I evaluate a number of police procedural dramas, so I really feel assured giving this week’s Legislation & Order episode, “The Greater Good,” excessive marks for its transferring and thought-provoking writing that explored the advanced and painful intergenerational struggles between Det. Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Officer Vanessa Washburn (Karen Obilum). The showrunners did an important job of explicating the ethical, authorized, and social issues that these characters face on daily basis. It is this stage of depth that makes Legislation & Order stand out and has stored it going for many years. Let’s evaluate!
As per common, this week’s crime was ripped from the headlines, because the sufferer, Wes Morgan, was discovered useless from a single gunshot to the chest. Morgan is an leisure mogul who’s being investigated for intercourse trafficking. Sound acquainted? Detectives Shaw and Riley (Reid Scott) study this after they interview Officer Washburn, who’s undercover with the NYPD’s Safety Providers Unit. Ultimately, Lyman (Mekhi Phifer), the daddy of trafficking sufferer Angela Ross (Arica Himmel), killed Morgan as a result of he had focused his 18-year-old daughter. The district legal professional provided Lyman a plea deal, however he selected to go to trial, claiming he shot Morgan in self-defense.
“The Greater Good” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Mekhi Phifer as Lyman Ross, Michael Beach as Atty. Harris. Photo by: Will Hart/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Video evidence shows Washburn was one of the last people to see Morgan alive. However, when Detectives Shaw and Riley interviewed her, she immediately gave them attitude. She lets them know that, despite also being a cop, she felt no obligation to help them investigate the murder of someone she knew was a sexual predator. The episodes’ narrative continued to revolve around Shaw and Washburn, showcasing how each embodied a different approach to policing and justice. The older officer, Det. Shaw, joined the force with the idealistic hope of instituting change from within. His unwavering adherence to the rules and his belief in the system paint him as a figure of integrity and tradition. Ms. Washburn, the younger officer, harbors a deep-seated cynicism toward the very systems she has sworn to uphold. For her, becoming a police officer was more about securing a pension than enforcing what she perceived as fundamentally unjust laws that historically have harmed her community—the Black community.
“The Larger Good” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Karen Chinasa Obilom as Vanessa Washburn, Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley. Photograph by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What makes this episode notably compelling is its refusal to simplify these characters into mere archetypes. As a substitute, the writers intricately weave a story the place each character is each flawed and sympathetic. Shaw’s steadfast loyalty to the system and empathy towards Officer Washburn’s ideological place is concurrently noble and irritating—particularly to his accomplice Reid and to Govt ADA Nolan Value. At one level, Reid tells Shaw, “There’s no carve-out in the police handbook for Black or White cops. We don’t get to choose when to be a ‘real cop’ in the name of a higher calling. Call ADA Price. He’ll put her ass on the stand. If she chooses to perjure herself, it is her choice.”
In court docket, Lyman Ross testifies that Morgan threatened his life with a champagne bottle he was carrying. Growth! The protection legal professional, Brian Harris (Michael Seashore), simply launched cheap doubt. This testimony forces ADA Value to place Washburn on the stand to repeat what she informed Det. Shaw that Morgan was not carrying a champagne bottle. The editor’s choice to seize a close-up of Washburn taking an oath to talk the reality was a pleasant contact. However Washburn’s disregard for the principles, whereas born out of a official distrust of the system, led her to not inform the reality. Cue the ominous music when ADA Value asks her immediately if Morgan had been carrying a bottle, and he or she says sure. Value continues, mentioning that her assertion contradicts what she informed Detective Shaw. “Detective Shaw misunderstood me,” says Washburn as Shaw seems at her. How? With disgrace? Disappointment? What did you see?
“The Greater Good” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, Hugh Dancy as A.D.A. Nolan Price. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Of course, ADA Price is miffed that Washburn gave the defense exactly what they needed for an acquittal. He demands that Shaw impeach officer Washburn’s testimony. He does, but he’s clearly not happy about doing it. He understands the viewpoint of a young, Black female officer who is unafraid to challenge conventional norms for the betterment of her community. He understands that the removal of a Black father from his family brings no justice to the Black community. He also understands that Officer Washburn just washed out as a police officer because she committed perjury.
“The Larger Good– LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, Karen Chinasa Obilom as Vanessa Washington. Photograph by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
On the finish of the episode, Washburn congratulates Shaw on Lyman Ross’ conviction. She accused him of ‘blowing up’ her profession. He responded, “I tried to warn you.” I discovered the episode’s exploration of racial and generational contexts unflinching. The implications of being “a little wrong” are disproportionately extreme for the Black cops, highlighting a harsh actuality that ought to resonate deeply with a number of viewers. The episode exposes the persistent injustice that always ends in justice for nobody. It confronted systemic racism with out resorting to sensationalism, making the viewers painfully conscious of the stakes concerned for all sides. It’s an episode which will stick with you lengthy after the credit roll, making it a must-watch for anybody involved in richly layered storytelling.
How did you want this episode? Did you assume that there was any benefit to Washburn’s place and actions? Let me know within the feedback.
General Score:
10/10
Lynette Jones
