"Drop Zone" is an episode of JAG that first aired on April 4, 2000. Directed by Hugo Cortina. Written by Larry Moskowitz.
Some trainees jump out of a plane to earn the naval parachutist badge. However, something goes wrong and two trainees land in the water, without having received any training on how to drop into a wet landing zone. One of them almost drowns and is in the hospital on a ventilator.
Lt. Colonel MacKenzie is assigned to prosecute while Lt. Roberts and Lt. Singer (Nanci Chambers) defend the jumpmaster, Senior Chief Petty Officer Bracken (Ned Luke), a SEAL with a history of alcoholism. The judge is Captain Delario (Kent McCord).
Part B of the mishap investigation report notes that Bracken was hungover, but that part of the report is confidential and cannot be used in a court-martial. However, someone drops a copy of the report in Mac's car, opened to the page that contains the incriminating evidence she'd need, with the incriminating statement clearly circled.
The next day in court, Mac questions Bracken about his history of driving while intoxicated (DUI), prompting Singer and then Roberts to object. In a sidebar, Roberts states that he believes Mac had improper access to the confidential section of the mishap report, but he's willing to accept Mac's word at face value. Mac admits that she did see the confidential part of the report.
Admiral Chegwidden yells at Mac about this. She offers to recuse herself from the case. No need, Commander Rabb has already been assigned to replace her as the prosecutor. Mac decides to clear her mind with a spontaneous trip to Australia.
Rabb is certain that Singer leaked the confidential part of the mishap report for the express purpose of trapping Mac and winning the case. Roberts is not happy to win this way, Singer is.
After consulting with the convening authority of the court-martial, Rabb offers Bracken three years' confinement and a bad conduct discharge. One look at his client and Roberts knows Bracken is not taking the deal. However, after a discussion, Bracken agrees to the deal. Rabb still has a very low opinion of Bracken.
Chegwidden calls Dr. Walden (Cynthia Sikes) asking her to go to Antigua and Barbuda for the weekend for him. She turns him down, that place is "too touristy." She suggests instead the Virgin Islands, he agrees.
Also in this episode, Lt. Singer expresses her ultimate ambition. It would be too much of a spoiler here to say whether or not she will achieve it, but suffice it to say that Season 8 answers that question.
Tropes
- The Alcoholic: Senior Chief Bracken has had a long history of drinking problems, including a DUI arrest.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Senior Chief Bracken complains about the prison time mandated by accepting Rabb's plea bargain offer, Rabb retorts that as the jumpmaster it was his responsibility to ensure the men jumped in the correct location and not rely on "an 89¢ lightbulb" to do his job for him.
- Freudian Slip: On her way to Australia, Mac runs into Dr. Walden who's on her way to St. John with Admiral Chegwidden. On learning that Mac is dating an Australian naval officer, Dr. Walden says navy men are "so vigorous." When Chegwidden returns to Dr. Walden's side, Mac calls her commanding officer "Admiral Vigorous." Chegwidden is of course puzzled.
- It's Raining Men: Men jump out. Two of them land in the water. One of them dies.
- Karma Houdini: Everyone knows that Lt. Singer planted the incriminating document for Mac to find. But because they can't prove she did it, she walks way scot-free.
- Nightmare Sequence: Rabb dreams that Mac and Renee are boxing, presumably fighting over him. Brumby (Trevor Goddard) shows up in the nightmare, too.
- Not Here To Make Friends: Singer's comments to Rabb make it clear she'll step on or over anyone to get what she wants.Singer: I'm aggressive, and I'm an overachiever. I know that about myself, and I don't pretend otherwise. I realize I'm the brunt of snide comments and jokes among the office staff, but I can't change who I am. However, I'm not a thief nor a liar. Short of that, I'll use whatever means necessary to achieve my goal.Rabb: Which is?Singer: To be the first female Judge Advocate General [of the Navy], sir.
- Plea Bargain: Rabb offers Bracken three years' confinement and a bad conduct discharge. Roberts tries to get it down to one year but Rabb doesn't budge. Near the end of the episode, Bracken agrees to the three years.
- Title Drop: Early on in the episode, DZ-Romeo-3 is thought to be ready for the exercise, so we hear someone say "Drop zone is up."
- Truth in Television: As of when this episode first aired, no woman had ever been Judge Advocate General of the Navy in real life. It wasn't until November 2012, more than a decade after this episode first aired, that Vice Admiral Nanette DeRenzi took command of the Navy's JAG Corps.
