Authority (29 Apr. 2008)

A man accused of impersonating a police officer over a telephone and telling a fast food manager to sexually assault an employee is found not guilty, and as a result becomes a vocal crusader telling other people to defy authority figures.

Director:

David Platt

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator), Neal Baer,

Stars:

Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Meloni	...	Detective Elliot Stabler
Mariska Hargitay	...	Detective Olivia Benson
Richard Belzer	...	Sergeant John Munch
Diane Neal	...	A.D.A. Casey Novak
Ice-T	...	Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
Adam Beach	...	Detective Chester Lake
BD Wong	...	Dr. George Huang
Tamara Tunie	...	Dr. Melinda Warner
Dann Florek	...	Captain Donald Cragen
Robin Williams	...	Merritt Rook
Didi Conn	...	Nurse
Joel de la Fuente	...	TARU Tech Ruben Morales
Mike Doyle	...	Forensics Tech Ryan O'Halloran
Monica Raymund	...	Trini Martinez
Ka-Ling Cheung	...	Dr. Cheng

Storyline

A man accused of impersonating a police officer over a telephone and telling a fast food manager to sexually assault an employee is found not guilty, and as a result becomes a vocal crusader telling other people to defy authority figures.

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Plot Keywords:

defending oneself in court | beauty

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Universal Media Studios (UMS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

This story based on a number of actual phone hoaxes, especially one that happened at a McDonald's restaurant in Mount Washington, Kentucky on April 9, 2004, where a phone caller claiming to be a police officer manipulates the staff of a business to sexually abuse innocent people as "interrogation."

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Goofs

It is supposed to be late May, yet most of the trees are bare and everyone is wearing heavy clothing, like overcoats or sweaters.

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Quotes

Merritt Rook: I look forward to working with you Ms Novak. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go post my bail.

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Connections

Featured in The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (2008)

User Reviews

Summary of "Authority"

I hope my appraisal of this episode does not contain a spoiler and I will do my best at not revealing too much. This was one of the best features I have ever observed on television, a device, I turned off about 5 years ago for the most part especially the news and the idiotic commercial content.

I was at a friend's home and like so many others, the television is "always" on and this episode was on and because I like Robin William's I lingered to watch.

The title could have been very well named, "What goes around, comes around" as we examine the damage of those who think themselves to be such "authorities" and meeting their "unassuming" match, and then some as one such person successfully bucked the system. It reminded me of the current "Thomas Crown Affair" with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Rousseau.

We find many of our greatest actors hiding behind their comedic faces such a Robin, and Tom Hanks and Jerry Lewis, who also co-starred in another episode of this series. I've only seen bits and pieces of that one, also at this same friends home.

I am not an advocate of getting even but I feel nature sometimes does take it's course and there is a natural justice we are not aware of that is happening all the time, it just we are too blind to see it; or choose not to see it, for it is so very assuming until it jumps up and slaps us right in the face. This episode was an excellent rendition of that and Williams played the role excellently as he most always usually does when he comes from behind the mask of his comedy.

If you have not watched this episode, please let me offer that you do. I hope after my comments you will view it with the same light I did. It's well worth watching. Perhaps television is coming around the bend and is not the vast wasteland it was once thought. It still has a way to go

William