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Recap / JAGS 08 E 10 The Killer

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Directed by: Michael Schultz

Written by: Charles Holland

"The Killer" Not to be confused with "Killer Instinct" from Season 6.

Inspector Giannini (Rocco Sisto) of Interpol suspects a sailor from the USS Gillcrist has been killing prostitutes in Mediterranean port cities.

Commander Rabb is the first on the scene from JAG. Because Lt. Commander Tracey Manetti (Tamlyn Tomita) took one course in FBI profiling, Admiral Chegwidden sends her to Naples to assist Rabb.

Based on Manetti's profile of the killer as a young white male with an absent father and resentful of his mother and women in authority, and the fact that Gillcrist's Duty Station 4 were on liberty each time a murder took place, Rabb and Manetti narrow down the suspects to just two: Petty Officer Holt (Eyal Podell) and Petty Officer Petrovsky (Robert Baker).

Petrovsky turns out to have beaten up a transvestite prostitute, while Holt raped a café waitress. Holt's victim refuses to file charges with Italian police, but Rabb assures her that Holt will go back to the United States to face charges.

With only a few hours before the Gillcrist leaves port, Rabb figures out the killer is not a sailor but a sailor's dependent. Rabb and Manetti talk to the skipper, Commander Amanda Waller (Debrah Farentino), who comes to the horrifying conclusion that her stepson Peter (Ben Crowley) could be the serial killer.

Rabb and Manetti visit Peter's hotel room. Peter becomes violent when he realizes the Navy lawyers are on his scent, striking Rabb with a lamp, but Manetti subdues Peter and Rabb punches Peter a couple of times. Manetti finds Peter's unauthorized Navy uniform. Though distraught over these events, Commander Waller proceeds with normal ship operations.

Meanwhile, Lt. Roberts steps up physical training after a preliminary board finds him unfit for full duty. At the pool, Commander Turner (Scott Lawrence) compliments Roberts as "an aquatic animal." But Roberts worries that if he doesn't improve his running on land, the formal board will rule the same as the preliminary board.

Lt. Singer (Nanci Chambers) returns to JAG headquarters. Chegwidden congratulates her on her pregnancy, but Singer instead wants to take 30 days' leave and return to sea duty. Lt. Sims (Karri Turner) tries to convince Singer not to get an abortion. They talk about this at the mess hall and again at Sims's house.

Tropes

  • Big Secret: Petrovsky can't be the serial killer. His alibi, which he is reluctant to reveal, is that he was beating up a transgender prostitute at the time, he didn't mean to kill, and they didn't die.
  • Continuity Nod:
    • To 'The Princess and the Petty Officer', in which Sarah Roberts died from childbirth complications. Sims had miscarried prior to her marriage to Lt. Roberts, as we learned in "Family Secrets". In this episode, Sims says "I know what it's like to lose a child."
    • Extremely subtle, to 'The Promised Land', in which Singer claimed to be Jewish. Turner confronted Singer about her lie. In this episode, Turner says "Mazel Tov" to her.
  • "Eureka!" Moment: After a conversation with Petty Officer Marshall in which Manetti orders him to "deploy back" to his girlfriend, Rabb realizes that so far they have ignored the crew's dependents.
  • From the Mouths of Babes: When Singer comes to the Roberts residence, little A. J. asks "Is that the Wicked Witch?"
  • Good Girls Avoid Abortion: For themselves, for their families, for their friends and even for colleagues they don't like all that much. Sims tries to convince Singer not to get an abortion.
  • The Profiler: Manetti, who's correct about pretty much every characteristic of the serial killer, except that he's not actually a sailor.
  • Shout-Out to The Wizard of Oz: Sims says she and little A. J. recently watched that movie. Or at least that's what Sims says to explain why little A. J. just called Singer "the Wicked Witch."

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