Ranking Every Law & Order Episode (As I watch It)
My ranking of every Law & Order episode as I watch through the series for the first time. Episodes are ranked by both quality and how much I enjoyed them being the primary factors, some notes may contain spoilers.
List activity
355 views
• 2 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
208 titles
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA woman claims that a Puerto Rican man kidnapped her infant daughter while she was in a church confessional. However, she later confesses to killing her baby and cremating her body.Masterful. A beautiful and longer sequence, between Bratt and (spoiler), a confession, and every aspect of it is legally relevant during the trial. It does several totally new concepts for the show, particularly with Fineman. Faith ultimately leading to confession is something I know can be sincere. Even the discovery about the stroller was clever. Waterson cross-examining "God's plan" and applying lawyerly logic in the old and stern fashion against a priest was f---ing awesome. "Terrorists are trying to blow up the World Trade Center" is just one line in that impassioned monologue from (spoiler) is a painfully real account of the depravity one can observe and be driven to a type of madness. That monologue is her motive for those saying she lacks one. Even the judge not ruling on Fineman's objection was new.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA young black girl claims to have been raped by white police officers. Police and prosecutors struggle to get the truth after an ambitious black congressman claims the investigation is a racially-motivated cover-up.Completely relevant conversation to today, while also being an episode they could not release today. Watch after S22E3 and S1E8, the first to understand how all-in this series goes into scenarios that one side may find politically unfavorable, and the second will contextualize within the same season how aware this show can be of how optics and reality can intersect into a nightmare, especially when the police have done something wrong. "Death In The Family" is optional viewing before this.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonAn anti-Semitic teen is accused of killing a Jewish teacher. His defense attorney argues that the accused is really the victim of a Jewish conspiracy.Another episode where all the details of the first part matter in the trial part. It is the definitive antisemitism episode, and it raises the incredibly ballsy topic of Jewish conspiracy being written for the defense's strategy. It is pure legal integrity even at the expense of good taste, and as a law-head, I love this. "I resent the implication that ANYTHING but my badge affects how I do my job." How is it this can be a value for some people but not others, and those others rule the day?
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA police officer is accused of planting a gun on an unarmed African-American youth that he shot. The victim was beloved in his community, but the investigation reveals that he may have also been a drug dealer.I love Greevey as a character. This episode has the political nuance and messiness while also highlighting the type of bad-cop story that some believe should be every episode of any police show.
- DirectorAaron LipstadtStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekAfter an anti-abortion protester is killed in an abortion center bombing, detectives search for all of her potential co-conspirators.A really great episode on pro-life vs pro-choice conflict that feels tense and personal, yet surprisingly respectful. Price is personally opposed, yet has enough integrity to do his job, a character leading by example on how professionals should conduct themselves.
- DirectorGwen ArnerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA police officer is shot to death on a rooftop. Assistant D.A. Stone's investigation reveals that the officer may have been dirty.great stuff. SPOILERS: A cop is killed, twist, he's a dirty cop.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekStone temporarily dismisses rape charges against three defendants because the victim's testimony has too many holes. Greevey and Logan's subsequent reinvestigation uncovers a possible fourth assailant.They want a peabody.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA twelve-year-boy is injured and his infant brother is killed by gunshots. The investigation reveals they were the accidental victims of a hit ordered by a drug dealer against a real estate broker.The crimes that usually go unsolved and impact these communities, often come from within. It's the hard truth that this episode dives into, no "twists" from that reality.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA false kidnapping claim leads to the prosecution of a married couple after detectives discover that three of their infants have died under mysterious circumstances.Watching these episodes with knowing the synopsis is great because it allows the acting and pacing to give me the twists and turns in real time. I like the DA being aware of the stakes of the situation, that they either have a serious crime to prosecute, or an expensive apology to offer the defendants. For me, the reveal at the end that (Spoiler) the dad learned from the beginning what she was did. The last child going missing is clever since it wouldn't have their "condition."
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekStone and Robinette go after a defense contractor, as well as his lawyer and the hit-man he allegedly hired, after two men are killed and a whistle-blower who planned to testify against him goes missing.Very clever episode. Things look like an impending trial disaster for our DA's office, but they pull it off.
- DirectorAdam DavidsonStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThree people are killed when a possible drunk driver runs them over. A.D.A. McCoy is bent on getting a questionable death sentence in the case, but Ross believes that he is trying to get revenge for Claire Kincaid's death.Power performance from Waterson in this episode that adds more continuity to Kincaid. There's always intrigue to be had when legal chicanery favors the prosecution.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonBloody sheets and an apparently stolen credit card lead Briscoe and Curtis to a pair of college age lovers who present McCoy and Ross with a united front of denial that one of them killed their newborn son and disposed of the body.Episodes with babies are most likely to get me. What can I say, I'm human. From the clever way the defense lawyer is split, to the great scene of the father's "confession" where we believe he is lying to us, to the actually sound defense, and the gut-wrenching ending.
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekDr. Olivet accuses an esteemed gynecologist of rape. However, when she loses her case, the DA's office resorts to a new strategy to bring the doctor to justice.Crime hits close to home in this episode where Olivet is the victim. The Judge's decision makes sense based on what were shown in the trial and what is stated to be his ideology. He's a complex character, more than merely old man bad.
- DirectorGilbert M. ShiltonStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA Colombian drug cartel assassin is accused in the murder of a Colombian couple in a restaurant. While trying to make the case against the accused, Ceretta is shot by a black-market gun dealer whom the prosecution needs as a witness.Colombian cartel, chilling ending, Several shootouts.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekAn arson at an Hispanic social club that killed 53 people is related to a powerful Cuban, an INS agent, and the sale of fake green cards.Interesting trajectory for this episode. You think it's going to be a cold and dark dive into a community attacking itself, but circles back somewhat to include an outsider.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA white Jew faces trial for the shooting death of a prominent African American leader, but was the assassination actually an inside job?90s MLK is assassinated. More great racial jousting more cutting and direct than anything you'd get on TV today.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe hunt for a racist serial killer is aided by personality profiling that the defense uses to their advantage in court.James Earl Jones as a defense attorney for a racist is worth the price of admission. Black lawyers are just as capable as white ones of earning their Dershowitz street-cred, haha. As a black man, I do miss the decades up to the 2000s when we used to be able to use the N word on TV for dramatic effect, even comedy in some contexts. White-Hate as an element that directly results in crime gets its due in this episode, which takes us into a world of casual and overt racism. The difference between the era of this episode and now is that our white lead characters generally trust themselves to assess situations, and don't forfeit their knowledge of self to potentially opportunistic individuals. Witty gags and a gutsy subject matter. They even manage to find a half-decent motive to go along with the hatefulness, not to excuse it, but simply to make the story more compelling.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonBriscoe and his new partner, Rey Curtis, track down the man accused of kidnapping and killing a young girl.Didn't know Benjamin Bratt was ever on this show. I actually guessed the character motives when (spoiler) the mother walks into the courtroom, but then thought I was wrong when she shoots Capetti. I figured the rest of the episode would alternatively be about using principle to convict this technically guilty but highly sympathetic defendant. I also love the double hearsay, that was funny.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA smug African American stock broker who resents other people of his own race is accused of murder. However, he hires a high-profile civil rights attorney, who presents a "black rage" defense.This kind of race-baiting makes my blood boil, and resonates with me personally as an element of villainy. Courtney B Vance puts in a good performance, and there are some sympathetic moments for him, but while this episode takes some time to get going, I appreciate the 2nd half.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekProsecution of an elderly Jewish man accused of killing his wife, a Holocaust survivor, becomes complicated when it is learned that he may have collaborated with the Nazis in Poland during World War II.Well done ethical quandary, unsettling at times.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA Jewish driver kills a black youth in a hit-and-run accident in Harlem and is not prosecuted. The black community's reaction ends in the death of a white motorist, but should the killer be held responsible for his actions?Another adventure in optics going from bad to worse, and one that seriously re-addresses the concept of riot mentality and the responsibility of individuals. Episodes like these show how following the law can, when seen from the outside, have the appearance of bias. There's only one line in the episode I'd really change, and that's Moriarty's quip about who should look in the mirror. J.K. Simmons has a small speaking role as a tech. Antisemitism among black people is showcased.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA woman claims she shot two punks on a subway car in self-defense, but investigators and prosecutors are not sure that they believe her.Surprising handling of racial/gender bias in profiling, fairly unique to see.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekThe parents of a woman murdered in Manhattan try to get the case moved to Connecticut so that they can pursue the death penalty against the defendant, a suspected serial killer.great stakes with the case being a slamdunk n CT, even if a little potential fibbing is needed by the parents, versus trying it in NY which seems worse by all metrics. Philosophy and ethics on display.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekStone faces a Texas cowboy lawyer and a hostile community as he tries to prosecute a young man accused of murdering a drug dealer for raping the man's sister."They knew they were being flimflammed."
- DirectorJace AlexanderStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonDetectives and prosecutors believe that a smug comedy club owner shot his wife and put her in a coma, but they can't come up with enough hard evidence to get him convicted.A dour, twisty episode. Spoiler: First transgender culprit
- DirectorAlex HallStarsJeffrey DonovanMehcad BrooksCamryn ManheimA suspect arrested for murder escapes police custody after months of waiting for his day in court; as a hostage situation erupts, Shaw must re-examine his conduct as the arresting officer; Price questions his faith in the justice system.Plays with expectations, doesn't go too far in one direction, has nuance, and makes important reference to conditions of Rikers.
- DirectorAlex HallStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimWhen a young man is found dead of an apparent overdose, Dixon fiercely pursues a homicide investigation as an old unsolved case comes back to haunt her. Price and Maroun risk putting a witness in harm's way to expose their suspect and reveal the monster underneath.I remember when this story broke. Gay Democratic donor caught over-dosing black men. Manheim truly cares. Interesting racial dynamics with defense attorney.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekAfter crime boss Frank Masucci's murder case gets thrown out, Stone turns up the heat on the witnesses who played him in order to find charges against Masucci that will stick.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekStone makes a deal with a group of low-level mobsters when they offer to testify that a crime boss murdered a missing union leader. However, the prosecution's case unravels at trial, causing all parties involved to walk.Brilliant little tale of how an assault could be so much more.
- DirectorJohn WhitesellStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekDetectives and prosecutors face resistance from federal authorities as they pursue murder charges against an suspected IRA member serving time in federal prison, after he is suspected of killing another federal prisoner.Episodes that touch on the biases of different characters, in this case, a pro-Irish blinder on Logan, who shouldn't be exempted from suspicion just because a detective has a connection to that lineage. No one was exempt this season.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonKincaid's new partner in the DA's office, Jack McCoy, pursues murder charges for a woman who provided questionable alternative treatments for women suffering from breast cancer.A powerful examination of women's relationship to their breasts as of the 90s sexual culture, and breast cancer.
- DirectorEriq La SalleStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimCosgrove asks Benson for assistance after his friend, an off-duty NYPD detective, is murdered, causing turmoil. McCoy and Price spar over how to prosecute.Anytime that the show portrays that anti-police bias is just as potentially hazardous to justice as the uncritically pro-police side, I think it does its job.
- DirectorBill D'EliaStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA college student from a poor Mexican family kills his rich co-ed fiancée after she breaks up with him. The defense hopes to exploit the jury's guilt for the client's plight to avoid a murder conviction.I was personally invested enough that I wanted the culprit to be found guilty, I felt like more than just an observer. A lot of great lines about culpability.
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekAn innocent man confesses to killing his girlfriend and takes a plea. A.D.A. Robinette suspects that his defense may have conspired with the victim's estate planner to sandbag him for financial reasons.Another episode it's better to go into without having read the description. SPOILER: The knowledge that Steven Greg is innocent doesn't come until after the halfway mark after some compelling developments that point away from the red herring and back to him.
- DirectorE.W. SwackhamerStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA couple denies medical attention to their dying daughter because of their religious convictions. Detectives discover that the they may have had doubts about their actions, so the D.A. charges them with endangering and manslaughter.This episode went to a deeper level when it touched on the fine line of putting religious beliefs on trial. Obviously, having a jury decide the validity of your religious beliefs is a constitutional no-no. The jury simply being of people that aren't your faith would ensure you lose in a trial.
- DirectorMartha MitchellStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonTwo punks kill a random victim for the thrill of it. But the prosecution faces the difficult task of convicting two people of the same crime.Great legal concept gets explored probably the strongest that it will in this series, of two defendants who are able to point to the other as reasonable doubt (without it being as contrived as twins).
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA corpse of a badly burned Jewish jeweler is found in an alley. Initial evidence suggests that it could be a hate crime performed by a group of black youths, but a business motive is later uncovered.Another promising episode on the optic politics of a potential hate crime. I wish modern episodes were able to dive into the world of racism among Jews and anti-Semitism among blacks and other groups. Spoiler: Ends with a courthouse shooting.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA man leaves a poisonous gas bomb on a train and kills a lot of people. The man is found guilty, but says this is just the tip of the iceberg.I saw this after seeing Camouflage in 2022, and it's odd that they've done two racist mass-attack on subway episodes when in reality, no such attack has seemingly happened on a subway, at least not in NY from what I could find so far.
- DirectorMatthew PennStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA young British au pair is suspected of poisoning the baby in her care. Her defense tries to create reasonable doubt by emphasizing the neglect of the baby's working mother.Episodes with babies are my soft spot. I initially thought it was (spoiler) when I saw them, but then I genuinely believed the culprit was (spoiler) for most of the episode until it was revealed toward the end that I was right.
- DirectorBrian MertesStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonAn Egyptian man is murdered because he had hired an Egyptian doctor to perform a female circumcision on the man's niece. A.D.A.s McCoy and Ross have to deal with a clash between cultural convictions and the law.The issue of female circumcision comes to the forefront. A gutsy cultural condemnation and twist on how I would've expected this episode to go if written after 2005.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekDetectives Briscoe and Logan investigate the murder of Dawn Bryan. The young African-American woman once had a bright future ahead of her. She was a good student and was even voted most likely to succeed. It seems to have all come tumbling down when she got hooked on crack. She was shot with a .45 caliber gun and their first suspect is her supplier and sometime live-in boyfriend who goes by the street name of Skate. The dead woman's family are devastated by the loss of their daughter but they feel they lost her long ago when she became hooked on drugs. When the evidence points to a family member as the likely culprit, ADA Stone and DA Adam Schiff both feel a good deal of sympathy. Paul Robinette however doesn't think anyone should have leniency and pushes for a grand jury indictment.Another episode that asks relevant questions concerning what should be considered justice when it comes to the black population, found after the twist, of course.
- DirectorJean de SegonzacStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimNewly acquainted partners Detective Kevin Bernard and Detective Frank Cosgrove investigate the murder of a notorious entertainer. A dispute over throwing out a confession creates a rift in the District Attorney's office.Cosby victim murders Cosby.
- DirectorBrian MertesStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonAfter a mother orders a professional hit on the new husband of her former daughter-in-law, detectives reopen an investigation into her son's death.Spoiler: Old lady hires hitman to kill her former daughter-in-law's new husband because she believes he murdered her son to get with his wife.
- DirectorJohn WhitesellStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekGreevey and Logan discover that a hospital is covering up an accomplished doctor's mistake which resulted in a patient's death. They later find out that the doctor might have been drunk at the time.Perfectly fine opening, solid enough logic and discovery.
- DirectorHeather CappielloStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimAfter a family court judge is murdered, Bernard and Cosgrove dig into the many grievances against him. When the DA's office is faced with unforeseen challenges, Maroun takes matters into her own hands to save the case.Serena Williams kills a judge.
- DirectorMichael FrescoStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekThe investigation into the death of a controversial artist reveals that he was involved in twisted sex games with two powerful figures.Frances Conroy shines. A fun little hour of tv to watch the day she passes. I really loved the honest confession from Greevey as well as the integrity to principle shown by Cragen. I'm truly fascinated by these older episodes where we dive into a world/media where we dive into an uncensored reality of characters stating their discomfort with certain things. By the end of this episode, it sticks the landing by fully committing to its theme.
- DirectorJames QuinnStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA child's collapse in school from mortal injuries leads to an investigation that uncovers a family steeped in horrific abuse.Some interesting background on Logan, another ripped from the headlines case, and the first kiddo-phile behavior referenced on the series.
- DirectorGilbert MosesStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekA woman claims she killed a man outside a bar because he was going to rape her, but was it really a mob hit? Logan is partnered up with Lennie Briscoe, and Ceretta tells Logan that he isn't returning to the precinct after his shooting.Jerry Orbach's first episode. Continuity with Olivet. A goodbye to Sorvino.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonLawyers make a deal with a suspected cop killer in order to find a kidnapping victim. However, the DA's office wants to renege on the deal after the victim is found dead, and detectives suspect that he knew the victim was dead all along.Strong episode where tough choices and compromises have to be made to bring down a cop killer.
- DirectorJohn BehringStarsJeffrey DonovanMehcad BrooksCamryn ManheimA 32-year-old white man murders seven Asian-Americans in the NYC subway by firearm. Nolan Price normally opposes the death penalty but the circumstances of the case are such that he is willing to advocate for capital punishment.Mass shooting aftermath depicted, fabricated but tragic hate-crime, recognition of profiling of whites, gut-wrenching twist of a victim being fully American.
- DirectorCharles CorrellStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekA Broadway producer's daughter is abducted from a department store. Later, she and her mother are found in a women's shelter. The mother claims that the daughter was abused by her father, but the daughter's accounts are inconsistent.This episode represents an occurrence that people like to talk about even less than the situation that this episode initially presents.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA man opens fire during the docking of a dinner cruise boat. The Governor appoints a special prosecutor because Schiff refuses to seek the death penalty; McCoy helps Schiff appeal while Ross helps the special prosecutor at trial. Schiff's wife is hospitalized following a stroke.The most work Schiff has gotten to do thus far in the series. Challenging the governor from taking a case from their county solely so they can deliver the death penalty.
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA baby is found frozen to death in a hospital emergency room. The case leads to accusations that the landlord of the building the baby and her mother lived in hired people to turn off the heat and harass tenants to get them to move out.Spoiler: dead baby turns up in a hospital, it's the slumlord to blame.
- DirectorMilena GovichStarsJeffrey DonovanMehcad BrooksCamryn ManheimThe daughter of a politician is found dead after an apparent attack. Once Cosgrove and Shaw start to unravel the details they realize this isn't a random act of violence.In my opinion, a well enough handled pro-choice episode.
- DirectorSarah BoydStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimBernard and Cosgrove are confronted with several suspects in the shooting of a headmaster at an elite private school. A teenager's future hangs in the balance as Price and Maroun debate who's more culpable: the shooter or the enabler.Important ethical question on the culpability of parents in a shooting at school. May need a re-watch.
- DirectorAlex HallStarsJeffrey DonovanMehcad BrooksCamryn ManheimAfter uncovering key evidence, McCoy and Price seek justice against an international crime ring, but complications threaten the outcome of their case.
- DirectorVern GillumStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekCaptain Cragen ends up in the cross-hairs of an internal investigation into evidence tampering, and the DA's office is forced to put him in a precarious situation to implicate the conspirators.Cragen gets caught up in a corruption scandal.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA Greek immigrant jewelry store owner kills two robbers and claims self defense. However, it is soon questioned whether his actions went beyond self defense and crossed into revenge and murder.Important and relevant topic of when self defense ends and vengeance begins.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekSkeletal remains of a young boy missing for 30 years are found in an apartment building, and finding the killer may ride on Dr. Olivet's ability to uncover a possible witness' repressed memories of the incident.I knew it wouldn't be the gays from the start, but it was still a fine episode even if none of the emotional beats except the mother of the victim really landed for me.
- DirectorFred GerberStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekSgt. Greevey is murdered and an angry Det. Logan pressures a confession out of the killer. Prosecutors struggle to allow the confession to be used in court.Another example of a time that a lead does something wrong. Logan's mistake nearly costs them an otherwise easy win.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonStone and Kincade try to prosecute a woman who is accused of extortion and promising her biological child to multiple couples.Personally significant to me as I long to be a parent nearly as deeply as these people do. One of the aspects of a full human experience, and a necessity for our own existence, as well as the continued existence of our species, many take parenthood for granted or see it as a fruitless burden.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA teenager confesses to shooting a classmate, but claims it was an accident. Detectives also discover that he was responsible for a similar shooting two years earlier, but the records are sealed.A perfectly baseline episode of Law and Order, decent for season 2.
- DirectorAlex HallStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimBernard and Cosgrove investigate the murder of a congressional candidate. Price and Maroun contend with an extremist plot hellbent on thwarting the candidate's agenda by any means necessary.I'd need to see this one again to investigate whether it defends or bemoans free speech. It paints the killer as largely a true believer misled by internet lies. They get lucky at the end by a clear admission from who they really want to convict.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA councilman is found dead on a street, and the investigation reveals that he was being blackmailed because he was gay. However, the councilman's very powerful father is reluctant to cooperate because he doesn't want his son outed.Let's aim for one gay culprit every season, please. Even if they took advantage of their gay victim.
- DirectorJames QuinnStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe investigation into the killing of the CFO of a baby food company leads Briscoe and Logan directly to the Russian mob and its head, who now goes by the name Steven Green. When they arrest the shooter, ADA Stone isn't above manipulating his situation to get him to testify against Green. However, since no one can be found guilty solely on the testimony of an accomplice to the same crime, he desperately needs another witness. Ann Madsen had business dealings with Green and can testify to having seen the shooter in Green's office the day of the shooting. When it come to actually testifying however she changes her story, obviously in fear of her life. Stone makes it quite clear she will go to jail if she doesn't tell the truth but it leads to tragedy and forces Stone to make a major decision about his future.Ben Stone says goodbye. (Rewatch)
- DirectorMichael PressmanStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimThe COO of a major tech company is found murdered in Central Park. Price and Maroun work to untangle a web of deceit to expose a cunning narcissist.Theranos scandal, important portrayal of a powerful woman weaponizing her identity to deceive a jury.
- DirectorKristoffer TaboriStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekAfter a homeless man is convicted of murder, his lawyer files an Fourth Amendment appeal claiming an illegal, unwarranted search of his personal property.Great scene on the rationale behind extending 4th amendment constitutional protections to homeless people on public lands.
- DirectorJohn WhitesellStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA co-ed claims that two fraternity brothers raped her at a Halloween party, but finding the truth proves to be difficult when other members of the fraternity stonewall investigators and the woman's sexual history is revealed.This episode is like several others in that it presents a situation that continuously worsens, in this case, the worst victim.
- DirectorFred GerberStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekGreevey and Logan discover that an apparent mugging victim found unconscious on a park bench has had his kidney removed. The case leads to a powerful man whose daughter desperately needed a transplant and the doctor who may have helped him.Spoilers: Sweet and surprisingly handsome 73 year old man has kidney stolen for his daughter.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonWhile investigating a fertility doctor for a separate case of fraud, McCoy and Kincaid discover evidence that he may be inseminating his patients with his own sperm.Once again, an episode that is immensely satisfying when you go in without reading a synopsis. I was surprised by the disparaging comments about the lesbian parents, but it's true that approval on same sex parenting has often lagged behind approval on other aspects of homosexual lives. If I were to divide this episode into 3 acts, act 2 is at least an 8-rating.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekAfter a cop is killed while trying to make a drug arrest the investigation reveals that some of his fellow officers may have stood by and let him die for reasons of their own.An officer doesn't get backup and gets shot. Why? Sam Rockwell returns in a new role.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekA university scientist is murdered, allegedly over an affair her husband was having. However, Stone later suspects that the alleged "mistress" may actually be delusional, and that there was actually no affair.Another one that's good to watch without knowing the synopsis. Something seems off and the details are building, but it's not until the turn that the episode rises to an 8 for me.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe murder of an abortion doctor leads to the prosecution of a radical pro-life leader, who hopes to use the trial to grandstand against abortion laws.I imagine that at large enough pro-life rallies, you'll find people from all sorts of background, who've championed (or left behind) other causes in their past, including efforts associated with the left. Abortion providing doctor gets murdered.
- DirectorDann FlorekStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA woman is killed after opening a mail bomb. The investigation leads to the discovery of a bitter research dispute between her ex-husband, a noted physicist, and a younger researcher that he double-crossed.A few interesting turns in this story of revenge, while touching on the eventual end of the universe.
- DirectorJace AlexanderStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA female Navy pilot kills an officer over their affair. However, McCoy suspects that the Navy may be impeding the D.A. office's investigation because she is a valuable asset and a positive female role model.Spoiler: Lady pilot kills fellow Navy guy and turns out she wasn't even that steady a pilot.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThe prosecution's murder case against the Hollywood director threatens to fall apart. And the case could cost Jamie her job and custody of her child, and it could cost Curtis his marriage.Part 3 of the LA case. I was surprised that Schiff doesn't doesn't apologize for his comments towards Ross. Reminds us that this was a different era, with its tradeoffs. An employee with family obligations at a time when you need people who can pull long hours is simply less desirable, and less appealing for certain positions.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA woman is charged with murdering her sister, but prosecutors learn that the defendant is actually the other sister--who assumed the real victim's identity. Meanwhile, the judge becomes hostile to the prosecution during the trial.Yet another pre-Good Wife cameo. Interesting to see a Judge go so south.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonBriscoe and Curtis serve an arrest warrant on a Hollywood director in the film-executive murder case. Opposing counsel--Jamie's ex husband--challenges the warrant. Jack and Jamie now must go to L.A. to defend it.Part 2 of the LA case
- DirectorFred GerberStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonVan Buren kills an intellectually disabled, unarmed teenager at an ATM. She claims it was a robbery attempt, and that there's a second, armed suspect on the loose. But not everyone believes her.Nice to see an episode focused on Van Buren. She gets gaslit by more thugs.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA young pregnant woman is found beaten and has a miscarriage, Cerreta and Logan are soon led to the lawyer she was working for, who may or may not have been involved in the attack.Regardless of your personal politics on where the life barrier is drawn for pregnancies as it relates to criminal charges, it is intriguing that states can differ on this and that something so potentially meaningful to real victims can come down to arbitrary legal decisions.
- DirectorJace AlexanderStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThe pursuit of the death penalty for a police officer's killer who found religion in prison becomes a political football for the DA's office. Briscoe's daughter gets in trouble with the law.I initially thought the cop was the culprit, but the title refers to another. Has Ross changed her position on the death penalty from her earlier appearance? Confession genuinely surprised me.
- DirectorJace AlexanderStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThe death of a former police officer leads Briscoe and Curtis to a pair of suburban moms who work as prostitutes.I love Stritch's style in these episodes. How she conveys that she's a working elderly woman (who doesn't need the money). Felicity Huffman as a married mother who moonlights as a prostitute was unique.
- DirectorHelaine HeadStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA young woman is accused of starving her grandmother to death because she wanted to receive her share of the inheritance faster.Another episode touching on issues of ageism and murder of the elder / (spoiler) assisted suicide.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonAn attempted armored car heist leads to the prosecution of a suburban right-wing militia group that claims to be at war with the U.S. government.I've been documenting episodes that are critical of the right or left, and this is a perfectly nice episode that does the former with a great turn from McCoy. Though I will say it was odd seeing Denis O'Hare return as a new character that also represents himself again. I appreciated the reference to the black panthers attempting the same thing this new group was attempting.
- DirectorFred GerberStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe lawyer of a 14-year-old boy claims he is not responsible for the beating death of his friend because he has an extra Y chromosome and is genetically predisposed to criminal behavior.What effect does it have on young minds if they believe ideas that their lives are doomed, up against amorphous forces they can't overcome, whether due to their genetics, color, or zipcode? "Your job is to convict, not rehabilitate."
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA singer claims Battered Woman Syndrome as an excuse for killing her former employer, whom she claims abused her during her employment.Laura Linney from The Truman Show, but is she exploiting anti-Japanese sentiments?
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA crack-addicted, African American mother is accused of murder and kidnapping the baby Child Welfare took from her. Her defense attorney, former A.D.A. Paul Robinette, argues that the entire child welfare system is racist.Robinette returns as shows a significant character shift. His defense for his abusive black mother client who wants her baby back from its white foster parents is to (as seen in Out Past the Half Light) argue the system is rigged against his client and these "mitigating factors" that should lower her culpability. He makes charges in this episode that as a viewer, I wanted to stroll into the show and ask him to elaborate with clear examples rather than unsubstantiated accusations and unfalsifiable generalities. It also reminded me of a previous episode "Blood Libel" which similarly alleged a conspiracy of Jews were working to target the defendant.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekLogan and Cerreta investigate the death of a fashion model photographer and discover that the photographer's real business was prostitution. One of his "clients" is implicated, but she may be covering for the real killer.I only realized who Claire Danes was towards the end. I guess that ultimately undercuts the twist.
- DirectorGwen ArnerStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA high school student who was having an affair with one of his teachers is accused of killing the teacher's husband. Did the woman use him and set him up, or was the boy obsessed and act on his own?Did the wife manipulate the teenage boy to kill her hubby, or did he do it of his own obsession? Spoiler: It was the woman.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonBriscoe and Curtis go to Los Angeles to question a personal trainer about a movie executive's murder. During the investigation, Curtis finds a potential romantic interest.Part 1 of the LA case.
- DirectorYangzom BrauenStarsAnthony AndersonJeffrey DonovanCamryn ManheimWhen the CFO of a Fortune 500 company is found strangled in her home, Bernard and Cosgrove work to connect multiple dead ends to find her killer. The prosecution is faced with an uphill battle as McCoy and Price butt heads over a choice that could cost them the case.The latter portion of the episode that asks legitimately whether this killer can be held fully responsible is a welcome complexity. However, it is inferior to the other episode of the same name.
- DirectorPeter LevinStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA man from an old-money New York family is accused of killing his wife over an affair. The man she was seeing is reluctant to testify, and the case rides on the positive identification of a family heirloom.Rich momma no likey son's wife.
- DirectorVern GillumStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA gay man with AIDS is accused of murdering another gay man. However, he claims that the victim also had AIDS, and that it was a mercy killing.Important ethical subject touched on against the concept of unregulated assisted suicide.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA teenage boy dies because of a faulty pacemaker, and detectives soon discover that he is not the only person to die from pacemakers manufactured by the same company.Malfunctioning pacemaker, who's to blame? Standard episode.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonWhile Stone prosecutes a judge in an attempted larceny case, Kincaid faces censure charges for not disclosing that she had an affair with the accused.Sometimes it's about the personal. Some of Kincaid's past comes out in this episode that's kind of (spoiler) like a reverse MeToo fraud storyline, where a man is making up a story about a woman in a he said/she said.
- DirectorMartin DavidsonStarsGeorge DzundzaChris NothDann FlorekA murder investigation leads detectives to a madam accused of running a prostitution ring disguised as a catering service.Madam gets destroyed, straight people deal with aids.
- DirectorFred GerberStarsPaul SorvinoChris NothDann FlorekA teenage drug addict claims that a nun molested her at a treatment house, but the investigation leads to an accusation of rape involving the chief executive of the facility.William H Macy again. SPOILER: Was almost the lesbian, but nah. Carla from Scrubs is the real victim.
- DirectorSteven RobmanStarsJerry OrbachChris NothDann FlorekA computer virus creates a malfunction at a Diabetes clinic which results in the deaths of two patients. Detectives tie the virus to a teenage hacker, whose father unsuccessfully accused the clinic of malpractice.The opening reminded me of the Cullen murders. Seeing the culprit realize his mistake was nice, but it's a middling episode
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA serial rapist recently granted parole against Jack's wishes is a suspect in a new rape and murder. Detectives can't get enough evidence to charge him, so Jack orders detectives to trail and harass him.Gets out of prison early, strikes again. Such is life.
- DirectorEdwin SherinStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA 19-year-old co-ed accuses a crude heavy metal artist of rape. However, Kincaid fails to reveal an important detail about the accuser to Stone before the trial, which puts the case and their working relationship in jeopardy.Perfectly serviceable rape episode, not terribly complex or twisty. Defense lawyers like this are my favorite when they play against expectation.