Law & Order Season 25 Episode 8 Review: Parasite

Law & Order Season 25 Episode 8, “Parasite,” delivers an epic mid-season finale that focuses on sexism in prosecution cases.

From beginning to end, this action-packed episode is filled with compelling arcs, jaw-dropping storylines, and iconic quotes.

The investigation into Bob Gladstone’s murder is riveting, bouncing between Vincent and Theo’s charismatic dynamic and the seemingly problematic 50-year age gap between the victim and his fiancée.

The circumstances surrounding Gladstone’s death provide the key ingredients to make a compelling investigation as Vincent and Theo follow up on every possible lead, keeping the narrative on its toes.

Naturally, after evaluating each one, the detectives and the DA’s office arrest and formally charge the fiancée, Chloe.

After all, a newlywed who recently acquired billions is the ideal motive. Chloe, being 22 years old, while Bob is 74, also paints an incriminating picture.

It certainly does not help that Vincent and Theo’s team find the murder weapon in Chloe’s room, but it still seems like a surprising narrative route for Law & Order to take.

It is unlike Law & Order to pick a predictable storyline for the mid-season finale, and “Parasite” seemingly presents a clear-cut and dry case.

However, as the trial unfolds, it is evident that the point of this episode is to illustrate how harmful misogynistic stereotypes are.

Except for the location of the murder weapon, Chloe has a strong defense, with reasonable and believable explanations for the prosecution’s theories.

The only thing that holds this case together is Chloe’s past as an escort. Chloe used to sexualize her body for money, and as a result, she cannot be trusted. After all, what could a 22-year-old possibly see in a 74-year-old man other than his money?

Never mind the fact that Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver, have been happily married for over a decade despite their 46-year age difference. It does not matter that someone like Noor Alfallah — the mother of Al Pacino’s youngest child, who is 53 years his junior — is an heiress to her family’s multi-million dollar fortune. 

Women like Arlene Silver and Noor Alfallah are perceived in a certain way because young women cannot possibly truly love older men. They have to be in it for the money because what else would a young woman be interested in?

This faulty and sexist way of thinking is how the media smears Chloe on Law & Order, and it is how the prosecution almost gets away with successfully framing her for a murder she did not commit.

It is a surprisingly problematic case, but Samantha’s initial willingness to go along with this narrative is even more shocking.

To be fair, the evidence piles up against Chloe pretty quickly, but it is unlike Samantha to agree without any objections. She usually plays devil’s advocate, offering a fresh perspective that complicates the case. 

Eventually, Samantha realizes she is wrong and begins countering the prosecution’s approach to the case, but not before Chloe delivers tearful, moving testimony on the witness stand. 

It illustrates how even the best people can fall victim to harmful stereotypes, and Samantha Maroun is not an exception. 

Would they have even dropped the case against Chloe if the recorded phone call had not proved she was telling the truth? The narrative leaves this question up in the air, but Nolan would likely have prosecuted Chloe to a conviction.

Despite Chloe being free to go at the end of the episode, the damage is already done. Her reputation is effectively ruined after the media smears her as a gold-digging thief only out for her husband’s money.

The most tragic part is Chloe’s desperation to get justice for her late husband, but there is not much the DA’s office can do.

Other than the recorded phone call and a motive, there is not much evidence, despite it being overwhelmingly clear that the son-in-law killed Bob while his daughter covered it up.

“Parasite” forces a reckoning with misogynistic tropes that society falls into far too often.

With a captivating storyline and enriching characters, Law & Order successfully delivers an impeccable mid-season finale.

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

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