ADDITIONAL TEXT: 'Skeleton Crew' Synopsis (Episode 1.22)

This is a synopsis for Skeleton Crew (aka: Death Watch (1)) posted to the
JAG Mailinglist by <DSBPost@aol.com>. Originally, this were two posts which
have been combined:


Here is a synopsis, however don't forget that there is still a possibility
of the ep being rewritten or restructured at some future date to answer the
unanswered questions.


Teaser: Midnight the USS Seahawk is tied up at dock in the fog . Lt Diane
Schonke, Communications, signs off from Chief O Bannion for liberty and
leaves the nearly empty ship and heads toward her car. Omoment later she is
followed by Lt Lamb who cases into the mist after her and returns alone. He
returns later and tells the chief he didn't catch up to her. Dawn and the
Chief and Lt Roberts head out for breakfast when they sight Lt Shonkes car
 still in the parking lot. The Lt is in the front dead from a gunshot.

Act 1 Harm and Meg reach the crime scene to find the investigation underway
by Brian Turkeya civilian agent in the Navel Criminal Investigation Service
assigned to the seahawk. Harm recognizes Diane and in shock tells Meg that
they were supposed o have dinner that night. When Turkey objects to Harm
investigating a Girlfriend Harm replies that she was more of a sister to him.

In Washington the Admiral is also worried about Harm being so close but Cmdr
Krennick takes the case promising to keep Harm in line.

Agent Turkey and Meg interview Lt Lamb who insists that he had a date with
Diane that night, and also informs them That Diane had told him that she was
being stalked on ship. Meanwhile on the Bridge Harm and Krennick interviewthe
Seahawks XO Cmdr Holbarth who only knows Diane as a hard working officer.
They make arraingmets for the JAG crew to bunk onboard during the
investigation.

Krennick gets livid when she finds out that Diane was to spend the wekend
with Harm and gets into Harm about his relationship with Diane. She is left
stunned when Harm angrily returns that he and Diane never had sex and he only
cares about nailing her killer. As he leaves her alone in the passage she
looks around starting to believe that someone is stalking her.

END ACT 1

"Skeleton Crew" act 2 continued

Next morning the Investigation continues into the rape and murder of Diane
Shonke
Lt Shonkes Roomate Lt Williams cuts short her leave and returns to the
Seahawk to help fill in background on Diane. She is interviewed by Cmdr
Krennick and Agent Turkey. When Harm walks in she jumps up and hugs him
while crying. She explains that she was so close to Diane that she
recognized Harm and confirms his deep friendship with Diane. Turkey's
baiting of Harm almost gets him pounded but Harm is defused by Krennick.

Lt Williams confirms that Diane wasn't seeing anyone although she was hit on
alot, especially by Lt Lamb. Diane even went to the XO, Cmdr Holbarth, about
him.

 Krennick and Turkey sweat out Holbarth for not reporting Lamb. He explains
that it was not an offical complaint and that Diane did not want to destroy
his career.

Lt Roberts is giving Meg a tour of the Ship when Harm catches them. Harm
tells Meg about the stalking and Meg reports that Lt Lamb has left the ship.
Harm chases after and finds Lt lamb in a diner by the ship. Harm confronts
him with the reported stalking. Lamb denies that he had anything to do with
her where upon Harm explodes and decks him only to be pulled of by Chief
O'brien. .Harm tells the chief to report his assualt on Lamb but Lamb denies
saying he didn't kill her but he can understand how someone in love with her
feels.

ACT 3

Krennick tells Harm to stop acting like a fool. All he is doing is giving
potential ammunition to Lambs defence attorney if they charge him. She also
tells harm that She is charging him to stand captains mast in order to
disassociate him and protect her own career. Harm pleads for more time and
she gives him 36 hours to get a confession from Lamb.

Meg is going through Dianes computer with Lt Williams help. Diane was a rare
and beautiful woman. Lt Willams tells more of Dianes feeling for Harm and
concludes that she was in love with him. She had kept every letter ever
written.

Agent Turkey is aware of that as he is currently reading them all.

Cmdr Krennick is trying to make her way through the deserted ship when she
gets lost in the maze of passages. Someone starts to follow her. She is
chased by the unseen stalker into a corridor with the power off and a closed
hatch. A Marine opens the hatch and searches at her insistance only to report
that there is no one in evidence.

Harm Bumps into Lt Williams as both are wandering through the ship. They are
intterupted by a search party looking for the missing Lt. Lamb. followign
the marines to the Lt.s Room they find him sitting dead at his computer with
a gun still clutched in his hand.

ACT 4


Lt Lambs body is being removed from the Seahawk and some divers are combing
the water nearby. Lt lamb left a suicide note on his computerand Krennick is
ready to wrap up the case but Turkey isn't sure. Harm finds ti all to simple
also but he has been ordered to report to Washington in the morning for
Captains mast for slugging Lamb in the diner. Roberts slips them a copy of
the Coroners report on Diane and Meg promises to go over it carefully.

Harm returns to his quarters to find his letters to Diane on his desk and
Turkey in his room. Turkey returns the letters as an apology for baiting
Harm.

Midnight, Cmdr krennick is heading to her car to return to washington when
she senses someone following her. She whirls with her pistol ready to find
Harm close behind her. With a smile she puts three slugs into his chest.

Harm wakes up to find Meg pounding at his door. In the autopsy it was
determined that Dianes body was moved. She had died two hours before being
put in the front seat of her car. Diane was probably killed else where and
returned to the Seahawk. As she had been going to see Harm it seems likly
that Harm could have killed her and returned her. Harm is sure that this is
what Turkey believes and that he was actually searching Harms quarters when
Harm disturbed him. Turkey probably thinks that Harm killed Lamb as a
scapegoat to cover for Dianes murder.

4:30 am same time as Diane had left in the teaser as Harm leaves the ship to
head for Washington. Agent Turkey appears out of the mist and arrests Harm
for Dianes murder. When harm demands to know the evidence against him Turkey
tells him that the divers recovered the murder weapon used on her and that
Harms fingerprints are on it.

the end.

Of course this was meant as the first of a two parter. It was only after
filming that NBC dropped the series. But before the episode was finished it
was realized that JAG would continue in some manner in the future and a hint
is visible in the last scene on the dock.

So who did it
Harm?
or was it Lamb after all and Harm killed him
Or did Lt Williams kill Lamb
Or did Lamb commit suicide
Or did Lt Williams kill Diane for jealousy