New York Minute

"New York Minute" was one of those 'Law and Order' episodes on first watch that had a number of good things but did feel on the ordinary side and didn't stick in the mind long after. There are episodes of the show and the 'Law and Order' franchise in general that felt like this, but there are many on both counts where that type of episode on first watch fared better on rewatch and were better than remembered seeing it through older eyes.

On rewatch, "New York Minute" was actually one of the 'Law and Order' episodes that fared quite a bit better. Instead of the good episode that it was on first watch, it fared as great on rewatch and the good things were even greater rewatching as well. What starts off as what seems a standard 'Law and Order' episodes turns out to be one of the most hard hitting outings of Season 16 due to its uncompromising approach to a subject matter that makes the blood boil. While familiar territory for the franchise, the franchise has done the subject very well and more many times and "New York Minute" is no exception.

It is at its weakest in the somewhat standard first quarter and maybe the ending is on the slightly rushed side.

Any reservations aside, "New York Minute" is still great. Production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction is taut and also accomodating.

The dialogue is smart and always intriguing and on the whole the story is very compelling and wrenches the gut to intense and heart-wrenching effect. The horrific events are truly unspeakable. The acting is very good all round.

Great episode overall. 9/10.

A businessman, in charge of cleaning trash after an event, heard some gunshots coming from the street. A man, who owned a transport company, lied on the ground in front of his own truck. Detectives soon realized he lived above his means, with fancy cars and a renowned apartment so he must have had something on the side: he carried illegal immigrants from Mexico two times a week and when some guys died inside the truck, he dropped them off on the route. A right-wing wannabe vigilante tried to hide the murder weapon, but an illegal nanny saw everything and recognized him in a line-up at her own risk to be deported. Anyway fingerprints didn't match: there are also countrymen who could hold a grudge against these human smugglers....

Great performance for the defense attorney (John Bedford Lloyd) at trial, he was able to discredit all witnesses. On the other hand, Branch prove himself to be a real son of a bit**, much to Borgia disapproval.

"Illegals" is not a noun. This episode almost vindicates the very actions of the perpetrators. Nice detective work, inconclusive conclusion reinforcing the "status quo". .

Normally the homicide that Dennis Farina and Jesse Martin caught that evening would be what is called a public service homicide. The victim was the owner and sometimes operator of a trucking company that had a real nice pay no taxes sideline in smuggling illegal aliens. When he's murdered on a New York City street as his truck is stopped, the illegals scatter. A lot of potential witnesses scatter.

It doesn't take too long for Farina and Martin to track down a real misfit Daniel Roebuck who is a member of some rightwing citizen's patrol group concerned with illegal aliens. But Roebuck as the shooter is just a jerk, he was manipulated by others in the group like Stephen Lang who have their own reasons for shooting the victim.

It's also hard to work up sympathy for the victim as he is responsible for the death of other illegals when he left them off in the Arizona desert with no water, no food, and no shelter. There's also another issue in that Aixa Rosario Medina who is an illegal nanny happened to be the witness who fingered Roebuck. For being a better citizen than a lot who are citizen she gets thrown to INS courtesy of Roebuck's lawyer and a judge who has no sympathy with illegals.

Those victims in the Arizona desert offer a compelling reason for jury nullification. It all becomes a matter of spin for the defense and the prosecution team of Sam Waterston and Annie Parisse.

This case is some sinkhole. Only the illegals in the desert and Medina deserve any sympathy.

Classic law and order! Good plot. Strong acting is what made this one of the all time great shows.