J.A.G.: Judge Advocate General is about the judicial body of the United States Navy, Judge Advocate General's corps (J.A.G.). The individuals who serve in J.A.G. are military officers with specializations in legal matters; they are military lawyers. J.A.G. officers investigate, prosecute, and defend crimes involving persons and property connected to the Navy and Marine Corps. Their investigations take them all over the world, wherever U.S. military presence may be. The crimes include homicide, treason, espionage, terrorism, conspiracies, hostage situations, and other criminal acts. For more details about this series, refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, and season five.

Season six is packed with both drama and action. It follows the tone set in season four, which has a lot of focus on the characters' romantic relationships, as well as heated courtroom battles and action-packed investigations. Of note, season six looks at one of the trickier relationships: Harm, Mac, and Brumby. The season's exciting episodes involve cases with espionage, terrorism, murder, and other high-profile cases. All in all, it is a solid season that fans will enjoy.

In season four, Royal Australian Naval officer Mic Brumby joined the cast of JAG as Harm's competition in the courtroom. During the course of the season, he developed a strong liking to Mac. In season five, he was recalled to Australia. He also formed a long distance romance with Mac -- much to Harm's dismay. In season six, the love triangle relationship is taken up a notch when Brumby relocates to the United States. He gives up his military career to join the private sector and to be closer to Mac. They get engaged and the relationship has its ups and downs. The downs are the most interesting aspect, as Mac clearly still has feelings for Harm. At the same time, Brumby causes the JAG office quite a headache. On several occasions he is defending the JAG's opposition.

The rest of the cast and their personal relationships are also key developments. Of interest is AJ's girlfriend Dr. Sidney Walden (from season five). They continue their romance, which is complicated by Sidney's son Danny Walden. Danny is played by Sean Murray, who later joins the JAG spin-off series NCIS as Special Agent Tim McGee. Danny proves to be a complication to AJ and Sidney's relationship, because this nice young boy turns out to have a few skeletons in his closest. Bud and Harriet face one of the most difficult situations for parents when they have a miscarriage. Harm and Renee Peterson also continue their romance.

As for the season's episodes, there are a number of exciting happenings for the cast of JAG. The season opens with the fun two-part episode "Legacy". Harm goes to Russia to help reshape their military justice system. Once there, he receives a cold reception. However, an eager officer enlists his aid to prosecute a Russian general for illegal arms sales. The shady case includes treason, backstabbing, KGB, CIA, and a startling discovery into the past of Harm's father. Mac also gets involved when it is clear her latest case has Russian ties. It is a pretty exciting episode and gives the season a nice boost.

The season continues with several other good episodes. Some are better than others, but they tend to have JAG's solid traits. They produce a fine level of drama, action, and a touch of mystery. One of the more interesting episodes is "Flight Risk". A Naval officer is tried for murder when two pilots die. The case turns into a corporate conspiracy with cover-up written all over it. Brumby acts as the corporate council and proves, yet again, a thorn in Harm's side. Another strong episode is the two-part episode "A Separate Peace". Admiral Boone is nominated to be the Sixth Fleet Commander. The catch 22: Boone is accused of massacring civilians from his time in the Vietnam War. The case is extremely difficult, but JAG overcomes the odds when it is clear Boone is being setup. "Touch and Go" is another decent episode with Andrea Parker reprises her role as Caitlin Pike.

Overall, JAG's sixth season is another strong collection of episodes. The general tone is similar to seasons four and five. While not as strong as season three (one of the better ones released on DVD to date), it still has enough drama and action with some complex investigations, feisty courtroom battles, and action-packed sidebars to make the season strong. At the same time, the dramatic aspect with the characters' relationships can get a little thick. Similarly, Harm's overly do-gooder attitude has its flaws. Nevertheless, the season tends to offer light-hearted fun for fans and will not fail to entertain.

Episode Guide

1. Legacy (Part 1): Mac is in for a surprise when she prosecutes an officer for espionage who is later assassinated. And Harm makes a startling discovery in Moscow.
2. Legacy (Part 2): When she's ordered to Russia to help find the assassin, Mac heads to Chechnya to find Harm instead. Bud defends the Navy against a reality show contestant.
3. Florida Straits: The rescue of a young Cuban girl turns into a tug-of-war between a ship's captain and Cuban officials. And Mac resents Brumby showing her off to his new boss.
4. Flight Risk: Harm worries about the consequences of his actions when he prosecutes a man responsible for F-14 upgrades in which negligence led to two deaths.
5. JAG TV: Mac becomes a media sensation when her murder case is broadcast on television. Meanwhile, Harm wonders why a well-adjusted sailor would commit suicide.
6. The Princess and the Petty Officer: A princess who married a Navy petty officer will be deported unless Mac can prove her first marriage is invalid. Harriet's early labor has complications.
7. A Separate Peace (Part 1): A high-profile admiral is accused of taking part in a civilian massacre in Vietnam. And Harriet deals with her miscarriage alone.
8. A Separate Peace (Part 2): Things are not looking good for Harm's admiral client, until the CIA delivers a surprise witness. With Bud distant, Harriet approaches Harm for comfort.
9. Family Secrets: When Bud sues over the death of their newborn, he discovers Brumby represents their doctor. Clayton Webb informs Harm that his brother is missing.
10. Touch and Go: Harm's old partner Caitlin Pike visits JAG, where her sexual misconduct claim gets leaked to the press. Bud denies being attracted to his bombshell client.
11. Baby, It's Cold Outside: Harm wants to defend a former Marine who may go to prison on a three-strike rule. And Tiner defends Gunny... in traffic court.
12. Collision Course: When U.S. and Turkish ships collide during an exercise, the Secretary of the Navy insists A.J. prosecute the U.S. commander in order to appease NATO.
13. Miracles: After a Marine sergeant claims he prayed to a dead chaplain to help rescue -- not murder -- his wife, the Vatican sends a priest to investigate.
14. Killer Instinct: Harm and Bud investigate and conclude that a man overboard was really a murder victim. Meanwhile, Mac has her hands full with a bigamy case.
15. Iron Coffin: As Harm investigates whether the U.S. was at fault when a Russian sub was destroyed, Mac helps determine if women can even serve aboard submarines.
16. Retreat, Hell: With the Admiral away on a fishing trip, Gunny gets in over his head when he transports a prisoner, a Korean War hero accused of desertion.
17. Valor: After a vessel containing explosives is intercepted near a U.S. warship, a female Marine who was kidnapped is suspected of being a terrorist.
18. Liberty: Bud's brother gets into a barroom brawl in Mexico over a girl. But when he's accused of manslaughter, Bud suspects his brother was set up.
19. Salvation: The Marine who prayed to the dead chaplain prays again, this time for Harm's mortal enemy Palmer. And Bud carries the nuclear "football".
20. To Walk On Wings: After Congresswoman Latham experiences a rough test ride on an Osprey, she tries to shut down the project. The Admiral lets Harriet reopen an old case.
21. Past Tense: Harm is a suspect and then an investigator when he finds out his old girlfriend Jordan has been murdered. The Admiral testifies against his ex-girlfriend's son.
22. Lifeline: During Mac and Brumby's engagement party, Mac reminisces with Harm about their past... until Harm makes a confession that takes them both by surprise.
23. Mutiny: As Mac prepares a lecture about a 19th-century court martial, she fantasizes about the period where a commander hanged officers he suspected of mutiny.
24. Adrift (Part 1): Mac becomes upset when Harm gets deployed to a carrier the day before her wedding, but then at the rehearsal dinner the Admiral delivers devastating news.

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color format. The picture quality is quite good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains to be sharp and clear. However, there are some occasional moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts. This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.

Audio:
The audio track supplied is an English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo surround sound track. The track is pretty clean sounding. Spoken dialogue is audible throughout the episodes.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
JAG is a courtroom military drama that started its freshman season with a shaky start. The show was cancelled by its host network, but picked up to continue for nine more seasons on another. In its sixth season, the series continues with a balance of action and drama, although more of the latter, that deals with complex cases. The JAG team investigates and tries cases of caliber, but typically very high profile stuff involving espionage, treason, and murder. The quality of season six is good and will provide the right level of entertainment to fans. The drama also includes the characters' personal relationships, with the Harm-Mac-Brumby offering the most amusement. Overall, season six is strong and will be enjoyed by fans. You will want to see the JAG cast deal with their latest batch of cases and life ordeals.