User Reviews

A deliver guy got into a classy restaurant asking the owner to open up the upstairs apartment, whose tenant was about to receive a bunch of roses. Unfortunately, they found the girl shot dead. Detectives, thanks to a Chinese take-away receipt, manage to realize the time of the murder. A CCTV placed across the street displayed two tourists with a camera intended to shoot the daily life in the big city. After police took that footage (sold previously by the sightseers to a local TV), they identified the people located at the victim's flat: two thieves and a fence, probably a drug dealer. They robbed a brand new TV set from the apartment; defense attorneys stated they pawned the stuff because the victim was late in payments (she was a retailer in drug business to make a living and not a stand-up comedian as supposed at first), but it's not easy for black people with priors to convince a jury.

The ambitious District Attorney chief Arthur Branch is willing to convict the defendants with death penalty, against Serena will; McCoy raises his eyebrows but accepts his boss decision. No one really win.

"Tragedy on Rye" is not the only or first time the death penalty and the arguments surrounding it has been explored. It is explored also in for example Season 6's "Savages", though that episode did it better and more tactfully as well as being a much better episode in quality). This time though the disagreement in stance on it is not between McCoy or his assistant DA (Kincaid in that episode) but actually Southerlyn and Branch. Interesting to see a point of view on the issue from somebody other than McCoy.

As far as Season 13 goes, "Tragedy on Rye" is neither one of the best or worst episodes and like the previous episode it doesn't quite live up to the outstanding standard of the first two episodes of the season. It is a solid and well done outing that does a lot right. As said though, the death penalty and the arguments that surround it have been explored with more subtlety and dimension elsewhere (including the aforementioned "Savages" and Season 9's "Agony").

Much is good and even great. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction is sympathetic but also alert. The acting on the whole is fine, Jerry Orbach and Jesse L Martin are such a good pairing and neither disappoint. Sam Waterston is also great.

Likewise with S Epatha Merkerson, who shines in her scene/exchange with Branch which was a dramatic highlight. The writing is taut and thought provoking, with a good deal of talk but it's interesting talk. The story always engrosses on the whole with a case that makes one think.

Elisabeth Rohm still seems stiff and that was my general feeling on her, albeit a few exceptions (i.e. The season opener). The ending felt rather rushed and unrealistic in outcome.

Branch's death penalty argument for my tastes is laid on too thick and comes over as heavy handed, actually found myself being on Southerlyn's side and that is not something that gives me pleasure in admitting considering how inept she is usually.

In conclusion, worth watching but didn't blow me away. 7/10.

This episode of Law And Order marked the first of many disagreements that Elizabeth Rohm had with policy at the DA's office. Specifically the intentions of Fred Dalton Thompson to seek the death penalty for three defendants caught on tape leaving the victim's apartment with her plasma TV. The female victim is lying upstairs with a 357 magnum round blowing a Holland Tunnel like hole in her chest.

The woman was living pretty comfortably with no visible means of support, a fact the defense exploits with innuendo about drug dealing. But when you've got video taken by passing tourists showing the defendants not only with her plasma TV, but one of them sporting a piece and their fingerprints all over the apartment you've got a slam dunk case for murder, maybe murder in the first.

There is a bit more to it with due diligence by Rohm she points that out to Thompson and Sam Waterston. But for that you see the episode.

Charges of racism thrown at a black cop, charges of racism thrown by series writers at the DA.

Then ada McCoy solves the case After conviction?? MAJOR FLAW when ada McCoy immediately releases 3 convicted of all charges. Voids all charges. Especially the murder voided before picking up said murderer). Are 3 innocent? All at murder at time of murder, yet McCoy does Not look for connection, assumes No connection to actual murderer, forgets all 4 were there at time of murder. If No murder? They Still have outstanding convictions of robbery conspiracy, obstruction.. it's absurd to release.

The writers of the show are responsible for the dumbing down of America. Aka why the 2020 pandemic happened.