Law & Order Season 23 Episode 6 Review: On the Ledge

Shaw and racial trauma take center stage when a Black man shoots up a hospital on Law & Order Season 23 Episode 6, “On the Ledge.” It’s a topic that has been coming since late last season and finally feels like the writers have done the legwork.

With a show that centers on policing in America, more specifically in New York City, there needs to be a balance between the propaganda and the realities others face. “On the Ledge” does a great job of putting those racial profiling issues on blast, not just for cops but all areas of life.

What makes this story that much more emotional and worth paying attention to is Mehcad Brooks’ performance as a Black man who’s tired. He increases the gap between Riley and Price’s perspectives on the man responsible and his own by just being there.

Shaw Is a Good Cop

No matter what stance you take on whether or not the NYPD is too aggressive or too racially charged, you can’t deny that Jalen Shaw is one of the best detectives currently on the force. He has an empathy about him that allows him to think first and act second while also making a connection with victims and perpetrators alike.

We see this firsthand during the initial moments of Law & Order as he takes the time to talk a man out of committing suicide. He was clearly in a rush to get to work, but Shaw stopped and helped him anyway.

It is this kindness that allows him to see all sides of an investigation with an open mind. At first, it feels like Shaw can’t see the facts clearly once he realizes the man they are searching for is the one he saved.

However, Brooks soon shows us, through subtle looks and body language, that Shaw actually sees the case much more clearly after the fact. So much so that when Price tries to scoff at the man claiming insanity due to race-based trauma, Shaw backs up the shooter.

It’s a tension that we haven’t ever seen before with these two characters. This change of pace actually moves the story forward more strongly because we know Price has hit a nerve with the unflappable Shaw.

Shaw’s Own Trauma

Fans will remember that during Law & Order Season 22 Episode 15, “Fear and Loathing,” Shaw saw firsthand how racial profiling can harm even those thought to be protected. That episode didn’t end the way many fans felt it should, so it’s nice to see Shaw bring that experience up in conversation during this episode.

Since joining the precinct two years ago, Shaw has only let his real emotions show one other time. That was when he was falsely accused and then punished for not complying.

Now, we see him have an extremely emotional reaction to the shooter because he understands the weight that man carries on his shoulders. He tries to relate those experiences to Riley, who does a great job of lending a sympathetic ear, but it does little to ease Shaw’s own trauma burden.

Jalen Shaw: With all due respect you have no idea what you are talking about and you should be grateful you never will.

The unspoken pain and hurt Brooks manages to convey in one yearning look toward Reid Scott in that scene honestly makes the episode. We are finally laid witness to how damaging Shaw’s experience last season was on him. 

When Riley tells him that lying on the stand means he wouldn’t be a good cop, I half expected Shaw to reply back with something along the lines of ‘maybe I shouldn’t be.’ It’s one of those moments where you kind of wish the character would make a more emotionally poignant stance, but he doesn’t.

Price Pushed Shaw Too Far

As I previously stated, there is that moment where Price belittles the validity of race-based trauma as a defense. It creates tension between him and Shaw, which only deepens once Price subpoenas him to testify.

By forcing Shaw’s hand, Price finally took his position too far over the line, and Shaw might never forgive him for it. Shaw wants so badly to testify in favor of the shooter on account he understands the man’s pain. 

But, as a man of law, he can’t bring himself to do it. Once again, Brooks takes the emotions Shaw is feeling and runs with them. You can feel the hurt and anger emanating from him as he looks Price in the eye and testifies against a traumatized man.

The look Shaw gives Price at the end of the trial proves that this is a disagreement that won’t be forgotten easily. Shaw is angry at Price for not even trying to see the Black perspective in the case, and he’s not ready to let go of that just yet.

 

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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