"Boomerang" (Part II) is an episode of JAG that first aired on February 15, 2000. It is Part 2 of 2. Directed by Donald P. Bellisario and Jeannot Szwarc. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
Petty Officer Kevin Lee (Stephen Markle) will be tried in the Australian Supreme Court, with Lt. Commander Brumby (Trevor Goddard) of the Royal Australian Navy prosecuting and Commander Rabb of the United States Navy as defense counsel, with Lt. Roberts as second chair.
As 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.
After initially questioning Jenny (Briony Behets) in court, Brumby thinks that she has cooked up a story that corroborates Kevin's account of the altercation a little too well.
Suspecting 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.
Rabb 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.
Upon 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.
Later 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.
Turns 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.
Brumby 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
The 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.
Tropes
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: 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.
- Fanservice: Mac goes topless, but when Rabb goes talk to her, she covers her breasts with a magazine she's reading.
- Karma Houdini: 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.
- Miranda Rights: 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.
- Previously on…: 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.
- Woman Scorned: Jenny appears to be this, and her actions as this lend credence to the forced out admission that Lee acted in self defense. However, it was all an act to ensure that this forced testimony is believed and Kevin Lee gets off.
