History Recap / JAGS02E03Jinx

Directed by Jerry Jameson

Written by Jack Orman

* AcceptableProfessionalTargets: [[IntrepidReporter Journalists]]. A reporter (Pat Lalama) shoves a microphone in Rabb's face to ask him questions about the jinx. Rabb starts out just saying "no comment," but he gradually loses his cool, suggesting that the reporter is not engaging in "responsible journalism" and is ungrateful to the men and women of the Armed Forces who endanger their lives to protect American freedom.

* AbsenteeActor: Creator/JohnMJackson is listed in the opening credits, but his character, Admiral Chegwidden, does not actually appear in the episode. He doesn't even get a MandatoryLine.

* Roberts is AgentMulder, willing to consider that there may really be a curse on the squadron, and Rabb is AgentScully, wanting to prove that the jinx is not real and is willing to risk his life to do so.

* A somewhat unintrusive {{Infodump}} as Roberts explains to Mac that practicing tanking is common after a missing man formation. The viewers probably don't know this, and it wouldn't make much sense for Rabb or Ayers to give the explainer, since they're both familiar with standard flight ops. But Mac doesn't know this, and it makes sense that Roberts, who served aboard another aircraft carrier, would know this and explain it to Mac and, of course, to the viewers, who would otherwise be confused by an aerial refueling before returning to the carrier.
* InsigniaRipOffRitual, implied: Ayers is said to have "turned in his wings."

Rabb finds himself falling in love with Anne Pendry (Creator/DaphneAshbrook), whose husband's death is now also being attributed to the curse. Mac shows up at Anne's residence to tell Rabb that Ayers turned in his wings and Roberts followed the jittery aviator to a California mosque.

Directed by: Jerry Jameson

Written by: Jack Orman

The episode starts with Lt. [=McKee=] (Francia Di Mase, previously seen on the Season 1 episode [[Recap/JAGS01E06PilotError "Pilot Error"]]) hitting a flock of birds during a routine flight practice mission.

Rabb, Mac and Roberts are sent to California to investigate. On another routine flight, Lt. Vanderway (Judson Mills) and Lt. Ayers (Charles Esten) run into unexpected bad weather and suffer a very unlikely thunder strike to an engine. After a rough carrier landing, Vanderway says he doesn't want to fly with Ayers again. Ayers was the RIO who armed, aimed and fired the missile in the mosque incident.

Rabb finds himself falling in love with Anne Pendry, whose husband's death is now also being attributed to the curse. Mac shows up at Anne's residence to tell Rabb that Ayers turned in his wings and Roberts followed the jittery aviator to a California mosque.

Ayers doubts Rabb can make it back to the carrier, so he requests a reroute to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Rabb is able to land safely at El Toro, where he is promptly attended to by paramedics. Ayers discovers a shard of glass under his seat's ejection pin. If they had tried to eject, Rabb might have made it out but Ayers would have been hopelessly stuck. After Ayers tells Rabb about the shard, Rabb declares his willingness to fly with Ayers anytime: Ayers is "untouchable."

Note that Admiral Chegwidden is listed in the opening credits but does not actually appear in the episode. He doesn't even get a MandatoryLine.

! This episode contains examples of the following tropes:

* ShoutOut to ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Vanderway's call sign is "Spock," after Commander Spock, one of the [[Characters/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries original series characters]].
* Shout-Out to ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'', pressed into service as a synonym for "jinx," "hex," "curse."

The episode starts with Lt. [=McKee=] (Francia Di Mase, previously seen on the Season 1 episode [[Recap/JAGS01E06PilotError "Pilot Error"]]) hit a flock of birds during a routine flight practice mission.

Rabb confronts Ayers at the mosque. Ayers had better fly the "missing man" in the missing man formation for [=McKee=]'s funeral. But no one wants to fly with Ayers, especially since [=McKee=]'s funeral is scheduled on an Islamic holy day. Rabb volunteers to fly with Ayers.

Unfortunately, there's some unexpected turbulence when trying to connect to the tanker plane, and the tanker's "basket" hits the F-14's canopy, shattering the glass and injuring Rabb dangerously clsoe to his right eye. Rabb can still see ahead, but can't look down at his instrument panel. Rabb refuses Ayers's suggestion that they should eject.

Ayers doubts Rabb can make it back to the carrier, so he requests a reroute to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Rabb is able to land safely at El Toro, where he is promptly attended to by paramedics. Ayers discovers a shard of glass under his seat's ejection pin. If they had tried to eject, Rabb might have made it out but Ayers would have been stuck. After Ayers tells Rabb about the shard, Rabb declares his willingness to fly with Ayers anytime: Ayers is "untouchable."

* AcceptableProfessionalTargets: [[IntrepidReporter Journalists]]. A reporter (Pat Lalama) shoves a microphone in Rabb's face to ask him questions about the jinx. Rabb starts out just saying "no comment," but he gradually loses his cool, suggesting that the reporter is not engaging in "responsible journalism" and is ungrateful to the men and women of the Armed Forces.
* Roberts is AgentMulder, willing to consider that there may really be a curse on the squadron, and Rabb is AgentScully, wanting to prove that the jinx is not real and is willing to risk his life to end the jinx.

* A somewhat unintrusive {{Infodump}} as Roberts explains to Mac that practicing tanking is common after a missing man formation. The viewers probably don't know this, and it wouldn't make much sense for Rabb or Ayers to give the explainer. But Mac doesn't know this, and it makes sense that Roberts, who served aboard another aircraft carrier, would know this and explain it to Mac and, of course, to the viewers.

* ShoutOut to ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Vanderway's call sign is "Spock."