Ill-Conceived

Two cleaning women got in their boss office during the night shift. They found him beaten to death on the ground with jaws and several ribs broken. Nobody saw or heard anything, because of the noises from the machine (it all happened in a clothing factory). The laborers were female of Mexican descent but they were treated good, the factory was far from being a sweatshop. Thanks to CCTV footage showing a man with a cap, detectives managed to trace back the perp: he works at a local bakery and he's married with a child. Ah the child! He gets blue eyes how could he? The wife works in the factory as well and she could have had an affair with her boss. Later on, we realize she actually didn't cheat on her husband, but she was paid to bear the boss' baby as a surrogate, something still illegal at the time. That could lead to jurors' sympathy or at least it's what the stubborn defense attorney (Roma Maffia) hoped...

It has been almost fifteen years since this episode was aired, the topic right now is less a matter of debating. Now it's a routine in gay couple at least in United States. Anyway in Italy is still illegal, due to religious issues.

This Law And Order episode combined the two issues of illegal aliens and surrogate birthing into one episode where the husband of a woman carrying her former boss's surrogate child murder's the boss who is a factory owner in the garment district.

Sweat shop no, say his employees. The man wasn't a saint, but compared to some places it wasn't bad. Lots of money and his credit cards on the body so who would kill him and why?

It turns out that the widow Jacqueline Anderson was something of an ice princess and later makes a bad witness during Sam Waterston's case. The investigation by Jerry Orbach and Jesse Martin yields up the fact that Agustin Rodriguez murdered the victim and his wife Zilah Mendoza was carrying the victim's baby as a surrogate.

It isn't until the very end of the show that we learn why. And the why is important as it might make the difference between Murder 2 and Manslaughter 2 which is what Rodriguez's defense attorney Roma Maffia is arguing.

In the end we're not sure if real justice has been done. The issues are so complex.

See what your opinion is after you watch this episode or if you can form one.

When the businessman Mr. Zachary, who is the owner of a sweatshop, is found beaten to death in his office, Detectives Briscoe and Green assume the case. They learn that Mr. Zachary was a good boss, and his employees liked him. While checking the security camera of the factory, they a Latino man wearing a cap visiting the office in the estimated schedule of the death and soon they find evidence that Miguel Camacho was the killer and his pregnant wife worked in the factory. McCoy and Serena assume the prosecution, but the smart defense lawyer Vanessa Galiano uses a subterfuge to defend his client. McCoy and Serena must further investigate the case and uncover secrets.

"Ill-Conceived" is an episode of "Law & Order" with many twists. The storyline begins with a murder and turns into the social problem of illegal immigration and surrogacy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ill-Conceived"

"Ill Conceived" is another 'Law and Order' episode where the concept isn't anything original but still has enough to make one interested in seeing it. Personally do prefer the episodes that tackle difficult and controversial topics that are still to this day hardly outdated (which for me is what the franchise excels in doing at its best), or at least ones that are more so, but again if a fan of 'Law and Order' or wanting to see all the episodes there is no reason really to avoid "Ill-Conceived" in my mind.

Season 14 was a near-consistently solid season, one of the better and more consistent post-Season 10 ones, with the only disappointment being "Blaze" and even that was above average. "Ill Conceived" is towards the lower end in ranking the season and is no "Bodies" or "Identity" (both brilliant episodes), but it is well worth watching and has a lot of recommendable aspects. Recommendable aspects though that have been done better in other episodes in the season.

Beginning with the not so good, perhaps the episode could have done with having more tension and edge, while everything is interesting it is not as edge of the seat-worthy as other episodes. More surprises wouldn't have gone amiss as well as tighter pacing in the first quarter or so.

Elisabeth Rohm really struggles to bring such a cold, robotic character to life and continues to look ill at ease.

So much is done well though. It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). 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 low key on the whole.

Furthermore, "Ill Conceived" has a thoughtful script that like a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes raises interesting questions worthy of debate with somebody. Love Briscoe's one-liners. The story is tactful while also providing lots of intrigue with the secrets, making one feel sad and angry and eager to know what the secrets are. Nothing is too simple or too complicated and the second half even is riveting. The character writing and interaction are near-on point for the regulars, faltering only with Southerlyn. The supporting character writing lacks subtlety but not as stereotypical as worried. The rest of the acting is excellent.

Overall, not great but well worth watching. 7/10.