Law & Order (TV Series) In God We Trust (2005) User Reviews

There are more people who believe in angels in this country than in evolution.

[Mrpalli77 · 7/10 · 24 December 2017]

Firefighters were about to put out the fire in a building. A fireman jumped out of one of the window after a further fire explosion had taken place. Detectives thought someone had enhanced the arson with gasoline in order to let the flames spread even further. The one who set the building on fire was soon caught: he held a grudge against his former wife about their daughter custody. But the episode hasn't ended yet: a weapon found in the chimney led the detectives to another crime happened nine years before, the classic cold case. A man (Jim True-Frost) shot dead his sister's boyfriend due to racial matter. At trial, defense attorney claimed he can't be prosecuted because he became a born again christian and he's now a different person, so devoted to the poors. McCoy stated the law comes first, then the religion, but most people, as well as his assistant, could think differently.

I can't believe in the new millennium this kind of things can still be a matter of debating. Anyway for someone the answer is yes, but I'm agree with McCoy.

Good show, but it totally misrepresents the central issue.

[skyking-14 · 6/10 · 19 October 2021]

I don't expect Hollywood writers to understand exactly what it is to be a "born again" Christian, but it might have been helpful to speak to some theologians before writing this script. I have never heard a single pastor preach that God's forgiveness releases you from the temporal consequences of your actions. In fact, Christ himself, when asked if it was legal to pay the tax, responded with "Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's and render unto God, that which is God's." In this context, the punishment of the body under the law for the murder was "that which is Caesar's" while the punishment of the soul, is "that which is God's".

At the Crucifixion, Christ was raised on a cross between two thieves. One who mocked him and one who sought and received his forgiveness. But both still died on their crosses. If God's forgiveness was intended to spare the forgiven from human punishment, the "good" thief should not have died.

If I max out all my credit cards gambling, then confess my sin of gambling and change my ways, would any reasonable person insist that the credit card companies should wipe out my debts? Of course not! The premise here is no more reasonable, and probably really reflects a bigoted view from the writers, of those who call themselves "born again".

Salvation is not answer

[mloessel · 4/10 · 9 May 2020]

Too bad the shooter didn't find salvation before he fatally shot his sister's fiance. Yes being reborn changed his life and he knew he did wrong. But that didn't excuse him from being found not guilty of the murder (9 years after the fact). This is one episode where the findings of the jury seemed obvious ... and they were.

The remorseful day

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 29 July 2022]

"In God We Trust" did nothing for me on first watch. Did find myself intrigued by it at first, before becoming incredibly preachy and unrealistic with the second worst episode of Season 15. Prime 'Law and Order' (Seasons 1-10) is fantastic, and there were still many fine episodes during the Briscoe and Green period. Many of Season 15's episodes have been worth watching, but a few didn't do it for me on first watch or on rewatch.

The biggest example of this being "In God We Trust", which gets my vote as the weakest episode of the season. The idea was good and intriguing on paper and 'Law and Order' and religion have actually gelled well in the past, but the execution was very sloppy. This sounds like it's being called a terrible episode, it isn't with the first half saving it. There are just too many major things wrong, and a couple of them bring "In God We Trust" down very badly.

Am going to start with the good. It is as ever shot with the right amount of intimacy without feeling too up close, even with a reliance of close up camerawork. The music isn't over-scored, manipulative or used too much. There is intimacy and tautness in the direction in the first half.

Which is quite promising and intriguing. Would have liked more presence from Michael Imperioli but he and Dennis Farina, who's fine, works better than it did in their previous two episodes, but that is it with the issues for this half. The script has enough moments where it is intelligent and made me think. The acting is very good all round, with Jim True-Frost bringing effortless unease to his role.

Really did wish that the second half maintained that promise and intrigue, but sadly "In God We Trust" goes down south once the case comes to trial and gets worse with each minute. Found the second half dull (from over-stretching), lacking in suspense, predictable and also incredibly preachy in how the perpetrator's defense is written.

Not to mention having very little realism, with such a hard to swallow verdict. The second worst ending of the season (the least plausible one) after "Ain't No Love", and one of not many 'Law and Order' episodes to end in a way that made me feel cheated. The character interaction didn't seem as fully connected as it usually is while the script had too much of a talking down quality in the climactic moments particularly.

Concluding, promising first half but a mess of a second. 5/10.

True remorse

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 6 October 2013]

While searching the crime scene of an arson fire Detectives Dennis Farina and Michael Imperioli discover a handgun that has a body on it. It's the weapon of a nine year old homicide of a man who was at that time going out with one of the tenants of the building. It was a mixed racial couple with the victim being black.

A very short investigation reveals Jim True-Frost as the perpetrator and he quite willingly owns up to the crime. In the intervening ten years however he's gotten religion and apparently walks the walk as well. The pastor of his church happens to be black and back in the day what True-Frost objected to was his sister going out with a black man. He's gotten over whatever racism he had at the time of the murder.

This theme about repentance was done already a decade earlier on Law And Order where a punk rocker killed an undercover cop and she received Jesus while awaiting the sentencing portion of her trial. True-Frost walks into this one a true believer and his attorney tries to get charges dismissed on that basis.

It's a well acted story, but the most zealous defense attorney couldn't possibly believe that one would work

Only watch the first half

[evony-jwm · 1/10 · 17 March 2021]

Which got guilty plea for arson murder..

Then in the 2nd half the writers drift into Christian bashing, especially born again Christians to have religious "conservative" ( in NYC?? LOL ) judge toss defense motion..

Law Breaking Farina

[jon-99423 · 1/10 · 29 April 2024]

Farina was a real cop for 18 years & yet acted Fontana as a total thug who breaks every law he's meant to uphold.

The constant "I'm authorised" he wheels out, quickly followed by threats of violence against suspects are concerning when he should have been speaking to the script writers to correct them with how a real investigation is handled.

If this is a realistic portrayal of how US cops were back when the episodes were filmed, all I can say is I'm glad I live in a better country where cops don't have guns & are held to a higher standard.

As for McCoy, Branch should have canned his butt after the first case he was D. A. At least he had the intelligence to have canned Southerlyn a few episodes previously. That character was truly annoying.