| "Point of View" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | L&O, Episode 3.09 | → |
| Production number: 68012 First aired: 25 November 1992 | ||
 | ||
| Written By René Balcer & Walon Green Directed By Gilbert Moses | ||
A woman claims she killed a man in self-defense because he was going to rape her. Detective Lennie Briscoe joins the 27th Precinct.
Summary[]
A man, Thomas Duff, is found shot to death outside of PJ Smyth's Pub. Logan works with Detective Briscoe on the case, as Cerreta is still recovering from being shot.
Briscoe and Logan uncover that Duff was a bagman for mobster Jimmie Scanlon. They believe the case fits a mob hit.
The woman he was seen fooling around with inside the bar, Mary Kostrinski, is arrested and charged with murder. She alleges that Duff followed her after she left the bar and attempted to rape her and she shot him in self-defense.
Robinette learns that Kostrinski was given $30,000 by Scanlon. Kostrinski confesses to shooting Duff on the orders of Scanlon. She owed him a favor after he killed her abusive husband. Scanlon is arrested for murder.
Initially, Logan acts hostile towards Briscoe during the case, as he believes that Cerreta will be back on the job soon. However, Cerreta tells Logan that he is transferring to an administrative job at another precinct after he completes his recovery. Though Logan is disappointed over losing another partner so soon, he comes to accept Briscoe as his new partner.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe
- 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[]
- Elaine Stritch as Women's Rights Attorney Lanie Stieglitz
- Paul Sorvino as Sergeant Phil Cerreta
Guest cast[]
- Lisa Eichhorn as Mary Kostrinski
- Gary Basaraba as Kevin Reilly
- Caroline Aaron as Valerie Walker
- Alan North as Jimmy Scanlon
- Michael Ingram as Officer Andy Libik
- Delphi Harrington as Suzanne
- Samaria Graham as Officer Jenna Adams
- Cara Duff-MacCormick as Maggie Duff
- María Cellario as Elaine Cerreta
- Peter McRobbie as John Ennis
- Michael Crider as George Lutz
- Frank Girardeau as Vinnie
- Edward Seamon as Max Calahan
- Tony Lip as Doc
- Damon Chandler as Judge Allan Bonner
- Rich Ramirez as Carrillo
- Joshua Stern as Crime Scene Unit Policeman
- John Joseph Gallagher as Paddy O'Hagan
References[]
- Thomas Duff
Quotes[]
| “ | It walks and quacks like a mob hit. | ” |
–Lennie Briscoe | ||
| “ | I cannot and I will not perpetrate a fraud on the court. It's unethical and illegal. I'm not going to put you on the stand tomorrow, Mary, and I am not going to make a closing argument. And the jury is going to wonder why. | ” |
–Lanie Stieglitz | ||
| “ | You've got the flaw of most basically honest people. You're a lousy liar. | ” |
–Lennie Briscoe | ||
| “ | I love a tall man with a halo. | ” |
–Lanie Stieglitz | ||
- Mike Logan: What am I supposed to do, stare at my linguine while you clip him for meals?
- Lennie Briscoe: Hey, he thinks I'm corrupt, so he trusts me, all right? Say hi to Phil.
- Don Cragen: I mean, I’m thinking back to when Phil came on. It’s not always love at first sight with you.
- Mike Logan: Look, I can handle it. I just wanna know for how long?
- Don Cragen: I wanna know how long is my mother-in-law gonna live with us. I don’t know, but I'm learning to enjoy her pot roast.
- Ben Stone: I'm doing you a favor, Lanie. I could have brought this out in court.
- Lanie Stieglitz: But then you wouldn't get the chance to squeeze me into God's little acre. East of the rock and west of the hard place.
- Jimmy Scanlon: If you can read, take a look at that wall. There's citations there from every office in this city. Now the only bags that are carried for me are for charities which I support.
- Mike Logan: Just like Santa.
- Jimmy Scanlon: Yeah. Yeah, just like Santa. And Tommy Duff wasn't one of my elves.
- Mary Kostrinski: John Kostrinski routinely took out the problems of the world on my face. Scanlon ran the docks with my father. When I told him the story, he took pity on me.
- Ben Stone: Your husband was killed in a work accident.
- Mary Kostrinski: You know the Church and divorce.
| “ | Ben, either you give me parole or I give you the biggest headache since Susan B. Anthony asked to vote. | ” |
–Lanie Stieglitz | ||
- [Briscoe and Logan enter Scanlon's office; Scanlon is on the phone]
- Scanlon: I just haven't seen any real money yet. [to the detectives] Hey, hey, guys, come on, now. I'm busy here!
- Briscoe: [takes the phone] He'll call you back in 25 years. [hangs up]
- Scanlon: What is this?!
- Logan: You wanna put your hands behind you, sir?
- Scanlon: What are you doin'?!
- [Logan slaps the cuffs on him]
- Briscoe: James Scanlon, you're under arrest for the murder of Thomas Duff.
- Scanlon: [to his secretary] Call the lawyers!
- Logan: Good move. You're gonna need one.
- Briscoe: Yeah, and don't tell his wife to keep dinner warm for him. All right?
- Logan: And she shouldn't wait up to tuck him in, either.
Background information and notes[]
At the end of this episode, Mike Logan starts to accept his new partner, Lennie Briscoe.
- This is actor Paul Sorvino's last appearance as Sergeant Phil Cerreta. Cerreta appears in the hospital, recovering from his gunshot wounds in the previous episode. Sorvino is replaced by Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe, an actor who previously appeared as Defense Attorney Frank Lehrman in the second season episode "The Wages of Love".
- Dr. Elizabeth Olivet's rape in the episode "Helpless" comes back to haunt her, and threatens her good judgement in this episode.
- This is the only time that Phil Cerreta's wife, Elaine, is ever seen.
- Unlike most episodes, which usually end in the D.A.'s office, this episode closes with a scene between Briscoe and Logan at the Two-Seven.
- From this episode on actress Carolyn McCormick is credited as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet in the opening theme. Although she doesn't always appear in an episode, she is credited throughout the rest of the third season and for the entire fourth season.
- Actress Elaine Stritch received an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Lanie Stiglitz in this episode.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Scanlon Trucking |
Barnett & Barnett |
33rd Precinct |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
District Attorney's |
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Prince of Darkness" |
"Point of View" Law & Order Season 3 |
Next episode: "Consultation" |