Endurance

In Season 11's "Endurance", we are introduced to Adam Schiff's replacement Nora Lewin, played by fine actress Dianne Wiest. Even from reading the synopsis, it was clear that this was not going to be an easy watch and if done well it would make for a truly powerful episode that hit the feels factor. In my mind, 'Law and Order' wasn't as consistent from Season 11 onwards, but Season 11 had enough episodes that showed how good the show was in its glory years.

One of the best episodes of the season is its season opener "Endurance", for me one of the best season openers of 'Law and Order' and one of the most powerful. Season 11 perhaps did not reach this level of powerful than this episode. It had a truly harrowing subject matter that is indeed truly unthinkable, and the execution of the subject matter is uncompromisingly heart-breaking and enough to make one angry as well. Which 'Law and Order' was very good at.

There are a lot of truly fine things here in "Endurance". Have nothing to fault the production values for, which are suitably slick and gritty without being static or gimmicky. Or with the music, used relatively sparingly and didn't sound over-scored or over-emphasised. It is a dependably directed episode that hits its stride in the second half and excels in the character interaction.

Dialogue is taut and thought-provoking with a nice amount of edge, especially in the increasing tensions in the legal scenes. There is a lot of information to take in but it doesn't feel like too much. The story maintains full attention throughout and has real tension and emotional impact, especially later on as things get more complex without being convoluted. There were to me a number of 'Law and Order' episodes where the second half was better than the first, but "Endurance" is one of those episodes where the two halves were equally strong (though the more complex second half gets the slight edge).

Acting from all is great, all the regulars are reliably strong. With Jerry Orbach and Jesse L. Martin continuing to make an entertaining and gritty team and Sam Waterston typically authoritative and ruthless. Did generally find Lewin on the underwritten side, but Wiest's first impression is promising. Nick Chinlund is effectively smarmy, but "Endurance" belongs to the devastating turn of Megan Follows.

In conclusion, wonderful and one of the season's best. 10/10.

I would like to know what illness the son was diagnosed with. Was this based on real life illness progression as this boy suffered? I have seen similar children in my family and am looking for answers.

Dianne Weist's first appearance as the new District Attorney got off to a good start in this Law And Order story. We learn here that her background was in the special prosecutor's office that Rudy Giuliani used to head. In fact Mayor Giuliani makes an appearance to introduce her.

This episode is a gut wrencher. An arson fire is set and living above the business that is destroyed is a mother and her mentally disturbed child. It is the child that is killed and the mother charged with the crime.

The crime is one we don't like to think about. That is the biggest burden that Sam Waterston and Angie Harmon face in convicting Megan Follows. Egging them on however is Follows's attorney Nick Chinlund who is one of the most obnoxious lawyers you will ever meet on any show. This was the first of two appearances Chinlund made on Law And Order. On the second he was the 'victim' and probably even more obnoxious there.

Sam Waterston is truly troubled over this one.