Ice Queen, April 22, 2003

By Michele Blackburn

Ice Queen isn't like a normal JAG episode. Mark Harmon headlines a new series which may be a spin-off for the popular series JAG. If this spin-off takes roots on CBS, it will be Mark's seventh series. Most recently, Mark Harmon appeared as Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan in The West Wing for three episodes. The character earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Star.

In this spin-off, Mark Harmon plays Leroy Gibbs and is joined by David McCallam as Doctor Ducky, Robin Lively as Vivienne and Michael Weatherly as Tony Dinazzo.

JAG rated no. 3 in Tuesday night shows with a viewing of 13.5 million people. It beat out the action drama, 24.

 

This show was very fast paced and had a few elements of CSI in it. The yellow writing that normally shows at the beginning of a JAG show was replaced by nice steel gray writing. Also included in the show is the dead bodies viewpoint of what is happening. It makes the show kind of spooky. The show introduced its characters quickly. The only two actors in this show that had some history given were Gibbs and Vivienne. It seems that Gibbs worked undercover in Moscow for six months and Viv lost her brother in the USS Cole bombing causing her to leave the FBI and join NCIS.

To start off the show, a boy scout finds the decomposed body of a Naval officer while searching for a stray arrow. Enter Gibbs and his team. When the ID is made, everyone in JAG is shocked to find out its Lt. Loren Singer. Harm storms out without being excused. The biggest shocker: Singer died around the time she took maternity leave making her death three months ago. The autopsy proved that Harm couldn't be the father of Loren's baby (we already knew that) and that Loren was going to have a daughter.

Gibbs and Vivienne question each JAG lawyer. The Admiral is the first to be questioned although his, Harriet's and Sturgis' aren't shown. Bud fumbles during his questioning and Gibbs and Vivienne find that Mac is shocked when she hears that Harm headed his own investigation into the father of Loren's baby. Harm is their prime suspect, though, when it is revealed that he was the last person to see Loren alive at Benzingers, he knew her exact due date, and his fingerprints were all over the inside of her car.

During a search of the grounds, the place were Singer fell into the water is found along with blood where she was hit in the head. Her body then washed up into a tree after the spring fall. Also found, is a Naval cover. For those who can remember, Lindsey accidentally picked up Harm's cover a few weeks ago.

Harm is brought in for questioning and arrested when the prints in Loren's car are found to be his. When Gibbs asks about Sergei, Harm shoots up in his chair and says Sergei had nothing to do with it. He is arrested right there in the room. Harm tells Gibbs to look in his eyes and ask if he killed Loren. Instead, Gibbs asks Harm the question that ends the first part of the show: "Would you kill for your brother?" Harm is speechless.

Note: This is not the first time Nanci Chambers' character has been killed off JAG. In 1997, she played an assassin named Meghan O' Hara in Washington Holiday. She was killed in the end by shooters after trying to kill a princess. Nanci Chambers has had a steady run as the witchy Lt. Lauren Singer since the episode Rogue in 1999.


CONGRATULATIONS to Catherine and Adam on the birth of their first child. Gemma Beason was born on April 16 and weighed in at 6 pounds. Gemma means 'precious stone' in Italian.

Best Quotes of the Show:

"Did the kid say anything?"~Vivienne
"Well, he didn't puke."~Leroy

"I never date men old enough to be my father."~Vivienne Blackadder

"What are you, Pocahontas?"~Tony Dinazzo (to Vivienne)

"He just committed a coup."~Agent
"French for nooner."~Tony (whispering to Vivienne)

"Did you get her pregnant? No, of course, you didn't get her pregnant."~Admiral (to Harm)

"You really think he's that obvious?"~Harm
"Reminds me of you."~Admiral

"I did not have sex with that woman!"~Bud
"Not the best choice of words, Lieutenant."~Gibbs (referring to Clinton/Lewinsky scandal)

"Who is it?"~Agent (referring to murder suspect)
"Commander Harmon Rabb."~Gibbs
"You couldn't have shocked me more if you said it was Admiral Chegwidden."~Agent

"Because he's JAG's fair haired boy."~Gibbs (to Vivienne about Harm)

"Would you kill for your brother?"~Gibbs

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