The Collar (9 Jan. 2002)

A priest is murdered in his confessional, but another priest was the actual target. However, the targeted priest refuses to cooperate with the investigation, claiming that his communication with the killer is privileged.

Director:

Matthew Penn

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator), Richard Sweren

Stars:

Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, S. Epatha Merkerson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Orbach	...	Detective Lennie Briscoe
Jesse L. Martin	...	Detective Ed Green
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston	...	Jack McCoy
Elisabeth Röhm	...	A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn
Dianne Wiest	...	D.A. Nora Lewin
John Dossett	...	Father Evans
Dick Latessa	...	Bishop Durning
Agustin Rodriguez	...	Angel Cabrera
Peter Maloney
Joanna Going	...	Dana Bauer
Andrea Navedo	...	Detective Ana Cordova
Kent Broadhurst	...	Mansfield
Bill Cwikowski	...	Allan Boswell
Jeffrey Joseph	...	Det. Ronald Murphy

Storyline

When s priest is killed in the confessional, an investigation into to who may have wanted him dead is conducted. They soon discover that at the time he was in the confessional, another priest was suppose to be there. The investigation takes an unexpected turn when they find out that the priest knows more but is unwilling to tell them.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2002 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Studios USA Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Ed and Lennie are told that a 25 millimeter handgun was found in the river. That would be one very large handgun. The handgun is actually a .25 acp.

User Reviews

Faith vs Moral vs Law

This episode sets the stage on the conflict between the "authority" or the priority of faith, moral and law in the matter of the knowledge and admission of a murder.

Individual, religious and legal interests are concurrently valid on the issue, but which one takes precedence over the other. It is all too easy to answer this if one takes a position based on his persona, but it is more difficult when we must consider these codes of conduct as inherently and equally just and reasonable.

The issue is not which one to seek the truth since all 3 know it. The issue is which one must ultimately be taken to deal with the most serious of consequences of human behaviour. What drives such a decision: loss, authority, idea, hope, lie, interest, punishment or salvation?