| "Cherished" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | L&O, Episode 9.01 | → |
| Production number: E0203 First aired: 23 September 1998 | ||
 | ||
| Teleplay By Kathy McCormick Story By Kathy McCormick, Carl Nelson & Scott Tobin Directed By Ed Sherin | ||
Plot[]
After a baby girl is found dead, Briscoe and Curtis investigate the family and learn that her adopted family and brother were trying to keep some painful secrets. Jack McCoy gets a new partner, Abbie Carmichael, a tough prosecutor who had a 95% percent success rate in her four years with Special Narcotics. Together McCoy and Carmichael try to prove that the little girl's brother committed the crime.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe
- Benjamin Bratt as Detective Rey Curtis
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
- Angie Harmon as A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael
- Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff
Recurring cast[]
- Joe Grifasi as Defense Attorney James Linde
- Jeanne Ruskin as Defense Attorney Alice Marsdale
- Tom Stechschulte as Judge Harold Rockwell
- J.K. Simmons as Dr. Emil Skoda
- Leslie Hendrix as M.E. Elizabeth Rodgers
- Laurie Kennedy as Judge Bonnie Shields
- Keely Eastley as Judge Lillian Barone
Guest cast[]
- Graham Winton as Mr. Waring
- Spencer Breslin as Nicholas Waring
- Lisa Bostnar as Elizabeth Waring
- Monique Fowler as Megan Connery
- Edward Conery as Edward Connery
- Victor Steinbach as Dr. Andre Kostov
- Mike Burstyn as Kevin Yates
- Amy Resnick as Dr. Maureen Atkins
- William Paulson as Samuel Holtz
- Glynis Bell as Dr. Elaine Spencer
- Deborah Cresswell as Martha Robertson
- Mark Rosenthal as M.E. Charters
- Joseph Jamrog as George Bigelow
- Katie C. Sparer as Martha Davies
- Dan Snook as Jim Sullivan
- Angela Pupello as Patricia Sullivan
- Teresa Yenque as Angela Cruz
- Gary Evans as Officer Blackledge
- Kevin Elden as Oscar Castellano
- Joseph Priestly as Jury Foreman
References[]
Quotes[]
- [McCoy and Carmichael disagree on whether or not to accept a plea bargain for the Connerys]
- McCoy: They'll be pariahs for the rest of their lives.
- Carmichael: They lose a few friends. That's your idea of justice?
- McCoy: 3-6 years in a state prison is not a cake walk. How many drug dealers got a free pass from you?
- Carmichael: The ones who could give me someone bigger in return. All the Connerys have to offer is their plea-bargained remorse. She's still trying to blame it on Kostov. Did you see her husband cut her off?
- McCoy: She's the least culpable of the 3.
- Carmichael: [exasperated] Oh, gentlemen, please! That sorry excuse for a woman has a hole in her soul.
- Schiff: That's enough.
- McCoy: I can take care of myself, Adam.
- Schiff: Then remain objective. It was Edward Connery's actions that directly caused the little girl's death, and he's an attorney. He knew what he was doing.
- McCoy: The Connerys will never do this again. Kostov has and will, over and over again.
- Schiff: Are Kostov's children better off in the new homes?
- Carmichael: All but Marianna. [pause] I have a solution that will make us all happy.
- McCoy: What's that?
- Carmichael: No deals for anybody. Let's hang 'em all.
- [Schiff snickers]
- [after Kostov and the Connerys have been convicted of the baby's death]
- Carmichael: Man-1 all around. I'll start working on the pre-sentencing reports. Any suggestions?
- McCoy: You mean who should spend more time in prison? Kostov or the Connerys? Don't get me started.
- Carmichael: We can always skip the report and take no position. Leave it to the judge.
- McCoy: Let's do that for the sake of world peace.
- Carmichael: The Waring's filed a petition to get their son back. We have until the end of the week to file our objections.
- McCoy: Can you and I agree that we're too busy? (McCoy reaches for a handshake)
- Carmichael: [gives McCoy a hand slap] Deal.
Background information and notes[]
- Angie Harmon's first contract appearance as A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael.
- Benjamin Bratt's introductory image changes in the opening montage, as does S. Epatha Merkerson's. This is the third time for Bratt, a series record.
- At one time in this episode, Abbie says, "We're not talking about a couple of teenagers who killed their newborn because they were scared." Interestingly enough, Episode 159 ("Denial") dealt with that exact situation.
- While the official cause of death is determined, the medical examiner gives the police a preliminary report. He tells them the victim has two new bruises and four less severe bruises several days old, leading him to suspect homicide. Bruises are in various stages of healing are a classic sign of child abuse.
- It is mentioned that the victim had an intraventricular hemorrhage, atypical teratoid growths in the spinal region, and a fatty acid oxidation disorder.
- An intraventricular hemorrhage is a type of brain bleeding between the brain hemispheres. These are most common in premature babies whose blood vessels are underdeveloped and fragile.
- Fatty acid oxidation disorders are a group of genetic conditions where a person doesn't have the enzymes that they need to properly break down fats. This means the body has to use other, less efficient, sources of energy. It also means that waste products build up because they can't be properly eliminated.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
New York Supreme Court |
Loving Friends |
Chambers of |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Chambers of |
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Monster" |
"Cherished" Law & Order Season 9 |
Next episode: "DWB" |