"The Good of the Service" is an episode of JAG that first aired on October 7, 1997. Directed by Alan J Levi. Written by Larry Moskowitz.
Lt. Colonel John Farrow (Ben Murphy) is charged with disobeying a direct order. Farrow allowed a Marine team to proceed with a rescue of Marine hostages in Palma Christi, Haiti, allegedly after receiving an order from an admiral to hold off on the rescue. As a result of Farrow's alleged negligence, twenty-one villagers died, including the son of the local schoolteacher.
Admiral Chegwidden defends, Lt. Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie prosecute. Chegwidden demands Rabb and Mac treat him as they would any other defense lawyer, emphasizing that he does not want Farrow's acquittal to seem proof of whitewashing to the media.
After the prosecution rests, Rabb goes to Haiti and gets Mrs. Malidor (Pamala Tyson) to come to the United States with him and testify at Farrow's court-martial. The judge allows Rabb to reopen the prosecution case and call Mrs. Malidor to the stand. However, on Chegwidden's objection, the judge does not allow testimony on the identity of the shooter who killed her child.
However, Rabb seems to slip up by asking Mrs. Malidor an open-ended question that requires him to cut her off. But Chegwidden says Mrs. Malidor should be allowed to finish what she was going to say: that she blames all of the U. S. Armed Forces for the death of her child.
Farrow is found guilty but explicitly awarded no punishment. From the beginning of the case Rabb was aware that Mac had some sort of personal relationship with Farrow. However, Mac only discloses that she was an officer under his command in Okinawa and that it was on his recommendation that she went to law school.
Some shots of Chegwidden talking in court and Rabb and Mac at the prosecution table are used in the opening credits for this season and some seasons afterwards.
Tropes
- Fake Nationality: An In-Universe example. Rabb goes to Haiti pretending to be a photojournalist from New Zealand in order to locate the mother of the dead child.
- Operation: [Blank]: The rescue of the Marine hostages was codenamed "Operation Manta Ray".
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Mrs. Malidor tells the U. S. military why they suck: "Even when your own people are killed, you do nothing. Finally this one," she says, pointing to Lt. Colonel Farrow, "sends in soldiers to fight and you want to punish him!"
- Take a Third Option: Chegwidden demands that Rabb not throw the fight, whereas Rabb is content to convince the jury. So Rabb goes above and beyond by going to Haiti to bring the unfortunate Mrs. Malidor in as a witness, but then tanks the case by asking her a question he did not prepare for: "Do you blame Colonel Farrow?" The jury also takes a third option, by finding Farrow guilty but awarding no punishment.
