Law & Order has been a fixture on television for about three decades, grabbing viewers with compelling stories, morally gray yet lovable characters, and looking at the thin line between law enforcement and the justice system. This ground-breaking series, which was created by Dick Wolf, transformed the crime procedurals that came after it and became a staple on television and pop culture.
As we travel through the hundreds of episodes, that are sometimes pulled from real news headlines, we remember how many episodes that had us on the edge of our seats, challenged our perspectives, and tested our sense of right and wrong. In the 10 all-time best episodes of Law & Order, they talked about important social problems, showed complicated legal issues, and made a lasting impact on television and the true crime obsession. Trigger warning: Some topics ahead may be sensitive to some readers.
10 Season 1, Episode 1 – “Prescription for Death”
“Prescription for Death”, the first episode of Law & Order justifies its position in the top 10 list for a number of reasons. Detectives Max Greevey and Mike Logan are investigating the death of Suzanne Morton, a teenage girl, in a hospital emergency department in this episode. She went to pick up more medication but passed away a few hours later, and her father believes she was murdered. It’s a fantastic episode because it represents all that ‘Law & Order’ is about.
By demonstrating what the criminal justice system is like in New York City, it establishes the tone for the entire series. It involves finding the truth, confronting moral issues, and keeping those in positions of authority accountable. This episode is the ideal beginning to a long-running series that investigates law, order, and justice.
9 Season 6, Episode 21 – “Pro Se”
“Pro Se” is a notable episode in the Law & Order series, earning a spot for several reasons. This episode explores the complexities of mental health, legal ethics, and personal accountability. Detectives Briscoe and Curtis investigate a multiple homicide where the suspect is a genius lawyer known as James Smith, who happens to be schizophrenic and has stopped taking his medication. Despite this, he manages to convince the court to allow him to represent himself in his own trial.
“Pro Se” highlights many concerns surrounding mental illness and the law. It acts as a potent reminder of the moral and ethical challenges that develop in the criminal justice system, as pursuing justice can occasionally come at a high personal cost.
8 Season 8, Episode 22 – “Damaged”
“Damaged” is a significant episode in the Law & Order series due to its compelling storyline and its exploration of complex social and legal issues. Detectives Briscoe and Curtis are looking into a fatal shooting of a teacher, Amanda Kovac, at a schoolyard. She recently played a role in getting three boys suspended from school for engaging in sexual activity on the school premises. The twist comes when the detectives uncover who they were returning fire at, Sally Maxwell, another student.
However, the boys deny knowing her, while Sally asserts the boys sexually assaulted her mentally disabled sister and the school did nothing. “Damaged” is an impactful episode not only demonstrating the complexities of the criminal justice system but also the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by those who believe they can take justice into their own hands.
7 Season 10, Episode 2 – “Killerz”
“Killerz” is a significant episode in the Law & Order series and has earned its place in the top 10 list due to its thought-provoking storyline and exploration of complex moral and legal issues. Detectives Briscoe and Green have to investigate the tragic murder of Aaron Polanski, a young boy discovered at a construction site. Uncovering two eyewitnesses, Tara and Jenny, who seem to provide crucial information to their investigation, but the detectives uncover the truth: Jenny and Tara are the perpetrators.
This episode gives an interesting perspective from the justice system about potential moral responsibilities surrounding young offenders and challenges how society should respond to children who commit serious crimes while raising questions about rehabilitation.
6 Season 10, Episode 15 – “Fools for Love”
“Fools for Love” is another gripping episode in Law and Order and explores the challenges that the justice system faces when they’re dealing with coercion cases. Looking for the sister, Laura Kendrick, of a murdered teenager, Briscoe and Green find her beaten and drugged up in the hospital, pointing the finger at her boyfriend, Peter Williams.
During their investigation, they uncover Laura wasn’t so innocent in all of this, but she pleads that she was forced to participate. As a plea bargain is delivered to Laura, the team realizes a decision may have been made with the devil. This forces the audience to take a look at the moral and ethical dilemmas that surround plea bargains and what could be considered justice.
5 Season 12, Episode 9 – “3 Dawg Night”
“3 Dawg Night” revolves around the fatal shooting of Jerome Cabey outside Mega-Fly nightclub after a tense face-to-face with a famous musician, G-Trane, also known as Darryl Collins, and his entourage. This is a great episode because of how it captures the challenges of pursuing justice when dealing with suspects that are high-profile, unreliable crime scenes, lack of evidence, and getting truthful witness testimony. Law & Order uses this episode to also explore how limited the legal system can be and how the court of public opinion can sometimes overshadow proceedings.
4 Season 14, Episode 1 – “Bodies”
“Bodies” stands out and makes the list because it doesn’t only present a compelling murder investigation, but also the controversy that sometimes surrounds attorney-client privilege. Detectives Briscoe and Green take on an investigation that leads them to psycho killer, Mark Bruner. However, we practically break our necks with whiplash when the assigned public defender steps away from the case because he couldn’t stomach representing a heinous criminal.
When attorney Tim Schwimmer steps in to take the case, it’s uncovered that he knows the location of the victims bodies. McCoy and Serena try to appeal to Schwimmer to disclose the locations to give closure to the families, but he stands firm on the attorney-client privilege, which protects conversations with lawyers and their clients. When the District Attorney, Arthur Branch, decides to prosecute Schwimmer for withholding this information, it sparked a conversation on the ethics and responsibilities of lawyers when their duty clashes with their morals.
3 Season 17, Episode 9 – “Deadlock”
“Deadlock” is another episode that keeps on giving from Law and Order. When violent prisoner Leon Vorgitch kills two officers, escapes custody, and sets off a huge manhunt before holding some elementary students hostage just to say goodbye to his dying mother, he ends up getting killed by one of his previous victim’s father. Plot twist, right?
Robert Purcell, the father of one of Leon’s victims is then at the center of the episode, where the legal drama intensifies as his attorney claims it was justified because of his overly emotional state. Ultimately, the episode brings the consequences of vigilantism and how important it is to uphold the legal system to the forefront, while really highlighting the role of the legal system in society.
2 Season 18, Episode 14 – “Burn Card”
“Burn Card” starts off with the murder of a referee who was tied to a large web of illegal gambling activities. When detectives Green and Lupo arrive at the crime scene of the victim, Bunny, we find out that Green knew each other. This immediately adds a lot of complex layers, including personal and professional obligations. Upon coming to the conclusion that Detective Green was the one who shot Bunny, shock waves hit the department that ripple all the way up to the District Attorney’s office.
Our Law and Order episode takes a sharp turn as Internal Affairs begins their investigation as the audience explores themes of betrayal, loyalty, and the consequences of your actions. It brings to light the challenges some officers may face when their personal interests cross over into their professional lives.
1 Season 20, Episode 23 – “Rubber Room”
“Rubber Room” explores issues that are unfortunately prevalent today, such as online threats and school violence, and still resonate with viewers. We also see the complex set up of the education system and any hurdles that our detectives may have to face when dealing with the New York City Department of Education. Detectives Lupo and Bernard are racing against time to find the source of an online threat to a school made by an anonymous blogger, whom they thought to be a student.
After looking closely at the mention of a “rubber room”, they look for a disgruntled teacher instead. Adding in Lieutenant Van Buren’s fight with cervical cancer helps as a subplot that works to humanize the characters and highlights the value of standing by colleagues during hard times.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
