The Good of the Service, October 7, 1997

By Shirley

In this episode, Harm is a real hero. No one is going to pin a medal on his chest for it, but what he did was the stuff of real heroism.

Harm believed in Lt.Col. John Farrow. Yet he had to prosecute him, because what he did, even though it was the right thing to do, contravened the UCMJ. But notice how Harm approached his case. Right off the bat, he antagonized the judge and the panel with his overly and uncharacteristically abrasive manner. I believe he was intentionally trying to gain sympathy for Farrow. If the prosecutor is a jerk, why then, we should feel sorry for the poor defendant.
 

When Harm let Farrow off the hook by not destroying his credibility on the stand, he knew he was in for it with the Admiral. You could see it on his face when Bud told him that the Admiral wanted to see him in his office ASAP. And what did he do after being dressed down? He went to Haiti to find the truth. And we're treated to his take on the Australian accent. <VBG>.

DJE gave a lesson in acting in those final scenes in the courtroom. It was all nicely underplayed, and he allowed us all to see into Harm's soul as Antoinette told her story. Harm was with her the entire way. He felt her pain. He suffered with her as her child was killed. We could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes. When Antoinette was on the verge of breaking down, before she had finished her story, it was Harm's voice that helped her to cross that particular bridge. Pamala Tyson gave an absolutely riveting performance as Antoinette. Brava!

As for Mac, I think that she has finally come to the realization that what happens inside the courtroom is separate from outside, and ironically, is on the receiving end when someone (Farrow) doesn't understand that. Up to now she certainly has had difficulty with the concept. I liked Harm's apology too.

I can't believe that the Admiral believed, even for one nano second, that Harm made a first year law student's mistake. I think his line should have been given to Bud. "Uh, Admiral, Major, why did Cmdr. Rabb ask Antoinette that question? They always tell us 'Don't ask any witness a question you don't already know the answer to.'"

Finally, to those who may have doubted Harm's skills as a lawyer, I believe that the Admiral did not win this case for the simple reason that he was along just for the ride. It was Harm who prosecuted and defended Col. Farrow at the same time. It was Harm who won, both as prosecutor, and defender.

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