Law & Order Season 25 Episode 12 Review: Never Say Goodbye

Law & Order Season 25 Episode 12, “Never Say Goodbye,” explores several controversial subjects to engage audiences.

Despite the episode’s slow start, “Never Say Goodbye” presents a compelling debate about the extremities of artificial intelligence while intertwining religious themes.

However, “Never Say Goodbye” does not jump into the central themes right away, focusing primarily on the investigation into Mark Turner’s death.

The murder investigation is direct and tedious. Detectives Riley and Walker pursue various suspects until they finally land one that fits the killer profile.

The case is superficial with no real stakes, to the point that it seems like there will be nothing more to the narrative.

However, Law & Order introduces a twist that forces the detectives and the district attorneys to reevaluate their moral codes: their primary suspect, Kate Leavy, video chats with an AI program that impersonates her deceased husband.

This disturbing use of artificial intelligence raises questions about how far humanity will go to pursue technology, even at the expense of others.

Grief is not an exclusive experience—every living being endures it. Talking to a deceased loved one based on personal information that a program gathers introduces ethical issues regarding privacy, mental health, and exploitation.

Artificial intelligence has become so advanced that technology can now impersonate dead people at the cost of grieving and potentially unstable humans.

After all, Kate Leavy’s deceased husband insists that the FAA is covering up the real reason behind his flight crash, leading Kate to an unhealthy state of mind where she kills Mark Turner.

It begs the question of whether Mark Turner would still be alive if Kate had not pursued this AI program. She believes the FAA messed up regardless, but her deceased husband telling her so makes it infinitely worse.

Nick Baxter: Grief is supposed to be hard, I’m pretty sure that’s the point.

Each character deals with the AI twist in their own way, but it affects Nolan the most, having just lost his father on Law & Order Season 24 Episode 11, “The Hardest Thing.” 

As a result, this case becomes particularly personal for Nolan as he cannot hide his revulsion for this technology.

It even affects his ADA role as he sides with Kate Leavy’s lawyer when Detectives Riley and Walker manipulate the AI program to get Kate to confess.

Samantha Maroun: Everything is a shortcut these days.

As always, Law & Order is at its best when the case connects to a main character, and this time, the narrative centers on Nolan. 

It makes Hugh Dancy’s performance the strongest on this episode as Nolan confronts his personal grief while dealing with the AI program.

Another theme “Never Say Goodbye” covers involves the complicated connection between religion and morality.

Regardless of her mental state, Kate relies heavily on her faith. However, being a devout Christian does not stop Kate from killing Mark Turner.

Kate’s violent actions illustrate that having righteous religious morals does not automatically make her a good person, but Law & Order complicates this notion with Kate’s confession.

Once Kate realizes the gravity of her actions, she wants to serve time, a feeling rooted in her Christian values. Kate’s change of heart, driven by her religious convictions, demonstrates the complexity of this subject. 

Law & Order Season 25 Episode 12, “Never Say Goodbye,” leaves audiences with many questions to ponder regarding religious themes and the AI debate. 

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

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