"Law & Order" Church (2007)

Director:

Constantine Makris

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator)
Rick Eid (written by)

TV Series:

"Law & Order" (1990)

Original Air Date:

9 February 2007 (Season 17, Episode 14)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

The death of a gay male actor exposes a scandal that threatens to bring down the powerful pastor of a large New York church who preaches intolerance toward homosexuals. |

Plot Keywords:

Attorney | Detective | Police | District Attorney | Evidence

Cast

Jesse L. Martin	...	Detective Ed Green
Milena Govich	...	Detective Nina Cassady
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston	...	Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
Alana De La Garza	...	A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	D.A. Arthur Branch
Anson Mount	...	Reverend James Sterling
Bradley White	...	Mike Jeffers
Kate Miller	...	Madeline Meyers
Julie Benz	...	Dawn Sterling
Lee R. Sellars	...	Judge Kurt Landsburg (as Lee Sellers)
Andrew Garman	...	Scott Jepson
Finnerty Steeves	...	Patty the Secretary
Frank De Julio	...	Nick Bridge
Vincent Gerrard	...	Steve Franklin

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-14

Company:

Wolf Films

Quotes:

Dawn Sterling: My husband is a minister! A man of God! I mean, do you really think he'd be involved in the murder of a homosexual prostitute? Look, why do you hate us so much? Well is it because we have the courage to worship the lord? Because we believe in the sanctity of marriage? Because we renounce homosexuality?

Beliefs That Your Body Denies

This particular Law and Order episode involves the story of a bible beating fundamentalist preacher who actually goes out of his way to offer 'cures' for homosexuality at the same time while leading a secret life as a gay man. The obvious inspiration for this was the Ted Haggard scandal out in Colorado.

Anson Mount as the closeted gay reverend is accused of killing a young actor Dan Leonard who he had been dating and who was sick of both the hypocrisy of the reverend and the guilt trip that he had been taken on by the reverend. This is the best part of this particular episode, the horrible and stifling effects of the closet. I've been there and I know what it's like to have beliefs instilled in you that your body denies.

Mount is married to Julie Benz who is like the perfect pastor's wife and supports him in any and every way in running the church. When we talk church we are talking about a multimillion dollar business and Julie is the queen bee in this particular hive.

In the end though Mount surprisingly shows himself to be a man of some character. What he does and how it impacts on Sam Waterston's case is something for you to see.

This is one of the better Law and Order episodes of recent years. Hopefully one day people like the reverend that Anson Mount plays will diminish as gay folks exit the closet with dignity and pride.