"Impact" is an episode of JAG that first aired on November 18, 1997. Directed by Paul Schneider. Written by R Scott Gemmill.
Admiral Chegwidden sends Lt. Commander Rabb and Lt. Bud Roberts investigate the mysterious crash of a Marine helicopter during a training exercise near Twenty-Nine Palms, California.
Witnesses claim the helicopter collided with a UFO, but Rabb and Roberts uncover an installation nearby belonging to the Bradenhurst Corporation, which is developing a secret flying device for the U. S. government. When Rabb approaches the installation, he encounters potentially lethal opposition to his inquiry from shady security official Clark Palmer (Peter Murnik) of the Defense Security Division.
Meanwhile, Major MacKenzie is offered a position as an associate at the civilian law firm in Washington DC where her boyfriend, Dalton Lowne (Larry Poindexter) is a partner, and shocks everyone back at JAG when she submits her resignation from the military.
Also, Ensign Sims (Karri Turner) talks to Mac about her relationship with Roberts.
Tropes
- Area 51: Although the story is set around Twenty-Nine Palms, California, the secretive Bradenhurst Corporation test area exhibits many subtropes commonly associated with Area 51, such as: use of deadly force authorized signs, armed private security guards, mysterious unidentified aircraft originating from that area, and blanket security cover for the whole operation. And Clark Palmer when interrogating Rabb also says:Listen, since when did top secret become everybody's business? Do you have any idea how many nutcases we have trying to break onto this site because they think we have crashed spaceships and aliens on ice out here?
- Covert Group with Mundane Front: The Bradenhurst Corporation officially handles toxic waste near Twenty-Nine Palms: but in reality, builds UFO-like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Uncle Sam.
- False Reassurance: Rabb asks Roberts to distract the guards at the Bradenhurst Corporation.Roberts: Me, sir? You want me to distract the guys that caught us? The guys that are authorized to use deadly force?Rabb: Bud, come on, they may be authorized to use deadly force, but they usually just shoot you in the knees.
- Government Agency of Fiction: The Defense Security Division (DSD).
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: When a UFO-like UAV from the Bradenhurst Corporation kills Marines with impunity in an accident, Rabb is determined to bring them to justice, no matter what.
- Theme Music Power-Up as the Marines rescue Rabb from Clark Palmer.
- With All Due Respect: Said by Chegwidden to a higher-ranking admiral.Chegwidden: I understand somebody's yanking my chain and I don't like it. A Marine was killed in that accident, and I expect answers. And I refuse to let that go unacknowledged or unavenged. And with all due respect, you can go to hell if you think I'm gonna let you or anybody else use that dead Marine as a fall guy.Admiral Elgin: Do you wanna cross swords with me, Chegwidden? Because if we get into this, you might just find yourself fighting to keep the bars on your sleeve.Chegwidden: Well, I never met a SEAL yet, didn't like a good bar fight, sir.
As you were...
Dismissed.
