08x03 - Family Business
Posted: 06/17/23 05:40
( man speaks indistinctly )
( metallic clattering )
( woman speaks indistinctly )
WOMAN:
Shut up.
Go to hell!
Put it down!
( g*nsh*t, thud )
( door slams )
( man grunting )
( g*nsh*t )
( dog barks in distance )
She's dead, son.
Mom! Oh, no!
( thunder crashing )
Have a seat.
Gunnery Sergeant Akers.
Yes, sir.
I'm Commander Rabb.
I've been detailed
as your defense counsel.
Yes, sir.
You admitted to...
k*lling your wife.
In self-defense, yes.
What's your story?
She was drunk, sir.
She tried to slash me
with a chef's knife.
I shot her once
in the shoulder
to try and stop her,
but she came at me again.
( gasping )
Caught me
trying to protect myself.
The second time,
I shot to k*ll.
b*llet through the neck.
Severed her carotid artery.
Yes, sir.
You were armed at the time.
Pulled a w*apon
out of the drawer, sir.
Had you registered
the w*apon
with the Provost
Marshal's office?
No, sir.
You didn't try to disarm
your wife first?
No, sir.
Why not?
Well, Marie and I
have been down this
road before, sir.
In '99, she broke my hand
with a...
with a garden trowel.
Last year, she threw
boiling water at me,
scalding my chest.
This was
my last stand, sir.
Did you report
these incidents?
No, sir.
Clearly a mistake,
but I was taught
that you keep
family business to yourself.
( thunder rumbling )
You have a ten-year-old son.
Yes, Tommy.
Did your wife
ever attack him?
Yes, sir.
Did you report that?
My second mistake, Commander.
Where was he at the time
of your wife's death?
In his room, sir.
Did he witness any of it?
No, just the, the aftermath.
Can he corroborate
any of the other incidents?
No, sir, he wasn't there
for either of them.
You're really not giving me much
to work with here, Gunny.
Yes, sir, I know
and for that,
I-I am deeply sorry.
No one should have to clean
this mess up except for me.
Lieutenant Singer--
your itinerary, ma'am.
Thank you, Tiner.
Something else?
Wanted to congratulate you,
ma'am.
You'll do well on the Seahawk.
Yes, I will.
Anything further I can do
to expedite your departure,
ma'am?
Are you being friendly
or eager?
Just trying to help, ma'am.
Not at the moment, Tiner.
Well, if you think
of anything, ma'am,
I'm available.
Lieutenant Singer.
You're going somewhere?
Yeah, the lieutenant
has been transferred
to a carrier
in the Arabian Sea.
I'm sorry to hear that.
No, it's a good thing.
For Lieutenant Singer.
It's a billet
for hot runners.
Well, uh, I wish you the best.
Thank you, Sergei.
I honestly believe you do.
Why don't you like her?
Oh, I don't dislike her.
She's actually very
Russian in spirit.
Her determination is
hiding her feelings
which are deeper and more
complicated than you think.
Well, so long as
she keeps them
in a place you can't get to,
little brother.
Harm, you make me
sound like a baby
who needs to be watched.
I am experienced enough to
choose what is best for me.
Yeah, you are, you are.
So long as
you don't choose her.
You insult me, Harm.
Sergei...
Go to your meeting.
Hey, hey, hey,
little brother.
Take it easy.
I wouldn't trust her
with anybody I care about.
I'll see you Friday.
You're not mad at me,
are you?
I can get over it.
It's nice of you to join us,
Commander.
Sorry I'm late, sir.
CHEGWIDDEN:
Have a seat.
Uh, the Colonel's reviewed
the Article 32 report
on Marie Akers' homicide.
She'll be representing
the government
at the gunnery sergeant's
court-martial.
Anything you
care to discuss?
Gunny will be pleading
not guilty, sir.
Self-defense.
She's 5'2", Harm.
The gunny's 6'1", 185.
Half of all spousal abuse
victims are male.
Oh, and how many of them
are marines?
RABB:
Irrelevant.
I'm pushing for premeditation,
Harm.
What?
Outside this office, please.
Sorry, sir.
Sir.
You're reaching.
It's a potential
capital case, Harm.
You wish.
NCIS determined
the blood spatter
from the gunny's
wounds
were inconsistent
with self-defense.
I read the report, Mac.
The blood on the floor
is a mixture of both
the gunny and his wife's.
How anyone could
draw a definitive
conclusion from that
one way or the other
I'll never know.
Harm, I have reason
to believe the gunny
is capable of planning
and executing a m*rder.
Your evidence?
To be revealed.
Mac...
I'll accept life without parole.
( chuckle )
I'm not dealing
until I know what I have.
What you have
is a dead man's hand.
Someone spike your cereal
this morning, Colonel?
No, I'm just feeling good
in general.
What's your secret?
I had a vision last night.
Uh-oh.
Mm-hmm. I walked in the office,
looked around
and there was Lieutenant Singer.
Do I really want to know this?
She was on that middle monitor,
standing on the deck
of the Seahawk.
( sighing )
Loren. Uh... come in.
Everything okay?
Yeah.
Good.
Thanks for coming.
You're welcome.
I assume it's to pick my
brain about the Seahawk?
I need specifics, Bud.
Well, uh, Petty Officer Coates
is an excellent legalman.
She'll serve you well
if you treat her well.
Are you suggesting I won't?
Well, last Christmas
you accused her
of stealing your jewelry.
I'll leave my jewelry at home.
Anything else?
Yeah, don't take any hikes
in a minefield.
So, what's new at JAG?
The President's accepted
SECNAV's resignation.
Oh, then maybe you should
reconsider this billet
and throw your hat
into that ring.
In due time, Bud.
Rehab going well?
Yeah. Uh...
I'm making a little progress
each and every day.
Yeah, too little.
The lieutenant's
not quite with
the program yet.
Lieutenant Loren Singer,
this is my new roommate,
Marine Corporal Shawn Stiles.
Lieutenant.
Your roommate's enlisted?
Yeah, we've gotten crowded
around here.
Back from the w*r, Corporal?
Oh, a few months ago.
I reinjured myself.
Got a little ambitious.
Ma'am.
Ma'am.
Lieutenant Roberts
is assisting me
with my lapse
in protocol.
I'm helping him
to get his ass back home.
That's pretty sloppy, sir.
You want to keep that
baby smooth and tapered,
otherwise, it will get all
tore up in the prosthesis.
I'm trying, Corporal.
Why don't you call
the nurse, dog?
Give yourself a break.
Did you just call him "dog"?
Oh, forgive me, ma'am.
Tell you what,
if I mess up again,
you have my permission
to subject me to harsh
and relentless discipline.
MIKEY:
Bud needs you, Dad.
BIG BUD:
I've talked to him;
he sounds fine.
Talking to him
on the phone
isn't the same
as seeing him.
I don't want to see him
like that.
So, what, you're just
going to avoid Bud
for the rest
of your life?
No. I'll see him
when he gets his...
Prosthesis?
Oh, God.
Makes me sick
just to think about it.
Come on, Dad,
you were in Vietnam.
You must have seen
plenty of amputees.
I was not in Vietnam.
I was off the coast
on a ship.
And the only time I ever saw
pants without legs in them
was when they were folded up
on a supply shelf.
He needs you.
Mikey...
I went to that hospital.
I got as far
as the elevator doors.
And what stopped you?
I don't know.
I don't know, I-I don't know.
I don't want to talk about it.
You must be Tommy.
I'm Commander Rabb.
I'm your dad's lawyer.
Nice to meet you.
Family Services told
me you were staying
here with your aunt.
Tommy, we're going
to need to talk
about some difficult
things, son.
Okay, I need you to tell
me what you remember
about the night
your mom died.
I-I can't talk about that.
You're going to need to try,
Tommy,
okay?
( stifled sob ):
I can't.
My father told me
not to talk to you.
( stifled sobbing )
( door shuts )
You told your son
not to talk to me.
He can't help us, sir.
He didn't see anything.
Let me be the judge
of what he can do.
I don't want him
testifying.
Gunny, you have
no other witnesses.
Tommy's already traumatized,
Commander.
Putting him on the stand
will only make it worse.
If he saw his mother
attack you...
He didn't.
Well, if she abused him,
we can...
Commander, I
k*lled his mother.
The least I can do
is protect him
from reliving it.
Tommy wants
to testify.
Well, wouldn't you if you know
it could save your father, sir?
If Tommy doesn't
take the stand...
there's a good chance
he's going to grow up
without you.
Is that what you want?
No, sir. Of course not.
That's why I need you
to help me find a
way out of this so...
so I don't have
to use my son.
You all right?
So far.
There it is.
Look at it.
That's your future.
No wheelchairs,
no crutches.
What's next?
You put some weight
on it, see how it feels
so I can tell where the
fit should be adjusted.
Can we get him
up on the bars?
( sighs )
Thanks.
( soft groan )
Okay.
Ready?
I think so.
One small
step for man.
A giant leap for
one-legged attorneys.
Is it going to hurt?
Time to find out.
Just...
ease down slowly,
and if it hurts,
push back up.
Nothing to prove.
Okay.
Here goes.
Ow! Damn!
A little less weight
this time.
It's a process.
( breathing heavily )
Okay.
Oh.
Ow!
( groaning )
Oh.
( groaning )
RABB:
If you drop premeditation,
we'll take ten years
confinement.
Forty.
Mac, I'm trying to give the boy
his father back.
Give his mother back
and I'll drop
everything.
Life sentence translates
to 20 years
without even a remote
possibility of parole.
I can take that.
Under that scenario,
the boy's 30
when his dad gets
out of prison.
I feel for the kid, Harm,
but his future is not
my responsibility.
That's your M.O.
Always working out
the fatherless boy thing.
Well, I could say
the same thing to you
about female victims.
I deserved that.
Here.
( sighs )
So, we're going to trial?
I'm sorry.
( keys jangling )
( door opening )
At ease.
I need two things
from you, Gunny.
I need the names
of anyone who may have witnessed
your wife being verbally abusive
while intoxicated.
Oh, I can do that, Commander.
Marie was a public drunk.
Excellent.
I want to try
to build a pattern of behavior.
See if we can establish
in her character
the potential for v*olence.
Sounds like
a plan, sir.
Next, I want
to talk
to friends or relatives.
Anyone who can speak
to your patience
and self-control.
Especially in the presence
of your wife.
Yes, sir.
We need to show that this event
was an aberration.
That you were a man
at the end of a long
painful journey.
The Members
have got to see
that given the years
of spousal abuse,
you had no
other recourse
but to act the
way you did.
You want them now, sir?
What?
The characters witnesses.
I can give you five
off the top of my head.
RABB:
Uh, bourbon straight up
and a shot of your finest vodka
for this young man here.
You think I don't know
what's good for you.
What, expensive
drinks?
Come on, I'm kidding.
Loosen the bolts
a little bit, brother.
You've been this way
for months.
Do you know why?
Yeah, I know why.
It's the immigration thing.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
That's part of it.
It's a big part of it.
And I know
how important it is to you.
Look...
the DNA tests
were inconclusive.
We'll just have
to find another way
to establish your citizenship.
How?
You go through the process
like every other immigrant.
That would
take time.
I know, you're in a hurry.
Not anymore.
I'm wanting to go
back to Russia, Harm.
After what you went through
over there?
That was in
Chechnya.
Come on.
You don't want
to go back there.
It's a disaster
over there.
I already
looked into it.
I can fly
helicopters
for a Moscow
shuttle service.
I thought you liked it here.
When I'm not lonely.
Which is a lot
of the time.
I'm sorry.
I'll pop by more often.
I don't think it would
make a difference, Harm.
Even when you do
pay attention,
you try to protect
me too much.
That's my job.
I'm the oldest.
That's what I'm supposed to do.
It's not working
for me, brother.
I'm going back.
We may not be
able to be friends
but we stay brothers
forever, yes?
Look, I don't want
to change our friendship.
I don't think you
know what you want.
Come on, join me.
Nu budem!
CORPORAL STILES:
Come on, Lieutenant.
Give me two more.
( groaning ):
No, Corporal. That's it.
( groaning )
Lieutenant
Carpenter's looking
for three times
around the floor daily.
Yeah, well, today...
she gets one.
Come on, man.
I do five.
Pardon me
for not feeling humbled.
( groaning ):
Oh.
( panting )
Look, losing that
spleen is going
to slow you down, sir.
But that doesn't mean
that you should use
it as an excuse.
Look, no lectures, Stiles.
Come on.
I'll tell you what, sir.
You give me two more,
and I'll tell you
about my night
with Halle Berry.
You had a night
with Halle Berry?
No, but when it
happens, I'll tell
you all about it.
Where do you get off
being so upbeat, huh?
( panting )
I was the only survivor
of a helicopter crash.
I owe myself.
And if you
want to see me
dragging my ass
around here
just so that you
can feel better
about giving up
on your rehab,
it ain't going
to happen.
Sir.
Whatever,
Lieutenant.
You lost a leg.
Doesn't that get to you?
And I'll give up the
other if it means
you never ask me
that question again.
So, you're just not dealing
with it. Is that it?
I'm just not putting
it in my brain, sir.
I don't know
if that's even possible.
And that, sir,
is why you can only
go around once.
Hey, Stiles.
Does your father support you?
Yes, sir...
but he's 3,000 miles away.
Then, don't talk
about my attitude
because our experiences are
different.
MacKENZIE:
Major Satalino,
you were Gunnery
Sergeant Akers'
company commander?
SATALINO:
It was in the
fall of '97.
Do you remember an incident
involving the gunnery sergeant?
Gunnery
Sergeant Akers
had just made sergeant.
He was assigned
to my company.
Did he fit in well?
He was on the
serious side, ma'am.
He caught the interest
of Sergeant Gerard,
our company wiseacre.
He liked to mess
with the men.
Mess with them how?
Practical
jokes, pranks.
Did he play pranks
on the sergeant?
Put a garter snake
in his gear bag.
Had everyone there
when he opened it.
How did the sergeant react?
Well, he said little
at the time, ma'am.
But that Saturday night,
he laid in wait
outside the NCO Club
for the sergeant.
They scuffled.
Sergeant Akers broke
Sergeant Gerard's collarbone.
I object, Your Honor.
Gunnery Sergeant Akers is not
on trial for this incident.
Goes to pattern,
Your Honor.
Charges weren't even filed
at the time, sir.
I think it's relevant,
Commander.
Overruled.
MacKENZIE:
Major, did you have
further occasion
to discipline Sergeant Akers
in 1998?
I did, ma'am.
Would you please tell us
for what?
The sergeant was charged
with assaulting his wife.
RABB:
Why in the hell didn't I know
you'd been charged
with hitting your wife?
It was handled
in-house, sir.
It's not even in
my service record book.
Well, it's a matter of
public record now, Gunny.
I'm sorry, sir.
I don't want
your apologies!
I want your
cooperation.
Do you have any idea
what Colonel MacKenzie's
trying to do in there?
She's trying to establish
that you, not your wife,
is the one prone
to v*olence.
Sir, it was
a one-time thing...
Well, what about
the fight with
Sergeant Gerard?
I told you about that.
Yeah, but you didn't
tell me it happened
three days after
the initial incident.
It suggests
premeditation.
It tells the members
you're capable
of holding a grudge
and plotting revenge.
So what does this mean, sir?
It means the death penalty
just came into play.
It's unlikely...
but there's not a lot
of sympathy out there
for wife-beaters.
I didn't beat Marie, sir.
I want you to level
with me, Gunny.
Tell me everything.
You can start by telling me
why there was no punishment.
Mitigating circumstances,
Commander.
RABB:
Elaborate, please, Major.
An onlooker testified
that Sergeant Aker's wife
was drunk
and resisting his efforts
to take her to the car.
Did the then sergeant
strike her with a fist
or an open hand?
Open hand, sir.
A slap?
Correct, sir.
Major, why was there
no judicial action taken?
I don't condone a marine
slapping his wife,
Commander, but the couple
had a six-year-old boy,
no prior record
of domestic v*olence,
and given the circumstances,
I felt that counseling
was the most appropriate
response.
And did they engage
in counseling?
For a time, sir.
Please tell us, Major,
why did they stop?
That was Mrs. Aker's choice.
Apparently,
she dropped out of AA.
She started drinking again.
Thank you, Major.
Nothing further.
CHEGWIDDEN:
So raise your beverages
in honor
of Lieutenant Loren Singer,
henceforth known as the Belle
of the Arabian Sea.
ALL:
Hear, hear.
It's a been
a great sendoff.
Thank you.
You've all been...
Lieutenant.
What's this, sir?
That is
a going-away gift.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
I have two
for you, actually.
You asked me before
to conceal the fact
that you lied about
being a Jew during
the Mars case,
and I've decided to do so.
You have nothing
to worry about.
I appreciate it, sir.
You are now Jewish
as far as I'm concerned
as long as you act
accordingly.
What, you're going
to hold me to it, sir?
Every chance I get.
Whatever turns you on, sir.
Go ahead, open it.
It's called
a mezuzah.
It goes on the outside
of your quarters.
You're serious
about this, Commander?
Wait until Chanukah.
I think you will make
a great carrier JAG, Loren.
Thank you.
Got to head out.
Have to go see
my husband.
Don't forget to stop
and smell the jet fuel.
Your bags all packed,
Lieutenant?
I'm not leaving
till Tuesday, ma'am.
Right.
Lieutenant.
Yes?
I, uh, I have
a meeting to attend.
I'm sorry I can't
stay for the party.
Yeah, me, too.
I just wanted to
say good luck
and knock 'em dead
out there, Loren.
I know you will.
He means that
figuratively.
I know what
he means, ma'am.
Thank you
for the sentiment.
Oy, you forget
how busy this place can be.
There's no more cake?
Your stuff, Lieutenant.
Tiner, where's
the admiral?
On the phone
in his office, ma'am.
Can I take this
to your car?
I'm capable of taking
it myself. Thank you.
Good luck, Lieutenant.
Sergei.
Leaving already,
Lieutenant?
Party's over.
Then I'm glad
I caught you.
I came to say good-bye.
That was nice.
Thank you.
Where are you going?
Home.
Can I help you
with that?
Would you, please?
RABB:
Did you speak to Tommy,
Commander?
As requested.
I visited him at
his aunt's house.
Was he cooperative?
No, he smelled shrink
the moment I
introduced myself.
This is a smart
ten-year-old.
Did he talk
to you at all?
Enough for me to make
an analysis, Commander.
The boy is in conflict.
He isn't saying,
but I suspect
that it's related
to the death
of his mother.
Did he tell you
his father refuses
to allow him to testify?
Yes. And that goes back
to my suspicions.
Tommy's behavior
concerning his father
suggests a submissive
relationship.
Well, he's dependent
on his father.
Seemingly.
Are you sure
that he is not just worried
about losing
the only parent he has left?
He's afraid of something
a lot more terrifying
than that, sir.
What, his father's wrath?
A strong
possibility.
So you're suggesting
that Tommy may have information
that could be damaging
to the gunny's case?
Infer what you will, sir.
But why would Tommy tell me
he wanted to testify, then?
It gets him off the hook.
The boy's able to satisfy
his father's demands
without drawing undue suspicion.
SIMS:
Of course, you're getting
a prosthesis.
ROBERTS:
Not everyone
can handle it.
Well, you're not everyone.
No, I'm missing
a spleen as well.
Why push it?
Huh? I'll just use the crutches.
Not at JAG you won't.
How are you going
to sell that to the navy?
I probably can't.
Well, then you have no choice
but to just stick it out.
I could become a civilian.
Look, there's no
medical boards.
There's no physical
readiness test outside.
I could be what I am--
a man without a leg.
In the navy, I'm the man
who has to pretend
he has a leg.
It's ridiculous.
Sweetheart,
you're just frustrated.
Do you want me to feel
good about myself?
Of course.
Then stop pushing
me to do something
that's beyond
my abilities.
You've always been
this way
and it's time
for you to stop.
I'm sorry.
This isn't very discreet of us.
It's nothing
I haven't heard before, ma'am.
So this goes on a lot?
Stiles...
Yes, sir.
Silence it is.
Why are you ordering him
not to talk?
This is his room, too.
Why are you acting
this way?
What has happened to you?
Wow, look at that!
That's got to be 270
if it's a yard.
Here, try
to beat that one.
You have time to drive
golf balls
but you don't have
time to visit Bud.
What, are you afraid
your old man can
still outdrive you?
No, I'm afraid
my father cares more
about his golf game
than about his own son.
Hey, watch your mouth
or I'll tee you up.
Dad, Bud's been home
for over a month
and he needs
your support.
What's the matter?
He doesn't have
a crutch?
I can't believe
you just said that.
Yeah, well, that's why
I won't go see him
'cause I'll say something
like that or something worse.
Now lay off.
Nice slice.
That's no slice.
That's a swooping fade.
You know, when I was
a little kid,
you'd get away with telling me
something like that,
but now, I see that
for what it is:
a hacker's slice.
Damn you! You see what
you're making me do?
You've always been a hacker,
haven't you, Dad?
And not just at golf.
You know, I never talked
to my father that way
and neither will you.
What would he do,
slap you upside the head?
You're damn right.
And that's going
to happen to you
if you don't shut up.
When's it end?!
What?
Slapping sons
instead of loving them.
Miss Akers,
I'm Commander Rabb.
I'm your brother's attorney.
Are you the one
that spoke to Tommy
the other day?
Yes, ma'am, I did.
Do you realize how
much you upset him?
Well, it wasn't my intention
to upset him, ma'am.
I'm trying to help your brother.
Is Tommy afraid of his father?
No.
They have a great
relationship.
Close?
What does this have to do
with Joe's defense?
He won't let me talk to Tommy.
He's trying
to protect him.
Joe loves that boy.
Calls every day
and asks about his mood,
school, his wound.
Tommy has an injury?
Did your son recently
have stitches, Gunny?
Sir?
Tommy was treated
for a wound on his back
at Saint Stephens Hospital
two hours after
you were arrested.
When he saw his
mother dead,
he fell back
and he cut himself
on the corner
of the counter.
Yeah, that's what
he told them at the ER.
So, then what's
the problem, sir?
Well, the problem is
we rechecked
the blood analysis
on the knife.
We found not only yours
and Maria's
but we also found Tommy's,
which means that Tommy
didn't fall back
against the corner
of the counter
and cut himself,
did he?
He was cut
with the knife.
So now the only question
is why you and he are both lying
about it.
I didn't s*ab Tommy
with the knife.
Don't even try
to tell me his
mother did it,
because if she
had it would be
a more justifiable
reason to k*ll her
than self-defense.
Commander, you got this
all wrong.
Show me where.
I can't, sir.
Tommy can,
though, can't he?
I told you to leave
him out of this, sir.
Explain the knife
wound to me.
I already did, sir.
He got slashed
defending
his mother,
didn't he?
No, sir.
Did you beat
your wife?
No, sir.
Tommy?
Never.
I don't believe
you, Sergeant.
I don't believe a word
you've said to me.
I don't believe
it was self-defense,
I don't believe
you didn't s*ab
your son.
I would never hurt Tommy.
Never.
Everyone has
their breaking point.
That night was yours, wasn't it?
Tommy tried
to protect his mother.
You slashed him.
He ran out of the kitchen.
She came at you.
You shot her
in the shoulder.
She came at you again.
This time you put
a b*llet in her neck.
And then you slashed
your own arm
to support your story.
Sounds like you just made
the prosecution's case... sir.
Hey, Bud.
Hey. I figured
you'd be in rehab.
I went there first.
I've been looking
everywhere.
Good to see you, sir.
You, too.
Rehab's not really
happening, sir.
You had a setback?
I don't want
to talk about it, sir.
How are things with you?
I'm a little
confused, Bud.
To be honest
with you,
this isn't just
a hospital visit.
I was... I was hoping
you'd feel like
doing a little brainstorming.
Uh...
What's going on?
Well...
I'm defending a marine
accused of k*lling his wife.
He claims it was
self-defense
and I don't believe him.
If you don't believe him,
how do you convince a jury?
The whole case
troubles me, Bud.
I just can't fit
this guy to the crime.
His account, sir?
Claims his wife came at him
with a chef's knife.
He shot her
in the shoulder.
She came at him again.
He fatally shot her
through the neck.
I guess I'd have to ask
if he really wanted
to k*ll her,
why would he sh**t her
in the shoulder first?
Well, maybe he was nervous.
He's a marine, sir.
Well, if you reverse
the scenario,
when he shot her
in the neck first,
why would he sh**t her
in the shoulder?
Maybe to make it appear
as though
he'd shot her
in the shoulder first?
That would support the claim
of self-defense.
But you don't
think it was.
I don't know what
I'm thinking, Bud.
There's so many...
so many things.
Is there anybody else that could
be involved in this, sir?
There is a God, Bud.
You know how I know?
How, sir?
'Cause he only
took your leg,
he didn't take
your head.
Get well quick.
I got one question
for you, Tommy.
Did your dad fire both sh*ts
at your mother?
No, sir.
Is your aunt home?
Yes, sir.
Let's go talk to her,
all right?
ROBERTS ( whispers ):
Hey, Stiles.
Stiles, wake up.
Lieutenant, your face
just replaced Halle Berry's.
Sorry.
Are you here to offer
me a cold one, sir?
No.
Then can I please
get back to the hot tub?
No.
Sir...
Look, you were right.
I am a dog.
A bad dog.
Say again, sir?
My attitude stinks.
I owe you an apology.
That's cool... sir.
Look, if anyone visits,
I'll be down in rehab.
Without the corpsmen?
What are you planning
to do there, sir?
Obedience training.
No, Lieutenant...
( groans ):
Man...
( groans )
Mikey?
Dad.
Come on, son.
Try again.
Are you okay, Tommy?
Yes, sir.
We're going to talk
about the night
your mother
was k*lled, Tommy.
I need you to tell us
what you remember
about that night.
Well, I finished up
my homework
and then I went
into the kitchen
to see if dinner
was ready.
RABB:
Was it?
TOMMY:
No, sir.
Mom was drinking.
Mom, when's dinner
going to be ready?
( metallic clattering )
We're going to eat
when I'm ready.
But, I-I'm hungry.
Shut up!
Mom, please, stop drinking.
Go to your room.
No.
Go to hell!
How did you respond to that?
I told her to go to hell.
You go to hell.
( screaming )
You want to really
feel some pain, huh?
Put that down.
Mom, please. Don't.
Put it down.
No, please.
Do you really want
to feel some pain?
No, stop.
Put it down!
Thank you,
Tommy.
You can wait outside
with your aunt now.
AKERS:
I had just come home.
RABB:
And you saw your son
sh**t his mother?
Yes, sir. I saw him
pull the trigger.
How did you
react, Gunny?
I immediately
put him in his room.
He wanted me
to call 911
but I told him
that wasn't necessary--
that his mother only
had been grazed
and he should stay in his room
while I calmed her down.
Was it true?
Had he only grazed her?
No, sir.
Her carotid artery
had been severed.
She died instantly.
Take us through
what happened next, Gunny?
I wiped...
Tommy's fingerprints
off the handle of my p*stol
and then I slashed
my forearm
with the chef's knife.
To make it appear as though
your wife had att*cked you?
Yes, sir.
I cried out in pain,
so that Tommy would hear it,
and then I lifted Marie
to a sitting position
and shot her
in the right shoulder.
Tommy heard the shot,
he came out,
and I told him
that she had come at me
with the knife
and that I had to sh**t her.
Why did you do all this?
Why?
To protect my son, sir.
Isn't that obvious?
So he wouldn't have
to go through
his entire life knowing
he'd k*lled his mother.
Will the accused and
counsel please rise.
You may publish
your findings.
Gunnery Sergeant
Joseph Akers,
United State Marine Corps--
this court-martial finds you
on the charge and specification
of premeditated m*rder
not guilty.
JUDGE: May I say
before we adjourn
this verdict may
exonerate you
from punishment,
Gunnery Sergeant,
but you have not,
in the opinion of this court,
behaved in a manner worthy
of a United States Marine.
In that regard
I'm recommending
that the convening
authority
take appropriate action
in connection
with your unauthorized
possession of a firearm.
Further, I'm directing
that you return to counseling
through the navy's
family advocacy program.
I trust, with their assistance,
you can provide the support
Tommy needs to overcome
this tragedy.
Court's adjourned.
How can I
thank you, sir?
Take good care
of your son.
That's all I ever
wanted to do, sir.
Thank you.
Tommy.
You okay?
Yeah.
Let's go home.
MacKENZIE:
Nice work, counselor.
Fathers and sons, Mac.
Yeah, that's life.
Mothers and daughters,
brothers and sisters.
Brothers?
I'm supposed to take
Sergei to the airport.
Hey, brother,
I'm sorry I'm late.
Look, if we leave now
we can make it.
Throw it
in the back.
It's fine, Harm.
I found another ride.
Oh, come on, Sergei...
It's fine.
We'll say good-bye here.
Look, don't go.
Please?
I feel responsible.
( car horn honking )
Hello, sir.
Lieutenant.
SERGEI:
Hi, Loren.
Harm.
I'll miss you,
my brother.
And that is
all you need to know.
( metallic clattering )
( woman speaks indistinctly )
WOMAN:
Shut up.
Go to hell!
Put it down!
( g*nsh*t, thud )
( door slams )
( man grunting )
( g*nsh*t )
( dog barks in distance )
She's dead, son.
Mom! Oh, no!
( thunder crashing )
Have a seat.
Gunnery Sergeant Akers.
Yes, sir.
I'm Commander Rabb.
I've been detailed
as your defense counsel.
Yes, sir.
You admitted to...
k*lling your wife.
In self-defense, yes.
What's your story?
She was drunk, sir.
She tried to slash me
with a chef's knife.
I shot her once
in the shoulder
to try and stop her,
but she came at me again.
( gasping )
Caught me
trying to protect myself.
The second time,
I shot to k*ll.
b*llet through the neck.
Severed her carotid artery.
Yes, sir.
You were armed at the time.
Pulled a w*apon
out of the drawer, sir.
Had you registered
the w*apon
with the Provost
Marshal's office?
No, sir.
You didn't try to disarm
your wife first?
No, sir.
Why not?
Well, Marie and I
have been down this
road before, sir.
In '99, she broke my hand
with a...
with a garden trowel.
Last year, she threw
boiling water at me,
scalding my chest.
This was
my last stand, sir.
Did you report
these incidents?
No, sir.
Clearly a mistake,
but I was taught
that you keep
family business to yourself.
( thunder rumbling )
You have a ten-year-old son.
Yes, Tommy.
Did your wife
ever attack him?
Yes, sir.
Did you report that?
My second mistake, Commander.
Where was he at the time
of your wife's death?
In his room, sir.
Did he witness any of it?
No, just the, the aftermath.
Can he corroborate
any of the other incidents?
No, sir, he wasn't there
for either of them.
You're really not giving me much
to work with here, Gunny.
Yes, sir, I know
and for that,
I-I am deeply sorry.
No one should have to clean
this mess up except for me.
Lieutenant Singer--
your itinerary, ma'am.
Thank you, Tiner.
Something else?
Wanted to congratulate you,
ma'am.
You'll do well on the Seahawk.
Yes, I will.
Anything further I can do
to expedite your departure,
ma'am?
Are you being friendly
or eager?
Just trying to help, ma'am.
Not at the moment, Tiner.
Well, if you think
of anything, ma'am,
I'm available.
Lieutenant Singer.
You're going somewhere?
Yeah, the lieutenant
has been transferred
to a carrier
in the Arabian Sea.
I'm sorry to hear that.
No, it's a good thing.
For Lieutenant Singer.
It's a billet
for hot runners.
Well, uh, I wish you the best.
Thank you, Sergei.
I honestly believe you do.
Why don't you like her?
Oh, I don't dislike her.
She's actually very
Russian in spirit.
Her determination is
hiding her feelings
which are deeper and more
complicated than you think.
Well, so long as
she keeps them
in a place you can't get to,
little brother.
Harm, you make me
sound like a baby
who needs to be watched.
I am experienced enough to
choose what is best for me.
Yeah, you are, you are.
So long as
you don't choose her.
You insult me, Harm.
Sergei...
Go to your meeting.
Hey, hey, hey,
little brother.
Take it easy.
I wouldn't trust her
with anybody I care about.
I'll see you Friday.
You're not mad at me,
are you?
I can get over it.
It's nice of you to join us,
Commander.
Sorry I'm late, sir.
CHEGWIDDEN:
Have a seat.
Uh, the Colonel's reviewed
the Article 32 report
on Marie Akers' homicide.
She'll be representing
the government
at the gunnery sergeant's
court-martial.
Anything you
care to discuss?
Gunny will be pleading
not guilty, sir.
Self-defense.
She's 5'2", Harm.
The gunny's 6'1", 185.
Half of all spousal abuse
victims are male.
Oh, and how many of them
are marines?
RABB:
Irrelevant.
I'm pushing for premeditation,
Harm.
What?
Outside this office, please.
Sorry, sir.
Sir.
You're reaching.
It's a potential
capital case, Harm.
You wish.
NCIS determined
the blood spatter
from the gunny's
wounds
were inconsistent
with self-defense.
I read the report, Mac.
The blood on the floor
is a mixture of both
the gunny and his wife's.
How anyone could
draw a definitive
conclusion from that
one way or the other
I'll never know.
Harm, I have reason
to believe the gunny
is capable of planning
and executing a m*rder.
Your evidence?
To be revealed.
Mac...
I'll accept life without parole.
( chuckle )
I'm not dealing
until I know what I have.
What you have
is a dead man's hand.
Someone spike your cereal
this morning, Colonel?
No, I'm just feeling good
in general.
What's your secret?
I had a vision last night.
Uh-oh.
Mm-hmm. I walked in the office,
looked around
and there was Lieutenant Singer.
Do I really want to know this?
She was on that middle monitor,
standing on the deck
of the Seahawk.
( sighing )
Loren. Uh... come in.
Everything okay?
Yeah.
Good.
Thanks for coming.
You're welcome.
I assume it's to pick my
brain about the Seahawk?
I need specifics, Bud.
Well, uh, Petty Officer Coates
is an excellent legalman.
She'll serve you well
if you treat her well.
Are you suggesting I won't?
Well, last Christmas
you accused her
of stealing your jewelry.
I'll leave my jewelry at home.
Anything else?
Yeah, don't take any hikes
in a minefield.
So, what's new at JAG?
The President's accepted
SECNAV's resignation.
Oh, then maybe you should
reconsider this billet
and throw your hat
into that ring.
In due time, Bud.
Rehab going well?
Yeah. Uh...
I'm making a little progress
each and every day.
Yeah, too little.
The lieutenant's
not quite with
the program yet.
Lieutenant Loren Singer,
this is my new roommate,
Marine Corporal Shawn Stiles.
Lieutenant.
Your roommate's enlisted?
Yeah, we've gotten crowded
around here.
Back from the w*r, Corporal?
Oh, a few months ago.
I reinjured myself.
Got a little ambitious.
Ma'am.
Ma'am.
Lieutenant Roberts
is assisting me
with my lapse
in protocol.
I'm helping him
to get his ass back home.
That's pretty sloppy, sir.
You want to keep that
baby smooth and tapered,
otherwise, it will get all
tore up in the prosthesis.
I'm trying, Corporal.
Why don't you call
the nurse, dog?
Give yourself a break.
Did you just call him "dog"?
Oh, forgive me, ma'am.
Tell you what,
if I mess up again,
you have my permission
to subject me to harsh
and relentless discipline.
MIKEY:
Bud needs you, Dad.
BIG BUD:
I've talked to him;
he sounds fine.
Talking to him
on the phone
isn't the same
as seeing him.
I don't want to see him
like that.
So, what, you're just
going to avoid Bud
for the rest
of your life?
No. I'll see him
when he gets his...
Prosthesis?
Oh, God.
Makes me sick
just to think about it.
Come on, Dad,
you were in Vietnam.
You must have seen
plenty of amputees.
I was not in Vietnam.
I was off the coast
on a ship.
And the only time I ever saw
pants without legs in them
was when they were folded up
on a supply shelf.
He needs you.
Mikey...
I went to that hospital.
I got as far
as the elevator doors.
And what stopped you?
I don't know.
I don't know, I-I don't know.
I don't want to talk about it.
You must be Tommy.
I'm Commander Rabb.
I'm your dad's lawyer.
Nice to meet you.
Family Services told
me you were staying
here with your aunt.
Tommy, we're going
to need to talk
about some difficult
things, son.
Okay, I need you to tell
me what you remember
about the night
your mom died.
I-I can't talk about that.
You're going to need to try,
Tommy,
okay?
( stifled sob ):
I can't.
My father told me
not to talk to you.
( stifled sobbing )
( door shuts )
You told your son
not to talk to me.
He can't help us, sir.
He didn't see anything.
Let me be the judge
of what he can do.
I don't want him
testifying.
Gunny, you have
no other witnesses.
Tommy's already traumatized,
Commander.
Putting him on the stand
will only make it worse.
If he saw his mother
attack you...
He didn't.
Well, if she abused him,
we can...
Commander, I
k*lled his mother.
The least I can do
is protect him
from reliving it.
Tommy wants
to testify.
Well, wouldn't you if you know
it could save your father, sir?
If Tommy doesn't
take the stand...
there's a good chance
he's going to grow up
without you.
Is that what you want?
No, sir. Of course not.
That's why I need you
to help me find a
way out of this so...
so I don't have
to use my son.
You all right?
So far.
There it is.
Look at it.
That's your future.
No wheelchairs,
no crutches.
What's next?
You put some weight
on it, see how it feels
so I can tell where the
fit should be adjusted.
Can we get him
up on the bars?
( sighs )
Thanks.
( soft groan )
Okay.
Ready?
I think so.
One small
step for man.
A giant leap for
one-legged attorneys.
Is it going to hurt?
Time to find out.
Just...
ease down slowly,
and if it hurts,
push back up.
Nothing to prove.
Okay.
Here goes.
Ow! Damn!
A little less weight
this time.
It's a process.
( breathing heavily )
Okay.
Oh.
Ow!
( groaning )
Oh.
( groaning )
RABB:
If you drop premeditation,
we'll take ten years
confinement.
Forty.
Mac, I'm trying to give the boy
his father back.
Give his mother back
and I'll drop
everything.
Life sentence translates
to 20 years
without even a remote
possibility of parole.
I can take that.
Under that scenario,
the boy's 30
when his dad gets
out of prison.
I feel for the kid, Harm,
but his future is not
my responsibility.
That's your M.O.
Always working out
the fatherless boy thing.
Well, I could say
the same thing to you
about female victims.
I deserved that.
Here.
( sighs )
So, we're going to trial?
I'm sorry.
( keys jangling )
( door opening )
At ease.
I need two things
from you, Gunny.
I need the names
of anyone who may have witnessed
your wife being verbally abusive
while intoxicated.
Oh, I can do that, Commander.
Marie was a public drunk.
Excellent.
I want to try
to build a pattern of behavior.
See if we can establish
in her character
the potential for v*olence.
Sounds like
a plan, sir.
Next, I want
to talk
to friends or relatives.
Anyone who can speak
to your patience
and self-control.
Especially in the presence
of your wife.
Yes, sir.
We need to show that this event
was an aberration.
That you were a man
at the end of a long
painful journey.
The Members
have got to see
that given the years
of spousal abuse,
you had no
other recourse
but to act the
way you did.
You want them now, sir?
What?
The characters witnesses.
I can give you five
off the top of my head.
RABB:
Uh, bourbon straight up
and a shot of your finest vodka
for this young man here.
You think I don't know
what's good for you.
What, expensive
drinks?
Come on, I'm kidding.
Loosen the bolts
a little bit, brother.
You've been this way
for months.
Do you know why?
Yeah, I know why.
It's the immigration thing.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
That's part of it.
It's a big part of it.
And I know
how important it is to you.
Look...
the DNA tests
were inconclusive.
We'll just have
to find another way
to establish your citizenship.
How?
You go through the process
like every other immigrant.
That would
take time.
I know, you're in a hurry.
Not anymore.
I'm wanting to go
back to Russia, Harm.
After what you went through
over there?
That was in
Chechnya.
Come on.
You don't want
to go back there.
It's a disaster
over there.
I already
looked into it.
I can fly
helicopters
for a Moscow
shuttle service.
I thought you liked it here.
When I'm not lonely.
Which is a lot
of the time.
I'm sorry.
I'll pop by more often.
I don't think it would
make a difference, Harm.
Even when you do
pay attention,
you try to protect
me too much.
That's my job.
I'm the oldest.
That's what I'm supposed to do.
It's not working
for me, brother.
I'm going back.
We may not be
able to be friends
but we stay brothers
forever, yes?
Look, I don't want
to change our friendship.
I don't think you
know what you want.
Come on, join me.
Nu budem!
CORPORAL STILES:
Come on, Lieutenant.
Give me two more.
( groaning ):
No, Corporal. That's it.
( groaning )
Lieutenant
Carpenter's looking
for three times
around the floor daily.
Yeah, well, today...
she gets one.
Come on, man.
I do five.
Pardon me
for not feeling humbled.
( groaning ):
Oh.
( panting )
Look, losing that
spleen is going
to slow you down, sir.
But that doesn't mean
that you should use
it as an excuse.
Look, no lectures, Stiles.
Come on.
I'll tell you what, sir.
You give me two more,
and I'll tell you
about my night
with Halle Berry.
You had a night
with Halle Berry?
No, but when it
happens, I'll tell
you all about it.
Where do you get off
being so upbeat, huh?
( panting )
I was the only survivor
of a helicopter crash.
I owe myself.
And if you
want to see me
dragging my ass
around here
just so that you
can feel better
about giving up
on your rehab,
it ain't going
to happen.
Sir.
Whatever,
Lieutenant.
You lost a leg.
Doesn't that get to you?
And I'll give up the
other if it means
you never ask me
that question again.
So, you're just not dealing
with it. Is that it?
I'm just not putting
it in my brain, sir.
I don't know
if that's even possible.
And that, sir,
is why you can only
go around once.
Hey, Stiles.
Does your father support you?
Yes, sir...
but he's 3,000 miles away.
Then, don't talk
about my attitude
because our experiences are
different.
MacKENZIE:
Major Satalino,
you were Gunnery
Sergeant Akers'
company commander?
SATALINO:
It was in the
fall of '97.
Do you remember an incident
involving the gunnery sergeant?
Gunnery
Sergeant Akers
had just made sergeant.
He was assigned
to my company.
Did he fit in well?
He was on the
serious side, ma'am.
He caught the interest
of Sergeant Gerard,
our company wiseacre.
He liked to mess
with the men.
Mess with them how?
Practical
jokes, pranks.
Did he play pranks
on the sergeant?
Put a garter snake
in his gear bag.
Had everyone there
when he opened it.
How did the sergeant react?
Well, he said little
at the time, ma'am.
But that Saturday night,
he laid in wait
outside the NCO Club
for the sergeant.
They scuffled.
Sergeant Akers broke
Sergeant Gerard's collarbone.
I object, Your Honor.
Gunnery Sergeant Akers is not
on trial for this incident.
Goes to pattern,
Your Honor.
Charges weren't even filed
at the time, sir.
I think it's relevant,
Commander.
Overruled.
MacKENZIE:
Major, did you have
further occasion
to discipline Sergeant Akers
in 1998?
I did, ma'am.
Would you please tell us
for what?
The sergeant was charged
with assaulting his wife.
RABB:
Why in the hell didn't I know
you'd been charged
with hitting your wife?
It was handled
in-house, sir.
It's not even in
my service record book.
Well, it's a matter of
public record now, Gunny.
I'm sorry, sir.
I don't want
your apologies!
I want your
cooperation.
Do you have any idea
what Colonel MacKenzie's
trying to do in there?
She's trying to establish
that you, not your wife,
is the one prone
to v*olence.
Sir, it was
a one-time thing...
Well, what about
the fight with
Sergeant Gerard?
I told you about that.
Yeah, but you didn't
tell me it happened
three days after
the initial incident.
It suggests
premeditation.
It tells the members
you're capable
of holding a grudge
and plotting revenge.
So what does this mean, sir?
It means the death penalty
just came into play.
It's unlikely...
but there's not a lot
of sympathy out there
for wife-beaters.
I didn't beat Marie, sir.
I want you to level
with me, Gunny.
Tell me everything.
You can start by telling me
why there was no punishment.
Mitigating circumstances,
Commander.
RABB:
Elaborate, please, Major.
An onlooker testified
that Sergeant Aker's wife
was drunk
and resisting his efforts
to take her to the car.
Did the then sergeant
strike her with a fist
or an open hand?
Open hand, sir.
A slap?
Correct, sir.
Major, why was there
no judicial action taken?
I don't condone a marine
slapping his wife,
Commander, but the couple
had a six-year-old boy,
no prior record
of domestic v*olence,
and given the circumstances,
I felt that counseling
was the most appropriate
response.
And did they engage
in counseling?
For a time, sir.
Please tell us, Major,
why did they stop?
That was Mrs. Aker's choice.
Apparently,
she dropped out of AA.
She started drinking again.
Thank you, Major.
Nothing further.
CHEGWIDDEN:
So raise your beverages
in honor
of Lieutenant Loren Singer,
henceforth known as the Belle
of the Arabian Sea.
ALL:
Hear, hear.
It's a been
a great sendoff.
Thank you.
You've all been...
Lieutenant.
What's this, sir?
That is
a going-away gift.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
I have two
for you, actually.
You asked me before
to conceal the fact
that you lied about
being a Jew during
the Mars case,
and I've decided to do so.
You have nothing
to worry about.
I appreciate it, sir.
You are now Jewish
as far as I'm concerned
as long as you act
accordingly.
What, you're going
to hold me to it, sir?
Every chance I get.
Whatever turns you on, sir.
Go ahead, open it.
It's called
a mezuzah.
It goes on the outside
of your quarters.
You're serious
about this, Commander?
Wait until Chanukah.
I think you will make
a great carrier JAG, Loren.
Thank you.
Got to head out.
Have to go see
my husband.
Don't forget to stop
and smell the jet fuel.
Your bags all packed,
Lieutenant?
I'm not leaving
till Tuesday, ma'am.
Right.
Lieutenant.
Yes?
I, uh, I have
a meeting to attend.
I'm sorry I can't
stay for the party.
Yeah, me, too.
I just wanted to
say good luck
and knock 'em dead
out there, Loren.
I know you will.
He means that
figuratively.
I know what
he means, ma'am.
Thank you
for the sentiment.
Oy, you forget
how busy this place can be.
There's no more cake?
Your stuff, Lieutenant.
Tiner, where's
the admiral?
On the phone
in his office, ma'am.
Can I take this
to your car?
I'm capable of taking
it myself. Thank you.
Good luck, Lieutenant.
Sergei.
Leaving already,
Lieutenant?
Party's over.
Then I'm glad
I caught you.
I came to say good-bye.
That was nice.
Thank you.
Where are you going?
Home.
Can I help you
with that?
Would you, please?
RABB:
Did you speak to Tommy,
Commander?
As requested.
I visited him at
his aunt's house.
Was he cooperative?
No, he smelled shrink
the moment I
introduced myself.
This is a smart
ten-year-old.
Did he talk
to you at all?
Enough for me to make
an analysis, Commander.
The boy is in conflict.
He isn't saying,
but I suspect
that it's related
to the death
of his mother.
Did he tell you
his father refuses
to allow him to testify?
Yes. And that goes back
to my suspicions.
Tommy's behavior
concerning his father
suggests a submissive
relationship.
Well, he's dependent
on his father.
Seemingly.
Are you sure
that he is not just worried
about losing
the only parent he has left?
He's afraid of something
a lot more terrifying
than that, sir.
What, his father's wrath?
A strong
possibility.
So you're suggesting
that Tommy may have information
that could be damaging
to the gunny's case?
Infer what you will, sir.
But why would Tommy tell me
he wanted to testify, then?
It gets him off the hook.
The boy's able to satisfy
his father's demands
without drawing undue suspicion.
SIMS:
Of course, you're getting
a prosthesis.
ROBERTS:
Not everyone
can handle it.
Well, you're not everyone.
No, I'm missing
a spleen as well.
Why push it?
Huh? I'll just use the crutches.
Not at JAG you won't.
How are you going
to sell that to the navy?
I probably can't.
Well, then you have no choice
but to just stick it out.
I could become a civilian.
Look, there's no
medical boards.
There's no physical
readiness test outside.
I could be what I am--
a man without a leg.
In the navy, I'm the man
who has to pretend
he has a leg.
It's ridiculous.
Sweetheart,
you're just frustrated.
Do you want me to feel
good about myself?
Of course.
Then stop pushing
me to do something
that's beyond
my abilities.
You've always been
this way
and it's time
for you to stop.
I'm sorry.
This isn't very discreet of us.
It's nothing
I haven't heard before, ma'am.
So this goes on a lot?
Stiles...
Yes, sir.
Silence it is.
Why are you ordering him
not to talk?
This is his room, too.
Why are you acting
this way?
What has happened to you?
Wow, look at that!
That's got to be 270
if it's a yard.
Here, try
to beat that one.
You have time to drive
golf balls
but you don't have
time to visit Bud.
What, are you afraid
your old man can
still outdrive you?
No, I'm afraid
my father cares more
about his golf game
than about his own son.
Hey, watch your mouth
or I'll tee you up.
Dad, Bud's been home
for over a month
and he needs
your support.
What's the matter?
He doesn't have
a crutch?
I can't believe
you just said that.
Yeah, well, that's why
I won't go see him
'cause I'll say something
like that or something worse.
Now lay off.
Nice slice.
That's no slice.
That's a swooping fade.
You know, when I was
a little kid,
you'd get away with telling me
something like that,
but now, I see that
for what it is:
a hacker's slice.
Damn you! You see what
you're making me do?
You've always been a hacker,
haven't you, Dad?
And not just at golf.
You know, I never talked
to my father that way
and neither will you.
What would he do,
slap you upside the head?
You're damn right.
And that's going
to happen to you
if you don't shut up.
When's it end?!
What?
Slapping sons
instead of loving them.
Miss Akers,
I'm Commander Rabb.
I'm your brother's attorney.
Are you the one
that spoke to Tommy
the other day?
Yes, ma'am, I did.
Do you realize how
much you upset him?
Well, it wasn't my intention
to upset him, ma'am.
I'm trying to help your brother.
Is Tommy afraid of his father?
No.
They have a great
relationship.
Close?
What does this have to do
with Joe's defense?
He won't let me talk to Tommy.
He's trying
to protect him.
Joe loves that boy.
Calls every day
and asks about his mood,
school, his wound.
Tommy has an injury?
Did your son recently
have stitches, Gunny?
Sir?
Tommy was treated
for a wound on his back
at Saint Stephens Hospital
two hours after
you were arrested.
When he saw his
mother dead,
he fell back
and he cut himself
on the corner
of the counter.
Yeah, that's what
he told them at the ER.
So, then what's
the problem, sir?
Well, the problem is
we rechecked
the blood analysis
on the knife.
We found not only yours
and Maria's
but we also found Tommy's,
which means that Tommy
didn't fall back
against the corner
of the counter
and cut himself,
did he?
He was cut
with the knife.
So now the only question
is why you and he are both lying
about it.
I didn't s*ab Tommy
with the knife.
Don't even try
to tell me his
mother did it,
because if she
had it would be
a more justifiable
reason to k*ll her
than self-defense.
Commander, you got this
all wrong.
Show me where.
I can't, sir.
Tommy can,
though, can't he?
I told you to leave
him out of this, sir.
Explain the knife
wound to me.
I already did, sir.
He got slashed
defending
his mother,
didn't he?
No, sir.
Did you beat
your wife?
No, sir.
Tommy?
Never.
I don't believe
you, Sergeant.
I don't believe a word
you've said to me.
I don't believe
it was self-defense,
I don't believe
you didn't s*ab
your son.
I would never hurt Tommy.
Never.
Everyone has
their breaking point.
That night was yours, wasn't it?
Tommy tried
to protect his mother.
You slashed him.
He ran out of the kitchen.
She came at you.
You shot her
in the shoulder.
She came at you again.
This time you put
a b*llet in her neck.
And then you slashed
your own arm
to support your story.
Sounds like you just made
the prosecution's case... sir.
Hey, Bud.
Hey. I figured
you'd be in rehab.
I went there first.
I've been looking
everywhere.
Good to see you, sir.
You, too.
Rehab's not really
happening, sir.
You had a setback?
I don't want
to talk about it, sir.
How are things with you?
I'm a little
confused, Bud.
To be honest
with you,
this isn't just
a hospital visit.
I was... I was hoping
you'd feel like
doing a little brainstorming.
Uh...
What's going on?
Well...
I'm defending a marine
accused of k*lling his wife.
He claims it was
self-defense
and I don't believe him.
If you don't believe him,
how do you convince a jury?
The whole case
troubles me, Bud.
I just can't fit
this guy to the crime.
His account, sir?
Claims his wife came at him
with a chef's knife.
He shot her
in the shoulder.
She came at him again.
He fatally shot her
through the neck.
I guess I'd have to ask
if he really wanted
to k*ll her,
why would he sh**t her
in the shoulder first?
Well, maybe he was nervous.
He's a marine, sir.
Well, if you reverse
the scenario,
when he shot her
in the neck first,
why would he sh**t her
in the shoulder?
Maybe to make it appear
as though
he'd shot her
in the shoulder first?
That would support the claim
of self-defense.
But you don't
think it was.
I don't know what
I'm thinking, Bud.
There's so many...
so many things.
Is there anybody else that could
be involved in this, sir?
There is a God, Bud.
You know how I know?
How, sir?
'Cause he only
took your leg,
he didn't take
your head.
Get well quick.
I got one question
for you, Tommy.
Did your dad fire both sh*ts
at your mother?
No, sir.
Is your aunt home?
Yes, sir.
Let's go talk to her,
all right?
ROBERTS ( whispers ):
Hey, Stiles.
Stiles, wake up.
Lieutenant, your face
just replaced Halle Berry's.
Sorry.
Are you here to offer
me a cold one, sir?
No.
Then can I please
get back to the hot tub?
No.
Sir...
Look, you were right.
I am a dog.
A bad dog.
Say again, sir?
My attitude stinks.
I owe you an apology.
That's cool... sir.
Look, if anyone visits,
I'll be down in rehab.
Without the corpsmen?
What are you planning
to do there, sir?
Obedience training.
No, Lieutenant...
( groans ):
Man...
( groans )
Mikey?
Dad.
Come on, son.
Try again.
Are you okay, Tommy?
Yes, sir.
We're going to talk
about the night
your mother
was k*lled, Tommy.
I need you to tell us
what you remember
about that night.
Well, I finished up
my homework
and then I went
into the kitchen
to see if dinner
was ready.
RABB:
Was it?
TOMMY:
No, sir.
Mom was drinking.
Mom, when's dinner
going to be ready?
( metallic clattering )
We're going to eat
when I'm ready.
But, I-I'm hungry.
Shut up!
Mom, please, stop drinking.
Go to your room.
No.
Go to hell!
How did you respond to that?
I told her to go to hell.
You go to hell.
( screaming )
You want to really
feel some pain, huh?
Put that down.
Mom, please. Don't.
Put it down.
No, please.
Do you really want
to feel some pain?
No, stop.
Put it down!
Thank you,
Tommy.
You can wait outside
with your aunt now.
AKERS:
I had just come home.
RABB:
And you saw your son
sh**t his mother?
Yes, sir. I saw him
pull the trigger.
How did you
react, Gunny?
I immediately
put him in his room.
He wanted me
to call 911
but I told him
that wasn't necessary--
that his mother only
had been grazed
and he should stay in his room
while I calmed her down.
Was it true?
Had he only grazed her?
No, sir.
Her carotid artery
had been severed.
She died instantly.
Take us through
what happened next, Gunny?
I wiped...
Tommy's fingerprints
off the handle of my p*stol
and then I slashed
my forearm
with the chef's knife.
To make it appear as though
your wife had att*cked you?
Yes, sir.
I cried out in pain,
so that Tommy would hear it,
and then I lifted Marie
to a sitting position
and shot her
in the right shoulder.
Tommy heard the shot,
he came out,
and I told him
that she had come at me
with the knife
and that I had to sh**t her.
Why did you do all this?
Why?
To protect my son, sir.
Isn't that obvious?
So he wouldn't have
to go through
his entire life knowing
he'd k*lled his mother.
Will the accused and
counsel please rise.
You may publish
your findings.
Gunnery Sergeant
Joseph Akers,
United State Marine Corps--
this court-martial finds you
on the charge and specification
of premeditated m*rder
not guilty.
JUDGE: May I say
before we adjourn
this verdict may
exonerate you
from punishment,
Gunnery Sergeant,
but you have not,
in the opinion of this court,
behaved in a manner worthy
of a United States Marine.
In that regard
I'm recommending
that the convening
authority
take appropriate action
in connection
with your unauthorized
possession of a firearm.
Further, I'm directing
that you return to counseling
through the navy's
family advocacy program.
I trust, with their assistance,
you can provide the support
Tommy needs to overcome
this tragedy.
Court's adjourned.
How can I
thank you, sir?
Take good care
of your son.
That's all I ever
wanted to do, sir.
Thank you.
Tommy.
You okay?
Yeah.
Let's go home.
MacKENZIE:
Nice work, counselor.
Fathers and sons, Mac.
Yeah, that's life.
Mothers and daughters,
brothers and sisters.
Brothers?
I'm supposed to take
Sergei to the airport.
Hey, brother,
I'm sorry I'm late.
Look, if we leave now
we can make it.
Throw it
in the back.
It's fine, Harm.
I found another ride.
Oh, come on, Sergei...
It's fine.
We'll say good-bye here.
Look, don't go.
Please?
I feel responsible.
( car horn honking )
Hello, sir.
Lieutenant.
SERGEI:
Hi, Loren.
Harm.
I'll miss you,
my brother.
And that is
all you need to know.