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Context Recap / JAGS05E16Boomerang2

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1'''"Boomerang" (Part II)''' is an episode of ''Series/{{JAG}}'' that first aired on February 15, 2000. It is Part 2 of 2. Directed by Creator/DonaldPBellisario and Creator/JeannotSzwarc. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
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3Petty Officer Kevin Lee (Creator/StephenMarkle) will be tried in the Australian Supreme Court, with Lt. Commander Brumby (Creator/TrevorGoddard) of the Royal Australian Navy prosecuting and Commander Rabb of the United States Navy as defense counsel, with Lt. Roberts as second chair.
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5As it's civilian court, Rabb must go buy a powdered wig made from the finest horse hair. As a "solicitor," Roberts does not have to wear a wig; he laments that it would take a whole horse to make a wig for him.
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7After initially questioning Jenny (Creator/BrionyBehets) in court, Brumby thinks that she has cooked up a story that corroborates Kevin's account of the altercation a little too well.
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9Suspecting that Jenny's story is rehearsed, Brumby examines her and forces testimony out of her, that states that Kevin wrestled the knife away from Ian and then stabbed him, invalidating his self-defense claim. Kevin then reveals that he actually had a wife and kid in the States all along, that he always wanted to abandon them, and he'd never revealed any of it to Jenny until now. Kevin then states that since he expected to be convicted, he had transferred everything he owned into Jenny's name. He also suspects Jenny of having an affair.
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11Rabb and Roberts then tail Jenny as she meets a guy on a boat, and then they appear to ride off together. This appears to corroborate Kevin's theory that Jenny is selling him out so she'd own all his money and things, then be free to consummate her affair.
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13Upon confronting Jenny in court, she breaks down and reveals that Kevin did stab Ian in self defense. On the basis of this, it appears as though Kevin Lee is free and clear of all charges. There is only the matter of his desertion from the U. S. Navy, but after this long, Rabb claims that it can be reduced to a simple matter of financial restitution and an administrative separation. Rabb still despises his client for desertion during wartime.
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15Later on, as Lt. Colonel [=MacKenzie=] and Brumby spend their last night in Australia together on a dinner date, Brumby pops the question. They catch a glimpse however, of Kevin, Jenny and the guy she'd been having the "affair" with, together on the boat, riding around and loudly celebrating their freedom.
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17Turns out the whole "affair" and damning testimony was all an act to get the jury to believe her final testimony as the truth. After all, they'd believe it more coming from an unsympathetic "cheating" wife, rather than a loving supportive wife.
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19Brumby is steamed. Kevin Lee has gotten away with murder. Under Australian law, Lee can't be tried for Dunsmore's murder again, that would be double jeopardy.[[note]]However, in 2007, Australian law was amended to allow the retrial of defendants acquitted of murder ''if'' "fresh and compelling evidence" comes to light that was not available during the original trial.[[/note]]
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21The next day, when Kevin Lee shows up for his flight to the United States to get his administrative separation, Rabb drops the final surprise on him. Administrative separation is the most lenient consequence of desertion, but for desertion during wartime, the most serious penalty is death! And that is what Rabb intends to pursue, and orders Roberts to arrest Lee, handcuffing the alleged deserter and reading him his right to be silent and the right to an attorney. Lee will need someone else to defend him on the desertion charge.
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23!! Tropes
24* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: After Rabb and Brumby get into a brawl and both accidentally punch Roberts in the jaw, breaking it, Admiral Chegwidden orders them both to inflict the same amount of pain on each other that they inflicted on Roberts. %% Harriet thinks Bud got this for ogling topless women earlier. -- I don't remember that part about Harriet, and I saw this two-parter again very recently
25* {{Fanservice}}: Mac goes topless, but when Rabb goes talk to her, she covers her breasts with a magazine she's reading.
26* KarmaHoudini: It looks like Kevin Lee is going to skate for murdering Ian Dunsmore, even though it may have been in self defense. Subverted however, when Rabb nails him for desertion during wartime, which is a very serious charge. A lot more serious than the involuntary manslaughter he got off for.
27* MirandaRights: Read by Lt. Roberts as he handcuffs Kevin Lee to arrest him for desertion. Presumably someone else read him his rights later, so that no defense attorney could argue that Lee wasn't properly "Mirandized." That's because Roberts can't speak clearly on account of the injury he suffered earlier in the episode. Lee asks "What's he saying?" Furthermore, the defense could argue that Lee has forgotten his rights under the U. S. Constitution, having lived in Australia for so long.
28* PreviouslyOn: A fairly extensive summary of Part I reminds us not just of the Kevin Lee case but also about Agent Webb's mysterious appearances and Roberts accidentally telling his wife about how many women he's seen topless on the beach.

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