Grief (4 Feb. 1998)

McCoy pursues murder charges against a health care worker who impregnated a comatose patient after the woman dies during childbirth. However, investigation also reveals that the victim's mother may have played a role in the incident.

Director:

Christopher Misiano

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator), Suzanne Oshry

Stars:

Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, S. Epatha Merkerson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Orbach	...	Detective Lennie Briscoe
Benjamin Bratt	...	Detective Rey Curtis
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston	...	Jack McCoy
Carey Lowell	...	A.D.A. Jamie Ross
Steven Hill	...	D.A. Adam Schiff
Cecilia Hart	...	Greta Singer
Marin Hinkle	...	Leslie Russo
Edie Falco	...	Sally Bell
Erik Jensen	...	George Harding
Jonathan LaPaglia	...	Frank Russo
Ron Frazier	...	Judge Aldo Iannello
George Palermo	...	Joe Russo
Stephen Singer	...	Defense Attorney Baum
Lizbeth MacKay	...	Park West Physician

Storyline

Detectives Briscoe and Curtis investigate the severe beating of George Harding who is found under a bridge in Riverside Park. This is the second beating for Harding in less than a week but he refuses to cooperate with the investigation. Harding works as an attendant at a psychiatric hospital and one of the patients, Leslie Russo, told her brothers Joe and Frank Russo that he had raped her. They administered the beatings but the hospital says they conducted a thorough investigation and found no evidence that Leslie had been raped, let alone by Harding. When they learn there was a rape investigation at another hospital where Harding worked, they find that Wendy Singer, a comatose patient, is several months pregnant. They are now certain they can get a conviction against Harding but when ADA Jamie Ross catches Wendy's mother in several lies, she realizes there is more going on than meets the eye.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1998 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Drowning in a moral quagmire

This episode is so compelling an interesting with a twist that leads to the quote from Jack McCoy about the moral quagmire.

The most interesting parts of the episode have to do with the discussions between Jack and Jamie for which Adam is a witness to and delivers some great lines about what a trial would be like with these kinds of issues which would be guaranteed to divide people! How could a verdict be unanimous? The first half with the investigation is also good too. Trying to deal with a schizophrenic possible victim Briscoe and Curtis have to maneuver a real mine field!

All the actors in both the regular cast and gust cast deliver. Waterston, Lowell and Hill along with Bratt and Orbach. Edie Falco as the defense lawyer and Erik Jensen and Marin Hinkle as well as a short role for Todd Stashwick.

Suzanne Oshry just wrote a really dynamite script here. Well directed by Chris Misiano.