"Chains of Command" is an episode of JAG that first aired on March 3, 1998. Directed by Tony Wharmby. Written by Stephen Zito.
This episode returns to the carrier USS Seahawk, where an airplane is heading back to the carrier to land, but finds itself dangerously low on fuel. Although the pilot refuels in a tanker and lands, the Chief of the Boat Command Master Chief Sullivan (Steve Eastin) identifies Petty Officer Douglas (Blake Lindsley), a young female enlisted airman as being responsible for a mistake in allocating sufficient fuel for that aircraft. The Command Master Chief then calls the crewman into his quarters and tells her what she must do, to make her impending problem go away.
JAG headquarters then receives a complaint of sexual harassment from Petty Officer Douglas. Lt. Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie are sent out to investigate. This time however, they find a deeper coverup and a quid pro quo arrangement, that might take down someone in the ship's leadership structure too.
As Mac's boyfriend, Dalton Lowne (Larry Poindexter), gets involved in the matter, he does something that crosses a line — which Mac perceives as a betrayal, and ends the relationship.
The episode ends with Rabb, Mac and Lt. Roberts all choosing the same song in a bar's jukebox — "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and singing part of it.
Tropes:
- Author's Saving Throw: This episode was written by the same man who wrote the rather controversial second season episode "Crossing the Line". That episode was admittedly an Author Tract on his own views about the so-called "unsuitability of women in the military". To correct for that, he wrote this episode, in which he portrays moral rot among senior military leadership and misogynistic and exploitative culture.
- Blackmail: Master Chief Sullivan found out about a one-night stand that Captain Ross had during a port visit. In return for his silence about the affair, Captain Ross would transfer all the women that Sullivan had coerced sex from, to plum assignments in different commands, giving them career boosts.
- Call-Back: Mac tells Roberts at the bar not to order "anything with umbrellas." This refers to "Above and Beyond", in which Roberts drank many cocktails and sung a drunk version of Tom Jones' "Delilah."
- Coming in Hot: A Tomcat comes in to land at night, dangerously low on fuel with one engine flamed out, the other barely seconds away, and slowly losing control authority. He barely makes the 1 wire, but it is still a landing in which he and the plane are intact.
- Drowning My Sorrows: At episode's end, Rabb, Mac and Roberts are all in a bar, listening to the same sad song and drinking their sorrows away. Except for Mac as she is a recovering alcoholic. Rabb is commiserating over Annie Pendry breaking things off with him, Mac is attempting to get over Lowne, who she broke up with, and Roberts is despondent over Ensign Sims being mad at him.
- Lady Drunk: Victoria Ross played by Mary Jo Deschanel.
- Opportunistic Bastard: Mac's guy, Dalton Lowne. He becomes the defense's attorney despite knowing Mac is the prosecutor. Of Course, Dalton doesn't tell Mac he's accepted the case, instead exploiting their relationship to snoop into Mac's investigative notes. Fortunately, although the information is damaging to the case, it's not relevant per se to the case. When Mac learns this, she breaks up with Dalton.
- Retirony: In a manner of speaking. MCPO Sullivan had a year to go before he could retire with full benefits. But now he is facing serious charges and possible prison time and a certain revocation of all those benefits.
- Sexual Extortion: Master Chief Sullivan is alleged to have coerced sex from a young petty officer air traffic controller to make a serious mistake she had made, go away.
