Law & Order Season 23 Episode 4 Review: Unintended Consequences

When a real estate agent ends up dead, there are no easy answers on Law & Order Season 23 Episode 4, “Unintended Consequences.” To the point that some concessions have to be made that Price and Maroun struggle to live with.

It isn’t often that the court side of a case becomes bigger than the investigation leading up to it. When it comes to Andrea Fenton’s murder trial, that is exactly what happens.

In fact, the investigation side of the case runs together, and the various suspects remain forgettable. That is until George Shavers comes along and fingers Fenton’s protege Luke Hines.

The Problem with George Shavers

First and foremost, I need to point out that choosing Cory Michael Smith to play the sleazy George Shavers is an excellent casting choice. He draws your attention to him the moment he is first brought in for questioning. 

On the one hand, you trust him because he saw the murder happen over a live camera feed. Then you remember that he illegally tapped into that feed, turned it on, and was spying with the intent to record illicit acts.

At first, viewers, much like Riley and Shaw, just think this guy is a creepy voyeur. This is why it comes as quite a shock later on that he’s been using these hacking skills to record young teens and sell that footage on the internet.

It’s a story that feels like it should be on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit instead of Law & Order. It would be quite interesting if the child pornography element of this case were to come back on that show at some point this season.

Child Porn or Murder, Which Do You Let Off?

A child pornographer is a serious criminal and could potentially become dangerous if left alone long enough. It also makes people not inclined to like Shavers in the slightest, which could influence the case.

When Price and McCoy agree that vacating child pornography charges in order to convince Shavers to testify is the lesser of two evils, it becomes a problem. Thankfully, Maroun steps up to be the voice of reason and tries to convince them that letting a child pornographer walk free is more dangerous than letting Hines’ case fall apart.

It begs the question, which is more important to punish? Child pornography or murder? While the choice isn’t one we should ever have to make, this case insists that it be made.

While McCoy and Price did decide to give in to Shavers’s demands, it is clear that for the rest of the episode, they aren’t comfortable with that decision. It’s even more apparent after the verdict is read and Shavers passes by Price with a smirk on his face. 

Is A Guilty Verdict Worth It?

Showing that despite their decision, these ADAs aren’t comfortable with the choice humanizes them even more. It allows us to see that this decision wasn’t an easy one, and it’s going to live on their conscience for a while, despite getting the guilty verdict they were after.

Even though this case ends the way we hope it will, it still leaves us with more questions. Was an accidental, of-the-moment murder really worth letting a pervert walk free to continue his crimes against children? 

For the first time in a while, Law & Order makes us stop and think about the consequences of the case it presented. That hasn’t happened in quite a long time.

 

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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