Called Home

"Called Home"
←	L&O, Episode 18.01	→
Production number: 18001 First aired: 2 January 2008
	th of 456 produced in L&O
←	th of 456 released in L&O	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By René Balcer Directed By Allen Coulter

Plot

The death of Thomas Lupo brings his brother, Detective Cyrus Lupo, to the 27th Precinct. It appears Tom Lupo's death was the first of a string of assisted suicides, and Van Buren assigns Green to work with Lupo to investigate the suicides.

Cast

Main cast

• Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
• Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
• Linus Roache as Executive A.D.A. Michael Cutter
• Alana De La Garza as A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa
• Sam Waterston as D.A. Jack McCoy

Recurring cast

• Elizabeth Marvel as Defense Attorney Grubman
• Guenia Lemos as Jenny Lupo
• Leslie Hendrix as M.E. Elizabeth Rodgers
• Gerry Becker as Defense Attorney Gerard Wills
• Joe Forbrich as Detective Joe Cormack
• Ed Hodson as Judge Wendell Kessler
• Scott Johnsen as Detective Fred Shapiro
• Lauren M. Martin as Carly Lupo
• Perry Martijena as Jude Lupo

Guest cast

• Brad Dourif as Dr. David Lingard
• Marin Ireland as Mila Hames Lingard
• Dominic Fumusa as Tom Lupo
• Michael McKean as Bill Nolan
• Susan Blackwell as Judge Agnes Reisman
• Wayne Kasserman as Rick O'Dell
• William Youmans as Larry Driscoll
• Benjamin Pelteson as Nick
• Jaime Lincoln Smith as Assistant M.E. Thorne
• Alan Ariano as Detective Hai Xiong
• Rich Duva as First Reporter
• Anthony Ventola as Second Reporter
• Philip E. Jones as Basketball Player (uncredited)

References

• Dr. David Lingard is nicknamed "Dr. Death" in this episode. Lingard was imprisoned after performing several assisted suicides (including one on television) and had been out of prison for a month at the time of "Called Home." The real-life Dr. Jack Kevorkian was similarly nicknamed "Dr. Death" and was similarly imprisoned for several years for performing several assisted suicides (including one on television).
• Arthur Branch
• Bob Woodword
• Carl Bernstein
• Geraldo Rivera
• Judith Miller

Quotes

“	Jack, you grew up with Woodward and Bernstein. I grew up with Geraldo, and then Judith Miller.	”
–Michael Cutter (speaking to Jack McCoy)

“	People v. Duffy: Why don't you look that one up on that gadget?	”
–Jack McCoy (speaking to Michael Cutter, who's holding a BlackBerry; this is the first time we see Cutter's BlackBerry, and he is seen using the BlackBerry extensively in this episode and throughout his run on the series)

Michael Cutter: Branch used to fill these shelves with knick-knacks and awards.

Jack McCoy: It's a working office now, not a show room.

Background information and notes

• Jeremy Sisto joins the cast in this season's opener as Detective Cyrus Lupo, replacing Milena Govich's Detective Nina Cassady. Oddly, Sisto portrayed defense attorney Clint Glover in the episode "The Family Hour", the previous season's finale.
• Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy is promoted to DA, replacing Fred Dalton Thompson's Arthur Branch as DA, as Thompson left the show to seek the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States. In a conversation at the end of the preceding episode "The Family Hour," Branch had hinted that McCoy might one day replace him as DA. Ironically, in the season 16 episode, "Red Ball," Branch had said that McCoy was a great prosecutor but would never be a district attorney.
• Linus Roache joins the cast as Executive ADA Michael Cutter, replacing McCoy as Executive ADA.
• Part of a courtroom scene in this episode is briefly shown on the TV show 30 Rock in the episode "Today You Are a Man". In that episode, the character of Hazel Wassername is depicted as a background actress who appears in the courtroom and holds up a sign with her phone number on it.
• Elizabeth Marvel appears as a defense attorney by the name of Grubman. She would later appear in SVU as Defense Attorney Rita Calhoun.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
Customs Area JFK Airport Monday, August 13	Home of Tom & Jenny Lupo 551 East 3rd Street Monday, August 13	Apartment of Dr. David Lingard 85-25 35th Street Queens, New York Wednesday, August 15

4	5	6
Carmel Ridge Hospice 271 Avenue A Wednesday, August 15	Chambers of Judge Wendell Kessler Friday, August 17	St. Fabian's Hospital 188 First Avenue Friday, August 17

7	8	9
Supreme Court Trial Part 27 Wednesday, August 22	Supreme Court Trial Part 27 Thursday, August 23	Supreme Court Trial Part 27 Friday, August 24

Previous episode: "The Family Hour"

"Called Home" Law & Order Season 18

Next episode: "Darkness"