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Law & Order: Virtue (1994)
NOT inspired by the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy
The first Trivia item is completely wrong. This episode was "ripped from the headlines", but not that one. They were working at a federal agency, the EEOC. This episode takes place at big-time law firm with a white partner supervising a black associate. In the actual case, a black, politically connected partner (Richard Glanton) at a Philadelphia law firm, Reed Smith, was accused of sexual harassment by a white associate, Kathleen Frederick, who accused him of basically forcing her into having an affair to boost her chances of making partner. Thomas had much less power over Hill's future than a partner at a big-time law firm would have over an associate. They did accurately portray the crazy hours and opportunities for affairs between partners, attorneys, and support staff.
Crossing Jordan: Is That Plutonium in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Me? (2004)
Most satisfying ending of any episode
(Spoilers Included). We've all been there - some government bureaucracy keeps us from doing our daily work or getting something as basic as a driver's license. Here, a cocky and mysterious FBI agent shows up at the morgue and throws the whole office into what becomes a wild goose chase and ultimately puts the life of new hire Devan Maguire in jeopardy.
Or does it? The final scene allows Dr. Macy to say how much his team means to him and serves as sweet - and well deserved - comeuppance for all the agony the "NEST team" has put the entire Medical Examiner staff (and Woody) through. The term "punchable face" has never seemed more apropos.
Crossing Jordan: For Harry, with Love & Squalor (2002)
Possibly the worst episode of the entire series
One of the few benefits of the Covid lockdown has been the opportunity to check out series that I may have overlooked during their first run. Crossing Jordan fits the bill to a 't". Almost always well written, and at times very moving, this one stands out like a sore thumb. Guest star Brian Stokes Mitchell, an acclaimed Broadway acto, chews scenery throughout and is horribly miscast as a "Mickey Rourke from 91/2 Weeks wannabe" guy who picks up Jordan in her father's bar by spouting inane psychobabble about taking chances. The only thing that saves this episode from being the dregs of the whole series run is a charming appearance by the legendary Carl Reiner as Dr. Macy's father, a con man who just cannot help himself from creating chaos in his son's life.
FantomWorks: One for Ole Miss (2018)
Did Dan Short desecrate a classic?
I know that Dan (and his shop) place a high premium on 'saving" or restoring classic cars, especially 1960s era Muscle Cars. Imagine my shock when customer Sean (the real life father from "The Blind Side") asks Dan to create a Resto-Mod of a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, and the "donor car" they find looks suspiciously like a real 1967 Camaro Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car! These cars are extremely rare and while it is more likely it was a clone or "Tribute Car", I cannot understand why they did not do any research before literally stripping off all the paint and decals. Big time FAIL, Dan!
Cold Case: Street Money (2008)
Can't turn back the hands of time
An underrated episode of this terrific series, in which an idealistic young City Council candidate Dex Collins (a young and dynamic Chadwick Boseman) takes on an entrenched political "lifer" Grover Boone (Bill Duke). The odds are stacked against him, and the political machine seems to be too much to overcome, but a last minute possible sex scandal throws Dex into a moral quandry that indirectly leads to his murder. The killer, as it often turns out, is a bit of a surprise, but justice prevails in the end. The final song is elegiac and near perfect for expressing the wasted potential that invariably accompanies a senseless killing.