‘NCIS: LA’ Finale Had Bad News for Fans of ‘JAG’s Harm & Mac
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 10 finale of NCIS: Los Angeles, “False Flag.”]
On the one hand, there’s still hope for JAG‘s Harm (David James Elliott) and Mac (Catherine Bell). On the other hand, time has not been kind for their relationship.
Mac joins Harm in helping the NCIS: Los Angeles team track down a group of ISIS sympathizers on board his ship, the USS Allegiance, in “False Flag.” When Hetty (Linda Hunt) brings her into the fold, Mac reveals that she and Harm haven’t seen each other in nine years.
Though he passed up a JAG position in London and joined her in San Diego, he needed to return to the fight. “We were engaged, but we were living completely separate lives,” Mac explains. But he’s doing great and on track to getting his own ship and even becoming an admiral, she continues.
As for her career, she had to take the opportunity to work with the State Department, but it “meant that the pretense of our marriage was over,” she says. “My life is good. Some things just don’t work out.”
However, as Hetty points out, “the final chapter isn’t written yet.”
(Michael Yarish/CBS)
As for the actual reunion, it takes place across a secure video chat, with him on his ship and her in the Ops Center. Considering the severity of the case at hand, most of their conversation revolves around that.
“XO, it’s good to see you,” Mac says. Though Harm only tells the others about their professional relationship, once they have a moment alone, he tells her she looks “great.” “You haven’t changed,” she says in reply. “Life at sea suits you.”
Hetty’s words suggest there’s hope yet for Harm and Mac. After all, the finale does end with a major cliffhanger, one that would make their absences in the Season 11 premiere quite noticeable. Perhaps once the world is saved and World War III has been thwarted, they’ll have a chance to really talk. But what doesn’t bode well for them is Mac’s comment that “life at sea suits” him and what we’ve seen from Harm on board in these last two episodes of Season 10.
That could, of course, change, especially given however the cliffhanger is resolved. It may also depend on if there is a future for these JAG characters beyond these NCIS: LA appearances.
For now, fans can only hope that the future doesn’t remain so bleak for the couple, especially since some are angry Harm and Mac didn’t get a happily ever after.
Am I the only one who feels like the proverbial rug was jerked from under my feet by @NCISLA? Why tease us with Harm & Mac only to sucker punch us with THAT kind of backstory? #JAG #HarmandMacForever Very bad form in this fan’s opinion 😑
— Kat (@scarlett0678) May 20, 2019
What is the point of bringing Mac and Harm back on screen after 15 years and destroy their story? #JAG #NCISLA
— Daniela (@DaniDiamond) May 20, 2019
I’d be angry about the Harm/Mac stuff if I didn’t half expect them to be in the situation they currently are. I’d rather their story be left alone than set up for another decade of will they/won’t they. #ncisla pic.twitter.com/FDSBvfVLbG
— Bex 🏔✈️ (@awrighterinbriz) May 20, 2019
However, other fans are hopeful that Harm and Mac do have a future together.
That is the end of their relationship. Just like hetty said “the final chapter isn’t written yet.” So there is still hope for Harm and Mac. I respect the writers for keeping that storyline open.
— Mike Stark (@MikeStarkCA) May 20, 2019
#NCISLA
Tonight reminded me why I ❤ Hetty. Love seeing Harm & Mac. Reminded me of “What/If” from “JAG”. Harm & Mac found their way back then too. Hetty said their story is not over so there’s hope.— Kathy Eaton (@KathyOpus) May 20, 2019
Sound off with your thoughts on Harm and Mac’s relationship status in the comments below.
NCIS: Los Angeles, Season 11, Fall 2019, CBS
Conversation17 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
I am an enormous fan ofJAG and ncis . And like many others I am very frustrated about what the powers to be do with our beloved family of Characters. Moving removing putting together and ripping apart. Characters tlike Harm and Mac have been through total hell and made it back. After all of that they deserve the happy ending together. Same way I feel about the Admiral. Harriet and Bud and their family. They have appeared on NCIS why not Bud and Harriet. Admiral and a wife. Harm and Mac together a family again Glendez our friend Tyner And Coates. I wait like so many a happy reunion. Let's see what all have been doing. And explain about the late Mick Brumby and Clayton Webb.
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O
will harm ever be happy? he had a beautiful intelligent girlfriend with renee and how did that end. could he really be satisfied completely with mac. l dont feel sorry for either one. mac broke mic s heart too . move on
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B
They both got Old as does everyone. The constipated look was when Harm found out "Mac" was really Gay and Living with a Woman!! How did he not know?
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O
NCIS:LA wasn't created or produced Bellisario, and, as far as I'm concerned, not canon.
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R
I am trying to hold out hope that they will fix this in the Season Opener, but like many other fans, this totally broke my heart last night. If Harm and Mac aren't going to be together forever, they should have left it at the coin toss, so that fans could imagine them that way. The unbelievable chemistry these two have, both back in 2005 and now, is the best of any TV Couple I have ever seen. These two can hold an entire conversation with their looks without ever saying a word. I sincerely hope that the writers and producers fix the mess that they have left us with.
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G
Am I remembering wrong, or didn't Mac and Harm say something about if they hadn't found someone by the time they were 40, they would be together?
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R
I think you are thinking of the baby deal. The deal was in 5 years if neither of them was in a relationship, they would go "halves" on a kid together. That 5 year deadline came up at the Admiral's Dining Out when mac had just had surgery for the endometriosis
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R
Of all the gin joints in all the two bit towns.....and she walks into mine!
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P
I thought it made sense for those two people, especially Harm. He just doesn't know how to be happy. For a while he was able to go through with it, but somewhere he got scared, unsure and needed to lose before he truly lost.
It's Harm.
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R
The really stupid thing (but again, not surprising, unfortunately) is that the writers reached into the past and pretty much destroyed the Mac/Harm relationship back in '05. In the JAG finale, it was hinted--even promised--that they would be happy together for years to come. Now we know that was, apparently a LIE. According to Mac, they never did stay together after that coin toss, at least, not for long. And they've been apart almost the whole 14 years since.
It would have been much better if we discovered they'd been happy together for years, and gotten divorced (or even only separated) after, say, 10 years of marriage. Why couldn't they do THAT? That would have at least not ruined the beautiful image of them in '05 and the coin toss.
(BTW, when Harm looked at Mac in that episode the other night, did anyone else think he looked a little.... constipated? I'm sure it was supposed to be a look of love or yearning, but.... didn't quite come across that way.)
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C
The constipated comment was hysterical. I was trying to describe the look on his face, but it certainly wasn't love. Harm has lost that magic touch. No worries, Harm and Mac will make it down the aisle when they get to the senior center - although THAT wedding might be canceled when Harm can't find his dentures.
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R
I could care less about Harm and Mac. In my opinion this finale was not very good.
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G
Yeah... they pretty much ruined JAG. The whole story line about having a baby & letting fate keep them together. Even in small things like they have a scene with Mac drinking at the bar when a huge part of the JAG plot is that she was an alcoholic. I love these actors and these characters. I can’t believe they did this. Very disappointing.
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G
No problem with how they handled it I'm enjoying watching all the shippers have a collective meltdown.
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R
I don't watch Game of Thrones, but what the NCIS-LA writers did was pretty much if HBO did a GoT sequel, and told us that the day after winning the Iron Throne, the new king fell off his horse and died. 😮 :-/
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B
This is pretty much as I expected it.. I figured Mac won the toss and went to San Diego and Harm passed up the promotion to go with her.. He got antsy and decided he needed to go back to sea and pass up the law again... By my calculations, they should be in their 50's based on where their characters were on the old show... Mac should check up on her young protege Chloe who is up to no good on Good Girls!! ha ha.. ( played by Mae Whitman all those years ago).. I don't think a Jag should would ever work since they are in different places now and Harm isn't even practicing law.. Maybe Mac could show up on the Mother Ship and give Gibbs a hard time.. I figure the 2 of them will shoot the season opener ( if they already haven't) and go from there... Meanwhile, hardly mentioned was the Army Wives reunion of sorts with Alyssa Diaz as a guest star though of course as a different character as was of course Catherine Bell..
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Yeah, they already shot these episodes for S11.
Liked your comment about Chloe though! She difintely needs help! 😄
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