Warning! SPOILERS ahead forLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 9, “Enemy of The State.”
I’m disappointed thatLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 9, “Enemy Of The State” ended the story I was most looking forward to with one line.Law & Orderseason 24, episode 8 ended with a strong cliffhanger after new lieutenant Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) testified that she had looked the other way when cops engaged in illegal and unethical behavior in her previous precinct. Unsurprisingly, when she returned to the squad room, a member of the Internal Affairs Bureau was waiting to question her about the scenario she testified about, sparking speculation thatBrady was leavingLaw & Order.
The procedural needed this type of cliffhanger to sustain interest, especially considering the lower ratings forLaw & Orderseason 24. I have covered procedurals likeLaw & Orderfor long enough to know thatit was unlikely Brady would actually be written out.However, I was looking forward to finding out how she would get herself out of trouble and did not expect that the story would be resolved within the first few minutes of “Enemy of the State.”
Jessica Brady’s Danger Evaporated in Law & Order Season 24, Episode 9
She Returned To Work With A Quick Explanation Of Her Plight
Brady’s dilemma could have taken up the entire episode, but instead, it was resolved with a throwaway line. Soon after the cops got a new case involving a young man who was shoved onto the subway tracks, Brady entered the squad room and said that she was glad to “be back from my vacation.” Since it was unlikely that she went on vacation in the middle of being investigated, this line suggested that she was suspended and was reinstated.
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This is especially disappointing considering how much this cliffhanger was built up. It did what it was designed to do: excite the audience and encourage people to tune in for the winter premiere. However,there was little point in doing that ifLaw & Orderdidn’t intend to follow through with a story. Ending the problem so quickly makes it seem as if the cliffhanger was designed purely to manipulate the audience into tuning in. This could lead to reduced audience interest, especially among those who were watching primarily to see the Brady storyline.
Why Brady Being In Trouble Should Have Been A Season-Long Arc
It Was An Interesting Story That Could Have Attracted More Viewers
I’ve been concerned aboutLaw & Orderfor a while. The revival has been struggling to maintain its audience and has lost 16% of its season 23 audience in season 24 (viaTVLine). Thus,it is counterintuitive forLaw & Orderto end its most intriguing storyline so quickly. If the story had gone on for the entire season, it’s possible that viewership would have increased as people tuned in to find out what was going on with it.
Brady’s plight could have been part of an ongoing story which would have required the cops to adapt how they approach cases in the interim and balance the work they had to do with trying to help her with her reinstatement effort.
Law & Orderis mainly a procedural, so it might have been difficult to incorporate a season-long arc about the cops' boss being in trouble. However, it would not have been impossible. Brady’s plight could have been part of an ongoing story which would have required the cops to adapt how they approach cases in the interim and balance the work they had to do with trying to help her with her reinstatement effort. This would also have been an interesting storyline for Riley (Reid Scott), considering that he didn’t like Brady and resented her replacing Kate Dixon (Camryn Manheim).
Baxter’s Dilemma Echoing Brady’s Made This Even More Disappointing
He Also Needed To Make A Difficult Decision About Testifying
Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) also had to decide whether to testify about something from his past duringLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 9. He had once spearheaded an FBI initiative that had resulted in an unnecessary death, and Price (Hugh Dancy) wants him to testify against the FBI agent involved in the program — something Baxter was loath to do because his association with the initiative would stain his reputation. I would ordinarily have been intrigued by Baxter’s dilemma butit was more difficult to take seriously when Brady had just gone through something similar that had been abruptly dropped.
Hopefully,Law & Orderwill not continue to begin seemingly significant storylines only to abruptly drop them, as the procedural cannot afford to alienate the audience when it is already struggling in the ratings.
Indeed, Baxter resists testifying in one scene and takes the stand in the next. This abrupt reversal of his decision is as rushed as the ending of Brady’s story. I’ve covered many such rushed storylines in my career, and they often annoy audiences. Hopefully,Law & Orderwill not continue to begin seemingly significant storylines only to abruptly drop them, as the procedural cannot afford to alienate the audience when it is already struggling in the ratings.
Law & Order
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Law & Order is a procedural crime drama series that premiered in 1990, featuring New York City police detectives and prosecutors as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes. The show is known for its two-part approach, dividing between the crime-solving efforts of the detectives and the legal proceedings in court.
