Scrambled

"Scrambled"
←	L&O, Episode 9.06	→
Production number: E0208 First aired: 11 November 1998
	{{{nNthProducedInSeries}}}th of 456 produced in L&O
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Teleplay By Ed Zuckerman Story By Dick Teresi & Judith Hooper Directed By Martha Mitchell

Plot

The murder of an employee at a fertility clinic leads to a case involving a dead man's first and second wives.

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

• David Garrison as Defense Attorney Richard Billings
• Pippa Pearthree as Judge Esther Morrow
• Jason Pugatch as C.S.U. Technician Persky

Guest cast

• Lisa Eichhorn as Arlene Galvin
• Frank Wood as Dr. Rutland
• Brian O'Neill as Frances Curran
• Michael Mastro as Thomas Kravitz
• Barbara Walsh as Mrs. Lasky
• Jean Louisa Kelly as Coral Galvin
• Jordan Lage as Dr. Harvey Purcell
• William Youmans as Byrne Chaikin
• Lewis Arlt as Defense Attorney Gerald Grove
• William Prael as Defense Attorney William O'Rourke
• Ken Strong as Surrogate Justin Rattner
• Laura Moss as Marianne Voullers
• Arthur Halpern as Harold Tucker
• Margot Ebling as Elizabeth Torelli
• Richard Muenz as Derek Sloan
• Daniel Pearce as Dr. Aaron Fine
• Ron Nakahara as Defense Attorney Kim
• Stewart J. Zully as Tom Bubitz
• Joe Pacheco as Grimley
• Denise Wilbanks as Brenda
• Elizabeth Martin as Mrs. Forrester
• Bill Tatum as Michael Lasky
• J. Tucker Smith as Mr. Weston
• Becky Borczon as Mrs. Weston

References

• Sarah Purcell (victim)
• Deborah Curtis
• Cathy Briscoe
• CIA
• Belgium
• United Kingdom
• Hell's Kitchen
• Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber

Background information and notes

• The plot of this episode involves a first wife, Arlene Galvin, trying to prevent a second wife, Coral Galvin, from using frozen embryos from the first marriage to gain a share of the deceased husband's estate through dispensing the money meant for the child. A similar plot occurs in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "December Solstice" when Charmaine Briggs tries to get pregnant to get a share of her older husband's estate.
  • Though not mentioned by name in this episode, Coral Galvin mentions a procedure to extract sperm from a dead person. In "December Solstice", the procedure is named electroejaculation and it used by Charmaine Briggs on her husband, Walter Briggs.
    • Electroejaculation is also used by April Troost to steal sperm in the SVU episode "Design".

Episode scene cards

1	2	3	4
Apartment of Harold Tucker 11 East 14th Street Tuesday, August 26	Apartment of Mr. & Mrs. Lasky 245 West End Avenue Thursday, September 4	Office of Executive Assistant D.A. Jack McCoy Thursday, October 2	Supreme Court Motion Hearing Wednesday, October 8

5	6	7
Supreme Court Trial Part 47 Monday, December 8	Chambers of Judge Esther Morrow Tuesday, December 16	Apartment of Mr. & Mrs. Lasky 245 West End Avenue Wednesday, December 17

Previous episode: "Agony"

"Scrambled" Law & Order Season 9

Next episode: "Venom"