episode. After 3 seasons of dying to learn more about AJ, we finally learned a lot. Of course, it’s still not enough—in fact, it raised almost as many questions as it answered. Like how long exactly were they married and given AJ’s obvious love of children, his own included, why did he stay out of her life for so long? And what made him seek her out (or her seek him out) a couple of years ago to get reacquainted? But it’s a start in the right direction. And unlike the previous two episodes, this one was well written and believable all the way through. I didn’t see Francesca’s father’s involvement coming at all. And I found Francesca’s first sleeping with Luscino and then killing him at the end to be believable. She finally really understood he was not the same man she’d fallen in love with earlier. Loved that Bud was able to help in the end, and loved AJ’s comment about him: "I must need sleep. He’s starting to make sense." I have no real nits to pick - the only thing in the whole episode that struck me as a little off was AJ’s asking Harm to call him AJ. But the scene between Mac and AJ was great - he really needed to talk but couldn’t let himself be vulnerable in front of his people, and Mac was the one (despite the apparent close relationship between Harm and AJ) who understood he might need a shoulder, even if she didn’t understand he wouldn’t let himself. I wonder if his reaction would have been the same if it had been Harm who approached him? This episode
will go right up there with "Black Ops" and
"Ghosts" as my favorite AJ episodes. Now, if we
can just find AJ a really good woman he can actually love
and who really understands and accepts him. . . .
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The Martin Baker Fan Club (aired 10/20/98) |
| Review
by Gray Cargill: Rating: JAG: 6 AJ: 4 Let's get this out of the way: I have never liked Roscoe Martin or Kevin Conway (though Conway is a good actor, no doubt about it). Part of this is because I disliked Roscoe in "King of the Fleas" and part of it goes back to an episode of "Homicide: Life on the Streets" (called "Heartbeat") in which he guested as a man who murdered someone, Edgar Allan Poe-style, by bricking him up alive behind a wall. Shudder. Great episode--but let's just say he was a little too convincing. With this episode, we go back to the old formula I dislike so much of having AJ only appear during one opening scene and then disappear for the rest of the episode. How disappointing. John M. Jackson was his usual excellent self here, and the story he told Harm was moving. It is incredibly difficult seeing someone you love wind up in such a sad condition--let alone a personal hero. His question "Where's the respect?" sounded so heartfelt. However, he might have been better off saying "Where's the dignity?" His friend's condition had nothing to do with the respect or lack thereof paid him by his caregivers, it had to do with the man's medical and psychological condition. The hospital and caregivers didn't damage him; the war did. Therein lies the theme of this episode: some soldiers didn't just serve their tour of duty in Vietnam and then go on with their lives; they spent the rest of their lives serving that tour of duty, descending into a living hell from which they never returned. I think Roscoe's own paranoia led him to misdirect blame onto the hospital's caregivers. Are there doctors who overmedicate their patients? Absolutely. But some people truly cannot function without medication. That's the tragedy. I found myself once again wanting to belt Harm really hard when he started in on his usual self-righteous "I'm doing the right thing, so where does that put you?" attitude with AJ. When AJ asked him what Roscoe had ever done to earn Harm's loyalty, Harm stared at him and replied: "He's fought a war, sir." By his tone, Harm sounded as though he was trying to shame the Admiral into agreeing with him, but AJ was right to question Harm's loyalty to Roscoe. Fighting in Vietnam wasn't enough to make Roscoe worthy, especially when we remember how he conducted himself there. (And remember Jack Holford, the psycho who was in AJ's SEAL team in Vietnam? Remember Osbourne?? Enough said.) What saves Harm from being completely obnoxious in this scene is his far more persuasive admission that "Roscoe is a handful," but that he represents to him everyone who fought and died in the war. Okay. That I can buy. I wasn't especially engaged by the plot of this episode, but two performances made it worthwhile to watch: Karri Turner's first dramatic turn as Harriet and John Wesley's guest role as the hospital attendant, Oakley. Karri was fantastic, especially in the car scene. It makes me wonder why they persist in wasting her talents on the comic relief scenes? Why aren't they giving her more to do? (I guess I could ask that about everyone but David James Elliott, couldn't I?) I've been a fan of John Wesley since "In the Heat of the Night," where he played Harriet DeLong's death-row ex-husband. Every scene he was in had a quiet intensity or, alternately, a quiet dignity--and I was glad to see him bring those same qualities to his JAG role. The courtroom scene was a bit weak, but he was very strong in the teaser, the scene between Oakley and Harm in the hospital corridor, and in the final scene between Oakley and Roscoe. Speaking of Wesley, it suddenly struck me as I watched this episode for the second time, that what this show is seriously lacking is more racial diversity. Every one of the regulars is a WASP. (Oh, sure, Mac's got Cherokee in her, but you'd never know it.) While there are often African-American guest stars, it doesn't seem realistic to me that the entire JAG staff is white, with the exception of Mattoni, whom we hardly ever see. Just an observation. Roscoe's suicide scene was predictable (the fact that he'd die, not the method), but nevertheless, it was very well done. While I want to say that the fact that he used the flag to do it was overkill, I really can't; given Roscoe's personality, it was completely appropriate. What's more, it was the first time I actually liked Roscoe. Why? Because he finally stopped lying and manipulating and attacking people and being paranoid and just did what he had to do to die with dignity. It reminded me of Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," in which the Misfit says of the grandmother he's just killed: "She would of been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." (If you've read the story, you know what I mean; if you haven't, you should. It's one of the best short stories ever written.) We have a saying where I work: People are remembered by the way they leave, not by what they did while they worked here. If they did a great job for five years, but were a total jerk right before they left, they'll always be remembered for being a total jerk right before they left. Fair or not, that's the way it is. Rather than remember the Roscoe Martin of the rest of the episode or "King of the Fleas," I'd like to remember the Roscoe Martin of this last scene, the one who, with only the mobility of his head and neck, still managed to find a way to end his life with dignity. Favorite quote: Harm:
"You're a man with something to say. You know,
that's where I keep going wrong with you. I keep assuming
you need my advice when all you ever wanted was my ear.
You don't need me to save you." (If only he'd
remember that the next time he tries to "save"
someone. . . .) Review by Sue Valera: Rating: JAG: 10 AJ: 5 I give this show
a 10 It was well written and even though AJ was relegated
to his brief 5 minutes on screen, I enjoyed it. It wasn't
a fluff piece. It actually made you think about what
happens to our boys when they come home from war these
days. I know when WW II ended the troops came home on big
troop ships. There they had a chance to decompress with
other soldiers; they were able to talk and cry during the
trip home. Nowadays you can be on the battlefield one day
and home the next. That has to be a real shock. It makes
me wonder if I would be able to handle war. It certainly
makes me grateful towards those who have to fight. Review by Janna Franklin: Rating: JAG: 6 AJ: 5 As I've already shared with the folks on the mailing list, this episode brought back some memories for me. I did my music therapy internship in a psychiatric hospital. This episode, in my opinion, did a good job of portraying what life is like for the many psychiatric patients out there. I'd be willing to bet that the actors playing those parts did some character research by observing actual patients. Their mannerisms, non-communicativeness, and eccentricities--all really seemed accurate as I remembered the clients I worked with years ago. I, personally, liked the episode's ending. I was not expecting the guy to switch off his life support, and I never dreamed that's what he had in mind when he asked for the flag. When I finally realized his intentions, it was a bit of a shock. Maybe the rest of you saw it coming; I sure didn't. I think we can
all at least agree that it would have been nice to see
more of AJ in this episode. They never seem to have
enough of him, do they? :) I did like the one scene he
had. The fact that he would bring board games to his old
pal in the hospital really gives us a good glimpse of the
kind man he is. He may try very hard sometimes to come
across to his people as a crusty, stodgy old Admiral,
(or, as AJ put it in "Ghosts," a "growling
old salt") but little hints pop up now and then that
give us all a satisfying peek at the good heart behind
those stars. Review by Lyn: Rating: JAG 8 AJ: 6 First off, the low rating for AJ is only because he was relegated to just one simple scene. But it was a great one. Someone on one of the lists commented that JMJ was born to play this role, and I couldn’t agree more. Don’t think I’ve ever seen him strike a false note. That said, I think overall this was a good episode. But I think the whole point of it - that the hospital was medicating patients to be able to get by with less staff and fewer real programs to help - was confused somewhat by the subplot of whether or not the orderly had it in for Roscoe and whether or not there was really someone in his room. In the end, they had nothing to do with anything (except maybe to show that Roscoe really was mentally ill - but did anyone really doubt it??), and I think just served to sidetrack us from the real issue. And it’s such an important point to be made, I hated to see it diluted. Loved seeing
Karri Turner more. She did a great job of portraying her
fear and anguish over maybe losing the baby. But I do
wish they hadn’t had her buying into that ridiculous
notion that moving the coffee machine would have or could
have caused a miscarriage in an otherwise healthy
pregnancy. I would have thought she was too smart for
that. And before anyone points out that she was upset,
I’d like to say that my first pregnancy ended in a
miscarriage, and I’d been riding my motorcycle up to
that point - had even had to pick it up a couple of weeks
earlier after it fell over in the parking lot. Believe
me, I was plenty upset (actually the word
"hysterical" comes to mind) at the time, but it
never once occurred to me then or later to think that
I’d done something wrong. My doctor had assured me
that anything I was doing before I got pregnant I could
continue to do after I got pregnant as long as I was
careful and uncomfortable about doing it - including
riding the motorcycle. And he assured me after the
miscarriage that riding a motorcycle, even picking it up,
had no bearing on the miscarriage. I just hate to see
otherwise strong, intelligent women buying into the
notion that because they’re having a baby they are
somehow fragile or "sick" or otherwise
"disabled" and unable to function normally. The
Good Lord knew what he was doing when he designed our
child-bearing system. But that’s my own personal
gripe - didn’t mean to get on my soapbox. Also loved
having Harriet acknowledge - finally - that people were
bending over backwards to accommodate her and Bud and
that she didn’t want to bother them any further. Too
bad she didn’t take a page from Mac’s book and
kick him when he said "oh, they don’t
mind." Talk about clueless.
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| JMJ On Television | Here's a very different
look for John M. Jackson from the movie "Dead Man's
Revenge." Photo gallery page for this movie will be
up soon. |
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| (Unless otherwise specified, all times shown are Eastern Standard Time) | ||||
| Nov. 3 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG - Angels 30 | |
| Nov. 10 | 4 a.m. | HBO | The Glimmer Man | |
| Nov. 10 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG - Mr. Rabb Goes to Washington | |
| Nov. 12 | 9 a.m. | Showtime | The Spitfire Grill | |
| Nov. 12 | 6 p.m. | Showtime | The Spitfire Grill | |
| Nov. 16 | 2:05 a.m. | HBO | The Glimmer Man | |
| Nov. 16 | 4 p.m. | VISN-Odyssey | Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 | |
| Nov. 16 | 7 p.m. | Lifetime | Party of Five - Leap of Faith | |
| Nov. 17 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG - People v. Mac | |
| Nov. 20 | 8 p.m. | HBO | The Glimmer Man | |
| Nov. 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Showtime | The Spitfire Grill | |
| Nov. 21 | 3 p.m. | VISN-Odyssey | Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 | |
| Nov. 22 | 12 a.m. | VISN-Odyssey | Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 | |
| Nov. 24 | 8 p.m. | CBS | JAG - The Black Jet | |
| Nov. 29 | 4:30 p.m. | Showtime | The Spitfire Grill | |
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 John M. Jackson Fan Club Newsletter, November 1998 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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