Preexisting conditions, costs and personal choice of medical treatment and its effect upon the family and their finances, particularly the treatment of those with breast cancer. They all come to a head in this episode. While the storyline re amygdalin (laetrile), which at first pass seems dated, the lengths a person choses to go to find a treatment for cancer, alternative or traditional, remains constant. Cyanide is a miguffin. At its heart is the threat of insurance companies denying coverage because of "preexisting conditions" and continues to this day, ACA notwithstanding for at least a couple of years. While this is Jack McCoy's first episode, this is really all about Claire and her investigation into how women patients are treated, their decisions, their options, their pain. More to the point is the irony of Anita Van Buren's ironic prognostication to Mike and Lenny: "There are two kinds of women in this world: those that have breast cancer and those that are scared to death of getting it. Articles you skip on the way to the sports page, I cut out and put them in a drawer next to my bed."
6 Reviews
Dispute
TheLittleSongbird5 November 2020
"Second Opinion" is most interesting for being the first episode for one of 'Law and Order's' longest serving characters Jack McCoy, replacing one of my favourite characters of the previous four seasons Ben Stone. 'Law and Order' was five seasons in at this point and already it had to undergo a lot of changes. A vast majority of which were handled incredibly well and settled quite quickly, those for the start of Season 2 took a little longer but considering the circumstances that was understandable.
It also was the first episode of the fifth season. And it was a pretty good and interesting one on the whole, though 'Law and Order' did have better season openers (did much prefer all of the previous four season openers) and there were Season 5 episodes that were a lot better than "Second Opinion". My feelings on McCoy here were pretty mixed and the attitudes towards the subject matter (a typically difficult one) have definitely changed and moved on since.
There is a lot to like about "Second Opinion". It is a typically slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was an issue, but by this point it was a good deal more refined). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too sedate.
Writing is intelligently written, stays tight (amazing for an episode with a lot of talk) and offers some nice insight into the attitudes and feelings towards mastectomy. Van Buren's is especially telling. The story does intrigue enough and personally did like the chemistry between McCoy and Kincaid. The latter being an interesting character here and her investigation of the treatment of women patients is where "Second Opinion" is at its most thought-provoking. The performances are great all round, McCoy as a character may not have been easy to warm to here but Sam Waterston looks at home and is commanding. Jill Hennessy is excellent as is Elizabeth Ashley.
McCoy however is a lot more likeable later on and came on a long way, here he is too much of a jerk and his attitude towards getting a conviction is on the near-unprofessional side. Can understand where one commentator is coming from regarding not being convinced by treating mastectomy as being difficult for women, although it has always been divisive depending on the person as said attitudes have moved on a lot since 25 years so towards it.
It does start off a little on the slow and routine side but does pick up when there is more revealed.
Overall, pretty good start to Season 5 but the season had far better episodes, as did the show. 7/10
It also was the first episode of the fifth season. And it was a pretty good and interesting one on the whole, though 'Law and Order' did have better season openers (did much prefer all of the previous four season openers) and there were Season 5 episodes that were a lot better than "Second Opinion". My feelings on McCoy here were pretty mixed and the attitudes towards the subject matter (a typically difficult one) have definitely changed and moved on since.
There is a lot to like about "Second Opinion". It is a typically slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was an issue, but by this point it was a good deal more refined). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too sedate.
Writing is intelligently written, stays tight (amazing for an episode with a lot of talk) and offers some nice insight into the attitudes and feelings towards mastectomy. Van Buren's is especially telling. The story does intrigue enough and personally did like the chemistry between McCoy and Kincaid. The latter being an interesting character here and her investigation of the treatment of women patients is where "Second Opinion" is at its most thought-provoking. The performances are great all round, McCoy as a character may not have been easy to warm to here but Sam Waterston looks at home and is commanding. Jill Hennessy is excellent as is Elizabeth Ashley.
McCoy however is a lot more likeable later on and came on a long way, here he is too much of a jerk and his attitude towards getting a conviction is on the near-unprofessional side. Can understand where one commentator is coming from regarding not being convinced by treating mastectomy as being difficult for women, although it has always been divisive depending on the person as said attitudes have moved on a lot since 25 years so towards it.
It does start off a little on the slow and routine side but does pick up when there is more revealed.
Overall, pretty good start to Season 5 but the season had far better episodes, as did the show. 7/10
Very Dated Plot
Better_TV4 May 2018
This is Sam Sam Waterston's first appearance as EADA Jack McCoy, replacing Michael Moriarty's Ben Stone. Right off the bat you can tell the writers are seeding some sexual tension between McCoy and Jill Hennessy's ADA Claire Kincaid, and it's definitely a bit forced. Certainly this portrayal of McCoy as a roguish ladies man who, as we learn, had relationships with every one of his prior female assistants, would be de-emphasized or virtually omitted in later seasons.
What would remain the same, however, would be McCoy's dogged pursuit of those he found to be guilty, and his willingness to use the law more as a toolbox than a textbook. In this episode, he starts out by immediately having Dr. Haas (Jan Maxwell) arrested, much to DA Adam Schiff's (Steven Hill) chagrin. And he's combative through the rest of the episode, coming to verbal blows with Claire over the nature of the defendant's guilt.
And that's where this one breaks down - the plot, in 2018, is just kind of dumb. Most women in America nowadays don't hesitate to get a mastectomy if they have breast cancer and they know it can prolong their lives; the stigma is greatly diminished. This episode tries to manufacture drama by presenting it as a tough choice for women: retain your love life and uphold the images being presented in beauty magazines, or have a horrible mastectomy (one character even describes the procedure in detail as if it were some form of medieval torture) and live miserably. Perhaps some women do go through that mental back-and-forth, but it rang hollow to me and my viewing companion - who is an ER nurse, no less.
Outside of the dated plot, the supporting players are solid (including a memorable turn by "Evening Shade"'s Elizabeth Ashley as the defense attorney), and it's fun to see Sam Waterston interact with the cast for the first time.
What would remain the same, however, would be McCoy's dogged pursuit of those he found to be guilty, and his willingness to use the law more as a toolbox than a textbook. In this episode, he starts out by immediately having Dr. Haas (Jan Maxwell) arrested, much to DA Adam Schiff's (Steven Hill) chagrin. And he's combative through the rest of the episode, coming to verbal blows with Claire over the nature of the defendant's guilt.
And that's where this one breaks down - the plot, in 2018, is just kind of dumb. Most women in America nowadays don't hesitate to get a mastectomy if they have breast cancer and they know it can prolong their lives; the stigma is greatly diminished. This episode tries to manufacture drama by presenting it as a tough choice for women: retain your love life and uphold the images being presented in beauty magazines, or have a horrible mastectomy (one character even describes the procedure in detail as if it were some form of medieval torture) and live miserably. Perhaps some women do go through that mental back-and-forth, but it rang hollow to me and my viewing companion - who is an ER nurse, no less.
Outside of the dated plot, the supporting players are solid (including a memorable turn by "Evening Shade"'s Elizabeth Ashley as the defense attorney), and it's fun to see Sam Waterston interact with the cast for the first time.
Introducing Jack McCoy
safenoe21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Sam Waterstone debuts in the Law and Order universe as Jack McCoy, and it literally is pretty much the role of a lifetime, and it's a blessing for any actor to have a recurring paycheck.
Here the embers of a potential affair are lit between McCoy (who has admitted having affairs with female ADAs) and Claire Kinkaid, and you can imagine them going at it, beast with two backs and all, after late night drinks or after a Saturday afternoon stroll in Central Park.
Anyway, the alternative health care industry is on trial, and Jack zealously pursues this without any mercy at all because he's the ADA.
Here the embers of a potential affair are lit between McCoy (who has admitted having affairs with female ADAs) and Claire Kinkaid, and you can imagine them going at it, beast with two backs and all, after late night drinks or after a Saturday afternoon stroll in Central Park.
Anyway, the alternative health care industry is on trial, and Jack zealously pursues this without any mercy at all because he's the ADA.
Trying to drum up a case
bkoganbing28 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
With such a debut as Sam Waterston has on Law And Order it's surprising that
Steven Hill didn't fire him. He seemed determined to drum up a case against
Jan Maxwell who is a woman practicing alternative cancer therapy.
She calls herself doctor though she's not an MD. She practices a form of nutritional therapy. A woman who died who was a school lunch lady who just collapsed at work was her patient.
Waterston tries but without success and fights with Jill Hennessy about this one all the way. Things break down along gender lines at the police level with S. Eptha Merkersson and Chris Noth.
Maxwell has a good attorney in Elizabeth Ashley and she proves it. Tony Roberts plays the grieving husband who has to be forced to help with the prosecution.
The episode does examine women's health issues and health issues in general. It's not the best L&O story and Sam Waterston starts out 0-1.
She calls herself doctor though she's not an MD. She practices a form of nutritional therapy. A woman who died who was a school lunch lady who just collapsed at work was her patient.
Waterston tries but without success and fights with Jill Hennessy about this one all the way. Things break down along gender lines at the police level with S. Eptha Merkersson and Chris Noth.
Maxwell has a good attorney in Elizabeth Ashley and she proves it. Tony Roberts plays the grieving husband who has to be forced to help with the prosecution.
The episode does examine women's health issues and health issues in general. It's not the best L&O story and Sam Waterston starts out 0-1.
Introducing Jack McCoy
L_O_Addict4 December 2020
The plot need not detain us for long: a therapist who promotes "alternative" treatments for breast cancer is prosecuted after her patient dies. It's as legally implausible as anything in the "Law & Order" universe, but without the drama of the series at its best.
Fortunately, there is another reason to watch this episode: the debut of Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, the character who would dominate the remaining 16 seasons of "Law & Order". And this is very much an experimental Jack McCoy -- McCoy 1.0, if you will. He barges into the DA's office like a bull in a china shop, his aggressive and chauvinistic personality verging on the obnoxious. We learn that McCoy is a womanizer who has had relationships with all three of his previous female assistants. This lends a special frisson to his interactions with Kincaid; indeed, the tension between the two ADAs supplies most of the interest in this episode.
Those who are familiar with the remainder of the series will find it fascinating to see how Waterston modulated his portrayal of the character into something far more subtle and interesting in later episodes.
Fortunately, there is another reason to watch this episode: the debut of Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, the character who would dominate the remaining 16 seasons of "Law & Order". And this is very much an experimental Jack McCoy -- McCoy 1.0, if you will. He barges into the DA's office like a bull in a china shop, his aggressive and chauvinistic personality verging on the obnoxious. We learn that McCoy is a womanizer who has had relationships with all three of his previous female assistants. This lends a special frisson to his interactions with Kincaid; indeed, the tension between the two ADAs supplies most of the interest in this episode.
Those who are familiar with the remainder of the series will find it fascinating to see how Waterston modulated his portrayal of the character into something far more subtle and interesting in later episodes.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
