Law & Order LA “El Sereno” Recap & Review

All photos from NBCUniversal

A case of mass murder seems cut and dry, that is, until police bigotry becomes the key in the defense. And Lt. Arleen Gonzales (Rachel Ticotin) is the focus when a video surfaces of her appearing to be making highly charged bigoted comments. Rachel Ticotin was the the high point of this episode, as she struggles to keep a secret – she’s a lesbian. Thankfully, the episode did not give us that infamous “Is this because I’m a lesbian” line while telling the story.

The episode  had the feel of an original series Law & Order episode, with a little tension between the detectives when it came to Gonzales, and also with some legal maneuvering that was taking place while Dekker was prosecuting the case. To me, it seemed to be the first episode where everyone was comfortable enough in their roles that I saw their characters and not simply the actors playing the characters. I found myself wondering why they felt the need to skip over this episode – or any of the remaining episodes with Skeet Ulrich - to instead go on hiatus to regroup. In doing so, they lost any momentum they had for viewers to bond with the show. Airing the episodes in order, rather than holding these episodes to the end, may have also made Rex Winter’s death have more impact.

Here is the recap:
A couple overhears a shooting at a mortgage office while on the phone with Mr. Vela from that office. Afterwards, Detective Rex Winters (Skeet Ulrich) and “TJ” Jaruszalski (Corey Stoll) are called to the scene where 6 bodies lay dead. It appears the suspect came in shooting. It appears that someone came out for a cigarette break and the shooter followed the smoker back in.

The detectives speak with a woman whose apartment overlooks the mortgage company. She heard the shots and saw someone running. They speak with another woman who thinks it is “broke ass” Eddie Ramos who is now flashing a big roll. The detectives track down Eddie who is playing cards and they see blood on the money he is holding. He said he found the money and shows them the bag where he found it. TJ sees 6 wallets and 4 watches in the bag – and one watch on Eddie’s arm.

They detectives speak with Lt. Arleen Gonzales (Rachel Ticotin) and they think the stealing was a misdirect and decide to look at the 3 mortgage brokers who were not working that afternoon.

They speak with Filipe Pena (Marco Sanchez), Al Hayes (Charles Malik Whitfield), and Debbie Beltran (Toni Torres) and hear that an Asian man, Danny Choi, who was trying to borrow money for a strip mall, was angry with Mr. Vela. Vela had warned them to tell him if Choi showed up again.

At Shik Do Rak Restaurant, the detectives speak with Choi (Charles Kim) who said he was angry that Vela would not tell him his loan application was rejected. He heard from the bank that there was trouble with applications from Vela’s office and that they were supposedly filled with lies.

At the Southland Pacific Savings and Loan, the detectives speak with a man at the bank who says that 5 of the applications made it appear someone was trying to defraud them of 2 million dollars. He rejected the applications and sent them back to Vela. The detectives check out the mortgage office and can’t find the applications.

Back at RHD, the detectives confer with Gonzales. She doesn’t understand why, if the shooter wanted the applications, why he didn’t break in rather that shoot people. Rex goes over the whereabouts of the other employees not there that day: Al Hayes said he was at home, Debbie Beltran who was at a church picnic and then home, Filipe Pena said he was stuck in traffic. TJ says that freeway was clear, but the one near Debbie was not.

They speak again with Debbie and tell her they have cell phone records showing that Filipe called from her home. She said it was only one time they made a bad loan application. She did it to try to get a loan herself and Filipe showed her how to fudge the numbers. They then speak with Filipe and tell him they know he is helping Debbie pay her mortgage. He said he’s never had any loans rejected because he knows not to use Southland Pacific bank. He admits her was in Debbie’s bed at the time of the shooting.

Afterwards, they discuss what they have, and Gonzales says before they take it to the DA they have to prove that Filipe made the rejected loan requests. TJ wants to look at all the credit reports that the loan office pulled.

At the home of Sara Mitchell, they find that Al Hayes worked her loan and had to add some “seasoning” to make it look better. The bank turned her down and Hayes told her not to talk to Vela. Hayes got her mortgage insurance from his girlfriend.

The detectives speak with Al’s fiancée, Soledad Alvarado (Yara Martinez), who was at her office, and she said Al was the “odd man out” because he was black and he thought they were keeping the good leads from him. Rex notices a repairman working on her shredder as it jammed up a few days ago. She also tells them Al says he was going to be starting his own firm. Afterwards, Rex asks the repair man for the broken shredder mechanism.

Back at RHD, Rex says the shreds in the machine match the folder’s in Vela’s office. Gonzales tells Rex and DDA Lauren Stanton (Megan Boone) that Hayes may have suspected he was going to be fired or prosecuted for loan fraud. TJ tells them Hayes has no record but he was listed as a witness to a robbery at a bank two years ago and a detective who worked the case said Hayes was traumatized by the incident and had asked how he could get a gun for protection. Gonzales thinks this gives them probable cause for a search.

At the home of Al Hayes and Soledad Alvarado, the police search while Soledad tries to reach Al by phone. TJ finds 9mm rounds and half the box is empty. Soledad tells them that he was supposed to pick up his kids but he hung up on her before and now he is not answering.

They arrive at Al’s ex wife Vanessa’s home and find Al’s ex wife banging on the door, saying Al is inside with their kids. Rex asks her to call Al’s number and then go with the police. Rex grabs the phone and talks with Al, who is irate and holding a gun with his kids there. He tells Rex to call him Albert and Rex tries to talk him down and tries to get him to get the kids released. Al sends his kids outside. Al tells Rex he does not know what he is going through and asks why he shouldn’t end it on his own terms. Rex tries to tell him to think of his children. Al comes out and throws down the gun. TJ says the gun is a .22 – they have the right guy but the wrong gun.

Al is being arraigned and DDA Joe Dekker (Terrence Howard) wants Al held without bail. His defense attorney Mr. Spicer (Harry Groener) mentions Al’s children and the fact that the gun was not a 9mm but the judge agrees with Dekker. Outside the courtroom, Spicer argues to the press that they are placing the blame on the one black man in the office and calls it institutional racism and he will prove it. The press asks Dekker for a comment and he says the officers followed the evidence which is colorblind, and Hayes is a mass murderer who happens to be black.

DDA Ricardo Morales (Alfred Molina) tells Stanton, Rex, TJ, and Dekker that when a judge grants a Pitchess motion which allows the defense to examine police personnel files, the DA’s office takes it seriously. Dekker says they also don’t have a murder weapon, and says if Rex or TJ ever had a problem they need to know about it. Rex says everything in his file, and TK moves to walk out, saying that he has nothing to hide either. But Morales says anyone who worked on the street should not answer that too quickly, and Dekker tells TJ to go home and think about it – everybody’s got something. Rex curtly asks Dekker why they are not pulling his file.

When the detectives leave, Stanton seems sympathetic but Morales condescends to her, saying that she was in high school during the OJ trial and this could infect everybody. Dekker thinks if Spicer is using racism as a shield, they can use it as a sword.

At the home of Vanessa Hayes. Stanton speaks with Vanessa about Al and she tells him that something happened to Al after the bank robbery and everything started getting to him. He saw racism everywhere and got obsessed with protecting his family and that is when he bought the gun. She would not leave him alone with the kids anymore and she gave him the name of a therapist but he would not go. She later changed the locks and then filed divorce papers. She said right before the cops got there Al had mentioned he had been to Griffith Park the other day at the merry go round talking about the good times there with the kids.

At RHD, Stanton is talking to Rex and TJ as another employee brings up a video of Gonzales talking about an arrest, saying all she saw was a black face and that they arrested him and that she liked it and felt powerful and she was a big bad cop. Gonzales enters the room and they all turn and stare at her while she looks at the video, stunned then walks back into her office and shuts the door. RJ comments that Al Hayes found his racist cop.

In DA Jerry Hardin’s (Peter Coyote) office along with the chief of police, Dekker tells him the video appears heavily edited. They are concerned as the video will be on the news soon. Randy Hawthorn, the man who posted it, has been all over the police’s office. He has to put Gonzales on administrative leave. Hardin says his office will support him. As Dekker tries to argue with Hardin, Hardin tells him to get over it and focus on the case. Stanton enters and tells them Spicer just hit them with a motion to traverse, attacking the search warrant based on racial bias.

Later, Gonzales and her rep speak with Dekker and Stanton and she says the video is a hack job and she was talking about something she had regretted. It was in the speech that was cut out. She does not know who recorded the speech. She gets upset and she says the case is about the 6 people Hayes killed and asks how they could make this about her. When Dekker threatens with a subpoena,  her rep defends her and says on behalf of the union he will push back – hard. Dekker and Stanton say the claim is that Gonzales tampered with the shredder evidence. She says that is a fantasy. Dekker starts to explain the motion to traverse, and Gonzales barks back that she knows what it is, she has a law degree. She says Hayes’ attorney has to prove that the warrant applications were deliberately false and he can’t. Dekker counters that Spicer can use the video as proof and that without the rest of the speech, the case will be nowhere. Gonzales is irate and says she ran a clean investigation and when she says that if Dekker can’t make it stick, her rep stops her. She storms out, her rep in tow, as Morales walks in. Dekker thinks she is hiding something, and that they need to hear the rest of that speech.

In Superior Court, the recording is played and Spicer argues that for one hour the evidence was in Gonzales’ sole control and that she had also told the detectives to stop investigating two Hispanic clients to focus on Hayes. He says her bigotry is toxic. But Dekker says the video is a hack job. The judge says he is disturbed by what he heard and is granting Spicer’s motion and says the shreds are out and any evidence collected from the search warrant from Hayes’ home are also out.

Afterwards, when Stanton complains about the judge’s ruling, Dekker stops her and tells her they should regroup and focus. He brings up the 22 caliber pistol and that Hayes’ wife mentioned he was at Griffith Park the day before the shooting – by the merry-go-round.

Rex and TJ are at the park at the merry-go-round doing a search. TJ asks Rex about the video with Gonzales and is clearly angry about it. Rex says there is more to her than a 30 second video. The search team calls them over – one of them found a magazine for a 9mm glock and some bullets are left in it.

Later, Stanton, with Spicer and Dekker also there, tells the judge about the gun. Spicer says the statements were made under duress because of the warrant. Dekker says it was an independent source and they would have interviewed the ex wife as a result of the hostage taking anyway. The judge agrees with Dekker and Spicer says he still wants the video of Gonzales entered into evidence. The judge allows the video to stay in.

In Dekker’s office, Dekker is prepping Rex for testifying. Dekker doesn’t understand why Gonzales won’t talk and doesn’t know why she is stonewalling. When Dekker asks if Rex has talked to her, Rex says they are done and he moves to leave the office. But Dekker stops him and says they department will run her out and go after her pension. Rex steps back into the office and closes the door.

At the home of Arleen Gonzales, Dekker tells her that he needs to put her on the stand and explain the video. She says it is all over the papers and her son does not need to be bullied. Dekker thinks her son would be proud of her if she stood up for herself.

In court, Gonzales is on the stand as Dekker replays the video. She says he was addressing a group of police recruits in a private room in a restaurant. She admits those were some of her words. It was a pep talk and she tried to tell them that they had to understand the prejudices in themselves and they were gay and lesbian police recruits. Gonzales was addressing them as a lesbian police officer. Dekker says the video was edited and that Gonzales can give the full details and how he can corroborate it. She goes on to say she was taking about an incident that happened 3 months out of the academy when she racially profiled a black motorist. Later she read a story about a hate crime and the scared look on that person’s face looked just like the man’s face that she arrested. She also didn’t like herself after that. She apologized to the motorist and reported it to her commanding officer. She also shared with the group that even though the force recruits gays and lesbians, she still faced harassment herself. She says she tries not to discriminate now. She did not want to explain the video because she was concerned about the privacy of the recruits at the meeting – some are out and some are not. She is also worried about her son. She has friends that are gay couples whose kids get bullied at school and she just wants to protect him. She realized whether she testified or not, her son would hear them call her names, and she’d rather be called a dyke than a bigot.

Later, the verdict comes in, and Hayes is found guilty on all counts of murder.

In Hardin’s office, Dekker tells Hardin that the full unedited version of the video showed up on the net and it supports what Gonzales said. Morales asks the police chief why Gonzales has not been reinstated. The police chief tells Hardin to explain the facts of life to them, and adds he has no problem with her but he is getting pushback from others in the department, saying she is damaged goods. Hardin says he has a statement that he is going to read that Gonzales is as a fine and dedicated professional that he has ever encountered in his career in law enforcement and he is looking forward to working with her in the future. Dekker and Morales smile. Hardin says he was hoping the chief would be there when he reads it, adding that now that don’t ask don’t tell has been repealed, it’s the least they can do. The chief laughs and says he guesses he has to be there, then. He leaves to call his press office to alert them. Dekker says that is old school Jerry Hardin, and Hardin says he has to show some backbone sometimes.

At RHD, Rex is watching a news story of Hayes testifying at his sentencing, and sees Gonzales return to her office. He welcomes her back. She asked if she missed anything and he says they fixed the coffee machine. She says life is good and smiles at him. He tells her it is good to have her back in the saddle and he walks out. She calls him back in and she asks if it was him that told Dekker. He doesn’t answer and she says it is OK, she is good with it. He walks back out and as Gonzales gets back to work we fade to black.

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Law & Order CI “Icarus” Recap & Review

All photos by NBCUniversal

It begged to be done – it HAD to be done – a ripped from the headlines episode which paralleled the news stories of Broadway's disaster-ridden production of “Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark.”  And it could only be done against the backdrop of New York City.  Using the metaphor of Icarus flying too close to the sun and ultimately to his death, along with repeated references to hubris, casual viewers may think that the episode was simply trying to make a statement about the reasons behind the real life disaster of “Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

I think it’s deeper than that. Maybe it’s Goren himself who is the Icarus character. Possibly his own hubris is what is preventing him from seeing the truth about himself. He may be a genius at solving crimes, but his overconfidence in this ability may be clouding his judgment on solving why he is filled with anger, or why he thinks he doesn’t need the help of the shrink. In a way, Goren is in a labyrinth of his own making, and one that is more like a puzzle or maze than one with an easy exit. We can only hope he will make it through his pilgrimage of discovery, and get out of his maze before the final episode of the series.

Here is the recap:

Marc Landry (Billy Magnussen) arrives late to prepare for the opening of “Icarus” to find his understudy, Bryce Calder, in costume and the director. Amanda Rollins (Cynthia Nixon) gushing over Bryce. They make the quick change over to get Bryce out and Marc in the rigging. Amanda seems worried about Marc’s performance but he blows her off. Roger Porter (Michael Panes),  the dramaturge, offers Amanda a salad but she wants a drink. Afterwards, Amanda gets on the phone with producer Evan Korman (Christopher McDonald) and complains about Marc’s performance. He complains back that she ripped out 200 seats to build a labyrinth and it’s cost him money in ticket sales.

Adam Winter (Eion Bailey) brings in a bouquet of flowers that someone sent to Marc, which include peacock feathers. Adam says Amanda complained about the Minotaur number, and they sing it together.

As the play goes on, Amanda and Adam talk about the performance, and Amanda is being overly critical. Marc, as Icarus, is in his rigging and approaching the prop of the sun, and the rigging breaks and he falls to his death,

Detectives Bobby Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Alex Eames  (Kathryn Erbe) are called to the scene to investigate. Goren makes an adjustment in the labyrinth as he walks through it. They were called in as the rigging was sabotaged. They speak with the stage manager, and she tells them the aerial rigger, Donald Cogan, was responsible for the rigging and he checked it. The cut in the rope may have been subtle enough so as not to be obvious. Marc wanted the final check.

The detectives speak with Donald who denies that he or his team did anything wrong. He says Amanda is a perfectionist and safety is a priority. Eames mentions all the accidents that have plagued the production. He says there were kinks. Goren sees a photo of Donald with his sons and they find out Donald is divorced.

Roger Porter, the dramaturge – the director’s assistant - enters and tells the detectives that he helps Amanda shape the vision. He adds that Amanda says she will cooperate fully and he also offers his help. Goren asks where the last place Marc would have been before his performance. Roger shows him the dressing room and he says Amanda is a genius. Goren notices the flower arrangements with the peacock feathers and mentions that the peacock feathers are bad luck in the theatre, and he wonders if someone was trying to jinx Marc. Roger has no idea who sent it.

The detectives speak with Amanda who says the incident was like a terrible dream. She says they are like family as they have been working on this for two years. Goren notices that Greek mythology is a recurring theme in her work and she comments she is drawn to the classic stories and how human nature endures. He mentions the labyrinth as how Daedalus built the labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur. He complements her presentation of it on stage, and she says it represents a pilgrimage to discovery and a journey for the truth. Eames says this is their job in a nutshell.

Back at Major Case, Eames speaks with Captain Hannah (Jay O. Sanders) about the show, and he says ticket sales have doubled. They are now looking at financials and anyone with a sheet. He tells them to re-interview everyone. Eames is reading Marc’s tweets and he seemed to be very upset about the other accidents, particularly one with a cast member named Gwendolyn.

Back at the theatre, Amanda is upset over the lights in the sun and barks orders to Roger. Evan and Adam approach and Roger says he wanted to make sure they had clearance from OSHA. Evan wants them to focus on the memorial but she wants to focus on her work.

At the Erlanger Theatre Aerial Riggers Workshop, the detectives speak again with Donald and after the press him on the previous accidents and issues with his divorce and child custody, he admits that he was paid $50,000 by Evan Korman for the previous accident as he wanted a spectacular screw up. He never asked him to sabotage Marc's rig but he knew when Marc fell that Evan would cash in.

Later, in Evan’s office with his attorney, th detectives confront Evan and he calls the accusations insane. They tell him about Donald’s affidavit with the previous accident with Gwendolyn. He continues to deny any involvement. Goren continues to press saying that the accidents boost ticket sales. He says all he has is his reputation but there is not enough money in the world to shame the Korman name.

Back at Major Case, the detectives speak with Hannah who thinks the producer killing off a cast member is a little melodramatic. Goren says the DA’s office is looking into the place’s insurance agreements. Korman was in his office from 6 to 9:45 that night. They have nothing to tie Cogan to Korman. They get word that the bouquet with peacock feathers was ordered by Bryce Calder – the understudy.

The detectives speak with Bryce who said he sent the peacock feathers as a joke but said Marc probably didn’t get it because he is a moron. Goren thinks Bryce resented that Marc got the role over him. Bryce says they wanted a name. He tells them that Marc was late and when Marc showed up, he left and went to Sardi’s.

Goren and Eames speak with a server at Sardi’s who said Bryce was there that night and many from the audience came in after the show and were freaking out about what happened. Marc was bitching that he was supposed to go on that night and a critic was showing up, and that could have been Bryce in that rigging. Michael DeWitt from the Times was in Sardi’s 3 nights ago cozying up with Amanda and a waitress overhead Amanda say that a big cast change was in the works.

Goren and Eames speak with DeWitt. He tells them - off the record - Marc Landry was dreadful and getting killed was the best thing that happened to his Broadway career. He adds out of respect, he is not going to review that performance. Amanda said the show was ready and she would get a better review if Bryce was in the lead. He assumed that night Amanda was overruled on the cast change. He mentions that Adam Winter was also insecure about his transition to Broadway and he doubts Amanda could make the change without Adam on board.

The detectives speak with Adam who admits he wondered why DeWitt was in the audience. He says Amanda sees what she wants. She also wanted to replace Marc but Evan would never had let that happen. Amanda also had problems with the sound. Adam lights up a special cigarette and Goren grabs it and sniffs it, saying it is pleasant. It is clove. Adam says Amanda is on a downward spiral, she has no husband, kids, or life outside work and that night, he smelled alcohol on her breath, even though she has been in AA for 20 years. He says she is giving the eulogy for Marc this afternoon and they should watch out. After Adam leaves, Goren speculates that Amanda must have thought she would get Bryce on the stage that night and instead Marc shows up. Eames wonders if Amanda cut the rigging. Goren thinks Amanda has a lot riding on “Icarus” and Eames suggest they visit the memorial to see how heartbroken Amanda really is.

At the memorial in Times Square, Bryce and another cast member sing the song about “hubris” while Amanda mouths along. When Amanda gets up to speak, she appears drunk and emotional. Evan cuts her off and Amanda fights back, saying she was not finished. Eames says they should have sold tickets to this.

With Amanda in interrogation in Major Case, drunk,  the detectives press her about Bryce. She says she doesn’t understand, and mentions the labyrinth and that someone must have given him a “clue.” She tells her attorney she has nothing to hide. Goren accuses her of staging the accident to avoid DeWitt’s review but she denies it, saying the actors are like her children. She admit that Marc didn’t listen to her as he did not trust her. The attorney stops the interview.

When Goren and Eames leave the room, Roger is there and says he is going to take Amanda home. Goren asks what put her over the edge, and he says it was the egomaniacs in the business. Goren tells him he is a very loyal assistant and Roger corrects him, saying he is the dramaturge. Roger says Marc was screwing someone and he kept it on the QT. The production was putting him up at the 4 Seasons and a month into rehearsal, Marc requested another apartment at the Premiere Club for his mother but she never showed up. Amanda comes out of the room and orders Roger to come on. As Amanda and Roger walk off, Eames asks about the comment about Marc getting a clue and Goren says he has a thought but wants to test the theory first with an old friend who teaches mythology at Columbia.

Goren speaks with Cleo Andrews (Patti Smith) who says Icarus is her favorite metaphor for failed ambition - hubris. She mentions a “clew” which is a ball of thread or yarn and Goren says it was a ball of yarn that Daedalus gave to Theseus to help him escape from the labyrinth which angered King Minos who then imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in the same labyrinth. She asks if he is sure she needs his help, and he says he needs her help on the labyrinth he saw in Amanda’s office. It goes in a circle with one path, not difficult to navigate. Cleo adds some versions it is more of a maze or puzzle, with choices of direction. Goren said the killer thought they had no choice. Cleo says she knows whoever it is, he will find them.

At Dr. Paula Gyson’s (Julia Ormond) office, Goren is there for his session. He is talking about a dream where he thought he was in England and there were men on a bridge with him and they were wearing military uniforms and they were walking the other way. He is hoping she can tell him what it means. He tells her the water the bridge was crossing was turbulent. He thinks she will tell him it means he is at a difficult crossing and that the guys in uniform are NYPD. She says she is struck by the fact he wanted to discuss the dream today and that he wants her to know her opinion matters and she asks now who is asking questions he knows the answer to – instead of discussing what happened at the end of the last session. As he stares at her, she reminds him a week ago he walked out of the session, furious, and today she is not sure what is on his mind or why he came back. He says it is on his mind, and he apologized for losing his temper. She thanks him, and says it is fine to apologize but they should try to reconstruct what happened. He said he overreacted, and she says the something powerful came up, something important, and asks why he turned so quickly. He said they got their wires crossed. She asks if that has happened to him before, and he seems annoyed that she’s implying this never happened to her. She says he became enraged because he thought she suggested he was hitting on her. Goren says he does not know what her angle is with her, is she trying to get him to fail or to fall for her. He doesn’t know if she is trying to get her to behave crazy so she can call the NYPD. She says he does not know the rules of engagement and says they should talk about that. He says he feels anger. She replies that last week he was flooded with it, fight or flight. She asks what is underneath the anger – and he says, “More anger.” She says underneath that is fear, fear that she will betray him and humiliate him and she must be up to something more than to get him to know his own mind and that’s why he runs. She says deep down if they do this work, he is justifiable terrified of what they might discover.

Elsewhere, Amanda speaks with Evan and tells them the police think she killed Marc. He does not think she did it. She needs to know when the performance will be back up. He says they might not be, Roger comes in and apologizes, saying he gave her an Ambien and thought she would be asleep. She is upset that Evan called Roger. She walks off.

Goren and Eames are at the Premiere Club checking on Marc’s apartment. He was not there often. Goren detects a smell and Eames sees a few matchbooks. Goren finds cigarette butts from Adam Winter’s clove cigarettes,

With Adam Winter and his attorney in Major Case interrogation with Goren and Eames, the detectives question him about a possible intimate relationship with Marc. Adam denies it but Eames says they have security footage of him in the elevator kissing Marc. Goren sarcastically suggests Adam cold have been giving Marc mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Adam admits he was up to Marc's apartment to work on his performance. He said he was the peacemaker between Marc and Amanda. He says actors are people pleasers. Adam did see Marc the night he died and they shared the limo to the theatre and it must have been a new driver as he drove around the same block three times. Goren hones in on the three times and Adam says he had to yell at the guy to get him back on 10th Avenue.

The detectives speak with the driver who said the actor distracted him. He then admits that Amanda convinced him to drive Marc around in return for tickets, but then she called him and told him to get Marc to the theatre right away.

Goren and Eames go to Amanda’s and she is enraged because Evan is closing the show. She tells them they should leave. They tell her they know she told the driver to make Marc late. She says she’s thrown herself into her work to the exclusion of all else. The day before Marc died, she had it. He would not take direction and she stormed out of the theatre and drank her lunch. Roger had to pick her up. Goren mentions she changed her mind, and tell her that her assistant called to tell the limo driver to be on time. She says she did not tell him to. She tells them she needs a drink – a diet soda - and she storms off. Eames wonders if Amanda is lying or if her assistant – the dramaturge – Roger made the call, and wonders why. Goren wonders if he wanted to fix it for Amanda or for someone else in the production that had the most to lose.

Back at Major Case, Goren and Eames speak with Hannah to suggest Marc was killed to kill the show. They got the DA’s report back on the insurance and found there was a force majeure clause specifically linked to Marc Landry. In an injury or death to the lead actor, there is a full payout to all the investors, and no one would lose a dime. Two days before Marc was killed Evan was on a half hour conference call with insurance agents going over all the details. Goren said it was the only way to stop the bleeding and he had someone on the inside to do the job. When Hannah asks how they can prove it. Eames says with the help of a lot of egomaniacs with inferiority complexes.

Later, Goren suggests to Evan that Roger looks up to him and they thought if they put them in a room together that Evan can get Roger to confess. Eames enters with Roger, who says that the police said they have new evidence about Marc’s death. Goren looks at Evan and confirms that they do. Goren tells Roger they found his fingerprints on the rig. Evan says he told the police there must be a good explanation and asks if there is anything Roger wants to tell them. Roger says he may have touched the rigging at the stunt rehearsal. Eames tells him Roger did call Evan’s office several times and when Evan says he is sure Roger only meant to heart Marc, not kill him, Roger gets upset and says that is not true. Goren says they think Marc’s fall was only to injure him and sideline the production, and asks Evan if those were the instructions he have Roger, and mentions the clause in the insurance policy. Eames mentions the rider which allows the investors to recoup all their money. Goren presses Evan on the production being a disaster, a money suck catastrophe, and a career ender. Goren then brings up Evan's father and what an embarrassment that would be. Even says all production have problems, but Eames counters those are is not front page news, and that he is the laughingstock of Broadway. Evan  blows it off and they turns to Roger for an explanation, and when Roger says he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to tell, Goren says Evan wants him to back his play because Evan is his boss. But Evan corrects him, saying Roger works for Amanda. Goren says that is a lie, that Roger was hired by Amanda.

Amanda appears and says that is not true. Eames tells them they doubled back with Amanda after hearing about the force majeure clause and that Evan insisted she hire Roger. Evan tells her to go to a meeting and dry out. She says she is sober. She says her choice for dramaturge was expensive and if she wanted to take out the theatre seats for the labyrinth she would have to make sacrifices so she agreed to hire Roger. Even admits that he referred Roger but if Roger killed Evan that had nothing to do with him. Goren turns to Roger and says they though he may have killed to support Amanda’s vision but now they know he did it for Evan. They googled him and show he has 6 shows credited with Evan as producer. Goren also taunts Roger that he is a Yale graduate – a dramaturge. Gore brings up the profit angle but says Roger is an artist who lives in a world of make believe, but this is real, this time someone is dead and Roger’s fear of failure got them there. Evan begins to clap for Goren’s performance, but Goren goes on to say that Evan killed to save his reputation and Roger killed because he wanted to be a producer and share a marquee with Evan. But Even scoffs at that, saying that Roger is no producer as he has no balls. Roger glares at him and then says it was Evan’s idea to stage the accident and it would be best if it just end and the investors get their money. Roger says there is no proof and says he is calling his attorney. But Roger tells him he recorded all their conversations and he has all the instructions. He wanted to make sure he got it right and yells he wanted to do a good job for him. Evan calls him a little prick and makes a move to Roger but Goren holds him off. Evan calls him a lying cheating criminal. Roger says he learned from the best. Goren asks what made the two of them think they could get away with murder, and he cuffs Evan as Eames cuffs Roger. Amanda looks on and answers Goren, saying, “Hubris.” Goren tells Evan, “Show's over “ and as Roger and Evan are taken away, we focus on the image of Icarus as we fade to black.

All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order CI “To The Boy in the Blue Knit Cap” Episode Information & Promo

Here are the details for the series finale (pause for weeping) of Law & Order Criminal Intent, “To The Boy in the Blue Knit Cap” starring Vincent D’Onofrio , Kathryn Erbe, and guest star James Van Der Beek.

Law & Order Criminal Intent “To The Boy in the Blue Knit Cap” Air Date June 26, 2011 (9 PM ET/8C Sunday USA Network)

In the series finale of Criminal Intent: Goren and Eames investigate the murders of two staffers at a Web company involved in a heated lawsuit. Their investigation leads to a site that connects strangers who've had brief romantic encounters.

My recap and review of Law & Order Criminal Intent "To The Boy in the Blue Knit Cap" can be found at this link.




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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order Criminal Intent “Icarus” Preview Clips

Here are 3 preview clips from Law & Order Criminal Intent, “Icarus” with Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe,  Jay O. Sanders, and guest star Cynthia Nixon.

My recap and review of Law & Order Criminal Intent "Icarus" can be found at this link.








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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order UK Cast & “The Wrong Man” Episode Photos

Here are new photos of the series 5 Law & Order UK cast, which feature Bradley Walsh (as DS Ronnie Brooks), Freema Agyeman (as Alesha Phillips), Dominic Rowan (as Senior Prosecutor Jacob Thorne), and Peter Davison (as CPS Director Henry Sharpe).

Also included are a few advance photos from “The Wrong Man” which also include Jamie Bamber (as DS Matt Devlin).


My recap and review of Law & Order UK "The Wrong Man" can be found at this link.

Cast photos

"The Wrong Man" Episode Photos

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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Vincent D’Onofrio Talks Law & Order CI “Icarus”

Here’s an interview with Vincent D’Onofrio talking about Sunday’s new episode of Law & Order Criminal Intent, “Icarus” which airs on USA Network.




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Law & Order Criminal Intent “Cadaver” Recap & Review

All photos from NBCUniversal

I hate to keep repeating myself, but this season of Law & Order Criminal Intent has been the best in several years and I am really sorry to see the series end. “Cadaver” was an excellent episode that had me guessing as to who had the motive to kill;  it seemed everyone connected to Ben Langston certainly had one. This was one of those cases where there wasn’t a lot of hard evidence to play with. There was no obvious crime scene and certainly no body – at least not the one they needed – to give them any clues about the killer. It was solid detective work, plain and simple, that brought Goren and Eames to the person who felt that they had the most to lose.

The last segment with Goren in his therapy session was excellent, with Goren finally getting fed up with his sessions and even more so with his therapist, who he thinks is toying with him. While Goren reaching this point wasn’t really too much of a surprise, I was impressed with the way that Vincent D’Onofrio handled the scene where Goren quickly goes from calm and collected to literally getting in the doctor’s face. Goren likes to solve a mystery by challenging others for the truth and I can understand why he wouldn’t take kindly to someone who seems to be evasive when he wants a direct answer. The door slamming at the end and the abrupt black screen said it all – Goren’s mind may now be closed for business as far as these therapy sessions. We can only wait and see in the final episodes if there is any hope of opening him back up again.

Here is the recap:
Ben Langston (Steven Weber), philanthropist and head of Langston pharmaceuticals,  watches as a robotic surgical procedure takes place on a cadaver. As he tests the controls, Theo Kendall (Clayton Apgar) asks him if he read a proposal that he made on spinal cord regeneration. Later, Theo speaks with 2 of his colleagues, Maya Zhuang (Camille Chen) and Sam Harris (Charlie Barnett), about who will win Langston’s grant that night. Maya says she is going to the event with her mother. Later at home, Langston speaks with his wife Lauren (Jenna Stern) about the new equipment. She says she isn’t going to the event as she feels a migraine coming on. His daughter Stella comes in with a drawing for him.

At the Bedford Institute at the dedication of the DaVinci surgical training suite, Langston announces that the winner of the Langston research grant is Maya Zhuang. Later, Maya’s mother Joanne Zhuang (Rosalind Chao) tells Maya to thank Langston again, and they overhear Dr. Harris arguing with Langston. Later, when Langston’s wife comes home she finds that Langston is not there.

The next morning, a jogger find a body in the park – a body with no hair and huge surgical incision on his head.

Detectives Bobby Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Alex Eames (Kathryn Erbe) are at the home of Lauren Langston who has reported her husband missing for the weekend. His car is also missing. She tells them Ben dreamed of being a doctor.

Back at Major Case, Eames and Goren speak with Captain Hannah (Jay O. Sanders) about Langston’s disappearance. It does not appear to be a kidnapping. Langston’s Bentley was found in a parking structure at Pier 92 – a cruise ship terminal.

Goren and Eames head to the location to check out the car. Langston’s name was not on any of the lists for the cruise ships that left that weekend. The car entered the area at 2:40 AM Saturday but the driver was obscured.. Goren notices that the driver’s seat is set for a much shorter person than Langston. They open the trunk and Eames notices the smell of formaldehyde. Goren thinks there was a body in the trunk that was already embalmed. Goren recalls a John Doe that appeared in Riverside park with unusual cuts like a dissection.

Back at the lab, Theo speaks with Maya about Langston and tells her she should get out of the lab more. She says she would rather hang out with the rats. Harris also speaks with her about the other night and said what they said was between them. She tells him she has a lot of work to do.

At the morgue, ME Rodgers (Leslie Hendrix) tells the detectives that the body has already been dissected and has been dead for over a year. Eames thinks the Bedford Institute must use cadavers for their medical school. The body was propped up in the park wearing a suit. Goren notices that the clothes seem to resemble what Langston was last seen in.

At the institute, Goren and Eames speak with a man who work there who identified the body as “Popeye”, real name Joe Slobotnik a man who was in the navy and died of meningitis and his body was donated by the family. The guy thinks it may have been a prank. Slobotnik’s body was scheduled to be cremated that day and the coffin was picked up at 6 that morning.

At the funeral home, there is a service going on for Slobotnik. Goren and Eames tell the funeral director (Geoffrey Cantor ) the body that was cremated may not have been Slobotnik and ask for the remains.

Back at Major Case, Eames tells Hannah that there was a titanium pin in the remains that belongs to Langston. They think the killer dressed the cadaver in Langston’s clothes to buy time so Langston’s body can be cremated. Hannah wonders if one of the losers of the grant took offense.

The detectives, at the Bedford Institute Research Lab, speak with Dr. Harris who says he met Maya after the event. The detectives later speak with Maya about her meeting with Harris and she says she was him from about midnight until past one for a few drinks. Maya’s mother approaches and mentions an incident last year where one of the researchers, Theo Kendall, made a joke at the benefit last year and was reprimanded by Dean Johnson.

The detectives speak with Theo Kendall and the detectives bring up a harassment complaint Maya made against him. They also discuss a prank he played where he dressed up a cadaver as Lauren Langston and still has the photo on his Facebook page and this was the photo he slipped into a fundraising reel. He blows it off as a joke. Goren brings up that Kendall was passed over twice for the grant, and that Kendall has problems with authority, Goren notices a nice antique microscope and mentions that Langston collected them.

Back at the Langston home, the detectives ask Lauren about the antique microscope who says it may have been a gift from her husband. She thought the prank was funny. She does not think Theo Kendall killed Ben as he doesn’t seem the type. Eames asks to use her bathroom and uses that as excuse to talk to Stella. She asks about Stella calling her father that Friday night, and Stella said she saw her parent’s bed empty and when her mom came home, she knew her mom had a play date because she seemed fuzzy. She was always talking to Theo on the phone.

In the Major Case interrogation room, Theo is being questioned by Eames with his lawyer present who admits Theo was with Lauren. He says sex is fun but not killing someone. Meanwhile, Goren questions Lauren who says Theo did not do it, he was with her at a hotel. Her attorney says he can provide evidence. She says she is guilty of infidelity but not murder. Goren cynically says it’s another marriage built on true love, and adds they get a lot of that around here. Goren presses her on the relationship, and Lauren says Theo made her laugh. Eames continues to press Theo who says he last saw Ben with Sam Harris.

Goren and Eames speak with Harris who admits he argued with Langston but says he did not kill him. Later, Eames mentions to Goren that Harris and Langston have some history, Harris was arrested for trespassing at Langston Pharmaceuticals 6 years ago. It was a protest against animal testing. A woman, Clair Morton, was arrested with him. The charges were dropped.

They speak with Clair who said Sam was against animal testing and that they picketed the entrance. Langston never showed up and Harris would not leave, saying Langston could not treat them like that. She comments that Harris’ mother, who had died, used to work with Langston.

Back at Major Case, they find that Sam’s mother, Regina Harris, worked at a lab at the same time as Langston and they both left about the same time. Sam Harris was born 9 months later. They speak again with Sam and says that Langston was only a “sperm donor” and he mother was abandoned by Langston and that  Langston denied them both. Sam says he is better than him and moves to leave but Goren tells him to sit down. Sam says he didn’t want his precious grant and that Langston was spewing lies. They tell him that his mother never made requests for child support, but Sam says Langston was a monster who used him and ran off and married someone else, and he hates Langston. Goren asks Sam why his mother never tried to get anything from Langston but she poisoned Sam against Ben.

Afterwards, the detectives discuss this with Cpt. Hannah who tells them to talk to Lauren Langston to see if she can shed some light. She is surprised at the revelation that Ben had a son. She does not think Ben knew. She adds Ben would have done anything for a boy, they tried. She thinks if Ben knew he had a son that was a doctor he would have given him grant money.

In interrogation, they question Harris again who insists his mother begged Langston to help them. He says his mother was not happy when he applied to Bedford. Goren thinks his mother was afraid Langston would take him away. Harris admits he told Langston that night he was his son, and Langston tried to hug him and would find all his research as a top priority, Harris called him a son of a bitch and left but did not kill him, and he tells them to ask Maya if they don’t believe him – he told Maya, just Maya - when he met her at the bar. She seemed to become affectionate to him but he thinks he misread the signals as a few days later they were back to being just friends.

Later, Goren and Eames wonder why Sam would confess to Maya that Langston was his father if he had killed him. Maybe he thought Maya was his alibi – but Goren recalls that Maya called him.

The detectives speak with Maya’s mother at her home, and Maya comes out of her room. She said she called Sam because things had been tense. She says was shocked when Sam told her Sam was Langston’s son. She went to a few more bars after leaving Sam and went to a few more bars to celebrate, and she shows them some photos she took. Goren also sees a photo of Maya’s sister and she says her mother took the photos down after her sister moved out.

Afterwards, Eames comments that Maya’s bedroom was a shrine to achievement, and Goren adds that Maya grew up in a house where failure was not an option. Goren wonders if Maya was afraid that Langston was going to change his mind.

The detectives speak with Maya’s sister who works at a bar. She says there is no way Maya did anything wrong and that Maya never flinched and never cried. They had a strict upbringing. Maya was living her mother’s life and was the classic good girl. She wanted to be an artist.

Back at the lab, Goren speaks with Maya about her medical research and the need to relax and have fun. He questions her going to 4 bars in one night and thinks the photos are phony and she overcompensated. The call to Sam was just an alibi. He says she knew Langston was Sam’s father before Sam told her because she overheard them arguing. Maya’s mother enters with Eames and tells Maya to stop talking and says they are leaving. Eames tells them they spoke with Maya’s sister and how her mother was and that her standards were unachievable. Goren says Maya is not a killer, she took the oath to do no harm, but her mother did not. Eames accuses Maya’s mother of killing Langston and then Maya switched the body with the cadaver to fix it. Goren also says Maya’s mother also overheard about Sam being Langston’s son, and that she heard Sam would get research money and she panicked that Langston would favor him. Maya blurts out that she killed him but Goren knows that is not true. Her mother admits that she did it and that Maya had no idea. She hit Langston with a centrifuge but that Maya would get rid of the body and switch it. Eames goes on about how Maya handled the cover up, and Maya says they can’t prove any of that. But Goren says she made a mistake by dressing the cadaver in Langston’s clothes. Goren thinks Maya wanted to be caught, because she is a doctor and she saves lives. Her mother says she will sign a full confession but Eames is not willing to let Maya off the hook. Her mother again says she will sign a full confession and will not contest the sentence. When she moves to hug Maya, Goren stops her. She adds her daughter is not going to prison because she is going to cure cancer. Goren cuffs her.

In Dr. Gyson’s (Julia Ormond) office for his therapy session, Goren talks about it being a beautiful day and asks to take the session outside She thinks there is more privacy in there and asks if this is why he wants to go out. He asks her if she always does that, to think that everything is about something else. She was just thinking about the lest session. He brings up that she had asked him if he ever felt lonely or if he had feelings for someone – she adds romantic feelings – and he goes on to say for someone he respects. He said she did not answer his question if it was too late. She asks if he is worried that he missed the boat. He says they don’t have a lot of sessions left and he is a big boy and a grown man. He said she told him his emotional drawbridge is up and he can take it. He asks her to tell him if she thinks he can have what other people have – a home and a relationship. She replies that if he wants to work towards those goals then yes. He asks what that means - no? or is it shrink speak? She asks where this is coming from, and he says he looks in the mirror every day and he sees what she sees. He says this is not working, he asks for her professional judgment and she turns it back on him. He says she is smart and she is someone he respects. She says he wants to know if she sees him as someone being capable of being in a relationship. He seems annoyed and asks if she thinks he is hitting on her. She says no, but he gets up and says he knows what she does, she seems open and empathic and she is beautiful so she gets her patients to trust her and then she pulls back and she toys with them.That is her game, and he gets very upset and says this is not working for him. She says she knows she has inadvertently told him…but he cuts her off and says she should call his captain or One PP or whoever that she reports back to and tell them he is not a good candidate for therapy, getting in her face as he says it. She says he needs to help her understand what she did wrong. As he opens the office door, he says if they want to take his badge away again they can. She says right when he feels the need to run...and he cuts her off to say this isn’t working, it’s not helping, and he slams the door behind him - we abruptly go to black.


All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order Criminal Intent “Icarus” Episode Information & Promo

Here is the promo and episode information for Law & Order Criminal Intent “Icarus” which will air on June 19, 2011 at 9 PM ET/8C on USA Network. The episode stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and features guest stars Cynthia Nixon and Julia Ormond.

Law & Order Criminal Intent  “Icarus” Air Date June 19,  2011 (9 PM ET/8C Sunday USA Network)

A sitcom star turned Broadway actor is killed performing a stunt in a controversial and highly technical Broadway musical, and the real drama is trying to figure out who wanted the leading man dead. 

My recap and review of Law & Order Criminal Intent "Icarus" can be found at this link.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.