History Recap / JAGS03E16ChainsOfCommand

Directed by Creator/TonyWharmby

Written by Creator/StephenZito

!! Tropes
* AuthorsSavingThrow: This episode was written by the same man who wrote the rather controversial second season episode [[Recap/JAGS02E05CrossingTheLine "Crossing the Line"]]. That episode was admittedly an AuthorTract on his own views about the so called "unsuitability of women in the military". To correct for that, he wrote this episode, in which he portrays moral rot among senior military leadership and a misogynistic and exploitative culture.
* BastardBoyfriend: Mac's guy, Dalton Lowne, should have recused himself from defending Sullivan on account of his relationship with Mac. Instead, he accepts the case, doesn't tell her beforehand and forces Chegwidden to "recuse" her instead. He then displays more bastardry by snooping into Mac's investigative notes, discerning ancillary information damaging to the prosecution's cause but not relevant per se to the case. Mac is miffed and breaks up with him.

* SexualExtortion: Master Chief Sullivan is alleged to have coerced sex from a young petty officer air traffic controller to make a serious mistake she had made, go away.

* {{Blackmail}}: [[spoiler: Master Chief Sullivan]] found out about a one-night stand that [[spoiler: Captain Ross]] had during a port visit. In return for his silence about the affair, [[spoiler: Captain Ross]] would [[spoiler: transfer all the women that Sullivan]] had coerced sex from, to plum assignments in different commands, giving them career boosts.

* {{Blackmail}}: [[spoiler: Master Chief Sullivan]] found out about a one-night stand that his [[spoiler: Captain Ross]] had during a port visit. In return for his silence about the affair, [[spoiler: Captain Ross]] would [[spoiler: transfer all the women that Sullivan]] had coerced sex from, to plum assignments in different commands, giving them career boosts.

* [[spoiler: {{Blackmail}}: Master Chief Sullivan found out about a one night stand that his skipper Captain Ross had during a port visit. In return for his silence about the affair, Captain Ross would transfer all the women that the Master Chief had coerced sex from, to plum assignments in different commands, giving them career boosts.]]

This episode returns to the carrier USS Seahawk, where an airplane is heading back to the carrier to land, but finds itself dangerously low on fuel. Although the pilot refuels in a tanker and lands, the Chief of the Boat Command Master Chief Sullivan identifies a young female enlisted airman as being responsible for a mistake in allocating sufficient fuel for that aircraft. The Command Master Chief then calls the crewman into his quarters and tells her what she must do, to make her impending problem go away.

JAG headquarters then receives a complaint of sexual harassment from that female crewman. Harm and Mac are sent out to investigate. This time however, they find a deeper coverup and a quid pro quo arrangement, that might take down someone in the ship's leadership structure too.

As Mac's new boyfriend Dalton Lowne gets involved in the matter, he does something that crosses a line - which Mac perceives as a betrayal, and ends the relationship.

The episode ends with Harm, Mac and Bud all choosing the same song in a bar's jukebox - "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and singing part of it.

Tropes encountered here are

* BastardBoyfriend: Mac's guy, Dalton Lowne should have recused himself from defending the Master Chief on account of his relationship with Mac. Instead, he accepts the case, doesn't tell her beforehand and forces Chegwiden to "recuse" her instead. He then displays more bastardry by snooping into Mac's investigative notes, discerning ancillary information damaging to the prosecution's cause but not relevant per se to the case. Mac is miffed and breaks up with him.

* CallBack: Mac tells Bud at the bar not to order "anything with umbrellas." This refers to [[Recap/JAGS03E08AboveAndBeyond "Above and Beyond"]], in which Bud drank many cocktails and sung a drunk version of Music/TomJones' "Delilah."

* DrowningMySorrows: At episode's end, Harm, Mac and Bud are all in a bar, listening to the same sad song and drinking their sorrows away. Except for Mac as she is a recovering alcoholic. Harm is commiserating over Annie Pendry breaking things off with him, Mac is attempting to get over Lowne, who she broke up with, and Bud is despondent over Harriet being mad at him.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: This episode was written by the same man who wrote the rather controversial second season episode "Crossing the Line". That episode was admittedly an AuthorTract on his own views about the so called "unsuitability of women in the military". To correct for that, he wrote this episode, in which he portrays moral rot among senior military leadership and a misogynistic and exploitative culture.

* CallBack: Mac tells Bud at the bar not to order "anything with umbrellas." This refers to Recap/JAGS03E08AboveAndBeyond where Bud drank many cocktails and sung a drunk version of Music/TomJones' "Delilah."

* {{Retirony}}: In a manner of speaking. MCPO Sullivan had a year to go before he could retire with full benefits. But now he is facing serious charges and possible prison time and a certain revocation of all those benefits.

* [[spoiler: BlackmailIsSuchADirtyWord: Master Chief Sullivan found out about a one night stand that his skipper Captain Ross had during a port visit. In return for his silence about the affair, Captain Ross would transfer all the women that the Master Chief had coerced sex from, to plum assignments in different commands, giving them career boosts.]]

As Mac's new boyfriend Dalton Lowne gets involved in the matter, he does something that crosses a line - which Mac perceives as a betrayal, and ends the relationship.

JAG headquarters then receives a complaint of sexual harassment from that female crewman. Harm and Mac are sent out to investigate. This time however, they find a deeper coverup and a quid pro quo arrangement, that might take down someone in the ship's leadership structure too.