Original Air Date: Friday, May 18, 2007 on NBC
From: ComingSoon.net...thank you to VHFHENRM for finding this!!!
A FORMER SENATOR'S EX-WIFE IS MURDERED, AND THE FAMILY'S DEEP SECRETS ARE REVEALED; HARRY HAMLIN, JEFFREY TAMBOR AND JEREMY SISTO GUEST-STAR -- The ex-wife of a prominent former senator Randall Bailey (guest star Harry Hamlin, "Veronica Mars") is found brutally murdered at home the night after a fundraiser she attended with her family. Although Bailey cooperates with Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Nina Cassady (Milena Govich), they question his innocence, after finding him standing over another family member's dead body. His indictment for both murders turns the courtroom into a media circus as Bailey is represented by a slick and arrogant defense attorney Clint Glover (guest star Jeremy Sisto, "Kidnapped") and a flashy media hungry judge Barry Dilwynn (guest star Jeffrey Tambor, "Arrested Development"). S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Fred Dalton Thompson and Alana De La Garza also star.
This is apparently the finale of the 17th season of Law & Order.
LAW & ORDER Official Site at NBC
UPDATES:
UPDATE 07/30/07: NBC will be re-airing THE FAMILY HOUR on Sunday night August 5th, so if you missed it, now is your chance!
UPDATE 06/07/07: Many of you have probably already seen and enjoyed these pix, but for some reason, I haven't thought to even look for them until today. NBC.com has several very nice photos of Jeremy as Clint Glover. There are 3 pages of pix in this gallery, and if you want only to see his, they are on page 2.
UPDATE 05/16/07: TV Guide now has a decent sized pic from the episode in their Jeremy Sisto gallery! Sorry I put this link in wrong, but it should be fine now!!! Argh!!!
UPDATE 05/10/07: I found a site with some promo stills, but they are maddeningly small! SpoilerTV/Blogspot
COMMENTARY (Added May 20, 2007)
CAUTION: SPOILERS
TV14 for violence, disturbing images and adult themes
I have not watched the original LAW & ORDER since probably 1990, when it first premiered. I have only recently been trying to catch up on the many years that I have missed through NetFlix and re-runs on TNT and USA.
The 17th season finale, THE FAMILY HOUR, was actually a pretty intense and disturbing 40 minutes. The ex-wife of a senator has been bludgeoned and stabbed to death. It is an especially bloody scene, but it is even more disturbing when a wooden spoon is found deliberately inserted into the victim's body, causing the authorities to wonder whether or not it is a sex crime.
The investigation is interesting and engaging. The senator, Randall Bailey (guest-starring "the most ridiculously good-looking man in TV history", Harry Hamlin) seems outraged and shocked that any suspicion could be aimed at him. But as the detectives probe into his family closet, they find horrific pictures of abuse on the children. One picture, that of a wooden spoon, especially gives them pause.
What's even worse is they find that none of the incidents was ever prosecuted, due to Senator Bailey's position in society. As the case is readying itself for the courtroom, the senator's daughter ends up murdered as well. This matter ends up creating bad blood between the Senator and Detective Cassady (Melena Govich).
Jeremy Sisto and Jeffrey Tambor also guest star, but it was Hamlin's part that most intrigued me, with his temper tantrums and two-faced political schemes. According to all the articles promoting this episode, Sisto was to play a "slick and arrogant" defense attorney for Bailey. Sadly, his character, Clint Glover, was given very little to do except argue a bit in court. Tambor played the judge in this trial, and besides a little over the top bellering (inspired by the judge in the Anna Nicole case, reportedly) he gets practically nothing to do either. The one guest star that really impressed was Hamlin, but I believe that Sisto could have done just as good, or better in the role. Tambor could have too, for that matter.
I can't completely do my review without mentioning the irritation of commercial breaks every 7 minutes or so. I know network TV cannot do without their sponsors, which is why I've always felt that network TV sucks. They think they can squeeze a story into 40 little minutes, with too many characters trying to make an impact on a viewer, so that they can have 20 mins of commercials.
In spite of my disappointments, the storyline itself was compelling, and the outcome was satisfying. I love it when rich priveledged people end up being punished after years of believing they can get away with anything.
I'll give the episode an A for the good plot.
