Law & Order Season 22 Episode 17 Review: Bias

After some near misses, Law & Order Season 22 Episode 17, “Bias,” gets the show back on track as a premier NBC drama. Perhaps all this show needed was an opportunity for Jack McCoy to come out of the shadows and give those rousing speeches we’ve come to expect from him over the years.

After all, he has a few choice words for Nolan Price throughout the investigation and trial for Rachel Bender’s murder.

Jack McCoy: I just hope your passion for the victim doesn’t cloud your judgment of the facts.

When Law & Order returned as a revived show last season, Jack McCoy was relegated to the meager figurehead position and occasional sounding board. Gone were the days of McCoy flaunting his knowledge of the judicial system and seeking justice for the victims.

Yes, “Bias” is about Price and his arrogance, but the real winner is Jack McCoy.

The Investigation Takes a Few Hits

Let it be known that Cosgrove and Shaw are some of the most stellar detectives the NYPD has — at least within Dick Wolf’s universe. When they arrive at the crime scene and discover the person who found the body to be their colleague, Cosgrove wastes no time giving backhanded comments about the situation.

Cosgrove is famous for putting his foot in his mouth, but lately, he’s been trying to improve. So, it is somewhat enjoyable to see him right back at it — only this time, as Shaw points out, he’s put both feet in his mouth.

Right away, we know that Price being involved from the drop will spell trouble and complications for Cosgrove and Shaw. They know as well as we do that Price will not back down if he feels part of a case on a more personal level.

Price’s arrogance gets in the way multiple times throughout this episode. Law  & Order knows viewers love a good case with many twists and angles. Putting Price in the middle gives us that and then some.

First and foremost, Price picks up her wallet without taking precautions to eliminate any other fingerprints that may have been left behind. Therefore, the detectives are left with circumstantial evidence in the form of a shoeprint.

Price and the Good Judge

Once it’s been revealed that the honorable Judge Raymer, played spectacularly by Tim DeKay, is the number one suspect, everyone makes moves to solidify the case against him. Except for Price, who continues to compromise the case by withholding the nature of his relationship with Rachel, confronting the presiding judge of the case about his relationship with Raymer, and interrogating a witness without anyone else present.

The moment Price demands the presiding judge step down and recuse himself, viewers know as well as anyone that it isn’t going to win the DAs office any favors. Sure enough, McCoy comes swooping in with his first home run of the episode, telling Price he is arrogant to ask a judge to appear weak in such a manner.

This sets the trial up to fail because it creates a bias from the judge toward Price and Maroun. There is a lack of judicial review, and Price can’t do anything to prevent the defense from spinning things out of control.

This bias toward Price worsens once Price is put on the stand as a witness and the judge lets clear cross-examination violations slide. I don’t often note whether or not a cross is worthy of being objected to, but the writing for this particular case forces us to take notice.

It’s clear that McCoy doesn’t know the complete picture of the case, but he knows enough not to stand idly by and watch Price destroy everything. We have seen Price and McCoy spar occasionally, but nothing like the frustration McCoy elicits during “Bias.”

McCoy Stands His Ground

There are a couple of instances on this episode where Price’s arrogance could possibly cost him his position in the DAs office. McCoy seems fit to burst based on the things he says to Price — which is a side of him he never lets anyone see.

He doesn’t hold back once Price finally says one thing too many in complaint of how the case is going. It doesn’t escape anyone’s notice that Law & Order uses Price as an example of when personal bias can alter your view of things. 

McCoy reminds Price that their opinions in the case shouldn’t be what sways the jury but instead the cold, hard facts. This isn’t what Price is expecting to hear, so he takes a pause, but not long enough before he is at McCoy’s throat again.

What’s crazy is Price fails to see that his actions throughout this case have altered the course of the outcome. He is so sure that he’s the only one who can try this case that he fails to see how his presence calls everything into question.

Price: I’m the best, and you know it!

McCoy: What you are is compromised. If I had known you found the victim’s body and you slept with her, I wouldn’t have let you within a time zone of this!

Moving forward from his actions during this will be an uphill battle for Price. He let his emotions and ego get in the way of being a proper prosecutor. 

He is always the first to say when a bias is getting in the way of a case, but when it’s his own bias, he is blind. While that might be detrimental to his career, watching it play out is fun.

 

 

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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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