Law & Order

1990 • NBC

4.7

1.27K reviews

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Season 16 episodes (22)

1 Red Ball

9/21/05

It's a race against time for Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) to find 5 year-old Jenny who was in the backseat of her mom's car when it was carjacked. Using a picture from a surveillance camera at a local bodega, Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) sends the photo out to see if anyone recognizes the perp. A local patrolman recognizes Dwight Jacobs (James LeGros) and they manage to get to his apartment where they arrest him and find Jenny's bloody, yellow dress. While McCoy and Borgia get nowhere with questioning Jenny's mom, Denise (Wendy Hoopes) gets a call from Jenny asking to go home. They know she's alive but they don't know where she is.

2 Flaw

9/28/05

Window washers discover a dead body in an empty office, and the number on his cell phone is that of Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) from the Special Victims Unit. Detectives Green (Jesse L. Martin), Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Benson go to the scene and discover the victim is a con artist named Patrick Sullivan who had been defrauding Social Security and was also involved in several other schemes. A fellow con man (and rap impresario) named David Glass (Daniel Eric Gold) claims he witnessed the murder. He ID's Lorraine Dillon (Lynda Carter) and her daughter, April Troost (Estella Warren), whom Benson has dealt with before.

3 Ghosts

10/5/05

A criminal makes a surprising deathbed confession that compels Detective Fontana (Dennis Farina) to re-open his own 10-year-old cold case file concerning the murder of a 12-year-old girl. Instead of the victim's father, whom Fontana is certain committed the crime, the new prime suspect is a former drug-addict whose jailhouse confession to the prosecution's most viable witness is disqualified on the grounds it was made in a spiritual context.

4 Age of Innocence

10/12/05

Karen Barrows is a lightning rod for controversy. She lies brain damaged, sustained by a feeding tube, and her husband, Robert Barrows (Timothy Smallwood), who has a girlfriend and two children, fights to have the feeding tube removed. Protesters surround the hospital, and when Robert gets in his car, it blows up, killing him instantly. The detectives have a tough time trying to find suspects because there were so many people outside the hospital. They talk to Karen's parents, Phil (Fred Burrell) and Pam (Beth Dixon) Lamar, who are visited by Reverend Dwyre (John Aylward). They are all fighting to keep their daughter alive.

5 Lifeline

10/19/05

After Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) discover the body of a murdered prostitute in the alley of a Hispanic bordello, they learn that the victim was an undercover reporter who was planning an expose about the L-12, a pervasive gang of thugs who coerced a businessman (guest star William Sadler) to commit the crime. But Assistant D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) soon realizes that the reluctant slayer is only trying to protect his imprisoned son (guest star Brad Fleischer) from the gang's abusive tentacles -- and that no one is beyond their bloody reach. Annie Parisse, Fred Dalton Thompson and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.

6 Birthright

11/2/05

When an abusive young mother and murder suspect suddenly dies in her prison cell, an autopsy tells Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) that the woman has died from an I.U.D. containing benecrine -- an illegal drug that sterilizes its users -- given by a nurse practitioner (guest star Stephanie Roth Haberle) with a social agenda. As A.D.A.s McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Borgia (Annie Parisse) consider filing second-degree manslaughter charges, they meet a former A.D.A. -- Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks) -- who is now defending the nurse and thinks he has a good case. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

7 House of Cards

11/9/05

The bludgeoned slaying of a young, unwed mother and the subsequent kidnapping of her baby put Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) on the trail of a fleeing, forty-something woman (guest star Wendy Moniz) -- who is actually a depressed wife who stole the infant while pretending to be pregnant. But while the suspect's savvy lawyers plan a "post-partum psychosis" defense, A.D.A.s McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Borgia (Annie Parisse) have reason to believe that someone else was involved in the "sale" of the child, as well as the murder. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

8 New York Minute

11/16/05

When the owner of a big-rig trucking company is shot to death, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) learn that the victim was hauling illegal aliens and suspect a member (Daniel Roebuck) citizen's border patrol group -- but their only witness is an undocumented Hispanic woman (Aixa Rosario Medina) who risks deportation if she testifies. Meanwhile, prosecutor McCoy (Sam Waterston) is incensed when the witness is physically intimidated as he tries to turn one organization member against the other in court. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

9 Criminal Law

11/23/05

Seemingly random people are being murdered by an elusive killer stalking the streets of New York and Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) follow the bloody trail to a hit list with the names of the targets -- including A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). McCoy soon realizes the list is a roster of witnesses called in the trial of a multiple-murderer he prosecuted five years ago. As witnesses dwindle and the convicted murderer's retrial looms ever closer, Fontana and Green must race to find the killer while McCoy puts his own life on the line to see that justice is done. S. Epatha Merkerson, Annie Parisse and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

10 Acid

11/30/05

When the facially scarred daughter of Lieutenant Van Buren's (Emmy winner S. Epatha Merkerson) college friend is found dead, Van Buren directs Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) on a no-holds-barred mission to catch the serial assailant who threw acid in the victim's face months earlier. Meanwhile, A.D.A. McCoy's (Sam Waterston) prosecution is complicated by Van Buren's tactical desperation, which has caused her to cut corners. Annie Parisse and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

11 Bible Story

12/7/05

A man is found beaten to death after defiling a sacred Torah, and the Orthodox Jewish congregants are horrified. At first it appears to be a hate crime, and an Arab man who was harassing the Jews is the initial suspect. But when Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are satisfied it isn't him, they redirect their investigation toward the congregation. Barry Speicher (Zach Grenier), one of the leaders of the congregation, who is very close to the synagogue's Rabbi (Allan Miller), had donated the Torah to the temple. His own father smuggled it out of Poland during the holocaust, so there was tremendous sentimental, not to mention religious, value.

12 Family Friend

1/11/06

When a Mob accountant is slain and his wife is severely wounded, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) arrest a common street thug who is later found not guilty because of the victim's poor testimony. When the freed slayer is later killed by an ex-cop and close family friend of the victim's, A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) faces a political powderkeg when the corrupt officer seeks to avoid prosecution by threatening to expose tainted evidence from dozens of previous cases that would free convicted murderers. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

13 Heart of Darkness

1/18/06

A journalist tormented by violent depression is found dead in his bathtub, but hand marks on his shoulders make Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) believe that foul play was involved -- especially when they uncover pills inside the victim from his ex-girlfriend's prescription. As A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) seeks second-degree murder, the girlfriend produces a videotape that shows the dead man willingly cooperated in taking his life -- until A.D.A. Borgia (Annie Parisse) discovers intriguing new evidence on the tape. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

14 Magnet

2/8/06

Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) investigate the strangling of a promising Hispanic student at a private magnet school. The men soon learn the victim was selling test answers and writing term papers for more privileged students -- including their prime suspect, Greg Loomis (guest star Jaime McAdams), a trouble-prone senior who would kill just to graduate. After Loomis' arrest, A.D.A. Sam McCoy (Sam Waterston) spurns any deal with his high-powered attorney Rebecca Shane (guest star Kathleen Turner) but has to overcome her vigorous defense that her client himself was a victim of medication side effects.

15 Choice of Evils

3/1/06

After a teenaged runaway is found shot in the chest, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) begin to suspect his upstate "soccer mom," who admits she killed her vicious son out of fear that he would follow in his criminal father's footsteps. As ADAs McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Borgia (Annie Parisse) charge her with second-degree murder, the defendant's attorney claims that her client did society a favor by ending her son's life prematurely -- and new video evidence might sway a jury. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

16 Cost of Capital

3/8/06

After a young African-American banking associate is found murdered, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) discover that he had hundreds of thousands of dollars in his checking account. The detectives suspect the victim was having an affair with his high-powered boss Sophia (guest star Lisa Zane) who killed him out of fear and rage. As the police and A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) build their case, everything hinges on using either the executive's estranged husband or their shaky teenaged daughter Katie (guest star Sarah Steele) as their star witness. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

17 America, Inc.

3/22/06

Was vengeance the reason behind the slaying of a private military contractor? A private military contractor is found shot to death in his hotel room and Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) believe vengeance is the motive in a politically charged case that questions the reason America is at war. The detectives soon narrow their focus on a fellow commando Kevin Boatman (guest star Pablo Schrieber) and the younger brother of a man who was murdered by Iraqi insurgents while under the victim's questionable command. But as A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) fights to keep a frightening video of the Iraqi execution out of court, he confronts unexpected political intrigue when more details are revealed about a recently captured terrorist. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

18 Thinking Makes It So

3/29/06

When an armed robber is shot dead during a botched heist involving an unlikely bank manager, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) soon discover the executive was forced to assist in the robbery by the men who kidnapped his daughter. Fearing for the girl's safety, the detectives begin an aggressive search resulting in Fontana having to use heavy-handed means to extract the child's location. The questionable tactics then leave A.D.A Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) to face a deceptively canny defense attorney (guest star Peter Jacobson) who will fully exploit the issue of excessive force. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

19 Positive

4/5/06

A deadly shooting in a diner leads Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) to a desperate triggerman who sought revenge for his baby sister who died of AIDS at a children's hospital. Further investigation soon reveals that a brilliant doctor (guest star Vondie Curtis Hall) was using the child as a guinea pig for experimental AIDS drugs. Taking the case to court, A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) finds other youthful victims and must exploit the complicated ethical issues if he is to win a tough murder-one conviction against the passionate physician. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

20 Kingmaker

5/3/06

An undercover police officer is brutally murdered by an Albanian drug dealer after her identity is revealed in a newspaper column concerning the victim's father. Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) quickly discover Eric Lund (guest star Garret Dillahunt), the Chief of Staff to a liberal politician (as Congressman John Prescott, guest star David Forsyth), to be responsible for tipping off the reporter. A.D.A Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) bravely prosecutes the politico who is known for dirty tricks and threats, but despite D.A. Arthur Branch's (Fred Dalton Thompson) warning to watch his back, unexpected evidence suddenly turns up that could exonerate the accused. Dylan Baker also guest stars as defense attorney Sanford Remz. Annie Parisse and S. Epatha Merkerson also star.

21 Hindsight

5/10/06

Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are skeptical when Detective Falco (returning guest star Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos) finds a young woman he took home the night before slashed to death in his bathroom. Anxious to exonerate himself of this crime, Falco takes steps that could be indicative of a cover-up instead of an unauthorized pursuit of the true culprit. Fortunately, Detectives Fontana and Green believe their colleague was drugged by the victim in a plan to rob him but was instead dispatched by a violent female rival. Proving it in court is difficult for A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston), who must sort through a family of cons and ex-cons, some with ties to Falco, all resulting in a final twist of fate. Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

22 Invaders

5/17/06

The latest murder victims of two home invaders are the family members of a man who once sold fake DEA badges to the killers and then began secretly cooperating with police. The case takes a harrowing turn when one of the law enforcement teams is put in the line of fire. In a legal gambit, A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) must then risk his career -- and those of others, as well -- to bend the rules and use corrupt DEA Agent Almonte (guest star Ritchie Coster) to lure out the sadistic psychopaths. Dennis Farina, Jesse L. Martin, Annie Parisse, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

About this show

In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories. From Emmy-winning creator Dick Wolf, with its groundbreaking "ripped-from-the-headlines" format, comes the highly-acclaimed, longest-running crime series in television history.

Ratings and reviews

4.7

1.27K reviews

A Google user

February 4, 2019

l never missed the show and fell in love with Sam Waterston. To this day I watch the reruns every Sunday and Tuesday on the WE Channel. To this day I miss Jerry Orbach. l started watching TV at the get go with a 9 inch screen and Kate Smith sang God Bless A America. I feel like I know a good Television Show. Sincerely Linda

26 people found this review helpful

Grant Bogart

August 10, 2019

From what I've seen on the Internet, Google Play (or YouTube, depending on where you watch it) has the highest-quality copies of Law and Order seasons one and two, for the United States. If you're in the US, as of the time of this posting, iTunes will only provide you with sub-par 580p copies in a 16:9 format for both series. Season two on this site is provided in a 4:3 format, but it is a fair trade-off for the 1440x1080 resolution. Now we just need the rest of the show, i.e. seasons 3-15. You can't get them anywhere in the States. You'd have to purchase the antiquated DVD boxset. People in Europe and Australia, for some licensing reason unbeknownst to me, can purchase *every* season of Law and Order in widescreen 1080p quality via iTunes. Why is an American television program easier to watch abroad than at home? It makes no sense.

57 people found this review helpful

Jacquelyn Moore

September 12, 2015

Been watching this show since I was in Jr. High/ High School 🏫!! Show started can't remember exactly I think it was 1989 or 1990 wish I go back in time ! Law and Order will always be favorite show!!!

33 people found this review helpful

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