Punk

This is a gripping story, but Cara Buono made this episode. Her performance is a standout! Why is she listed below the men? I had a difficult time finding out who she is. I just rewatched the episode for about the 4th time, always taken by her portrayal.

At first, in this episode the story seems contrived. A corrections officer is murdered in the community and a female inmate is accused of arranging the murder from inside a prison. The inmate claims that the corrections officer was raping her But the murder is not the main element that drives the story. The assistant DA, Harmon, who is female, is hostile toward the defendant and does not conceal her hostility. The question is: why is this assistant DA so hostile toward this one defendant? No one understands it. Out of all the cases this assistant DA has handled, why is the so focused on this one defendant? This mystery transform a rather unoriginal plot into something that creates interest. Soon, attention shifts away from the defendant to the assistant DA as she continues to fume over what she claims is one of the lowest human beings on the planet. Although the defendant has a checkered past, her rap sheet does not seem to suggest a record that is especially egregious. That means nothing to the assistant DA who is absolutely determined to get a murder conviction, even though the defendant was allegedly being raped. To find out why the assistant DA was so hostile, watch the episode. It contains one of Angie Harmpn's stronger performances.

Last night I watched a season 24 episode of L&O featuring Cara Buono and I found her performance so good that when a reviewer here mentioned that she'd been on the show previously I decided to go back and rewatch her other episodes. Good decision. Very good decision.

In her first episode, Buono played an absolute b**** of a spoiled student who ran a prostitution ring at her college and had no problem accusing her own father of the murder that she'd committed. Here, she's a far more complex character who you end up feeling very sorry for. She portrays the contrasting mixture of little-girl innocence, world weariness, fear and defiance brilliantly. If she'd won an Emmy for this role, I wouldn't have any objections.

Angie Harmon also does a great job here, even though it portrays her character in a very negative light. Abbie really does seem to have a personal grudge against Alice and doesn't hide it, to such an extent that Jack and Adam are shocked when she eventually softens a little. I'm not sure that the reveal of a trauma from her past at the end of the episode really explains or justifies her extreme hostility against Alice, but the antagonism between the two women is what makes this episode special. A special mention for the always excellent Tovah Feldshuh as Jack's perpetual antagonist, Danielle Melnick. And I have to admit that the team of Orbach, Bratt, Merkerson, Waterston, Harmon and Hill was always my favourite of all the numerous combinations over the show's run. It would have been hard for this episode to let me down. And it didn't.

Okay, that does it! After I watch Buono's next episode, in season 17, I'm going to have to go back and watch the entire series from the beginning. I did it in 2011, so it's been long enough that I won't remember all the plots beforehand. Special thanks to two gorgeous ladies, Angie and Cara.

Much credit to the writers on this one. The testimony Bruno gives as she describes the real prison she was in by her rapist truly captured reality just as when the ADA describes the same prison. Bravo to Bruno Emmy worthy at least. As she describes her real prison ( having the correction officer who has all the power over her because he threatened her daughter if she didn't comply) It shows loudly that the four walls of the actual prison is nothing compared to the power her rapist had over her.

I remember seeing her in a Law & Order Criminal Intent episode and Vincent D'Nofrio and Katherine Erbe were heading the cast. I didn't catch her name then, but when I saw this Law & Order episode I recognized her, even though it was a totally different type of role. I think her acting in this episode was very convincing and moving. This was an episode that caused me to think and care about this character. When an actor or actress makes me want to care about them, no matter how flawed the character is, that, to me, is one of the main ingredients I look for in considering great acting! Cara Buono's portrayal in this role was,for me great acting! I'd go so far as to say she should have at least won an Emmy nomination for her role in this.