Law & Order Season 22 Episode 5 Review: 12 Seconds
Anything can happen in a moment and no one knows that better than Law & Order Season 22 Episode 5, “12 Seconds.” What starts out as a seemingly simple case about the death of a law school student gets complicated fast.
Most of the time when a case has this many twists and turns it becomes too busy and the writing gets sloppy. However, this episode somehow keeps viewers on their toes and intrigued.
Shaw’s Dilemma
One of the things that has always been abrasive about Cosgrove is his inability to truly take a stance about anything. He either lets things slip by, like the previous fake evidence situation, or he simply blows off big issues as being a one-off.
It’s frustrating to see Shaw raise some real concerns about Professor Nichols’ language toward the gay community and have Cosgrove chalk it up to him having a bad day. Cosgrove, a bad day is when you mistakenly yell at someone unnecessarily not when you call someone the derogatory “f” term.
This revelation behind why the law student was murdered is a big deal for Shaw because his hero, his reason for becoming a lawyer is put in the hot seat. It’s never easy to wrestle with the realization that your role models can be someone you never imagined.
It would’ve been nice to see Cosgrove support his partner’s crisis of faith instead of brushing it off as no big deal. I don’t personally hate any of the characters on Law & Order however, Cosgrove’s bigotry and misogyny are hard for me to get behind him on.
The writers could choose to create moments of growth for him toward individuals of color — a skill he is severely lacking — or even just being a kinder, less brusque cop. Instead, the show continues to perpetuate the image that cops are above the law and sometimes too aggressive.
It’s disappointing, to say the least.
Price On Fire
The only thing that saves this episode from Cosgrove’s dismal attitude is Price’s ability to redirect his case trajectory at the drop of a hat. If the case is complicated and messy for the detectives it is nothing short of confusing once it reaches the courtroom.
Even Price seems a bit flustered from witness to witness on who is actually guilty of the crime. He’s very determined in believing it is the wife that when Professor Nichols confesses on the stand viewers actually see Price lose his footing a bit.
What matters most for “12 Seconds” though isn’t Price getting hit with setbacks and twists it’s how he recovers. Each time he doesn’t ponder the new information long before he has a whole new plan of action.
It’s a wonderful bit of cinematography and directing that allows viewers to get the message each time though Price doesn’t say a word. Honestly, Law & Order isn’t known for its ability to silently tell a story quite like this episode does.
This case gets the result it gets because Price didn’t fold with each new hurdle. Instead, he veers left and keeps on going.
Let’s hope we get to see more of this courtroom wizardry in action moving forward.
Stray Thoughts:
- This case has so many twists and turns it’s hard to keep up at times
- I need to see Shaw standing up to Cosgrove’s casual bigotry and misogyny
- When Mrs. Nichols’ lawyer calls out Cosgrove’s tendency to testify at only black court hearings I screamed. Bringing the receipts.
- This is an episode of “Do Better Cosgrove”
What did you think of this episode of Law & Order? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.