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valenshawke · 2 months

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Law & Order, Season 23, episode 5: "Last Dance"

Blah, blah, blah, rich tech mogul commits murder to cover-up that he's a sexual predator. Variation on a tried-and-true story that the show has used since time immemorial.

But they had to make it more complicated to write Jack McCoy off the show.

@albatrossisland and @monidon, this one's for you.

In Seasons 18 and 19, you had Governor Donald Shalvoy and he was very clearly a fictionalized version of former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer. I guess they didn't want to anger the current NYC Mayor, Eric Adams, by having a fictionalized version of him being corrupt. But in the era of #MeToo where formerly untouchable powerful men (for decades) got away with all sorts of sexually predatory actions, it strains credulity that someone would not simply cut their losses and distance himself from the suspect. But you need an antagonist, right?

I'm often not a fan of the criticism that something is contrived. A story is a story and the actions a character takes are written to lead to a certain point. Everything is contrived in fiction. It's how well you do it.

Since the show came back, the writers show they simply cannot do it well. Everything has gotta be a twist, curve-ball, or an absurd social commentary (and I'm saying that about a show that did social commentary since episode ONE). If anyone is wondering where my gripe is on that last one, it goes back to my bone to pick with Nolan "Spineless Coward" Price giving IMMUNITY to a SCHOOL SHOOTER so he could PROSECUTE THE FATHER for the shooting.

Now, do I believe (in certain cases) parents should be held responsible for the actions of their children in this case? Absolutely. The Ethan Crumbley case in Michigan is a perfect example! There NOT definite warnings signs: There were FUCKING FIVE-ALARM BELLS and red flags the size of football fields that something was seriously wrong with the kid and he needed help, not for his mother to buy him a fucking gun. Parents were charged without any immunity. I still hold that against the writers.

Rick Eid's run as show-runner has demonstrated a clear lack of knowledge of character history on the show (Jack in particular), a lack of even the loosest understanding of the law works in the show's universe, and a desperate need for actual lawyers as consultants or on the writing staff.

I'm also convinced that writers hate Hugh Dancy. The guy has acting chops, he was wonderful in HANNIBAL. But like… refer to my earlier description of Nolan Price.

Which brings us to Jack's sendoff and the overall story.

Mayor Payne? Yeah, that's certainly subtle.

I often think back to how Jack (and Mike Cutter) fought back against the GOVERNOR and they can't handle the freaking mayor? Writers, what the fuck?

I guess where the writers got something right was Jack believes in justice for the victim, regardless of who you are. And they gave Jack one last courtroom battle. And, on one hand, it is fitting. They wanted Jack to go out in a figurative blaze of glory. He was alone in the court, no second chair. I do wonder if he thought about all the second chairs he's had and how they helped him along the way (I am getting weirdly emotional writing this). And despite the fact he got burned, he managed to burn his enemies on the way out.

But this isn't the end I wanted.

Sometimes, a low-key ending is suitable for a character who worked (by my own calculation) 50-plus years in the DA's office (perhaps closer to 60 years). Who tried some significant cases, contributed to case-law that the show SHOULD HAVE REFERENCED, mentored each of his second chairs after Claire and Jamie. Mentored Mike Cutter.

Jack simply deciding just to retire and not run for re-election and spend the rest of his days fixing his relationship with his daughter, spend time with his grandson, write a book, maybe be a talking-head on legal shows (no, I can't see that), fine. But I wish they could have convinced Sam Waterston to finish out the season, maybe recording something so they show a goodbye party or SOMETHING to start next season, and then have the newly-elected DA introduced. That would have been more satisfying.

As for everything else about this episode. Couldn't the writers, I don't know, research and clarify their own damn show?

Ben Stone

Jack McCoy

Mike Cutter

All Executive Assistant District Attorneys. I know there was some debate on whether or not Nolan Price was actually an EADA. But now he's Deputy District Attorney? What? Writers, there are other EADAs in the DA's office. I realize that the writers have always played fast-and-loose on the hierarchy of the fictional DAs office. SVU had Chief Assistant District Attorney Charlie Philips who spoke of "assigning" a case to Jack McCoy, which I always took more as a administrative role versus a trial role, which put him above Jack in whatever hierarchy worked in the show.

But there were times it very much seemed like Jack WAS the next person in charge if the DA was unavailable until his own appointment.

And then you have the board shown in Season 21 where it seems they had dug it out of storage since it still hate Mike and Connie listed, with Mike being "Chief Assistant District Attorney" before they changed it to "Nolan Price" by the next episode.

I've always been frustrated with the sloppiness of the writing since the show came back and this just adds to the pile.

"It's been a hell of a ride."

It has. I started this show in September of 1998 and even in the periods I didn't watch it too much, there was some comfort that Jack was always there. And I delayed watching this because I just couldn't accept the end.

And now I have.

Memories of days gone by.

#Law & Order #Law and Order #TV Series #Jack McCoy #Val reviews something #allthingslawandorder #lawandordersource #connie-rubirosa

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