Stone’s Soup

So, continuing with

Jack “we don't get to choose who our witnesses are” (I can change that)

and Mike “my replacement will be here next year” (that’s called politics, too)…

The case itself is not-wonderfully investigated and obviously half-assedly prosecuted. (And Jack doesn't screech about preferring a ham sandwich this time.)

Logan and Briscoe should have tried harder to break the Crossleys’ alibi — they know spousal ones aren't ironclad. What was the exact route he took home? What was he like when he got home? If there were no prints on the gun, where were the gloves he used?

We never see him arrested, we never see him in for questioning, we never see him at a bail hearing — and this is an ex-cop and a guy with less than a year on the city council! They’ve gone after more important people than that! It’s like he’s totally unscathed.

The first thing Crossley does on the stand is lie and break the alibi himself! He says he was home with his wife all night, when she told Briscoe and Logan he didn't get home until “about 10”! (Gee, Jack, time to start pulling the ‘so you don’t know where you were when Richard Durban was shot, do you…?’)

He's also acting like a spurned lover. Point that out, Jack; don't go high.

…Jack really should have punched harder on the sex and homophobia angle instead of insisting everything was about work and anger… (which says something about where his priorities are, maybe). Instead he makes one bad, arrogant trial call with Barnett and follows it up with another with Logan, then strikes out when he shrugs about a retrial.

(And a Class A misdemeanor can get you up to a year in jail, Jack, and you both know that.)

Richard Durban probably died because Kevin Crossley was angry — but Jack didn't do enough digging into why he was angry — even when the guy starts to implicate himself under oath. The Great Jack McCoy couldn't think of a way to start using all that bigotry from defendant plus lawyer as a help to his case.

And then, of course…

“…He’ll be fine.” No, JJ, you think that, but you can’t control everything (as events have already shown), and it’s not going to work out that way.

Jack was absolutely fine with making Mike Logan disappear (on whatever level) after stomping him down.

He was also perfectly happy to pull on his “some sort of green coat” as the very last thing we see.

“You gotta love these guys… They pretend to be friends, so they can pretend to be enemies!”

…Except these two might pretend to be enemies so they can pretend to be friends.

L&O decided to write this episode about a couple city politicians and a potential murder motive or two, just so they could expand on the beef between Mike “he's so smart, he's dead” Durban and Jack “came here last year, you committed blackmail in front of 200 witnesses” Crossley.

One of them is metaphorically killed off, and the other one basically gets away with it.

Why do Logan and McCoy hate each other (...now, still)? They've acted like this since their first meeting (which was a bit too soon for any brunette ADAs to be a factor, presumably?), but what Crossley really blows up about is his unhealthy simmering fixation on Durban’s sex life and whom he may be sleeping with (which he admits has always been in the back of his mind and why they weren't actually “friends” at all)... so, uh, you can't really count Claire out, either.

The show does offer another strong hint (as well as summing up Mike and Jack) with the famous “More like each other's evil twin” line. Neither of them ever likes what they see (and they’re a good few steps closer together than Durban and Crossley were).

…So, uh, yeah, Jack McCoy declined to prosecute because he couldn’t think of a good enough argument and was too concerned about the nasty things the other side might say. Something’s not exactly right with this picture.

…And you all think clothes aren’t important and/or fun in this show.

Crossover time! I just spent half an hour trying to figure out if Crossley’s barely-seen tie here while he spouts off about the establishment and political correctness, is Ben’s most outstanding one as a kick to right-wing ranting Michael Moriarty.

I want to say no, the silver stripe on Stone’s is thicker even with the same red in the middle… and the proportions aren’t the same, and the councilman’s villainy is warping something, but it’s so close it may as well not make a difference?

So, in the pilot, Paul has a tie which we later see Ben wearing, and suspenders. Ben has a belt (gasp), which he can’t even seem to fasten properly.

Okay, and with the poll concluded, by a large margin, you wanted the idiots first.

Fine. Feel free to let me know why, if you have a spare minute.

That will teach me to ask… thank you, whoever cast the Loganaid pity/solidarity vote. “That's called politics, too…”

This episode is apparently less about a potential murderer getting away with his potential hate crime because neither Logan nor McCoy do their jobs properly… than it is about the seemingly inescapable notion that Michael and John just don't like each other very much, and the ramifications of that spill back and forth in different parts.

Except, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the courthouse behind Lennie?

So not only is Kev literally and judicially wrong here…

But where everything goes down on those steps the following time Crossley tries a variant on this line?

Happy “Pride” Month, everybody. Told you I had more thoughts.

Adam: I finally found my hitman.

Claire: Mr. Schiff.

Adam: Hit… worker… person. Fine.

Claire: Sir… how is this even going to work if they know?

Adam: You think you only have to keep one thing a secret?

Claire: …No, sir.

Logan: …So, all this time you were fretting about your “job”—

4x04 “Profile” / 6x21 “Pro Se”

“When the lowest of creatures transform into well-clad men who speak eloquently, and magic is dangerous as always, a beautiful virtuous woman of noble purpose can find herself involuntarily bound…”