December 26, 2003
7.18 Mad Dog
In this episode (7.18), a serial rapist is freed on parole and McCoy suspects he commits a rape/murder soon thereafter. McCoy uses all of his prosecutorial authority -- including all the provisions of Megan's Law -- to pressure the rapist to confess and to find some evidence that he actually committed the crime. Schiff finally tells McCoy to give up, but just as he does, he is called to a crime scene that brings the story to a close.
The rapist is played by Burt Young, who played Rocky's coach in the Rocky movies. His performance is subtle: he is a convicted rapist, and yet his daughter loves him and describes him as a "gentle man."
The episode raises some interesting ethical issues: the police can find only the slightest bit of circumstantial evidence to link Young to the crime, but McCoy pursues him to the point that it almost seems to be an obsession. As a viewer, you begin to wonder whether Young is actually innocent of the crime. Even the conclusion of the episode, which at first glance indicates guilt, may be viewed instead as a response to the pressure Young was under from McCoy.
The psychological pressure on Young is so great, in fact, it began to affect me. I felt very tense and closed in for 2/3 of the episode, in a way similar to how you feel while watching a psychological thriller like Vertigo. Although the effect in me was not as pronounced as when I watch that film, it was definitely in the same ballpark. Amazing that this can be pulled off in a single episode of a weekly series.
The name of the episode ("Mad Dog") implies a creature without its faculties, one which will hurt anyone without giving it a second thought, and so must be put down. But more specifically, it recalls a chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird in which Atticus Finch (a lawyer, by the way) shoots a mad dog because he is aware of the harm it will inflict on the community, even though it has so far committed no injury. This is analagous to the episode, since although Young has served his time for previous crimes, McCoy argues that he must be stopped before he can commit another one.
This episode can be found on the Law & Order: Crime Scenes anthology DVD that is available at Barnes & Noble.
Posted by adm at December 26, 2003 04:26 PM