McCoy faces the unpopular decision to pursue charges against a vigilante who used his car to track down a man who murdered a group of hunters.McCoy faces the unpopular decision to pursue charges against a vigilante who used his car to track down a man who murdered a group of hunters.McCoy faces the unpopular decision to pursue charges against a vigilante who used his car to track down a man who murdered a group of hunters.
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Fred Thompson
- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
Steve Park
- Dr. Park
- (as Stephen Park)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFour months before this episode aired six hunters were killed and two wounded in western Wisconsin when someone was ordered off private property. Detective Joe Fontana made reference to hunting in Door County, Wisconsin as a boy. Door County is on the peninsula east of Green Bay.
- GoofsOne of the people Fontana and Green interview says he and his friends like to go on day hunting trips to a local state park. It is actually against the law to hunt and to openly carry a loaded firearm on state park land. Though sometimes a person has to pass through park land to gain access to land where hunting is legal, while passing through park land their guns must be fully unloaded and there cannot be any rounds in the magazine, nor the chamber. Though this applies to any guns being openly carried, namely rifles and shotguns, it is legal to carry a loaded handgun on park land, as long as it remains holstered and concealed and the person carrying it has a valid concealed carry permit.
- ConnectionsReferences Licence to Kill (1989)
Featured review
Heartland
One of the biggest appeals of 'Law and Order' has been the topics it addresses and issues that come with the topics addressed. Also with how they are explored, the execution more often than not (if more in the early seasons rather than the later ones) was hardly sugar coated or trivialised and was often pull no punches in quality. "License to Kill" is no exception and conceptually it is one of the most interesting episodes of Season 15, because of the character of the perpetrator.
"License to Kill" is another very good episode, if not quite a great one. As far as Season 15 goes, it's very close to being one of the better entries. And definitely for me one of the better ones of the season's second half, which was a good deal less consistent than the first. A 'Law and Order' high point it might not be, but "License to Kill" for a post-Briscoe episode where the show felt very different really doesn't come off too shabbily, not at all.
Do agree that the perpetrator's motivations could have been made a lot clearer, this aspect was left too vague to the point where it felt like no reasons were given.
It is a slight slow starter as well perhaps.
So much works though. Photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has nice and at its best (such as towards and at the end) thrilling tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The script is intelligent and contains very little fat.
The story is very engrossing on the whole, with it being riveting once it comes to trial. The whole debate and dilemma of whether the perpetrator was hero or vigilante did fascinate and made for some nice tension and intrigue, if not completely coming off because of the too unclear motivations. The acting is very good all round, particularly from Sam Waterston and intense Michael Pniewski.
Overall, very good. 8/10.
"License to Kill" is another very good episode, if not quite a great one. As far as Season 15 goes, it's very close to being one of the better entries. And definitely for me one of the better ones of the season's second half, which was a good deal less consistent than the first. A 'Law and Order' high point it might not be, but "License to Kill" for a post-Briscoe episode where the show felt very different really doesn't come off too shabbily, not at all.
Do agree that the perpetrator's motivations could have been made a lot clearer, this aspect was left too vague to the point where it felt like no reasons were given.
It is a slight slow starter as well perhaps.
So much works though. Photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has nice and at its best (such as towards and at the end) thrilling tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The script is intelligent and contains very little fat.
The story is very engrossing on the whole, with it being riveting once it comes to trial. The whole debate and dilemma of whether the perpetrator was hero or vigilante did fascinate and made for some nice tension and intrigue, if not completely coming off because of the too unclear motivations. The acting is very good all round, particularly from Sam Waterston and intense Michael Pniewski.
Overall, very good. 8/10.
helpful•81
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 27, 2022
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