Locomotion

Plot

McCoy faces a man who insists on being his own defense counsel after he is charged with multiple counts of murder following a suicide attempt.

Cast

Main cast

• Dennis Farina as Detective Joe Fontana
• Michael Imperioli as Detective Nick Falco
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
• Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
• Annie Parisse as A.D.A. Alexandra Borgia
• Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch

Guest cast

• John Boyd as Zack Burns
• Leslie Elliard as Detective Jones
• Giancarlo Esposito as Attorney Rodney Fallon
• Leslie Hendrix as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers
• Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley
• Matte Osian as James Buckley
• Laura Lynn Berrios as Maureen Buckley (uncredited)
• Lizzy Davis as Assistant M.E. Carla Birch
• Ilene Schwartz as Injured Commuter
• John Roney as Third Commuter
• David Shumbris as Boston Red Sox Fan
• Joseph Lyle Taylor as Davey Buckley
• Guiesseppe Jones as Atkinson
• John Randolph Jones as Engineer
• Ron Scott as Tech
• Sonny Vellozzi as Train Passenger
• Edgar Felix as MTA Woker
• Vince Cupone as Yankee Fan
• Kristan Stewart Chase as Juror #12
• Brian Andersson as Outdoor Cafe Customer
• Marsha Stephanie Blake as Clinic Doctor
• Ed Bogdanowicz as ESU Officer
• Fast Ali as Commuter / Student (uncredited)
• Antonio Saillant as MTA Rescue Worker (uncredited)
• Robert Bizik as Crash Victim (uncredited)
• J.D. Jackson as Casey Jones

References

• 9/11
• FBI
• IRS
• JTTF
• Kansas
• Madrid train bombings
• Mark Nesoff
• People v. Payne
• Hal Steinbrenner
• Texas
• Lenny Thorne
• Andrea Yates

Quotes

Background information and notes

• Remade in 2013 as Law & Order: UK episode Tracks.
• Andrea Yates, who drowned all five of her children and not four as stated in the episode, was at first found guilty of murder. Her conviction of murder was later overturned due to perjury of a psychiatrist on the prosecution's side. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2006.
• The episode is based on the 2005 Glendale train crash. Juan Manuel Álvarez tried to commit suicide by parking his SUV in the middle of the train tracks, but changed his mind at the last minute. Unable to move the vehicle away in time, he jumped out and the train crashed into the SUV, killing eleven and injuring nearly 200. Álvarez was charged with eleven counts of murder with "special circumstances", convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• This episode marks Michael Imperioli's final interim series regular role as Detective Nick Falco.

Episode scene cards