JAG: Skeleton Crew

Part 1 of 2. Never shown in North America during JAG's first run on NBC. This "lost" episode was finally shown in syndication on USA Network on December 5, 1999. 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 was Diane, his friend from the Academy, whom he regards as a "sister". The NCIS investigator, Agent Turkey, wants Harm pulled off the case. Cmdr. Krennick comes up with a solution. She would supervise both Harm and the investigation. Harm suspects one of the officers, Lt. Lamm, of being the murderer. Then Lamm is murdered, and the evidence begins to build, against Harm. Harm is recalled to Washington, but as he is leaving the ship, he is arrested by Agent Turkey, for the murder of Diane Schonke.

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.

 

All Episode Summaries Used By Permission From DJE Online