The Wheel

"The Wheel"
←	L&O, Episode 13.09	→
Production number: E3307 First aired: 11 December 2002
	th of 456 produced in L&O
←	th of 456 released in L&O	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By Jill Goldsmith Directed By Richard Dobbs

Plot

The smoldering corpse of an Asian girl is found outside the Chinese consul general's apartment, and detectives suspect she immolated herself as a political statement.

Cast

Main cast

• Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe
• Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
• Sam Waterston as Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy
• Elisabeth Röhm as A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn
• Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch

Recurring cast

• Chris Sarandon as Defense Attorney Howard Pincham
• Kate Rigg as Defense Attorney Sally Xiao
• Judy Kaye as Judge Susan Lehman
• Bob Sorenson as M.E. Steve Kurt

Guest cast

• Tzi Ma as Deputy Counsel General Li Chen
• Grant Chang as Akai Yuen
• Ken Leung as Tommy Wong
• Lianna Pai as Wendy Quan
• Marni Lustig as Colleen Baylor
• T.J. Kenneally as Dale Moran
• Eileen Letchworth as Mrs. Schumacher
• Khrystyne Haje as Rebecca
• Tom Zemon as Darren
• Anthony J. Ribustello as Hank
• Matthew Lawler as Rudy
• Mike Pniewski as Assistant M.E. Cooper
• Denny Bess as Defense Attorney Billy Finn
• Leon Adair, Jr. as Bailiff

References

• Falun Gong
• Jim Jones
• David Koresh
• Tianjin, China
• Pennington Cleese
• Ichiro Suzuki
• Chan Ho Park
• Yao Ming
• Shaquille O'Neal
• United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Barsky v. U.S.

Quotes

Quotes

Background information and notes

• The title of this episode comes from the translation of Falun Gong, which literally means Dharma Wheel Practice or Law Wheel Practice (dharma referring to the laws of Buddhism). Deputy Counsel General Li Chen mentions this briefly during a scene in the episode.
• Actors Tzi Ma and Ken Leung had both previously starred in the film Rush Hour.
• Goof: This episode aired on December 11, 2002. However, all but the final episode scene card corresponds to a 2001 calendar.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
Apartment of Helen Quan 25 Rutgers Street Wednesday, November 7	Office of Sally Xiao 130 Mott Street Friday, November 9	Apartment of Colleen Baylor 148 East 62nd Street Friday, November 9

4	5	6
Grand Jury Room Monday, November 19	United Nations West Promenade Tuesday, November 20	The Wilton Club 113 Fulton Street Wednesday, November 27

Previous episode: "Asterisk"

"The Wheel" Law & Order Season 13

Next episode: "Mother's Day"