| "Helpless" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | L&O, Episode 3.06 | → |
| Production number: 68011 First aired: 4 November 1992 | ||
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| Written By Michael S. Chernuchin & Christine Roum Directed By James Frawley | ||
Dr. Elizabeth Olivet accuses an esteemed gynaecologist of rape.
Summary[]
Olivet is molested during a visit to gynecologist Dr. Alexander Merritt. Logan and Cerreta are unable to come up with enough evidence to take to the D.A., so Olivet decided to take the law into her hands by going back to Merritt's office with a tape recorder to gather more evidence. After Merritt's nurse leaves, he drugs and rapes Olivet.
Stone and Robinette take him to trial. On the stand, Olivet admits that she initially went to see Merritt because a patient, Diane Perkins, hinted that she was raped by him. The jury unanimously finds him guilty, but the judge throws out their verdict on the grounds that the D.A. did not present enough evidence.
Perkins admits to Olivet that she was raped. Stone plans to bring Merritt back to court, but cannot put Perkins on the stand, as it would be too emotionally devastating, so instead, Stone manipulates Merritt into going on TV and boasting that he is a wonderful doctor and that women respect him.
Melnick, Merritt's defense lawyer, is threatening to go to the Disciplinary Committee citing retaliatory prosecution, but when Robinette reveals fifty-four other women have come forward alleging rape, molestation, or abuse, Merritt and Melnick are defeated, and Stone settles for seeing Merritt spend the rest of his life in prison.
At the end of the episode, Olivet is seeing a therapist who's helping her getting back to normal.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Paul Sorvino as Sergeant Phil Cerreta
- Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
- Michael Moriarty as Executive A.D.A. Benjamin Stone
- Richard Brooks as A.D.A. Paul Robinette
- Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff
- Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
Recurring cast[]
Guest cast[]
- Paul Hecht as Dr. Alexander J. Merritt
- Felicity Huffman as Diane Perkins
- Tracey Ellis as Nurse Miriam Gregg
- Howard Witt as Judge Keith Silver
- Michele Pawk as Donna Marks
- Adam LeFevre as Dr. Helman
- Michael Levin as Dr. Reitman
- Mark Shannon as Dr. Lewis
- Maggie Burke as Celia Walsh
- Ethan Phillips as Mark Hauser
- Beth Dixon as Nicole Simon
- Janet Ward as Delores Gaines
- Lisa Beth Miller as Laura Todd
- Elizabeth Benedict as Reporter #1
- Paul Hebron as Reporter #2
- Sarah Burke as Jury Forewoman
References[]
References
Quotes[]
"Six blissful years of marriage that took ten years of therapy to forget."
"He abused you?"
"It's amazing what people put up with under the heading of 'love'."
- - Celia Walsh and Phil Cerreta
"Do you frequently have sex with patients?"
"Objection, your honor!"
"Sustained."
"Do you call all your women "bitches", doctor?"
"Your honor!"
"Enough, Mr. Stone!"
- - Benjamin Stone, Danielle Melnick, and Judge Keith Silver
"I know the difference between being examined and being molested."
- - Elizabeth Olivet
"You of all people should understand your obligation to full disclosure!"
"I have an obligation to my patient! And in my profession that's the only thing that counts."
- - Benjamin Stone and Elizabeth Olivet
"54 women you either raped, molested, or abused."
"In the future, sir, stay off the evening news."
- - Paul Robinette and Benjamin Stone
"Go ahead gentlemen, use the tape. You're going to open up a can and a hell of a lot more than worms are going to crawl out."
- - Danielle Melnick
"Liz. Is she all right?"
"She's a psychologist, if anybody's trained to handle it, she is."
"Nobody trains you to be a victim."
- - Paul Robinette and Mike Logan
"You have no idea what it's like to be victimized by a powerful man."
- - Elizabeth Olivet
"My committee reviewed Dr. Merritt's actions. We concluded that everything he did was in the best interest of the patient."
"Oh, good! So only the patient didn't agree."
- - State Medical Board Reviewer and Phil Cerreta
"He can just disregard the jury's verdict?"
"If he feels the jury disregarded the facts presented, yes he can."
"Yep, we should have seen it coming. The Honorable Keith Silver. Wrote the book on the rights of the accused. He thinks Miranda is 5 pages too short."
- - Elizabeth Olivet, Benjamin Stone, and Adam Schiff
"Okay, Ben, what do you want?"
"In a perfect world, I'd like to see your client locked in a room for a week with these women. But I'll settle for seeing him spend the rest of his life in jail."
- - Danielle Melnick and Benjamin Stone
Background information and notes[]
- The emotional results after the sexual assault on Dr. Elizabeth Olivet are also shown in the episode "Point of View".
- This episode was later adapted into the Law & Order: UK episode "Alesha".
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
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|
New York State |
Apartment of |
Office of |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
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|
Executive Assistant |
Supreme Court |
Office of District |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|
|
Apartment of |
District Attorney's |
Friday, December 18 |
| Previous episode: "Wedded Bliss" |
"Helpless" Law & Order Season 3 |
Next episode: "Self Defense" |