Law & Order Season 25 Episode 13 Review: New Normal
Law & Order Season 25 Episode 13, “New Normal,” wastes no time in tackling a challenging subject: the ethics of deciding whose lives are more important.
Even though gang-related murders are generally excessive, the show crafts a compelling narrative that thoroughly explores this subject.
The investigation is a bit tedious at first, but it quickly becomes impossible to turn away once the case becomes personal for Theo.
The stakes quickly rise when Theo reaches out to friends from his undercover days.
Theo built a whole life under this false identity. When he finished the job, he had to leave everything abruptly — including his girlfriend.
It is even more shocking to learn that she has no idea who he really is because he did not contact her afterward. This factor illustrates how hard Theo tries to forget about his time undercover, but he cannot escape it.
This truth becomes more evident when Theo runs into another undercover police officer, reminding him of his own experience.
Law & Order capitalizes on an excellent opportunity to expand Theo’s backstory while portraying the immense difficulty police officers endure while in dangerous undercover situations.
It is shocking to learn that Theo almost cut off a man’s finger to prove his loyalty, but it shows how easy it is for police officers to become lost in their undercover identities.
This tidbit also proves that Theo is still a relatively new character, and there is a lot more that Law & Order can do with his backstory.
“New Normal” is just the tip of the iceberg, and the show should definitely revisit Theo’s undercover days in the future.
Booker: I feel like I could relate more to the gangsters than the dudes in blue.
This episode is arguably controversial because it illustrates the bitter truth of the justice system: some lives matter more than others.
The narrative portrays a tense argument between the Homicide and Narcotics departments regarding whether they should end Booker’s undercover job so that he can testify for a murder case.
It is a tough situation because no matter what happens, someone’s life will be deemed more valuable than another’s.
“New Normal” asks the uncomfortable question of whether a singular murder victim is more important than the hundreds of narcotic-related deaths and trafficked people.
Ultimately, the narrative reaches an uncomfortable but realistic conclusion: an upstanding model citizen who attends private school matters more than countless adults and children who lose their lives to gang violence, substance abuse, and sex trafficking.
There is no universe where everyone wins, and there is no world where hundreds of lives matter more than one person if those people associate with gangs — whether by force, accident, or on purpose.
As a result, most of the characters are infuriating on “New Normal” — especially Nick and Vincent, who see the world in black and white. They are two compelling but deeply flawed characters who view people from certain backgrounds as worthier than others.
It is a sad truth that Law & Order successfully highlights, no matter how harsh it may be.
Vincent Riley: Can’t believe snitches get stitches is still a thing.
Law & Order Season 25 Episode 13, “New Normal” ends on an ambiguous note, with Theo finally confessing to Juju — his girlfriend while undercover — the truth about his identity.
It is a bold and surprising move from Theo, who seems intent on forgetting his life undercover up until this moment.
Although very little is known about their dynamic, it is clear that Theo genuinely cares about Juju because if he did not, he would not tangle a temporary identity with his real self.
Law & Order does not play out the scene in its entirety; Theo and Juju’s conversation is only implied. It is a fascinating narrative choice that suggests this will not be the last of their relationship on screen.
Only time will tell if their rocky romance will survive in the real world.
What did you think of this episode of Law & Order? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Sarah Novack
Sarah has been a passionate writer and blogger about various forms of media for as long as she can remember, and her favorite method of expressing this passion is through writing and discussion. She loves way too many TV shows, books, and movies, specializing in book-to-screen adaptations, fantasy, sitcoms, and procedurals.