Ice Queen (JAG)
"Ice Queen" is the 20th episode in the eighth season of the CBS legal drama JAG. It is the 178th episode in the series overall, and it serves as the backdoor pilot for the crime drama NCIS, which is the first spin-off associated with the NCIS franchise.
| "Ice Queen" | |
|---|---|
| JAG episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 20 |
| Directed by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Written by | Donald P. Bellisario Don McGill |
| Original air date | April 22, 2003 |
Cast and characters
- David James Elliott as Commander Harmon Rabb
- Catherine Bell as Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie
- Patrick Labyorteaux as Lt. Bud Roberts
- John M. Jackson as Admiral A.J. Chegwidden
- Mark Harmon as NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
- Robyn Lively as NCIS Probationary Agent Vivian Blackadder
- Michael Weatherly as NCIS Senior Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo
- Tom Jay Jones as NCIS Special Agent Don Dobbs
- Alan Dale as NCIS Director Tom Morrow
Synopsis
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) team is called to investigate the mysterious death of a Judge Advocate (Lt Singer), who is discovered by a boy scout searching for a stray arrow. Before the episode concludes, Harmon Rabb is read his rights before being declared a suspect.
Plot
The body of a Navy Lieutenant JAG officer is found in the woods by a boy scout, and random tests later confirm that the JAG officer was pregnant. Admiral Chegwidden informs members of JAG of the news when it is revealed that the body is that of Lt. Loren Singer.
Called in to investigate, NCIS then launches an investigation into Singer's murder. Commander Rabb calls his half brother Sergei to inform him of Loren's murder. The episode is mainly dedicated to the investigation into Singer's murder, and finding a suspect. NCIS interviews several members of JAG, including Mac, Roberts, and Manetti.
After interrogating Rabb, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs reads him his rights, and places him under arrest for the murder of Lt. Loren Singer with Special Agent Tony DiNozzo and Viv Blackadder aiding him. The first part of this two-part episode ends here, with the storyline later picking up in the second episode, "Meltdown".
On the side, NCIS is attempting to apprehend the terrorist responsible for the attack against USS Cole and they interrogate another terrorist, Amad Bin Atwa, who helped finance the attack. Director Thomas Morrow wants Gibbs to take over the interrogation of Atwa so as to prevent another terrorist attack against a Navy ship.
Guest stars
- Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the special agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team; Harmon was also credited as a special guest star.
- Robyn Lively as Special Agent Vivian Blackadder is a former FBI agent who lost her brother in the USS Cole bombing, prompting her to join NCIS, where she became a member of Gibbs' team as she sought to avenge her brother's death. She, along with Don Dobbs, are the only two who appeared in the following episode of JAG, but did not appear in NCIS itself.
- Michael Weatherly as Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo is Gibbs' second in command and also the senior special agent of the team.
- Pauley Perrette as Abigail "Abby" Sciuto is NCIS's forensic scientist, who wears Gothic-style clothing.
- Thomas Anthony Jones (or Tom Jay Jones) as Special Agent Don Dobbs is an NCIS special agent who helps the team with the investigation into Singer's murder, but like Blackadder, Dobbs did not appear in the main NCIS TV series.
- David McCallum as Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard is NCIS's medical examiner.
Note
The episode uses a different type face for its episode credits, signifying it as being a pilot for another series. Aside from featuring two characters who did not appear in later episodes of NCIS, the episode also uses a unique point-of-view perspective from the dead body as Dr. Mallard speaks to it. Although Mallard's conversations with the dead continued as a regular part of NCIS, this special effect remained unique to the pilot.