A schoolteacher dies in a building fire. The fire is linked to a group of young radical environmentalists. McCoy tries to go after the man who influenced them.A schoolteacher dies in a building fire. The fire is linked to a group of young radical environmentalists. McCoy tries to go after the man who influenced them.A schoolteacher dies in a building fire. The fire is linked to a group of young radical environmentalists. McCoy tries to go after the man who influenced them.
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Michael Patterson
- Harry Frost
- (as Michael Lee Patterson)
- Director
- Writers
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode appears to be based on the case against the Earth Liberation Front, whilst the character of defence attorney Whitten, played by Tom Bower, appears to be based on and/or inspired by the controversial, radical left-wing lawyer William Kunstler.
- GoofsDianne Wiest's character, D.A. Lewin mispronounces "mete" as "met."
- Quotes
Kent Quigley: We're losing our wetlands, our wilderness! Every day, we are paving over nature!
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Aw, you think Manhattan's a wasteland? Wait 'til you see Riker's Island.
Featured review
Propaganda, L&O style
This is Jack McCoy at his worst, and one of the worst epsides of L&O. An accidental death is prosecuted with vigor because environmentalists were behind it.
Sam Waterston-- a beta-male actor whose only way to display strength in court is to shout-- presents Jack McCoy as a rank authoritarian, closed-minded and (to use the words of one of the possible perps) sanctimonious.
I'm not defending the arson behind the crime, but instead of prosecuting that accidental killing, the writers attack and ridicule environmentalism. Idiotically, they assume that there has to be a ringleader somewhere, rather than observing that the three people in custody are all acting of their own free will, and out of their own convictions. McCoy calls them stupid, and it isn't at all clear that he is insulting them for recklessness, or for their concern for our habitat. As another of the potential perps said to McCoy, "You are so out of touch."
Other L&O regulars pile on. Lenny refers to them as "Green Machine" (not sure about the noun, but he definitely smirked "green"). Serena, the A.D.A., says, "I wonder if they'll get organic vegetables at Riker's." Nora Lewin (Dianne Weist) asks why 20-year-olds are "so stupid."
What's stupid is generalizing across an entire age group. Louis Braille invented Braille writing when he was 15. Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17. Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he founded facebook (I didn't say all the youngsters were admirable). More to the point, it is youth who are putting environmental crimes in the headlines. In Oregon, 21 plaintiffs, ages 11 to 22, are demanding that the government fight climate change (adult lawyers, of course). At 16, Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist to be reckoned with.
All in all, a severely disappointing episode, aired in 2001, which isn't exactly ancient history. I've always admired the show for not being youth-oriented, but this episode reflects all the attitudes that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe. Close-minded adults, set in their ways. Only one middle-aged character (the defense attorney) cares about the environment. The makers of L&O stopped short of using the abandoned term "tree-hugger," so I suppose we can be grateful for that.
Sam Waterston-- a beta-male actor whose only way to display strength in court is to shout-- presents Jack McCoy as a rank authoritarian, closed-minded and (to use the words of one of the possible perps) sanctimonious.
I'm not defending the arson behind the crime, but instead of prosecuting that accidental killing, the writers attack and ridicule environmentalism. Idiotically, they assume that there has to be a ringleader somewhere, rather than observing that the three people in custody are all acting of their own free will, and out of their own convictions. McCoy calls them stupid, and it isn't at all clear that he is insulting them for recklessness, or for their concern for our habitat. As another of the potential perps said to McCoy, "You are so out of touch."
Other L&O regulars pile on. Lenny refers to them as "Green Machine" (not sure about the noun, but he definitely smirked "green"). Serena, the A.D.A., says, "I wonder if they'll get organic vegetables at Riker's." Nora Lewin (Dianne Weist) asks why 20-year-olds are "so stupid."
What's stupid is generalizing across an entire age group. Louis Braille invented Braille writing when he was 15. Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17. Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he founded facebook (I didn't say all the youngsters were admirable). More to the point, it is youth who are putting environmental crimes in the headlines. In Oregon, 21 plaintiffs, ages 11 to 22, are demanding that the government fight climate change (adult lawyers, of course). At 16, Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist to be reckoned with.
All in all, a severely disappointing episode, aired in 2001, which isn't exactly ancient history. I've always admired the show for not being youth-oriented, but this episode reflects all the attitudes that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe. Close-minded adults, set in their ways. Only one middle-aged character (the defense attorney) cares about the environment. The makers of L&O stopped short of using the abandoned term "tree-hugger," so I suppose we can be grateful for that.
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