Nobody's Child, March 2, 1999

By Shirley

It began with Trisha Yearwood singing a lullaby, a cappella, the voice pure and clear. Then the unforgettable images: the child's terror, the ominous long legs of her anonymous pursuer, before the screen darkened, as did the child's world. When sight returned, and we realized that our horrified imagination had been right, the camera panned to slowly and relentlessly detail the bloody smears, and finally, the poor little body, fading out at her outstretched hand, stained with her own blood. The impact was visceral.

Nobody's Child marks the return of Trisha Yearwood and her character, Lt.Cmdr. Teresa Coulter, to JAG. I had liked Coulter and enjoyed Yearwood's performance in The Return of Jimmy Blackhorse, even though I did not enjoy the episode itself. I felt that Jimmy Blackhorse was not up to snuff. This complaint cannot be made of Nobody's Child. It is superlative.

Trisha Yearwood had done a good job with her character before, and she did so again here. Coulter is still stolid and quiet, but we can sense the quality in her, underneath that clinical professionalism, that inspired Harm to go to her for help. I know that there was talk of having a 'romance' between Harm and Coulter, and TPTB decided to scrap that in view of the fact that this was such a dark episode. I guess this depends on how one defines 'romance'. We know that Coulter is deeply attracted to Harm. Harm knows that too. He doesn't return her feelings. But he does not ignore them, nor does he avoid her. He respects her and likes her enough as a person that he acknowledges her feelings for him, and counts her as a friend. In one scene she asks him about his personal life. He answers, truthfully and honestly, without apology, without pretence. He does not lead her on, nor does he lie to her. There is a bond between them. It is not the conventional bond, but it exists. For in the very act of his acknowledgement and acceptance of her feelings for him, Harm has given her a small piece of his heart. I find that romantic.

What kind of person is our hero Harm, who goes by his 'gut' feelings, and sees 'ghosts'? I have a borrowed theory about this. That tremendous sci-fi bard, Gordon R. Dickson, is working on an epic about human evolution, a series of novels in The Childe Cycle. The hero of this epic is a superman, an "intuitional superman". He uses his intuition to take human evolution to the next stage. I believe that this is what we are seeing in Harm. He is using his intuition. He is wide open and receptive, and thus can sense that there is more to this than the terrible sad facts. I think that he sensed this something at the crime scene and that was why he moved in for a closer look at the child's body. He could feel the dead child's spirit urging him on. That was why he became so deeply and emotionally involved immediately. The dead child speaks to him, and he is listening. Indeed, "there are more things in heaven and earth ..."

This episode was powerful and intense. It was dominated by DJE's superb performance. He held centre stage throughout. His presence permeated every scene, even when he was not in the scene. The script was a good script. DJE took the script and made this episode into an incomparable drama. I was in awe.

Child abuse is a terrible topic to tackle, and TPTB are to be commended for handling it well, not giving into the temptation of a trite ending. Harm made a promise at little Annie's grave. I know he'll keep it. So does Annie Lewis.

We end in the cemetery, with the lullaby, but this time it is balm on our open wound. Sssh, little one, you're safe now. God has you in His keeping. Dream your dreams of childhood ...

When you wake, you'll have sweet cake
And all the pretty little ponies...
 

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