"Washington Holiday" is an episode of JAG that first aired on February 28, 1997. Directed by Joe Napolitano. Written by Stephen Zito.
Lt. Commander Rabb is assigned to help protect Princess Alexandra (Kiersten Warren) of Romania from assassins. Agent Webb (Steven Culp) hopes that the princess's father, King Josif (Michael Des Barres), will announce that Romania will join NATO. But hardliners are threatening to kill the princess if the king does that.
Lt. Roberts awkwardly asks Ensign Sims (Karri Turner) out on a dinner date to a fancy restaurant. She says yes, but he gets a flat on the way. She runs into Lt. Knox (David Rosen), who buys her a drink and asks her to the NATO Ball. The next day, Ensign Nestor (Susan Vee) invites herself as Roberts's date to the ball.
Rabb has a new neighbor in his apartment building, Megan O'Hara (Nanci Chambers), a reporter stuck writing fluffy stories for the Sunday Post. She overhears Rabb and Webb talking about the princess.
Tropes
- Bad Date: A flat tire keeps Roberts from his date with Sims. Then she decides to go to the NATO Ball with Lt. Knox instead.
- Bilingual Bonus: When the assassin disguises herself as a hotel maid and pushes a cart across a hallway, we clearly hear someone say "Enrique, dame otro," Spanish for "Enrique, give me another one."
- Conspicuously Public Assassination attempted, twice.
- Deep Cover Agent: Megan O'Hara.
- Ethnic Menial Labor: It seems some of the hotel staff are Mexicans who mostly speak Spanish: the employee who asks Enrique for one more of something or other apparently felt the need to specify who was being addressed as other Spanish speakers might think they're being addressed. As for the unfortunate maid who sees the assassin's equipment, she's black.
- Homage: to Roman Holiday, also the inspiration for the episode's title.
- Hostage MacGuffin and Rebellious Princess: The princess.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Played straight, when the team were witnessing a failed assassination attempt on the Romanian royals. Told that the would-be assassin had named him as being behind the plot, the Evil Chancellor protested that it was ridiculous to accept the word of a woman who had been subjected to lengthy police questioning. Of course, nobody had mentioned that the assassin was female...Minister Kepish: Your Majesty, how can you possibly believe the lies of a woman tortured by the Belgian police?Webb: How did you know the assassin was a woman, minister? They didn't even tell me that until an hour ago.
- Neck Snap: An unfortunate hotel maid sees the assassin's rifle. So of course now the assassin must kill the maid by snapping the neck's maid in one simple motion.
- Ruritania: Although Romania is a real country, the country called "Romania" in this episode is fictional, like the fictional European countries in Christmas movies. All the Romanian characters in this episode put on vaguely British accidents. Romania would later join NATO in real life, but had done away with the monarchy half a century before this episode first aired.
- Shout-Out to An Officer and a Gentleman: When Rabb, wearing dress whites, picks up Alexi in his arms, she expressly mentions that movie.
- Sniper Rifle: The assassin's weapon of choice, seen by an unfortunate hotel maid.
- Truth in Television: In real life, the Secret Service do protect visiting foreign dignitaries. A real-life judge advocate would be just as puzzled as Rabb to be assigned to a princess's protective detail.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: The princess and her father the King speak in unplaceable sort-of-English accents, although hers sounds quite Australian at times.
