Skeleton Crew

Episode #22

Air Date: In syndication on Dec 5, 1999

 

This episode was Part 1 of a two-parter. It was never shown in North America during JAG's first run on NBC. This "lost" episode was finally shown in syndication on the USA Network.  Part 2 was never made.

 

Lt. Diane Schonke is raped and murdered. Harm and Meg are assigned to the investigation. It is not until he sees the body that Harm realizes the dead officer is Diane, his friend from the Academy.

 

Harm walks away.  When Meg joins him he tells her that Diane was a friend from the Academy.  That she was going to driving up to see him that day.  He tells her he left a note for Diane on his door when he got called for the investigation, never considering that Diane could be the murdered Lieutenant.

 

 

 

 

Agent Turkey tells Harm to remove himself from the case because he can't investigate his girlfriends murder.  Harm answers that Diane was more like a sister than a girlfriend.

 

 

 

Questioning Cmd. Holbarth ...

Later, Cmd Krennick, in her quarters, questions Harm about his relationship with Diane. 

Questioning Diane's bunkmate ... Agent Turkey tries to push Harm's buttons with his questions ...

 Cmd. Krennick takes Harm to the hallway and warns him about letting Turkey get to him.

They question Sarah further and find out that Diane felt she was being watched and followed. 

 

 

 

 

Believeing that Lt Laam was the murderer, Harm follows him to the diner, confronts him, and then throws a punch...

Cmd. Krennick tells Harm she is recommending Captain's mast. . .

Bud gives Harm a copy of the autopsy report and Krennick informs Harm to be in Adm. Chegwidden's office 08:00 the following morning.

Harm can't bring himself to read the autopsy report, Meg tells him that she will and will let him know of anything important.

Harm returns to his quarters and finds Agent Turkey.  He is there he says to return Harm's letters written to Diane.

Harm has a dream where he envisions Krennick shooting him.

He wakes to Meg pounding on his door. She has info for him from the autopsy report. 

As they discuss the findings Harm starts the shower.  He asks Meg to follow up on a piece of info and when she doesn't leave right away he says "you better get going unless you want to join me in the shower"

As Harm leaves the ship for his meeting with the Admiral, Agent Turkey arrests him for murder....

to be continued.....      

 

***   NBC cancelled JAG before Skeleton Crew aired. As a result, the conclusion of this episode was never written. Because it was an unfinished  2-parter, NBC never aired it. It was shown outside of North America, and caused much confusion because it was unfinished.  Diane Schonke was played by Catherine Bell, who was later cast for the role of Major Sarah MacKenzie when JAG was picked up by CBS. The Season Three episode Death Watch used much of the footage from this episode but the story itself was changed and told in flashbacks by Harm. In Death Watch, Cmdr. Holbarth was the murderer. However, at the 1999 JAG Convention in Los Angeles, it was learned that Agent Turkey was the murderer in Skeleton Crew.

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