"Gypsy Eyes" is an episode of JAG that first aired on September 22, 1998. Directed by Tony Wharmby. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
The episode begins with Lt. Commander Rabb's voice-over in which he recounts the search for his father with Major MacKenzie up to the previous season's finale cliffhanger, in which Rabb and Mac's plane gets shot down. They eject, landing in a forest.
Gypsies help Rabb and Mac avoid getting picked up by the Russians. But Falcon (Rex Linn) pursues them there. However, Falcon then helps Rabb go to Svishevo in Siberia, where he finds Pitchta (Leeza Vinnichenko), the last woman his father saw.
Along the way, Mac has been getting a weird vision that seems to foretell Rabb getting shot by Russian soldiers, who then presumably rape Mac. In the vision, Mac is bathing in the stream, so Rabb confronts the Russian soldiers in order to defend Mac. But some details of the vision don't quite make sense, suggesting that maybe it's just a bad dream.
Defying the Secretary of the Navy (Paul Collins), Admiral Chegwidden goes to Moscow with Agent Webb (Steven Culp) to help Rabb and Mac.
Tropes
- Artistic License – Physics: Rabb dodges a couple of missiles with some fancy flying. Though grateful, Mac asks Rabb how he was able to dodge the missiles, given that they were "heat-seeking missiles." Rabb explains that he simply gave the heat-seekers a bigger target, the Sun. That explanation is, at best, a major oversimplification. Early infrared homing missiles were easily fooled by the Sun, even though very little of the Sun's heat actually reaches Earth. The design was improved so the missiles would more accurately home in on an enemy aircraft's engines. However, as we're talking about the former Soviet Union, it could be the case that the Russians actually fired old missiles at Rabb and Mac, or, much likelier, they fired newer but defective missiles that just couldn't keep up with Rabb's flying.
- Cliffhanger Copout: The previous episode's cliffhanger suggests Rabb and Mac go down with the plane. But, miraculously, they were somehow able to eject just in the nick of time.
- Costume Porn: Instead of their usual uniforms, David James Elliott and Catherine Bell wear various civilian attire, including gypsy costumes, winning the show an Emmy for best costuming.
- Dreaming of Times Gone By: Mac's vision. Turns out the vision is of Rabb Sr., not Rabb Jr.; and Pitchta, not Mac.
- Driving Question, resolved: What happened to Harmon Rabb, Sr.? After being sent to Siberian gulag, the man escaped, and Pitchta took him in. About two years later, Pitchta was bathing in a stream when four Russian soldiers came to rape her. Rabb Sr. killed three of the soldiers but the fourth killed him. Pitchta's brother buried Rabb Sr. without telling her where he buried the American. And now Pitchta's brother is dead, and she doesn't know where Rabb was buried.
- Going Native: Rabb and Mac, ditching their flight suits.
- Previously on…: The episode begins with a quick overview of the previous episode.
- Scenery Censor: For a woman bathing in the river.
- With All Due Respect: Said by Chegwidden to the Secretary of the Navy.Chegwidden: What didn't you tell me?SecNav: Let it go, A. J.Chegwidden: Not until I know the truth. And apparently, the only way to get that is to be on the next flight to Moscow.SecNav: Admiral, you are not going to Moscow.Chegwidden: Mr. Secretary, with all due respect, sir, you don't wanna try to stop me.
