"The Guardian" is an episode of JAG that first aired on March 28, 1997. Directed by Michael Schultz. Written by Jack Orman.
A homeless man, Paul Bauwer (Bruce Weitz), kills three convenience store robbers in order to protect his son, Marty (Sam Gifaldi), who doesn't know the homeless man is his biological father.
To evade the police, the elder Bauwer takes refuge in the same church where Roberts is asking God for last-minute help with his law school exam. Bauwer seems to be reliving some traumatic incident from Vietnam. In fact, Bauwer is a chief petty officer in the Navy, and a Navy SEAL.
Nine years ago, Bauwer was supposed to undergo a psychological evaluation for killing a man who was allegedly stalking his wife. But he disappeared and has now resurfaced. Rabb comes to the church and finesses the situation so that Bauwer is taken into custody alive.
Rabb and Mac defend Bauwer in civilian court, with Judge Gail Sanders (Ellen Geer) presiding. Bauwer wears his Navy uniform, District Attorney Nardoni (Michael Brandon) calls Marty to the stand. Nardoni casts aspersions on Marty's honesty. Bauwer gets up from the defense table to physically attack Nardoni. The bailiff points his gun at the elder Bauwer. Marty still doesn't know what his relation to Paul Bauwer is.
Rabb delivers an eloquent closing statement that convinces the jury to find Chief Bauwer not guilty.
Tropes
- Enhance Button: Bud has a techie friend look at the convenience store's surveillance video. At first it seems like they'll avert this trope, saying that it's not possible to get any more quality out of it, but they end up enhancing it anyway - zooming into a reflective sign, reversing the image and using it to read the writing on Marty's baseball cap.
- 555: Mac starts to give out a phone number, 555-01xx, but Rabb stops her.
- Crazy Homeless People and Shell-Shocked Veteran: Paul Bauwer at the beginning of the episode.
- A SWAT Team almost kills Paul Bauwer.
