The Fifth Season

Dick Wolf's Law & Order has been one of the most popular running television dramas. It is a crime drama that focuses on a unique balance of criminal investigations and the legal proceedings that follow. The case detectives apprehend suspects and the district attorney's office prosecute them. This standard format takes on a few variations throughout the series, but on the whole, it stays pretty consistent. Despite the formulaic approach, there is enough difference in detail, in regards to the characters and events, to keep the stories exciting. For more details about this series, please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, and season fourteen.

The show's fifth season begins with a cast change. Primary ADA Ben Stone is gone; his replacement is the fearless Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). McCoy, who is still on the show today, is an awesome addition to the cast. He has a good chemistry with fellow ADA Kincaid, as well as the detectives Briscoe and Logan. Furthermore, McCoy stands out as a very strong character and has a couple great storylines involving him. Also notable about season five's cast is that it is Logan's final season. As for the season five content, there are plenty of great stories; from the season premiere to the season finale, they are all strong.

"House Counsel" is a really strong episode with McCoy at the top of his game. The storyline leads the detectives to investigate a guy with ties to the mob. And defending is McCoy's buddy from law school. What makes the episode strong is the development of McCoy and how he is the kind of guy who will do anything (within the realms of the law) to put the bad guy away--even if it means prosecuting one of his close friends.

"Competence" is a great episode that really shows what a stellar Captain Van Buren is. Van Buren goes to an automated teller machine to get some cash and two teenage boys attempt to rob her. Van Buren uses her firearm for the first time in years and kills one of the boys, who she believed had a gun. IAD is quick to point fingers at the female Captain who many think she should not be carrying a gun or be on the force anymore. What is so great about the episode is how it brings out Van Buren and how well Merkerson carries her character. It is a topnotch performance and a clear indication why she is Law & Order's Captain.

"Bad Faith" is story that touches into Logan's past. Logan's childhood friend, a decorated police officer, is found dead in what some believe to be murder and others suicide. When Logan and Briscoe investigate, a secret from Logan's past comes to light... a priest who moonlights as a pedophile. It is a gruesome topic, but still entertaining because of how it ties into Logan and the passion derived from it. Another aspect that makes this story so entertaining is the return of an old face. Captain Donald Cragen assists Logan on the case.

The season finale, "Pride", is the last appearance of Logan. In the episode, a gay councilman is killed in the streets of New York. When the detectives investigate the crime, all clues lead to a former police officer turned politician. When McCoy and Kincaid take him to court, the defense drowns the facts in an ocean of stereotypical and homophobic beliefs. In the end, the defendant goes free and it pisses Logan off. He punches out the politician and is demoted for his efforts. It is a quick and dirty exit for, who I will argue, is the best detective to star in this series.

As for the remaining season five content, the episodes are all quite good. The season premiere "Second Opinion" is of note because it introduces Jack McCoy and his chemistry with Kincaid is quite good from the start. "Coma" is another dramatic episode that shows the faults in McCoy as a character--he pushes for something and it causes someone to die. "Rage" guest stars Courtney B. Vance (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as a cool, calculating stockbroker; Vance's performance is topnotch and he makes an excellent villain.

Overall, Law & Order fifth season has its ups and downs. As for the ups, the new ADA Jack McCoy is an awesome addition. He is an amazing lead and very strong throughout the season. And unlike Stone, he has a pretty good chemistry Kincaid. I appreciated her character a lot more this season than in her inaugural season (season four). On the flipside, not having Stone is a disappointment. He was also an excellent ADA and at times I wish both were still there. On the police side, the detectives Logan and Briscoe are great together; it is only too bad it is Logan's last. Van Buren really shines and comes off as a great character in a leadership role. In the end, the fifth season has a great character lineup and twenty-three fantastic stories that weave drama and intrigue together in an almost perfect pattern.

Episode Guide

1. Second Opinion: A woman's death exposes an unorthodox method of treating breast cancer by a doctor described as a "Class A quack" by her colleagues.
2. Coma: A comedy club owner comes under suspicion of shooting his wife, now comatose with a bullet in her head, after it's discovered he was abusive and she was about to divorce him.
3. Blue Bamboo: The killing of a Japanese nightclub owner who was visiting New York leads to the arrest of a singer who once worked for the deceased, and whose lawyer uses the "batter-woman syndrome" as a defense.
4. Family Values: After it's determined that a wealthy woman didn't commit suicide but was murdered, the detectives question both her first and second husbands and her teenage daughters.
5. White Rabbit: A routine investigation uncovers evidence that leads Briscoe and Logan to a longtime fugitive, a radical Vietnam War opponent on the run since a 1971 burglary that left a policeman dead.
6. Competence: When Van Buren is the victim of an attempted holdup by two teens, she fires her gun and kills one of them, and the detectives are faced with the fact that she shot an unarmed child in the back.
7. Precious: After questioning the parents of a missing baby, Briscoe and Logan suspect that the child may have been murdered rather than kidnapped.
8. Virtue: McCoy uses a charge of "larceny by extortion" against a councilman whose former colleague claims he demanded sex in exchange for a law firm partnership.
9. Scoundrels: Among the suspects in a lawyer's murder are a swindler who conned a woman out of her family fortune and the woman's once-wealthy son.
10. House Counsel: The killing of a man who had served as a juror in a mob trial leads to a battle of will between McCoy and his longtime friend, the suspect's attorney.
11. Guardian: After the body of a young female junkie is identified as the daughter of a wealthy family, Briscoe and Logan try to find out who left her to die in the yard of a day-care center.
12. Progeny: The investigation into the killing of an abortion clinic doctor leads to an activist group led by a former priest.

13. Rage: A Wall Street broker accused of murdering his mentor uses the defense of "black rage" in court.
14. Performance: Briscoe and Logan set out to identify the apparent victim in a snuff film, but find that she's alive and really the victim of a points-for-sex club at her prestigious high school.
15. Seed: A routine investigation into a woman's death leads Briscoe and Logan to a fertility doctor guilty of unethical practices, but who apparently cannot be touched because of confidentiality rules and patient reluctance to talk.
16. Wannabe: The investigation into the shooting of a member of the board for an exclusive private school leads to the father of an expelled student, then the student, and then to another student.
17. Act of God: A bomb at a building site accidentally kills a 12-year-old boy and leads the detectives to a bankrupt contractor who antagonizes everyone.
18. Privileged: The investigation into a double murder leads to a young alcoholic whose family once lived in the victims' house and who had admitted to his AA group that he had nightmares about killings.
19. Cruel and Unusual: The death of an autistic youth in custody reveals a multitude of unusual and possibly illegal therapies being used, but also parents reluctant to pursue a prosecution.
20. Bad Faith: Logan relives unhappy childhood memories when a friend is found dead, a presumed suicide, until the investigation reveals recent contact with a former priest with a history of pedophilia.
21. Purple Heart: The investigation into a taxi driver's murder involves a loan shark, a forged check, a missing plumber and the victim's wife.
22. Switch: Suspects in a psychiatrist's murder include the victim's ex-husband, a patient suffering from multiple personality disorder and her obstructive father.
23. Pride: The investigation of a gay councilman's murder involves his roommate, a married man and a homophobic politician who nonetheless claimed to be a great friend of the deceased.

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color. For the most part, the picture quality looks great. It is sharp and colors look good. There is a slight dirt/grain noticeable that will be more apparent to those with big screens. Overall, it is a solid picture

Audio:
The audio track supplied with release is English 2.0 Dolby digital mono sound. The sound quality is good, the track is pretty clean and spoken dialogue is easily heard. Like most TV on DVD releases it is fairly flat and there is not much to it, but it fits the presentation well. This release also comes with subtitles in English and Spanish and supports closed captioning.

Extras:
For extras, this season set includes "A Sleuth Channel Countdown of the Top Sleuths in Television and Film", which is the countdown from the television special America's Top Sleuths. The special aired on the Sleuth Channel and viewers were able to vote for their favorite characters in crime/mystery dramas. This special is half of it and only includes the countdown for the top ten television series. It is an interesting special with commentary from a variety of individuals from the entertainment business (actors, comedians, writers, novelists, etc.)

Final Thoughts:
Law & Order's fifth season is a great collection of episodes. This season is driven by its cast, who are at the center of some of great stories. New to this season is ADA Jack McCoy, who shines from the start. Logan also makes his final appearances, as he is demoted from detective when he punches a politician in the season finale. Nonetheless, season five has a great lineup and characters who really drive the stories. Viewers will not want to miss a second this season has to offer. It comes Highly Recommended.