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Webposted: April 4, 2002
by: Kay Kellam
As I write this review I have to wonder what the people at NBC who were responsible for canceling this show were thinking! JAG, which they canned after one season, was snapped up by CBS where it was give the time to grow into a huge hit -- a hit that has grown even more in popularity since September 11, 2001 as American have rallied around points of patriotism and the belief in standing up for the ideals one says they believe in.
If you believe the old adage an Officer and a Gentlemen you will not be disappointed by this show. Week in week out fine officers and fine characters grace the screen -- and in those times when they behavior is less than that of an ideal officer, or person, they come to find the error of their ways -- and try to find their way back to their ideals, if they are lucky with their pride still in tact.
Admiral AJ Chegwidden is the leader of this group, the head of the office, and the de facto father figure of this make-shift family of characters serving quite ably as an officer, a gentlemen, and a mentor to those under his command.
Commander Harmon Rabb Jr., and Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie are those we see the most of, two of the top lawyers under his command who have tension on several layers that makes their friendship an interesting subplot to watch unfold in each and every episode. They know one another well enough to be dangerous -- they have the ability to be great friends, perhaps even more, but they can also go head to head in court and stick by their guns until the very end.
The lieutenants, Bud and Harriet, Roberts and Simms-Roberts have been two of the best characters on JAG. During the run of this series they have gone from being guest characters to finding one another, exploring the ins and outs of how can two officers date in this mans Navy, have married, and have a wonderful son (AJ) and suffered through the tragic loss of a daughter (Sara) not too long ago. Their characters have had as much development outside the office as they have had inside the office, a balance that the show manages to pull off with virtually all of the characters.
New in the 2001-2002 season is Sturgis Turner, an old friend of Harms and an able attorney, he can fight the good fight with Harm in court, and often has very different views, and yet they manage to remain friends outside the courtroom. It is a fun adversarial friendship to sit back and watch. (Viewers of previous seasons will note he has filled the slot left vacant by Mic Brumby, a universally unpopular character who seemed destined to simply be hated by audience members no mater how hard the writers tried to make him a character the fans would Love to hate a subtle difference that is a difficult type of character to write.)
JAG is one of the few shows that is good week in week out. Almost every episode is not only a good viewing experience, but holds up well in reruns, which it is already doing on USA. (USA Network offers all but season 1 in reruns... apparently NBC which did not think the show deserved a second season doesn't want season 1 to see the light of day again. Having seen season 1 I'm not sure why. It was a fun show then as well.)
(C) Kay
Kellam, 2001 for PopArtsPlace.com
Prior to having her first novel, A
Life to Di For, published author Kay
Kellam enjoyed a variety of jobs that helped to shape her outlook on the
world, and her profession. more...
