MovieChat Forums > JAG (1995) Discussion > How in the world?!

How in the world?!

posted 11 years ago by ann_outsider
21 replies | jump to latest

I never watched this show when it was on and have just watched the first season on Amazon. I've put the other seasons in my Netflix queue and can't wait for them to come.

I have a big question though... How in the world did they leave off season one with Catherine Bell playing a good friend of Harm's whom he's being accused of murdering and the very next episode she's a different character? If they explain it in the first episode then I'll patiently wait for the disc to arrive. If not; however, then I would like someone to help me understand it. I've read the synopsis of season two episode one and there was no mention of the murder charges, etc.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[–] lametz 11 years ago

Ann, Season One of JAG was an NBC series, and that network cancelled JAG after the first season. Consequently, the follow-up episode to the last episode of Season One was never written or filmed. When CBS picked up JAG as a mid-season replacement the next January, Catherine Bell is introduced as Major Sarah MacKenzie. Harm does a double-take upon meeting her and they show a flashback of Dianne Schonke, so that's how they handled that part. We never really find out how Skeleton Crew would have ended, but they do have an episode during Season Three called "Death Watch" which revisits Diane's death and kind of gives closure to it, but I don't want to spoil anything for you so I won't tell you any more. I hope that you enjoy watching the rest of JAG. If you're a Harm fan, come visit us on the HarmyBoard.

[–] rissole65 11 years ago

The best thing JAG did was cast Catherine Bell as Mac!! I have tried watching season 1 and it just isn't the same!

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#Evil Regal#

[–] sam-151 11 years ago

I agree, it's not the same. I watched season 1 first and I liked Tracey Needham from Life goes on. I remember I found it weird that Meg was sort of explained off the series in a sentence in season 2 at the time I first saw it. This was before I even knew the series had changed networks (being in Europe and not that into US tv networks etc and it being kinda early in the day and age that internet was just becoming common for everyone!!) But it took me like half an episode to kinda fall in love with both Mac and CB. And the "crush" stuck the next 9 seasons. I can put up with some crappy storylines as long as I find the characters interesting. And I think Mac is a great character!

[–] Jeneral28 11 years ago

Mac is a terrible character

[–] slinter 10 years ago

Agreed. She's a train wreck, when it comes to her personal life, and relationships. I'd keep my distance.

[–] kerryedavis 9 years ago

Agreed. She's a train wreck, when it comes to her personal life, and relationships. I'd keep my distance.

Do you mean the character Sarah/Mac? Because it seems like Catherine Bell is something of a loon in real life. Gorgeous, but a loon.

[–] rissole65 8 years ago

LOL where did you get that idea from??

Far from a loon :P A beautiful, talented working mum who is still generating massive ratings in whatever show she is in!

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[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

Scientology is sufficient evidence.

[–] rissole65 8 years ago

Yes Mac had a disaster of a personal life but I think it added to the show and to the fact that despite all that she was a damn fine Marine and JAG lawyer! Catherine Bell portrayed her to perfection!

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[–] alberta1 10 years ago

While I don't disagree with Mac being a good character, I do think they should have given Meg some kind of closure. (ie: being killed off or at least a cameo appearance like they did for Caitlin Pike)

[–] epb0205 10 years ago

WARNING TO ALL, THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!

I had never seen "Skeleton Crew", the Season 1 finale. I was curious because I wanted to see Catherine Bell as this other character (Diane Schonke). Anyway, I found it on youtube. I was kind of disappointed when they treated her like a Star Trek red shirt. She didn't make it to the opening credits. That being said, it was a decent episode.

Then I also found on youtube, "Death Watch", the Season 3 episode that lametz mentioned. It was a bit tedious re-watching the same scenes I had just seen. I took note though that "Death Watch" left out one major plot point from "Skeleton Crew". At the end of the episode, Turque arrests Rabb for Schonke's murder. I assume that this was meant to be the big cliff hangar going into Season 2. So we never do find out how Rabb "beat the rap".

"The Spear of Light...mine again!!! And I...I am Cuchulainn once more!!!"

[–] alberta1 10 years ago

In "Skeleton Crew" they also claimed that Schonke had been raped. This was totally excluded from "Death Watch".

[–] sam-151 10 years ago

I think part of what makes Mac such an interesting and good charatcer is the very fact that her personal life is such a train wreck, to use a phrase of a previous poster. "Perfect" characters get boring after 10 minutes, IMO. And I totally agree that they should have given Meg closure of some kind.

[–] rissole65 8 years ago

Agreed 100% Sam!

If Mac's life was perfect there wouldn't be much to tell!

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[–] sam-151 8 years ago

Tv-characters' lives needs to be more "messy" than most real people's lives in order to give viewers interesting episodes week after week, year after year. My life would make one dull and boring series to be honest. Thus, even if a show is supposed to portray real life (opposed to sci-fi/fantasy etc), characters and story lines needs to be given a certain amount of creative freedoms. With this in mind one might say that Mac and her backstory is 'perfect' after all ;-)

[–] eel2178 8 years ago

My life would make one dull and boring series to be honest.

Consider yourself lucky. My life could keep a soap opera going for years.

[–] sam-151 8 years ago

Since I'm not a soap opera fan, yea I guess boring might be preferable. But a little more action from time to time would't be bad either ;-)

[–] windanafive 8 years ago

Consider yourself lucky. My life could keep a soap opera going for years.

Been there, done that, know the feeling...

But I'm glad to say my life is totally boring (so to speak) these days and I love it. Hope yours gets there some day.

[–] eel2178 9 years ago

How in the world did they leave off season one with Catherine Bell playing a good friend of Harm's whom he's being accused of murdering and the very next episode she's a different character?

Catherine Bell explains on the DVD that when she heard the show was being picked up by CBS after being cancelled by NBC, she contacted Donald Bellasario and begged for a role on the new show. He initially turned her down because they had already killed her once. However, she is the one who suggested that she could play a totally different character who was a dead ringer for Harm's ex-girlfriend. Eventually, he agreed they could get some good story lines out of it.

[–] rissole65 8 years ago

That's right- her original episode as Diane didn't even air on TV!!

Thank God Don Bellisario showed faith in Catherine and cast her as Mac!!

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[–] kerryedavis 9 years ago

My recollection is that Skeleton Crew was not actually shown in the original airing. So mostly only people who started out with the DVDs and watched all the way through season 1 including that, and didn't already know the story, got confused.