The Pursuit of Happiness

"The Pursuit of Happiness"
←	L&O, Episode 4.10	→
Production number: 69005 First aired: 1 December 1993
	th of 456 produced in L&O
←	th of 456 released in L&O	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By Robert Nathan & Morgan Gendel Directed By Dann Florek

Detectives Briscoe and Logan suspect a Russian "mail order bride" in the murder of the owner of a successful meat company.

Plot

Detectives Briscoe and Logan investigate the murder of a nerdy business owner whose wife turns out to be a Russian mail-order bride and may have conspired with an adulterous lover to kill him. EADA Stone and ADA Kincaid must then prove the suspects guilty with a recalcitrant witness.

Cast

Main cast

• Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe
• Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
• Michael Moriarty as Executive A.D.A. Benjamin Stone
• Jill Hennessy as A.D.A. Claire Kincaid
• Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff
• Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (credit only)

Recurring cast

• Donald Corren as Medill
• David Lipman as Judge Morris Torledsky
• Roger Serbagi as Judge Robert Quinn
• Jay Spadaro as Court Clerk

Guest cast

• Faith Prince as Ms. Farrell
• Bruce Altman as Tom Morrison
• Jesse Corti as Alex Nunez
• Bill Marcus as Phil Guardino
• Peter Van Wagner as Stan Feldman
• Natalya Negoda as Irina Cooper
• Don Peoples as Art Koslow
• James Noah as Dr. Holtz
• Peter Jay Fernandez as Dr. Isaac Kerwin
• Jack Davidson as George Berman
• Yo Han Lim as Richard Kim
• Marya Kazakova as Eva Berman
• Marc Romeo as Kenney
• Giulia Pagano as Frances Guardino
• Mary Lim as Mrs. Kim
• Joe Pentangelo as Delito
• George T. Odom as Mitchell
• Edward D. Murphy as Matson
• Denise Rogers as Cobb

References

• Robert Redford
• Russia

Quotes

"Quick, lock the doors. Someone might walk in with a case we could win."

- D.A. Adam Schiff to his staff

"I wouldn't count your chickens. Your omelette just hit the fan."

- D.A. Adam Schiff to his staff

"They look at me, they see a greedy spic. They look at you, they see a whore.

- Alex Nunez to Irina Cooper

Background information and notes

• The title of this episode, The Pursuit of Happiness, is a reference to the Declaration of Independence and its statement that Americans have the inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
Apartment of Phil Guardino 520 East 51st Street Thursday, September 24	Russian-American Friendship League 623 West 14th Street Friday, September 25	Hudson Diagnostic Laboratories 375 East 21st Street Monday, September 28

4	5	6
62nd & 3rd Avenue Wednesday, September 30	Westside Women's Clinic Dr. Isaac Kerwin 86 West 72nd Street Friday, October 2	Forensic Laboratory Monday, October 26

7	8	9
Supreme Court Trial Part 51 Thursday, December 10	Supreme Court Trial Part 51 Monday, December 14	Rikers Island Correctional Facility Tuesday, December 15

Previous episode: "Born Bad"

"The Pursuit of Happiness" Law & Order Season 4

Next episode: "Golden Years"