An 80-year-old man is accused of killing the man who stole his identity and caused him to lose his home. However, the defendant's son wants him declared incompetent to stand trial.An 80-year-old man is accused of killing the man who stole his identity and caused him to lose his home. However, the defendant's son wants him declared incompetent to stand trial.An 80-year-old man is accused of killing the man who stole his identity and caused him to lose his home. However, the defendant's son wants him declared incompetent to stand trial.
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- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA.D.A. Serena Southerlyn mentions to E.A.D.A. Jack McCoy 'that case in Texas where the lawyer fell asleep during trial'. In 1983, Calvin J. Burdine received a death sentence for the murder of his former roommate, W.T. Wise. During trial both the jurors and the court clerk noticed Burdine's court-appointed lawyer, Joe Frank Cannon, falling asleep frequently. In 1999, a federal district judge ordered a new trial for Burdine, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted against it.
- GoofsThe defendant's attorney tells his client that a charge of manslaughter in the first degree would carry a sentence of 15 years. While that is certainly a possible sentence for a violent, class B felony he should have pointed out that the minimum sentence for it can be as little as five years in prison, but on the other hand the maximum sentence is 25 years in prison.
- Quotes
Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy: Do you know what a Pyrrhic victory is, Mr Jackson?
Lonnie Jackson: I'm not really sure.
Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy: That's when you win but you really lose. Like this hearing: if I win, I get to say that you're competent, in which case, I get to go into another courtroom and try to prove that you did something I know you did, but at the same time I can't prove.
Lonnie Jackson: So why don't we just call it a day?
Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy: It's what they call going through the motions, it's what I get paid for. So will you bear with me?
Lonnie Jackson: Sure.
- ConnectionsRemade as Law & Order: UK: Pride (2014)
"Identity" does all of that absolutely brilliantly in a truly brilliant episode. That is easily among the best episodes of Season 14 and even of the later years. It is indeed one of those episodes that is a lot more complex and moving than it seems and sounds at first and is particularly advantaged by the performance of the main guest star. One that left a big impression when first getting into 'Law and Order' via this period, and who still leaves a big impression in a good way.
On a visual level, "Identity" is solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden, while having enough momentum to make the drama sing in its atmosphere.
The script is intricate and thought probing with a wide range of emotions. The moral dilemmas that come with the case are handled sensitively but also is pull no punches in quality. The story sounds ordinary at first, but very quickly becomes one of Season 14's most complex (without being convoluted) cases. It is also incredibly moving with Paul Benjamin's character being very layered and one where one feels more than one emotion for. The ending has always stayed with me.
While all the regulars are great and more (even Elisabeth Rohm isn't a problem), particularly Sam Waterston, this is Paul Benjamin's episode. His emotionally devastating performance is nothing short of mesmerising.
Concluding, brilliant. 10/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 5, 2022