Episode Title: "Above and Beyond"
Original Air Date: 11/11/1997
Montel Williams guest stars as Lt. Vernon [sic] Rivers, a NAVY SEAL who is nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor after rescuing the Undersecretary of State from terrorists.
Harm, Mac, and Bud are ordered to do a background check on Lt. Rivers, and they find him to be a tough and demanding leader. Rivers is originally uncooperative, but agrees to answer some of Harm's questions on one condition - Harm must withstand one day of SEAL training.
A SEAL won't give his version of a rescue that may get him nominated for the Medal of Honor. But some witnesses to the incident believe his actions were reckless and endangered the lives of his men.
When Harm, Mac and Bud are ordered to run a routine background check on a Navy SEAL who is a candidate for the Medal of Honor, they uncover unsavory information that may make him unworthy.
Lt. Vernon [sic] Rivers is up for a medal after he single-handedly rescues the undersecretary of state from fundamentalist terrorists. Harm and Mac, in their investigation, find Rivers, an African-American, to be a very tough, complex and uncommunicative individual who is totally devoted to his country and his duty. But his men paint a different picture of him as a gung-ho loner who doesn't care about the safety of his team and, in fact, botched the mission by leaving one of his men behind. Rivers finally agrees to open up to Harm -- but only if Harm can withstand arduous SEAL training for one day -- including the brutal manhandling required of the "hostage interrogation."
A background check on a Medal of Honor candidate tells a very different tale.
Updated Character Information
In discussing the Season 4 episode "Rivers' Run", a question was raised as to why his name apparently changed from "Vernon" to "Curtis" Rivers. The response from Harriet, in charge of fan relations for JAG, is quoted below. Also, Shirley Dickson on the jag@quixotic.org mailing list confirmed that on her copy of "Above and Beyond", Admiral Chegwidden called him "Lt. Curtis Rivers".
To: jag@quixotic.org
From: HarrietJAG@aol.com
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 18:14:26 EST
Subject: Re: [JAG] Montel Williams
Message-ID: <12569083.36cdf052@aol.com>Dear Tom, As with most inquiries, I ask the writer of the episode, in this case Larry Moskowitz. Montel appeared in only two episodes, and his name was Curtis in both. However, names go through many changes as scripts are continuously rewritten, for one reason or another, and Larry is now the curious one, and wonders where you heard the name Vernon. (No, Vernon wasn't his father's name and, in fact, that name was eventually never used anywhere. Until you mentioned it.) Best, Harriet
2314 Zulu The Coast of Lebanon --
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JAG
Starring
David James Elliott [Lt. Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr.]
Catherine Bell [Maj. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie]
Patrick Labyorteaux [Lt. (j.g.) Bud Roberts]
John M. Jackson as Admiral Chegwidden
Co-Executive Producer
Chas. Floyd Johnson
Created By
Donald P. Bellisario
1400 Zulu JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia --
"Above and Beyond"
Guest Starring
Montel B. Williams [Lt. Curtis Rivers]
Gregory Itzin [Undersecretary of State
Lawrence Culbertson]
Guy Garner [CPO Jeb Stuart Wildins]
John Prosky [Jon Barrow]
Tico Wells [Petty Officer Elwood Douglas]
Mike Jolly [Ray McNeely]
Chris Burgard [Petty Officer Barry Hannah]
Nick Meaney [Leonard Kress]
Producer R. Scott Gemmill
Producer Julie B. Watson
Produced by Mark Horowitz
Supervising Producer Larry Moskowitz
Co-executive Producer Stephen Zito
Written by Paul Levine
Directed by Tony Wharmby
-- 1615 Zulu Bethesda Naval Hospital -- 1700 Zulu Naval Special Warfare Center Coronado, CA -- 0130 Zulu Chief Wilkins' House Imperial Beach, CA -- 1811 Zulu Naval Special Warfare Center Coronado, CA -- 0530 Zulu San Diego, CA -- 1705 Zulu Naval Special Warfare Center San Diego -- 1930 Zulu Naval Special Warfare Center Coronado, CA -- 2041 Zulu Naval Special Warfare Center Coronado, CA -- 1600 Zulu 10 November Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Arlington National Cemetery --
Executive Producer
Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producer David Bellisario
Associate Producer Avery C. Drewe
Story Editor Dana Coen
Music by Steven Bramson
Theme by Bruce Broughton
Featuring
Kevin Fry Corpsman
Sharon Madden Karaoke Singer
Monique Mannen Sandra Wilson
Matt Sigloch Seal Instructor
Brian Groh Trainee
Lindsay Thomas Kough Petty Officer Simon
Casting by Melissa Skoff, C.S.A.
Original Casting by Nan Dutton, C.S.A.
Director of Photography Hugo Cortina
Production Designer Robert J. Bacon
Edited by Thomas Petersen
Unit Production Manager/
Co-producer Jim Weatherill
First Assistant Director Ryan Gordon
Second Assistant Director Brian Faul
Art Director Sandy Getzler
Set Director Lynn Wolverton-Parker
Property Master George Tuers
Production Sound Mixer Lee Alexander
Music Editor Bruce Frazier
Costume Supervisor Paul Dafelmair
Hair Stylist Andrea Mizushima-Jones
Make-up Artist Darrell L. McIntyre
Stunt Coordinator Diamond Farnsworth
Special Effects Coordinator Larry Fuentes
Construction Coordinator Ed Vance
Transportation Coordinator Dick White
Location Manager Marvin Bernstein
Script Supervisor Billie L. Mayer
Technical Advisors Matt Sigloch
Lindsay Thomas Kough
Post Production Supervisor Tina Albanese
Production Coordinator Carmen Allard
Assistant Production
Coordinator Megan Mascena
Casting Associate Caryn Jacob
Assistant Editor Ralph Riccoboni
Assistants to the
Executive Producers Tracey Davis
Nina Bunche Pierce
Shari Neiman Ramsey
Thom Parham
Main Title Design Castle/Bryant/Johnsen
Casting Executive Helen Mossler, C.S.A.
Sound Supervisor Greg Schorer
Video Post Production Hollywood Digital
Film Lab Laser Pacific Media Corp.
Sound Editing Echo Film Services, Inc.
The persons and
events depicted in this
picture are fictitious.
Any similarity to actual
persons or events is
unintentinal.
Copyright (c)
MCMXCVII by
Paramount Pictures.
All rights reserved.
This motion picture is
protected under the
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States of America and
other countries.
Unauthorized
duplication,
distribution, or
exhibition may result
in civil liability and
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