"Goodbyes" is an episode of JAG that first aired on May 25, 1999. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Written by Stephen Zito.
A Navy chaplain baptizes baby A. J. Roberts, with Admiral Albert Jethro Chegwidden in attendance.
Charles "Charlie" Lynch (Erik Dellums) shows up and abducts his surviving daughter, Dar-Lin (Aysia Polk) right before Lt. Commander Rabb is due to transfer out of the Navy's Judge Advocate General (JAG) headquarters.
Charlie takes Dar-Lin to a docked ship. Rabb shows up and gets Charlie to drop his gun. But then Charlie grabs an axe and almost chops off Rabb's right hand. Rabb is able to recover his gun and shoot Charlie. An ambulance takes Dar-Lin to a hospital.
With Dar-Lin safe, Rabb is ready to clear out his office at JAG. He begins to tell Chegwidden what an honor it has been to serve under him, but Chegwidden cuts him off saying "dismissed."
Side story: Lieutenant Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes (Sibel Ergener) shows up at JAG Headquarters and hands Rabb F-14 manuals and other related documents, to help him on his way back to being a naval aviator full time.
Tropes
- Continuity Nod: Lt. Bud Roberts Jr. says he'd rather lose in court to Rabb than to win against anyone else. Rabb says Roberts hasn't lost yet. This refers to 'The Adversaries', in which Rabb prosecuted Master Chief Bud Roberts Sr. and Roberts Jr. defended his father. The elder Roberts was found not guilty.
- Doing Research: Lt. Roberts researches the ships Lynch has served on. Rabb calls on him towards the end of the episode to figure out where Lynch might take Dar-Lin.
- Disproportionate Retribution: This positively chilling exchange between Rabb and Charlie reveals the mentality behind Charlie's reasons for killing Annie as totally soulless.Rabb: Charlie, there's something I need to know... Why did you kill Annie?Charlie: I told her not to get on that school bus.Rabb: She just wanted to be with kids her own age.Lynch: She disrespected me.Rabb: And for that, you beat her to death?Lynch: You have a problem with that?
- Earlier in the episode, Dar-Lin fears the worst when she spills a slice of pizza on her shirt. That time Charlie reacts somewhat reasonably, cleaning her shirt and telling her that everyone spills things.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Charlie is an evil monster who smokes a cigar.
- Hollywood Silencer: Charlie's gun has a silencer that reduces its sound to an almost inaudible fwip.
- Plot Threads: Charlie abducting his daughter occurs almost simultaneously with little A. J.'s baptism.
- Serial Killer: Of the Power/Control type; Charlie kills people nonchalantly if they get in his way or anger him even a little.
- Suicide by Cop: Charlie forces Rabb to kill him.
