"Dream Team" is an episode of JAG that first aired on April 22, 2005. Directed by Vern Gillum. Written by Larry Moskowitz and Don Mc Gill.
Petty Officer Ferro (Joshua Harto) fights Petty Officer Sanhuinius (Nick von Esmarch), who then dies. Lt. Vukovic (Chris Beetem) defends, then Major General Cresswell (David Andrews) assigns Commander Rabb to second chair. Commander Barnes is assigned to prosecute, but is then called to Iraq, so Lt. Commander Roberts takes over.
Rabb gives Sanhuinius's stomach contents to Dr. Gasden (Chas. Floyd Johnson), a toxicologist at Bethesda, discovering puffer fish poison. This proves Sanhuinius couldn't have died from fighting Ferro. Skeptical, Roberts talks it over with Lt. Colonel MacKenzie, who suspects Vukovic may have tampered with the report.
Roberts is already skeptical on account of crewmates of Sanhuinius saying the deceased hated fish. Roberts discovers the puffer fish poison Sanhuinius ingested came from a protein bar he bought at the ship's store rather than directly from a puffer fish, and that Ferro was the cashier on duty in the store at the time of the purchase.
Roberts also determines where Ferro bought the puffer fish poison and theorizes that he opened a protein bar, injected the poison, resealed it, and placed it where Sanhuinius would pick it up for purchase. Vukovic asks for plea bargaining.
Seaman Apprentice Bander (Wilson Bethel) tries to free Navy dolphins. He is charged with improper disposal of military property. Bander recalls past experiences with dolphins. The judge, Commander Carson (Dey Young) recommends non-judicial punishment (NJP) rather than court-martial. Turner suggests Bander be reassigned to the marine mammal program.
Coates joins Rabb at the hospital where Mattie (Hallee Hirsh) is still in coma. She wakes up.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Artistic License – Military: By the two crossed anchors on Ferro's uniform, we see he's a boatswain's mate. If he's a cashier in the ship's store, that would mean he's a ship's serviceman, and accordingly his uniform would have a crossed key and quill instead of two crossed anchors. It's possible that Ferro really is a boatswain's mate temporarily helping out in the ship's store. For the story, it makes more sense for Ferro to be a ship's serviceman. So this one is most likely due to the wardrobe department having plenty of uniforms with the boatswain's mate insignia and not taking the time to get a ship's serviceman insignia and place it on Joshua Harto's costume.
- Continuity Nod to the previous episode: General Cresswell tells Vukovic he got a call from his brother, grateful for bringing him closure in regards to a fallen comrade. Vukovic tells Cresswell that Lt. Graves was "the driving force" behind the investigation (she literally did most of the driving up and down the "Blues Highway"). And Vukovic tells Coates that although he and Graves slept on the same bed at one motel, "nothing happened" (meaning they did not have sex).
- Hurricane of Puns: Unlike the lobster case in "Flight Risk", Mac's case with the dolphins in this episode is an actual courtroom case with guest stars for the defendant, the judge and witnesses. But, like the lobster case, the dolphin case is first presented as a set-up for Roberts and Rabb to say several puns of varying quality, with Vukovic joining in at the end instead of Chegwidden. Also, they're sitting at a table in the chow hall this time.Mac: I'm representing Seaman Apprentice Charles Bander. He released two Navy dolphins from a marine mammal deployment center.Rabb: Why?Roberts: They think he did it on porpoise, sir.Mac: He felt he owed them a debt.Roberts: You know, kind of a squid pro quo, sir.Mac: He was caught by one of the trainers in the dolphins' pen with a bucket of fish.Roberts: Red herring, probably. You know, trying to avoid pursuit.Mac: One more fish joke, and I'll have you filleted.Rabb: What happened to the dolphins?Mac: Well, they, uh, came back on their own.Roberts: (to Rabb) What would you charge him with, sir?Rabb: Well, there's, uh, Article 96 [of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)], releasing a prisoner without otter-ization.noteMac: You enjoying yourselves?Vukovic: [about to sit down at the table] Room for one more?Mac: Yeah, if you promise no fish jokes.Vukovic: Oh, not even one, just for the halibut?
- I Didn't Mean to Kill Him: Ferro claims he was just standing up to a bully, to teach him a lesson, not kill him.
- Plea Bargain: Vukovic asks Roberts "Can we talk plea bargain?" after Roberts explains how Ferro killed Sanhuinius.
- Rank Up: At the end of the episode, Rabb gets orders to command Navy judge advocates in Europe, a captain's billet.
- Rhyming Title: This episode has the only rhyming title in the entire run of the series.
- Shout-Out:
- To Johnny Cochrane and F. Lee Bailey: Roberts compares Vukovic and Rabb to the famous lawyers for O. J. Simpson. Mac replies: "Martin and Lewis, Shaq and Kobe, Brad and Jen. Deep down every dream team is a nightmare waiting to happen."
- Cresswell tells Vukovic that "Stanley Ketchel was a middleweight when he dropped the great Jack Johnson to the canvas."
- Title Drop: Roberts tells Mac that Vukovic and Rabb are like a "dream team." Mac replies that "Deep down, every dream team is a nightmare waiting to happen." Later on, Ferro says to Vukovic "Well, you and, uh, Commander Rabb are the Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey of the JAG Corps, sir. I had the dream team."
- Whip Pan: For a conversation between Rabb and Vukovic before meeting with Ferro.
- With All Due Respect: Vukovic says to Rabb: "With all due respect, don't talk to me with that condescending tone again."
