Strike

There's a strike by Legal Aid Attorneys and in an effort to keep the wheels of justice moving the judge assigns Alana Dela Garza as Brad William Henke's attorney for the arraignment. Henke likes her so much that he wabts to keep her and the judge agrees.

Henke is an unusual client, he served nine years for killing his wife and DNA evidence cleared him. He's on parole awaiting pardon and he allegedly noiw killws the attorney who is keading the legal aid strike.

DelaGarza and Linus Roache are both uncomfortable with the situation. But Akana represents her client most zealously.

This plot has a lot of twists to it. See how it goes.

Alana De La Garza shines like a beacon of integrity in this beautifully set and well-written episode.

After a strike against heathcare cuts a partecipant was run over by a car and killed as a result. A CCTV must have seen what happened, but the victim destroyed it just before the accident. A former inmate now working as a labourer in a golf court, recently realeased after spending nine years in jail for killing his wife (a crime he allegedly didn't commit), might have driven the SUV. He held a grudge against the victim who was the real killer of his wife ten years before and he recognized him during the strike by the way the man used an inhaler (he had cystic fibrosis and the perp had that special disease). The defendant appointed Rubirosa as his attorney and that turned her against Cutter for the first time at the murder trial. Rubirosa investigate his client, who lied to her several times: the truth was very different from what it seemed at the beginning.

Rubirosa is ready for a brilliant career ahead of her. McCoy, with a glass of Scotch in his right hand, is sure about that.

When it comes to talking about the original 'Law and Order', there is a strong preference for the earlier seasons (Seasons 1-10), the standard of the seasons were more consistent and hit hard more, they were the seasons with the more iconic characters and had none that annoyed me. Season 11 onwards was still very watchable and there were a number of great and more episodes, but the show was not as consistent or as fresh in stories and characters.

"Strike" is an example of a great episode. One of the best of Season 18 and a near return to form, after being a little disappointed in "Bogeyman". There is so much to like, and while there is something that stopped it from being even better the legal scenes are so good in "Strike", in a legal heavy episode, that the shortcoming in question (which on paper does sound like a big problem) is not quite as major as it could easily have been.

That problem being the bland chemistry between Lupo and Bernard.

However, all the legal stuff is absolutely riveting, with plenty of snappy and thought provoking dialogue and an equal amount of tension. The case isn't simplistic, with it being one of the most intricate, twisty and hard hitting of the season. Neither does it feel convoluted or over-stuffed. The moral dilemmas are thoughtfully handled and don't come over as laid on too thick or one-sided.

All the acting is fine, especially in the second half, Jeremy Sisto is better than he was in the previous episode while not standing out. Alana De La Garza is the one that dominates with some of Rubirosa's meatiest writing yet, and she gives not just her best performance of the season but one of her best of her time on the show.

Production values as ever are slick and with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear with the theme tune still memorable. The direction keeps things tight while allowing time to breathe.

Summing up, absolutely great. 9/10.