Law and order Season 24, Episode 8, “Bad Apple” isn’t the NBC show’s first episode of police corruption. Stories of corrupt cops have been a part of the long-running drama series since season 1’s “The Blue Wall.” But this episode is less a statement on that issue than a source of character development for Jessica Brady, and in that sense it’s an undeniable success.

“Bad Apple” is a police episode that brings Brady back to the 29th precinct, where she previously worked in narcotics before taking charge of homicides at the 27th. The audience encounters characters from his past who, as one would expect, are not quite who they say they are. Maura Tierney is on her “A” game in the episode, which gives more insight into who Brady is and gives more nuance to his character. He only collapses at the last second.

Law & Order season 24, episode 8 looks at police corruption

A well-known procedural subject returns

THE Law and order the shows have done several episodes about cops gone bad. Law and order: organized crime had a whole season 2 arc about a group of villainous officers known as the Brotherhood, and even extended it into season 3. A premise similar to the events of “Bad Apple” was in Law and order Season 19, Episode 12, “Illegitimate”, which saw an officer kill his partner. However, this story went the other way, as the dead police officer was the one in trouble. This plot follows the more typical pattern of a dirty cop murdering his partner to protect himself, while everyone hesitates to report him – much to Nolan Price’s bewilderment, as Hugh Dancy perfectly conveys Price’s disbelief in just two lines.

Yet this relative lack of ingenuity does not stop Law and orderThe fall finale to be entertaining. Although anyone familiar with the pacing of the series understands that the “good cop” is the real killer, the way he is caught is different. It turns out that Brady always knew Miles Brandt was corrupt, so off camera she worked with the NYPD’s international affairs team to set up a sting operation, capturing him on video with a stolen duffel bag containing the murder weapon. This is not a thriller; it’s about Brady’s emotional arc, which viewers know isn’t going to end well.

But this is a real Jessica Brady story. Fans could never imagine her predecessor Kate Dixon in a situation like this. “The Blue Wall” saw the very first homicide supervisor, Captain Donald Cragen, accused of corruption, but that was over 30 years ago, and Cragen was clearly innocent as he struggled to translate his mentor in justice. In “Bad Apple,” Brady takes responsibility for looking the other way – and owns up to his mistakes by deciding to testify at the murder trial. The audience sees her character, along with her internal conflict and an explanation of why she is so distant. This is the best glimpse of who she is, right in the middle of her first season.

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Maura Tierney Directs Law & Order’s Fall Finale

Brady’s struggles help Tierney stand out

THE Law and order the fall finale being hosted by Jessica Brady’s character means Maura Tierney is definitely front and center, and the EAST And The affair the veteran is up to it. Most notably, Brady never loses the world-weary edge that separates his character from Dixon. The most emotional moment she has experienced actually happens off-screen, as she is seen sitting in her office with tears in her eyes. Instead of a demonstrative scene to show how Brady struggles with his decisions, Tierney communicates it in the character’s body language and tone. She doesn’t let her guard down, but the audience still knows something is wrong with her.

When Brady was introduced into the Law and order Season 24 premiere, nothing about her stood out. The main reason to care about the character was the actor who played him. Other episodes have reduced this to relatively small doses, such as episode 6, “Time Will Tell”, including a few scenes about his personal life. Yet two episodes later, the audience learns about Brady’s professional history, meets some of the people she worked with, and understands that she made a major mistake earlier in her career. There’s a clear character arc for her, in that she’s become exactly the type of supervisor she once disliked.

“Bad Apple” is also supported by an excellent guest cast. Ancient East New York Amanda Warren plays defense attorney of the week, while Under the Dome, Pan-American And The brave star Mike Vogel plays Brandt. Vogel is responsible for the scene in which Brandt obviously tries to place the blame on his now deceased partner, and does so with just the right amount of overacting, so that the audience knows he’s playing a role, but he still looks like the jury might take the bait. If Vogel doesn’t sell this moment, then the crucial development of Brady’s stance is meaningless. These two players help seal the deal.

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Is Jessica Brady leaving Law & Order?

Spring Premiere promotion appears to be a giant spoiler

“Bad Apple” ends with Brady being looked at by several of the officers under his command, then finding an Internal Affairs detective waiting in his office. The natural question viewers will ask when seeing this cliffhanger is whether Maura Tierney is leaving Law & Order after just a handful of episodes. And putting a main character in danger – whether physically or otherwise – is a good way to build tension. This is what Chicago Med the fall finale has just been made with Sharon Goodwin, played by Law and order former S. Epatha Merkerson. But this particular cliffhanger seemingly fails right after it begins, thanks to the NBC promo being cut to announce the show’s return.

One of the first scenes of advertising spot For the second half of season 24, Brady is in the interrogation room with a suspect. This would seem to confirm that the character is not fired by Internal Affairs, and it is also unlikely that she will be demoted, as then she would not actually occupy the Police Supervisor spot in the cast. It’s still possible that she faces other consequences, like a suspension that happened by the time episode 9 happens (also similar to Chicago Medwhich caused Dean Archer to be suspended off-screen). Or there could be some sort of temporary lieutenant that steps in for Brady to work under, which would be a perfect landing spot for another great guest star. But the kind of suspense Law and order wanted disappears for anyone who looked at that ad a few seconds later. Of course, Art Alamo had no way of predicting this when he wrote the script.

Law and order Season 24, Episode 8 doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to stories of police corruption. Nor is it one of the greatest finales, midseason or otherwise, that this venerable series has ever done. But the real goal is to give viewers a better look at Jessica Brady, and fans will appreciate her character a lot more by the time the credits roll.

Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on BNCback on January 16, 2025.

Law & Order Season 24, Episode 8

A narcotics officer is shot in the back as Brady returns to his old precinct to investigate the murder. When the suspect’s story doesn’t add up, she hires Shaw and Riley to uncover the truth.

Release date

September 13, 1990

Creator(s)

Wolf Cock

Cast

George Dzundza, Chris Noth, Dann Florek, Michael Moriarty, Richard Brooks, Steven Hill, Paul Sorvino, Carolyn McCormick, Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jill Hennessy, Sam Waterston, Benjamin Bratt, Carey Lowell, Angie Harmon, Jesse L. Martin, Dianne Wiest, Elisabeth Rohm

Benefits

• Maura Tierney’s best performance as Jessica Brady.
• Big guest stars in Mike Vogel and Amanda Warren.

Disadvantages

• The cliffhanger ending of the episode gives a sense of false peril.

Develop