JAG: The Complete Second Season

This long-running show's 1997 second season begins with the introduction of a new partner for JAG (judge advocate general) lawyer “Harm” Rabb (David James Elliott): Major Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie (Catherine Bell, replacing Tracey Needham as the series' alpha female). Once again, the emphasis is on investigating and trying crimes committed by U.S. military personnel (befitting a drama inspired by A Few Good Men), as in the opener, “We the People,” in which a rogue officer comes up with a surprising motive for his theft of the Declaration of Independence. The year's best episodes, however, involve striking deviations from the formula. In “Full Engagement,” for example, Harm and Mac play hide-and-seek in the Appalachian Mountains with backwoods poachers who have killed a game warden. And the highly suspenseful “Code Blue” finds Harm, bedridden with a knee injury, trying to outwit members of the terrorist group Hamas, who have taken over the hospital in a bid to kidnap a critically ill Israeli diplomat to use as leverage in a hostage negotiation. Elliott's acting continues to improve as the second season unfolds, and his obvious chemistry with Bell (who would remain with the show for the remainder of its 10-season run) clearly enhances the series' effectiveness. DVD extras include three audio commentaries and two featurettes. Recommended. (E. Hulse)