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JAG Season 8 Episodes
Season 8 Episode Guide
24 Episodes 2002 - 2003
Episode 1
Critical Condition
Tue, Sep 24, 200260 mins
Bud has lost his right lower leg due to a land mine in Afghanistan. A helo takes him to USS Guadalcanal, where the requisite people and facilities are available. Bud's condition becomes critical. Harm, Mac, and Sturgis, aboard USS Seahawk, receive the news about Bud. Sturgis returns to Washington. RAdm. Chegwidden directs Harm and Mac to decide which of them will stay temporarily in Bud's billet aboard USS Seahawk, and which will return also to Washington; however, they both go to USS Guadalcanal, igniting the ire of the JAG. PO Coates gives much help to Bud and shows much concern about him and loyalty to him. The admiral, Loren, and the SecNav appear as witnesses before a congressional committee. The admiral aids and comforts Harriet, as does Midn. Mikey Roberts, on emergency leave from the US Naval Academy. Bud gets into serious trouble during surgery, but he encounters an astounding change of course.
Episode 2
The Promised Land
Wed, Oct 2, 200260 mins
A corporal in the US Marine Corps, who is a recent convert to the Jewish faith, has served aboard a Naval vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. During a port visit in Haifa, Israel, he left his ship and his unit, then he joined the Israeli Army. Five months later his Marine company commander saw him in a news report about a military action in the West Bank. The defendant now faces a charge of desertion in a court-martial. Sturgis and Loren prosecute, and Harm and Mac defend. Meanwhile Bud returns from overseas and goes to the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, where he receives a Purple Heart and starts his rehabilitation. He gets a warm welcome from everyone except his own father. Loren makes a false statement that she too is Jewish, and she receives her orders to USS Seahawk to fill Bud's billet there. Bud and Harriet learn how to cope, and Harm and Mac continue to show growing signs of their getting in tune with each other.
Episode 3
Family Business
Tue, Oct 8, 200260 mins
A gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps stands accused of fatally shooting his wife. Mac prosecutes, and Harm defends. The defendant does not fully cooperate with Harm, but Harm eventually figures it out, and justice prevails. Both Bud and his father have difficulty with Bud's condition, but each of them starts to straighten out. Loren prepares for her transfer to her next duty station in the Arabian Sea. Sergei returns to Russia, and Loren gives him a ride to an airport. The President accepts the resignation of the SecNav.
Episode 4
Dangerous Game
Tue, Oct 15, 200260 mins
In a woodland west of the Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, a deputy sheriff tries to stop a car carrying two SEALs taking part in a Navy training exercise. During the resulting chase he loses control, crashes, and dies. Harm and a new staff member, LCdr. Tracy Manetti, prosecute the driver for negligent homicide, and Mac and Sturgis defend. The defense team discover helpful evidence. Bud goes home -- to his new home -- and he and Harriet try hard to cope with their new circumstances. The new SecNav takes office. Arranged by RAdm. Chegwidden, Harm takes Meredith for a thrilling flight aboard his antique aircraft, and she gives Harm a few thrills in return.
Episode 5
In Thin Air
Tue, Oct 22, 200260 mins
A RIO (Radar Intercept Officer), Commander Phil Zuzello, dies of prolonged hypoxia at high altitude, and the hypoxia is traced to contaminated liquid oxygen. At first the evidence implicates a petty officer (the plane captain). Harm investigates, then Mac prosecutes, and Harm defends (by request of the defendant). Harm allows his emotions to cause his defense to be inadequate. The defendant requests a change, so the admiral takes Harm off the case and sends in Sturgis in Harm's place. Harm later uncovers the whole story. Ensign Tiner, in his own inimitable way, contributes to the defense. Harm takes another ride in a Tomcat. Bud shows displeasure with Harriet's protectiveness toward him.
Episode 6
Offensive Action
Tue, Oct 29, 200260 mins
A woman commander has given bad marks on a fitness report of a man lieutenant in her chain of command, and he filed a complaint of sexual harassment against her. Mac and Sturgis prosecute in a pretrial hearing, and Harm and Tracy defend. Harm learns that the accused has hidden something, and he finds out what. Meanwhile Bud continues to have some ups and downs during his rehab, as does the admiral during his friendship with Meredith.
Episode 7
Need to Know
Tue, Nov 5, 200260 mins
A senator asks the new SecNav to obtain a declassification of the story of the loss of a nuclear submarine on a CIA operation in 1968 -- so that the families can finally learn about the loss of their loved ones. The senator is the daughter of the skipper of the boat. The SecNav turns to the JAG, who appoints a quiet and classified court of inquiry. Harm, Mac, and Sturgis serve as counsel to the court. Due to the extremely high classification of the mission, much wrangling takes place between the CIA and the Navy. However, a surprise piece of evidence leads Harm to the explanation of the resistance within the CIA. A satisfactory compromise comes about, the families learn, and Webb gets a new assignment to a nothing job in a nowhere place. Bud and Harriet together reach a high point in his rehab.
Episode 8
Ready or Not
Tue, Nov 12, 200260 mins
A Marine general stands trial in a court-martial - by his own request - for alleged reckless and multiple acts of disobedience - all during a war game. Sturgis prosecutes, Harm defends, and Mac sits on the bench. Internal friction pops up during the trial. An important piece of evidence reaches Harm at the 11th hour. The dispute at issue turns out to be a personal vendetta between two generals. Justice prevails. Meanwhile Bud reaches two more milestones in his rehab, he and Harriet hold a reception in their new home, and Meredith provides a good surprise to the admiral.
Episode 9
When the Bough Breaks
Tue, Nov 19, 200260 mins
A mishap occurs on the flight deck during intense night flight operations aboard USS Seahawk (CVN-65) in the Arabian Sea. One death and one serious injury result. Loren, the new legal officer aboard the ship, investigates, and she strongly recommends the trials of a long list of key crewmembers, both officers and enlisted members, for dereliction of duty. Loren has become pregnant, and she refuses to name the father. RAdm. Chegwidden sends Harm to conduct a second investigation and Mac to discreetly find out whether Loren conceived before leaving shore or after arriving aboard the ship. Harm helps and allows justice to prevail. Loren returns to the US, and Mac remains temporarily aboard the ship in her place. Back in Washington, Tracy finds the missing piece of a puzzle, and Meredith lends reading material to Bud, who further enlightens her about Shakespeare.
Episode 10
The Killer
Tue, Nov 26, 200260 mins
RAdm. Chegwidden diverts Harm to Naples, Italy, on his way back from Seahawk (in the Arabian Sea), and he sends Tracy there also to join him - to find a serial killer who an Interpol officer believes to be aboard a certain US destroyer. Four prostitutes have died in Mediterranean liberty ports under bizarre circumstances. Criminal profiling works well; however, after Harm and Tracy first search unsuccessfully in the obvious direction, then they suddenly by surprise find the offender, who does indeed fit the predicted profile. Tracy fluently converses with an Italian inspector in his own language, and she tells him that her father came from Milan. Meanwhile Sturgis works with Bud, and Harriet tries to work with Loren, who has decided to get an abortion.
Episode 11
All Ye Faithful
Tue, Dec 17, 200260 mins
Bud and Harriet hold a dinner party on Christmas Eve in their new house for the JAG gang. Everyone encounters delays or difficulties along the way. Harm and RAdm. Boone lose one ride but rescue a lost aircraft (hauling Toys for Tots), a young Marine couple lose a home but gain a lifetime blessing, RAdm. Chegwidden delivers another baby in his office, three visitors from the East present valuable gifts, a new Naval aviator receives his wings, and Bud and Harriet get bad news and then good news from Santa Claus. PO Coates joins for duty and for dinner. The catered dinner comes from an unexpected source, who remains for the party. Everything eventually works out. Bud invokes, "God bless us every one", then all agree and exchange, "Merry Christmas".
Episode 12
Complications
Tue, Jan 7, 200360 mins
The 16-year-old daughter of a Marine general dies during surgery. The general demands an explanation, and he does so with zeal and forcefulness. Harm and Mac investigate the circumstances. During a hearing it becomes known that the behavior of the general has improperly influenced the testimony of a witness. That in turn requires the general to face a charge of unlawful command influence. Harm prosecutes, and Mac defends. However, Mac finds the real cause of the death, and justice prevails. Bud becomes frustrated with his duties back in the office until he encounters a challenging and interesting claim for disability. Loren changes her mind, Harm confronts her, and Renee sends an announcement. Bud receives a welcome letter.
Episode 13
Standards of Conduct
Tue, Jan 21, 200360 mins
A Navy lieutenant ostensibly blows a whistle on an allegedly defective high-tech combat system. Mac helps him to resign and to get out of his remaining active-duty obligation. However, she discovers his sabotage of the system and his theft of the source code, which he then delivers to his new prearranged civilian employer, who gives him a lucrative high-end job in the electronic-gaming industry. Harm and Mac learn more about the lieutenant and his service, and they present him with a major surprise, including another change in his career plan. Meanwhile Harm and Sturgis receive more awards, and Harm by accident meets a little old lady and her shyster.
Episode 14
Each of Us Angels
Tue, Feb 4, 200360 mins
This is a sincere tribute to those who have served during war and peace in the Nurse Corps of the US Navy, especially during WW2. It consists of a romantic, emotional, melodramatic war story set aboard USS Goodwill, a fictional hospital ship of the USN, just offshore during the Battle for Iwo Jima. An elderly man meets a young woman on the grounds of the national cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, then he tells about his experiences aboard that ship. The regular JAG characters transition into other roles, including the admiral as a chaplain, Harm as an injured Marine officer, Bud as a Navy medical officer, Sturgis as an orderly, and Mac, Harriet, and Meredith as nurses.
Episode 15
Friendly Fire
Tue, Feb 11, 200360 mins
Near the end of a nine-hour patrol over Afghanistan, a US carrier-based pilot, claiming self-defense, drops a 500-pound bomb on a British position, killing three soldiers and injuring others. He stands accused of violating the rules of engagement and disobeying an order to hold his fire (from a controller aboard an AWACS aircraft while seeking clarification about friendly forces). In a court-martial the pilot faces charges of involuntary homicide and dereliction of duty. The officially approved use of go-pills is involved. Mac and Bud prosecute, Sturgis defends, and Harm presides. Bill O'Reilly, a TV commentator, appears as himself. Mac later gets a temporary assignment.
Episode 16
Heart and Soul
Tue, Feb 18, 200360 mins
To increase his understanding of a claim by the Navy against a contractor, the admiral takes a ride with Harm in the back seat of an F-14 Tomcat. The admiral accidentally ejects over a national forest during a snowstorm with snow already on the ground. Harm lands safely without the canopy. While a SaR helo searches for the admiral from the air, Harm does so in a Humvee on the ground. The admiral relies on his survival training and practical experience as a SEAL, and he finds a new use for an item from his emergency pack. Harm eventually finds him in an unexpected place. The admiral had taken a Valentine gift with him, and he found and kept a new friend. The uncertainty causes a stir in the office.
Episode 17
Empty Quiver
Tue, Feb 25, 200360 mins
A torpedo with a nuclear warhead has disappeared from a submarine, the disbursing officer aboard an aircraft carrier faces charges of fraud and larceny, and 10 million dollars go astray without reaching the carrier. Bud prosecutes the disbursing officer in a preliminary hearing, and the judge orders the defendant to face a general court-martial. Sturgis figures out the location of the missing torpedo, and Harm figures out the framing and the irregularities aboard the carrier. Both the cash and the torpedo eventually show up. The admiral continues to recover after his accident, he names his new dog, and Mac runs the shop as the senior officer present.
Episode 18
Fortunate Son
Tue, Mar 18, 200360 mins
The admiral returns to duty. A young Marine pilot, who is also a Vietnamese refugee from the fall of Saigon, comes under suspicion of taking part in human trafficking, along with his wife, who is also from Vietnam. Although the couple and other Vietnamese feel reluctant to reveal the circumstances, Harm and PO Coates persist, they find the truth, and justice prevails, even without going to trial. The SecNav, under political pressure, sends an investigator to look into a number of unusual occurrences. The investigator is Cdr. Ted Lindsey, who tries hard to grind his ax; he says that he'll recommend the transfer of everyone in the office.
Episode 19
Second Acts
Tue, Apr 1, 200360 mins
A petty officer saves his unit of Navy Seabees in the Middle East from three terrorist suicide intruders in a pickup truck, and a TV crew catches the incident on tape. However, the hero shuns the attention because he is a man previously thought to have died in the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. The widow of the hero's best friend and business partner raises a number of questions. Harm finds a way to produce the answers, and Sturgis helps the hero to stay in the Navy. The SecNav invites RAdm. Chegwidden to rebut the report by Cdr. Lindsey. After he receives the response, the SecNav relieves Cdr. Lindsey for cause and orders him out of the Pentagon ASAP. Sergei shows up with his fiancee.
Episode 20
Ice Queen
Tue, Apr 22, 200360 mins
During an organized event in a wooded area, a Boy Scout finds the decomposing body of Lt. Loren Singer in a tree. NCIS investigates, and Harm soon becomes the prime suspect. Harm appears to try to hide something. The NCIS, continuing its investigation, finds not only several surprises about Loren's death but also several pieces of circumstantial evidence pointing directly to Harm, who then finds himself in an uncomfortable position. Special Agent Jethro Gibbs also gives attention to terrorists in the Middle East. This episode and the next one introduce the NCIS characters and pave the way for the NCIS series, which debuts five months later (on 23 September 2003).
Episode 21
Meltdown
Tue, Apr 29, 200360 mins
Harm goes on trial in a court-martial for the murder of Loren Singer. A Marine major from Quantico prosecutes, and a Navy woman lieutenant commander from San Diego defends. However, the NCIS continues its investigation anyway. The cap proves to be Harm's, but someone planted it. NCIS agents find a pattern, they pursue it, and they find another suspect, who, during questioning, begins to concede that he was the killer. That lets Harm off the hook. Meanwhile Agent Gibbs goes aboard a surface ship of the Navy in the Mediterranean Sea to question a terrorist in custody. He gets an answer, which allows him and his mates to thwart the next imminent attack on a Naval vessel.
Episode 22
Lawyers, Guns and Money
Tue, May 6, 200360 mins
Harm returns to the office from the brig and his trial. Sturgis stands accused of having provided ineffective defense counsel during a recent court-martial; in the appeal of the conviction Bud represents the government, but he does poorly in standing up for Sturgis. The admiral makes a plan to propose to Meredith, but both parts of his plan go awry; however, she lends a hand. Webb has requested that Mac pose as his pregnant wife during a CIA undercover operation in Paraguay in South America; she agrees and complies, and they go. While Mac is away, Harm reexamines his relationship with her. Webb and Mac suddenly find themselves in a dangerous confrontation. [To be continued.]
Episode 23
Pas de Deux
Tue, May 13, 200360 mins
Webb and Mac continue undercover in a CIA operation in Paraguay. A familiar face shows up among the Latinos on the other side. The admiral and Meredith start announcing their engagement. Harm tries to get some information about Webb and Mac through Catherine Gale, a lawyer at the CIA. Unexpectedly Harm poses as Catherine's fiance for the benefit of her dying mother, and Bud conducts a sham wedding. The friend in Paraguay runs into big trouble. Catherine helps Harm in his quest for word about Mac. Webb and Harm take part in eliminating a drug dealer who has supplied arms to terrorists, then they get into a firefight at the hacienda of another such dealer. Mac reminds the CIA guys that Marines do not leave their own behind. [To be continued.]
Episode 24
A Tangled Webb: Part I
Tue, May 20, 200360 mins
Unknown to the CIA, Webb and Mac have become prisoners of a drug-and-arms dealer in Paraguay. Harm asks the admiral to send him officially to Paraguay to rescue Mac, but he declines, so Harm resigns his commission and goes unofficially. Gunny tails Harm, and they meet. The terrorists torture Webb, and they prepare to torture Mac in his presence. However, Harm and Gunny attack the dealer's stronghold. The dealer goes to the cache of missiles while Harm and Gunny free Webb and Mac. Webb needs prompt medical attention, so Gunny drives him toward a hospital, and Harm and Mac attack the stored missiles by using a borrowed aircraft. Meanwhile Bud and Harriet have their own problems while dealing with the events in Paraguay. [To be continued.]