"Ghost Ship" is an episode of JAG that first aired on September 23, 1997. Directed by Donald P. Bellisario. Written by Donald P. Bellisario based on a story by Rear Admiral Paul T. Gillcrist.
Civilian contractors find the cadaver of a Navy lieutenant between the inner and outer hulls of the USS Hornet, now a museum ship docked at Alameda. Rabb and MacKenzie go investigate, joined by local lawman Mark Falcon (Rex Linn).
Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. finds a notebook with the names of American prisoners of war sent to Russia, but before he can find his father's name in it, there is a fire aboard ship, forcing everyone out.
Once safely out, Rabb and Major MacKenzie find out that the real Mark Falcon was not assigned to the case; the man claiming to be Falcon is now on a plane headed for Moscow. Rabb vows to find Falcon.
Tropes
- Doing Research: Lt. Bud Roberts doesn't go with Rabb and MacKenzie to Alameda, instead he goes to the military archives to get some historical records on the USS Hornet.Rabb: Bud, you're gonna have to stay behind in Washington to do research.Roberts: Sir, I have a portable computer.Rabb: Good. You can use it to e-mail Major MacKenzie with your reports. Bud, I want chapter and verse on the Hornet during the Vietnam War: Engagements, campaigns, UA, missing personnel, anything and everything. Also, any joint operations they had with the Skoshi Tigers.Roberts: Aye, aye, sir.Rabb: Sorry.Roberts: Yours is not to reason why, yours is but to do research.
- Driving Question: Harmon Rabb, Jr. must find what happened to his father, holding out hope Rabb père might still be alive.
- Freudian Slip: At the military archives, Roberts runs into an old flame, Millie Shaker (Marcy Kaplan). When she inquires about the research subject, Roberts says he's looking for information on the USS Horny.
- Shout-Out to musicians Billy Joel, Kriss Kross, Kenny Rogers: Mac's guesses as to the contents of the audiotapes Rabb Jr.'s mother sent over. They're actually "letter tapes" from Rabb Sr.
