| "Fixed" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | L&O, Episode 15.11 | → |
| Production number: E53 First aired: 8 December 2004 | ||
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| Written By Eric Overmyer & Roz Weinman Directed By Ed Sherin | ||
McCoy and Southerlyn prosecute a defendant in the murder of a parolee.
Plot[]
The police investigate a hit and run, but it looks like he's been run over on purpose after dropping off a young girl at her school. The man turns out to be Jacob Lowenstein, who was recently released on parole despite the abuse he inflicted on his family. The detectives find his parole officer has lost track of him due to his high case load. Fontana and Green then interview the former captain of their precinct, Donald Cragen, who advises them to find Lowenstein's ex-wife and son. Both of them have alibis and are ruled out. The detectives then go to the hospital to speak to Lowenstein and find he has a new fiancé named Sheryl. The detectives talk to her and are shocked at her lack of concern for her two children, considering his past. Lowenstein had apparently been walking her young daughter Emily to school the day he was run over.
The detectives interview his prison therapist, Joyce Draper who claims to have refused contact with Lowenstein, per the rules. The detectives then return to the hospital to talk to Lowenstein and inform him that the accident may have been intentional. He blames his ex-wife and the media for all his problems, incarceration and subsequent negative notoriety. The detectives then decide to look into Lowenstein's life in prison. They discover he got a law degree to keep safe in prison. He also was enrolled in a therapy group run by Joyce Draper who quit the project and more than likely proceeded to track Lowenstein. The detectives find out Draper drives an SUV just as they find out Lowenstein dies. Van Buren tells Southerlyn they discovered a crack in the front grill and trace DNA on the car that matches Lowenstein. Draper comes in for an interview with Van Buren and is confronted with the evidence. She denies knowing anything about the accident, refuses to continue and asks for a lawyer.
Southerlyn finds out from the school nurse that Emily had fallen off her bike and she had a cast on her arm. Draper had called the school to try to find out what had happened to Emily but did not get an answer and most likely assumed Lowenstein had abused Emily like he did his own daughter. Draper is arrested. At the trial, the prosecution shows the tape of one of the therapy seasons with Draper and Lowenstein in prison, which shows him unrepentant and in denial of doing anything wrong. It also shows Draper knew then of his relationship with Sheryl and her children. Throughout the trial, Joyce Draper consistently denies any involvement in stalking or hitting Lowenstein with her car. The defense attacks the heinous character of Jacob Lowenstein, while highlighting the moral integrity of Joyce Draper, and she is found not guilty.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Dennis Farina as Detective Joe Fontana
- Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
- Elisabeth Röhm as A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn
- Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch
Recurring cast[]
- Jim Bracchitta as Defense Attorney Jason Goidell
- David Groh as Dr. Jacob Lowenstein
- Marcia Jean Kurtz as Carla Lowenstein
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
- William Severs as Judge Henry Fillmore
- Selenis Leyva as Detective Mariluz Rivera
Guest cast[]
- Tracy Thorne as Joyce Draper
- Adam LeFevre as Dr. Evodius Peters
- David Margulies as Dr. Jack Clayburg
- Eleanor Hutchins as Sheryl
- J.C. Montgomery as Ron Draper
- Ted Neustadt as Nate
- Zeb Newman as Ezra Lowenstein-Grady
- Charles H. Hyman as Warden
- Michael Winther as Dr. Lombardo
- Mark Schulte as Grady
- Jason Betts as Wayne
- Yvette Mercedes as Nurse Sykes
- Sheryl McCallum as Crossing Guard
- Jo Yang as Store Owner
- Ted Koch as Coach
- Mark Axelowitz as Foreperson
- Eddie Marrero as Clerk
- Thaddeus Schneider as Uniformed Officer
- Jerry Shulman as Court Officer
- Sonny Vellozzi as Reporter (uncredited)
References[]
Didi Lowenstein
Quotes[]
Branch: They knew she was guilty, but didn't want to hold her accountable.
McCoy: Goidell gave them a door to walk through and they took it.
Branch: They don't think the system works for guys like Lowenstein any more than we do.
Southerlyn: So what's the answer?
McCoy: Nobody has one.
Branch: I think that's exactly why Joyce Draper is on her way home tonight.
| “ | I hope he lingers for a long time in excruciating pain! | ” |
–Donald Cragen | ||
Background information and notes[]
- This episode marks the second appearances of Jacob and Carla Lowenstein, who previously appeared in the episode "Indifference".
- This episode was written as a sequel to "Indifference" due to the release of Joel Steinberg, the real-life figure who inspired Jacob Lowenstein.
- Captain Cragen was incorrectly credited as a Lieutenant early in the episode during its first broadcast. This was corrected for reruns and DVD.
- Despite having plea-bargained and having been sentenced for killing her daughter in "Indifference", Carla Lowenstein is depicted as having never spent time in jail. Also, her daughter's death was not mentioned as being caused by her. Furthermore, she is said to have instead spent most of the time that had lapsed since then with a psychologist who allowed her to recover from Jacob's abuse.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
New York State |
Office of |
Eastside Hospital |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eastside Hospital |
Sing Sing |
Office of |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Enemy" |
"Fixed" Law & Order Season 15 |
Next episode: "Mammon" |