This is Sam Sam Waterston's first appearance as EADA Jack McCoy, replacing Michael Moriarty's Ben Stone. Right off the bat you can tell the writers are seeding some sexual tension between McCoy and Jill Hennessy's ADA Claire Kincaid, and it's definitely a bit forced. Certainly this portrayal of McCoy as a roguish ladies man who, as we learn, had relationships with every one of his prior female assistants, would be de-emphasized or virtually omitted in later seasons.
What would remain the same, however, would be McCoy's dogged pursuit of those he found to be guilty, and his willingness to use the law more as a toolbox than a textbook. In this episode, he starts out by immediately having Dr. Haas (Jan Maxwell) arrested, much to DA Adam Schiff's (Steven Hill) chagrin. And he's combative through the rest of the episode, coming to verbal blows with Claire over the nature of the defendant's guilt.
And that's where this one breaks down - the plot, in 2018, is just kind of dumb. Most women in America nowadays don't hesitate to get a mastectomy if they have breast cancer and they know it can prolong their lives; the stigma is greatly diminished. This episode tries to manufacture drama by presenting it as a tough choice for women: retain your love life and uphold the images being presented in beauty magazines, or have a horrible mastectomy (one character even describes the procedure in detail as if it were some form of medieval torture) and live miserably. Perhaps some women do go through that mental back-and-forth, but it rang hollow to me and my viewing companion - who is an ER nurse, no less.
Outside of the dated plot, the supporting players are solid (including a memorable turn by "Evening Shade"'s Elizabeth Ashley as the defense attorney), and it's fun to see Sam Waterston interact with the cast for the first time.
What would remain the same, however, would be McCoy's dogged pursuit of those he found to be guilty, and his willingness to use the law more as a toolbox than a textbook. In this episode, he starts out by immediately having Dr. Haas (Jan Maxwell) arrested, much to DA Adam Schiff's (Steven Hill) chagrin. And he's combative through the rest of the episode, coming to verbal blows with Claire over the nature of the defendant's guilt.
And that's where this one breaks down - the plot, in 2018, is just kind of dumb. Most women in America nowadays don't hesitate to get a mastectomy if they have breast cancer and they know it can prolong their lives; the stigma is greatly diminished. This episode tries to manufacture drama by presenting it as a tough choice for women: retain your love life and uphold the images being presented in beauty magazines, or have a horrible mastectomy (one character even describes the procedure in detail as if it were some form of medieval torture) and live miserably. Perhaps some women do go through that mental back-and-forth, but it rang hollow to me and my viewing companion - who is an ER nurse, no less.
Outside of the dated plot, the supporting players are solid (including a memorable turn by "Evening Shade"'s Elizabeth Ashley as the defense attorney), and it's fun to see Sam Waterston interact with the cast for the first time.