"The Martin Baker Fan Club" is an episode of JAG that first aired on October 20, 1998. Directed by Tony Wharmby. Written by Dana Coen.
This episode sees the return of Roscoe Martin (Kevin Conway), the paraplegic Marine veteran seen in "King of the Fleas".
This time, he has been charged with causing the death of a mentally unstable Vietnam era Intruder pilot, by taking away his pills. Roscoe claims he did it, because he saw the VA mental facility he was committed to, over medicating its inmates until they were docile, compliant and emotionless. As Lt. Commander Rabb defends him, Roscoe becomes increasingly erratic — until he pulls a scheme that could very well get him killed.
Tropes
- Birth-Death Juxtaposition: Of a sort. Right about the time when Roscoe shuts off his respirator and flat lines, Harriet's fetus' heartbeat is detected. Prior to that, Rabb left Roscoe’s hospital room saying he was going to go check in on Ensign Sims.
- Driven to Suicide: Intruder pilot Dick La Croix. Roscoe in the end.
- Freudian Excuse: Rabb theorizes that Roscoe is behaving this way, because he sat by helplessly as a POW when the camp commander executed the other prisoners. To make up for that failure, he wants to "set free" these mental patients.
- It's All About Me: Roscoe must get his point across! Never mind how much that hurts or even causes the death of other inmates.
- Rebellious Spirit: Roscoe is fairly comfortable in the VA mental facility. But he still needs something to rebel against, so he seizes on the issue of over medicated inmates — even if that issue never affects him.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The orderly at the VA mental facility, tapes a resignation letter to his locker, throws open the secured door that confined the inmates to the facility, then ran. Because he has "issues with management". When that happens, a bunch of inmates and Roscoe also pull this, and decide to flee to Canada.
- Suicide by Cop: Roscoe twitches really hard, forcing a SWAT cop to put a round in him.
- Title Drop: Said by Roscoe Martin as he and three other patients escape the mental hospital.
