The Ledger

10.24 Vaya Con Dios: McCoy at the Supreme Court, Adam Schiff's Last Episode

This improbable, but fantastic season finale (10.24) keeps getting better as it goes on. Green and Briscoe investigate the death of an elderly man who was found in an apartment building he had no apparent connection to. It turns out the the man was investigating the murder of his son, who was in Chile during the Pinochet revolution. As Briscoe and Green gather more details, they learn that the man's killer has a connection the the killer of the man's son. This connection leads them to a Chilean general who commanded death squads during the time of the revolution and who happens to be in NYC for medical treatment. McCoy decides to pursue murder charges against the general, even though he would appear to have no jurisdiction. But since the case has one or two tenuous connections to the city, a judge allows it to proceed. After the case is decided, something unprecedented happens: the general files a writ of habeus corpus with the United States Supreme Court and Schiff says, "Let's go to Washington." And so we're treated to McCoy arguing the case for his jurisdiction to the Supreme Court.

The production of the court scene is perfect, and it combines with the camera work to create a suitably dramatic effect, the perfect backdrop for McCoy's impassioned, if legally shaky, argument. The Chilean general's counsel (well-played by Joe Morton, a familiar face from a million movies and shows) also makes a strong argument for his side, and the Court must make a decision which could have a profound impact on US foreign policy.

The episode is a fitting coda for Adam Schiff, who gets a final chance to show everyone how courageous and dignified he is. He backs his boy McCoy to the end, and it is further testament to the strength of their relationship. As I've said before, Schiff's approach to McCoy tends to be characterized by Schiff's belief that McCoy will go off on his missions and follow his own sense of right and wrong, and can't really be stopped, so he may as well be encouraged. Still, it takes a certain bit of courage to support his Excecutive ADA so wholeheartedly, and this is evidenced in one scene when Schiff basically tells a representative from the Justice Dept. (who wants the case dropped) to go to hell. Schiff also has a great scene with a judge who doesn't want to take the case. He gives him the courage he needs to go forward.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out the fine, natural performance by the mother/wife of the victims, played by Rebecca Schull. She is a woman still grieving the long-ago death of her son, and now must also grieve for her estranged husband, who died in pursuit of the truth. Her halting testimony is moving and true to life, helping you to suspend your impending disbelief of the elaborate storyline.

I won't spoil the ending here, but suffice it to say there has been some serious debate about it. Rene Balcer, who wrote this episode and was Law & Order's show runner for many years, helped to settle this debate in a posting to Usenet back in 2001. Thanks to the magic of Google, you can read it here.

Here are some screenshots from the episode.

Posted by adm at January 3, 2004 05:20 AM

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