A Girl's Best Friend, January 9, 2004

By Michele Blackburn

Marilyn Monroe said that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Well, in JAG's case diamonds are neither girl's or Admiral's best friend.

After Meredith's diamond falls out of the setting, a friend visiting from Italy sees it at comments on the diamond not being real because of the missing etched serial number on the bottom of the stone.

This announcement from Meredith to the Admiral leads him to investigate. He uses Mac and her contacts at the CIA--she's now well known because of her bravery in Paraguay--to find out more about the diamond.

While Mac's at the CIA, she learns that Webb is out of the country (QUOTES). I guess someone should tell her to turn on 'The West Wing' and watch him play the Speaker of the House.

No one--especially the Admiral--could have guessed the intrigue that would be involved because of this one little diamond. The Admiral chases a man by the name of Mr. Handy to find out if Meredith's diamond is real and if it isn't where it was obtained. After a chase ensued and the Admiral took a good punching from Mr. Handy, he found out that Meredith's diamond was real and he also found out where the diamonds were bought from: Lieutenant Maravelis at Navy lab research.

Speaking of Mr. Handy, I didn't like how he called the Admiral Popeye. It just made me dislike him even more. BTW, this isn't the first time Popeye has been mentioned on JAG. Harm mentioned in season 3 that the Navy has Popeye's enlistment papers somewhere on file.

Mac's contact at the CIA goes rogue after a cloak and dagger meeting with Mac. This file leads her to a meeting with a Doctor Mallory who works on diamonds, specifically the diamonds that Lieutenant Maravelis was selling.

Lieutenant Marvelis was found guilty, but his sentencing was already held by giving the money up he obtained from the sold diamonds.

Meanwhile, Mattie found out that her best friend would come in the form of a Petty Officer named Jennifer Coates. I thought it was so sweet when Harm asked Jen to be Mattie's roommate and it's less complicated than having two people stay in a one bedroom apartment. Plus, Harm would still be close enough to keep an eye on Mattie. When Harm hugged Mattie in front of Jen, I wanted to say 'How can you resist?' They make such a cute father/daughter pair. I loved the end when all three women were in the apartment eating popcorn and Harm was staring at all of them. I'm sure what was running through his head was something like 'Ah, the women in my life.'

Meanwhile, we learned more about Jen's father. In 'Meltdown', we learned that Jen's father beat her mother. Now we learn that he is a minister. Also, we learned that Harriet and Bud are having trouble with Little AJ. I guess this is leading up to the BIG problem they have with AJ in coming weeks.

The big shocker wasn't played out until the end when AJ walked into their bedroom to find Meredith asleep. When the door to the bathroom opened and her friend from Italy, Professor Alesandro Selvaggio, walked out you could have knocked him over with a feather. Instead of confronting her, AJ simply closed the door.

NOTE: James Keach (aka: Jane Seymour's husband) directed this episode of JAG.

Best Quotes of the Show:

"The Admiral's all bluster. He's got a heart full of gold."~Jennifer

"Coates, would you like to tell me why your clothes are in my filing cabinet?"~Admiral

"Can anyone in this office separate their personal from professional life?"~Admiral
(Bud and Jennifer see his wedding magazine on the desk)

"I need you here to look after me."~Harm

"So, Commander, welcome to parenthood."~Admiral

"You've proven that its possible to keep a secret around here."~Mac (to Harm)

(yelling over the phone)
"It's your phone bill. Pay it yourself!"~Jen
(hearing phone conversation in the hall)
"I think that's my cue."~Harm

"You are the man of honor."~Mac (to Admiral)

"At least you tried to do something romantic. Some guys can't even get that much right."~Mac
"I thought you and Commander Rabb had decided to forgive and forget."~Admiral
"I wasn't talking about Commander Rabb, sir."~Mac

(to CIA secretary about Webb's whereabouts)
"Northern or Southern Hemisphere?"~Mac
"Near the Equator. Occidental side of the globe."~Secretary
"That narrows it down."~Mac

(about Mattie's new clothes)
"The kids won't call you 'homefries' anymore."~Jen

"Love can drive a man crazy."~Harm
"That road runs both ways."~Mac

"Mattie, you can't come to the door in your underwear!"~Harm
"It's not underwear underwear. I'm wearing underwear under the boxers."~Mattie
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you dad."~Mac
"Hello, ma'am, sir."~Jen
"I'm beginning to feel like Captain Von Trapp."~Harm
"Who?"~Mattie
Captain Von Trapp from the 'Sound of Music'."~Mac
"I guess we need a DVD player, dad."~Jen
"I see. Adopt one, get two. Hell of a deal."~Harm
"I always said you'd make a good family man."~Mac
"Stop it."~Harm
"No, I meant that as a complement. I'm really proud of what you're doing here."~Mac

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