Law & Order Season 22 Episode 16 Review: Deadline

This was a tough one.

It wasn’t that Law & Order Season 22 Episode 16 was overly contrived or unrealistic.

It was too rattling lifelike, and as a Jew who’s nicely conscious of how typically anti-Semitism rears its ugly head, this story was disturbing.

Shows like Law & Order want to handle anti-Semitism. Sometimes folks overlook or shrug their shoulders at it, however it’s as virulent and harmful as another prejudice.

This episode was a reminder of how horrible it may be. Ackerman technically did not die as a result of he was Jewish, however going out to confront an anti-Semitic graffiti artist did not assist something.

His loss of life additionally may have simply been by the hands of anti-Semites. Cordell’s podcast gave folks permission to put up all kinds of hateful issues about him and Jews typically.

Sickeningly, Cordell did not consider half of what he mentioned and did not care what violence he may be inciting so long as he received rankings.

One fascinating query that wasn’t addressed was whether or not his proper to free speech protected him from lawsuits or prison expenses for any acts of violence his listeners engaged in after his podcasts.

Say what you need about sticks and stones, however phrases as we speak can positively get you killed.

Cosgrove

It turned out that the story behind Ackerman’s loss of life wasn’t about his faith however about silencing anybody who may expose the Site Shield conspiracy. Law & Order may have informed the identical story with out together with anti-Semitism, however that would not have been as highly effective.

The anti-Semitic violence that Hobbs engaged in was as horrible as what occurred to Ackerman. Thank goodness it was off-screen, and we solely heard about it second-hand; I do not suppose I may have tolerated sitting by way of it.

That off-screen act of violence led to an moral dilemma for Price that, sadly, did not get as a lot airtime as wanted: ought to he give Hobbs a get-out-o-jail-free card in order that he may put David Costa away?

There was no straightforward reply to that query, however I did not like McCoy’s perspective. In his opinion, for the reason that lady Hobbs attacked was solely brutally crushed and never killed, the homicide trial was extra essential.

Human lives cannot be valued that approach. No mathematical equation tells a prosecutor who’s extra deserving of justice.

It was a miscarriage of justice to let Hobbs stroll free.

Often, legal professionals can persuade a shopper who desires a ridiculous deal like that to just accept a lighter sentence as an alternative — why did not Price attempt that?

And whereas McCoy can say all he desires that Ackerman’s son deserved to see his father’s killer punished, that won’t mollify the lady who was attacked or her household. And it actually is not going to make Jewish folks really feel safer on the streets of New York.

I’m not a snitch… free of charge.

Lucas

McCoy was proper that Costa had prompted eight deaths, probably extra, however Price was additionally proper in regards to the message it sends: assault Jews as brutally as you need so long as you do not kill them, and we’ll think about ignoring the crime.

This story would have been stronger if Price had had extra time to deliberate about what to do. He went from saying NO in McCoy’s workplace to placing Hobbs on the stand in a single scene. His change of coronary heart was off-screen, which made it each stunning and complicated.

If Price was going to vary his thoughts, it ought to have been after attempting the case with out Hobbs. If Hobbs’ supply had come earlier within the hour, Price may have initially refused, solely to appreciate he had no selection if he did not wish to lose the case towards Costa.

That would have made his choice sympathetic and comprehensible. Instead, he paid lip service to desirous to punish Hobbs’ brutal anti-Semitic assault, solely to show round and dismiss the case.

The decide and protection legal professional have been additionally annoying me. Lately, Law & Order is stuffed with judges who make such egregiously dangerous rulings that I’m wondering if the protection paid them off!

The decide’s ruling that the cops overreached by pulling Costa over was iffy.

They engaged in customary police procedures, and the truth that they pulled Costa over for a visitors violation once they wished him for one thing else was irrelevant.

Costa was already an individual of curiosity; they did not first determine he was a suspect after seeing scratches on his face. They have been engaged on getting sufficient information for a search warrant, and so they received it.

Costa’s argument boiled all the way down to cops investigating and getting proof is unfair, and the decide agreed. It was a nonsensical argument that ought to have been laughed out of court docket.

The supply safety problem additionally may have been dealt with otherwise. The decide may have issued a court docket order or, at the very least, spoken with McAllister straight to find out whether or not the supply was legitimate even with out getting a reputation.

It felt just like the decide’s rulings have been plot factors; they have been essential obstacles in order that Price must make a take care of Hobbs, however they weren’t essentially legally sound.

What did you suppose, Law & Order fanatics? Hit the massive, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us!

Don’t neglect you may watch Law & Order on-line everytime you’d like.

Law & Order airs on NBC on Thursdays at 8 PM EST / PST.

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