Spoilers

JAGnik Land is buzzing with the latest rumors, speculations and spoilers. Here's all the latest dirt--hopefully, sorted out enough so you don't need the EXTRA-strength Tylenol.

Kip and Harriet are insiders at JAG who post information and spoilers on the JAGniks list and the jag list at Yahoogroups. PLEASE read through these Q & A sessions (and on the JAG News page) and make sure you are not repeating the same questions. Thank You!

NBC canceled the adventure-drama series about military lawyers after its first season, but it was picked up by CBS, where it has flourished. (It also has become a weekday staple in repeats on USA Network.) Now in its ninth year on the air, the show will offer its 200th episode March 12.

Titled "What If?" the tale ponders what might have happened to the major characters if they had taken different paths. In the case of Judge Advocate General colleagues Navy Cmdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb and Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (David James Elliott, Catherine Bell), the story's premise yields an answer -- albeit an imaginary one -- to a question that long has tantalized "JAG" fans: What if Harm and Mac got married?

"Every once in a while," series creator and executive producer Donald P.Bellisario notes, "we do an episode that's completely different from a normal 'JAG.' I didn't write the 200th episode, but I told Steven (co-executive producer Steven Zito) what I wanted to do. It starts out with our whole group dining in a Chinese restaurant and opening fortune cookies, and all the fortunes are basically the same, posing the idea of 'What if?' We get to see the other side of what could have happened in their lives, and it's both funny and poignant."

As another element of the 200th-episode salute, viewers can expect the returns of past guest stars such as Ben Murphy and Andrea Thompson ("NYPDBlue"). It's been quite a while since some of them made their initial"JAG" appearances, another sign of the show's longevity. "It's got an audience that's not going to let go," Bellisario says with tangible pleasure. "They're very aggravated with me for not putting Harm and Mac together, so I guess in an absolutely fiendish way, I've finally done that in this episode ... but sometimes, the path not taken is the best path.''

Still, co-star Bell reasons Harm and Mac have "gotta get together eventually. I mean, you'd think! I get asked that question more than any other. 'When are you two going to get together?' Mac and Harm are sort of like sister and brother, but by the time the show ends, I think they should probably hook up."

Bell lobbied hard for the job when she heard the female lead was being recast when "JAG" moved to CBS. "I wasn't in the first 21 shows," she reflects,"but I was in the first season's last episode as a different character. Then, there I was, coming back to a show that had just been canceled by another network. You know what, though? I always knew the show was going to do great. I enjoyed watching it the first season -- it had all the elements. And sure enough, we kept doing better and better each season."

Her enthusiasm for the show has kept Bell wanting to stay in the thick of the action, even while pregnant with her first child last year. She confirms,"I worked up until about two weeks before I had my daughter. I would stand behind file boxes with holes cut in them, so I could stick my belly in, and they also let Mac do undercover work and pretend to be pregnant. Fortunately, I had a lot of energy, but it was still tough. I didn't do any stunt work, but I was running amid explosions and doing late-night shoots,so it was interesting. I took a lot of naps during lunch and whenever else I could squeeze them in."

"JAG" has had a tricky storytelling path to walk in recent years, given the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the 2003 war in Iraq. Bellisario feels such real-world situations have been worked into the show "without it becoming too onerous to the viewing public. I stayed away from the Iraq situation for a while. During the actual war, we didn't go near it. Now, we're starting to touch on some of those issues, and that includes the 200th episode. One of the subplots is a from-the-headlines story line."

Like NBC's "Law & Order," the acknowledgement of current events hasn't hurt"JAG," even in repeats. "One of the things that makes this show timeless is that it's a military show, so everyone is basically in uniform all the time," Bellisario says. "I was surfing trough channels recently and cameacross a rerun of 'Magnum, p.i.' (which Bellisario also produced). It's almost been 20 years since we made that show, and it's still a great show... but I look at the clothes and the haircuts, and the program definitely shows what its age is. That won't happen with 'JAG,' because military uniforms have been the same for about 100 years."

Having held its own on Fridays in addition to launching a successful spinoff -- "Navy NCIS," which occupies the former "JAG" time slot Tuesdays on CBS -- "JAG" is destined for a 10th season. Bellisario already cautions devotees to expect some changes. "Next year, we're going to lose somecharacters and bring some new ones in. We won't lose Harm or Mac, but I think Adm. Chegwidden is going to retire. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn up on'NCIS.' You just have to do that, shake the show up every once in a while."

Paramount: Mac escorts a prisoner to Miramar. A Fleet Training Instructor is deactivated due to his HIV status. Harm investigates. Writer: Dana Coen; Director: Bradford May

Zap2it.com: The gang celebrates Coates' promotion at a Chinese restaurant, where fortune cookies cause all to fantasize about what their lives would be like if they had made different choices.

Zap2it.com:Turner faces charges of racial bias; Harm petitions the court to get custody of teenage Mattie Grace; Coates tries to engineer a Christmas miracle for Adm. Chegwidden and Lt. Sims.

CBS:When a sailor is electrocuted while servicing a radar antenna on board a destroyer, Harm and Mac travel to the Mediterranean to investigate what seems to be an accidental death. Meanwhile, the Admiral foolishly assigns Coates the task of coordinating the details of his forthcoming wedding to Meredith.

Zap2it.com:The Navy's star pitcher (Barry Zito) faces assault charges after hitting a Marine with a ball during the annual baseball game.

Paramount:A Lance Corporal accidentally tells a reporter that he shot an Iraqi prisoner in the back of the head. While at bat in the Navy-Marine all-star baseball game, a Marine gets hit in the head by a pitch and his manager presses charges against the pitcher. Writer: Matt Witten Director: Bradford May

Zap2it.com:A Marine helicopter pilot interferes with local law enforcement during a hostage standoff and is accused of violating an act which bans military action on U.S. soil.

Paramount:A Marine major is on trial for involving himself in a civilian police action. Turner defends a Navy reserve doctor who claims to be a conscientious objector just as he is called to duty. Writer: Paul Levine; Director: Stephen Cragg

Zap2it.com:The Admiral buries Harm in backlogged case files; a veteran (Ossie Davis) says a bureaucratic snafu forced him to steal; a submarine picks up a North Korean crew imperiled by a SARS outbreak.

Paramount:Turner's on a sub in the Sea of Japan where ten North Korean submariners are being detained. Back at JAG and buried in a heavy caseload, Harm meets an 80- year-old veteran who's going on trial for theft. Writer: Dana Coen; Director: Bradford May

Zap2it.com:When the CIA fires Harm, he lands a job flying a crop-duster for a teenage boss; staff discovers Harm's replacement has lied about her credentials.

Paramount: Harm finds himself piloting a crop duster and dealing with a precocious teenaged girl. Commander Carolyn Imes who had been hired to replace Harm is on trial for falsifying her Michigan State Bar credentials. Writer: Stephen Zito; Director: Kenneth Johnson

Zap2it.com: A mission to retrieve a compromised CIA agent in Iraq becomes more difficult when Harm learns the agent's family needs to be rescued as well.

Paramount: Harm and Beth O'Neil fly to Libya to pick up a CIA asset. After suffering an enemy attack, they are forced to land their C-130 on the U.S.S. Seahawk. Mac defends a marine who's being accused of involvement with Al Queda. Writer: Matt Witten; Director: Dennis Smith

Zap2it.com: Mac defends a Marine whose actions may have caused the deaths of two fellow soldiers; Harm's test flight in a spy plane turns into a dangerous mission to take photos over North Korea.

Paramount:Turner and Mac battle it out when a Marine is charged with dereliction of duty. Harm goes on a CIA training mission that turns into a tactical sortie over North Korea. Writer: Thomas L. Moran

Zap2it.com:Harm goes under cover to prevent a terrorist from overthrowing the Philippine government; Bud's brother, Mikey, faces a tough choice when a fellow cadet is accused of cheating.

Paramount:Harm flies to the Philippines to drop a limousine and has to foil a military coup. Mac gets involved when Bud's brother, Mikey, is asked to be a character witness in a Code of Honor conflict at the Academy.

Kip:DJE did not sign a contract until two months after the last season. Had he not accepted the money offered this season would have opened with a funeral at Arlington with Mac. CB's contract is only for this season, so if JAG is picked up for year ten, expect another cliffhanger.

Paramount: A Gulf War MIA, discovered in Iraq and living in a Bedouin tribe, is brought up on desertion charges. Harm finds he cannot return to JAG.

Zap2it.com: Mac is assigned to defend a female petty officer who has been found living in Iraq as the wife of a Bedouin sheik; Harm's resignation papers are processed.

Paramount: Harm and Mac are in Paraguay in pursuit of Sadik, the Muslim terrorist. Clayton Webb and Gunny join their fight. Harm continues to struggle with the real reason he showed up in South America.

CBS: Harm and Mac return to Paraguay, having destroyed the shipment of Stinger missiles and surviving their plane crash, to chase after the Arab terrorist responsible for brutally torturing Webb.

TV Guide: Harm, who resigned his commission in the season ender, will receive a chilly welcome from the admiral upon his return to JAG headquarters. As for the seven-year-tease between Mac and Harm, Bellisario says "Let's put it this way. At the end of the opening episode, the audience will understand,as will Mac and Harm, when they have not gotten together."

Zap2it.com: A severely tortured Webb teams up with Harm and Mac in Paraguay in order to find Sadik; Mac goes undercover to meet the secretary of a local CIA contact that has been leaking information to Sadik.

* Harm almost being run over by a bus (large vehicle) out in the middle of nowhere and when a truck starts coming at him and the tire blows, he shoots his gun at it. Only to hear Mac's voice saying "I thought you'd recognize me by now."

* Harm and Mac in bed together. He on top of the covers, she underneath. She turns away from him and he tries to talk to her, asked her what was bothering her. She turns back to face him and says something to the effect of, "You resign your commission, fly 5,000 miles to save me. The question I have is why?" He says, "You know why." and She says "explain it to me" ... cut to next scene

* Harriet walks down the stairs with her new son. She introduces him as "Jimmy" to Big Bud and Mikey. Mikey asks what his middle name is. She says, "Kirk. It means can't remember what she said here." Mikey looks up and says, "It's James Kirk?" She smiles and says yes. Mikey says something about, "you named your son after the captain of Star Trek." Harriet turns on Bud and he tries to back peddle his way out of it by saying, "It's a good name, who cares were it came from."

* Scene in the bullpen where Bud apologizes to Sturgis about screwing something up. Sturgis just wants to be left alone to deal with it, but Bud is intent upon trying to make up for it. Sturgis finally says "let me deal with it in my own time and stop following me."

* There was a scene of Mac with long hair in a bar with another woman. The woman says something about liking short commitments. A man comes up to her, whispers something in her ear, she waves him away, then turns to Mac and says, "But not that short."

* Mac and a Middle Eastern offical on video phones. She talks about a remote that appeared to be in his hand during the taped confession of someone. She asks what it was. He says it was a remote tied back to a belt put around reluctant prisoners to get them to talk. She says that's torture. He agrees, but doesn't seemed phased by it. There was something more, but I don't recall what it was because someone stopped to ask me a question at that time.

* Harm and another pilot are flying some kind of super-secret, super-sonic aircraft and trying to get information as they fly over restricted, foreign airspace.

I was reading the Soap Opera Digest in the checkout line and read an article on Corbin Bernson. Apparently he is slated to make an appearance as Sebring. This was found on page 6. This is cool because I like him and his character. (Posted to the JAG List by Erin)

Ossie Davis will be guest starring in the episode entitled "Close Quarters" as a former Petty Officer Third class during World War II who had been assigned to the Great Lakes Experience, who crosses paths with Harm during a time of need. Should be a good episode. (Posted by KatRose)

Question: I believe the Retreat was held last week. I'm wondering if there are any snippets of the meeting that you can share with the fans (perhaps you were in attendance, or know details of it if you were not)! as to how it went? Maybe DPB's general outlook for season 9 or anything else that you can share without breaking confidences!

He was very specific on the Harm/Mac interplay in the first episode...no give away since they both are under contract, This episode will focus almost entirely on them and to a lesser extend Gunny and Webb. Harm and Mac will come to a realization at the end which may be surprising but logical, IMHO. Shippers will debate it, but then they debate just about everything.

The season opener will also set how Harm and Mac will interact during the first half of the season. The reason DPB only concentrated on the first half is that he wants to see whether he feels the show will go on for a tenth season before deciding how to play the second half. By January we should have a good idea of how its performing on Friday night and if it is the end of JAG a decision will be made then on how that should take place.

The JAG writing staff is off for two days next week to visit a carrier, submarine and a one day ride on a destroyer. For most this will be their first real experience with the Navy at sea and they're in for an eye-opener.

You didn't ask, but the NCIS retreat did much the same...establishing relationships, deciding the type of stories, what to expect in each episode, etc.

The entire cast, including Sasha Alexander, is very excited to start on the new series. By the way, Sasha and DPB share a heritage. They both have Serbian mothers and Italian fathers. Sasha is fluent in both languages.

I think that's enough to say about the future of the shows. I know you will all start speculating, but please don't expect any further answers from me.

Question:What I don't understand is how a man can execute such a successful show with such fabulous story lines and NOT find a way to successfully bring Mac and Harm together enough to keep audiences interested and keep up the UST he so desperately wants. After all it's not like Mac and Harm can fall into a passionate clench in the courtroom or boardroom or the Admirals office. The need for 'restraint' would still exist.

Question:And someone please explain how can you be dating and not know it? Exactly what was DPB refering to. Most people I know who date have at least held hands and kissed goodnight.

Kip:He meant that they would always be working together and end up taking their work to to dinner or going out with other members of JAG. By the end of the season he thought they ought to realize that some of this work was an excuse to be together because they enjoyed each other's company.

Don't know if he is going to do this in season nine. The last season threw such a wrench into everything it changed the dynamics.

Question:After reviewing every post I could find regarding the H/M personal relationship, am I correct in assuming that although DPB does not want to close the deal between them, neither does he want to end it (finally) the other way by putting them in committed relationships with others?

Question:I am wondering if DPB has said anything about what is planned for the 200th episode. Is it going to be shot in another location? Will it be a 2 parter?

Question:I have been going through your spoilers and you got more story line on NCIS which will take the slot of Tuesday than on topics on Harm and Mac. Any new hint on whats gonna happen next season. Will they get out alive and get married next season.