Every episode of Law & Order opens with the investigation of a crime, usually a murder. This is the only episode that does not open with a crime or feature a criminal investigation and prosecution. This episode opens with four of the main characters witnessing the lethal injection of a prisoner--a convicted murderer--and it revolves around the characters' reactions to the execution.
One of Jennifer Garner's first roles. She filmed the series during her first year in New York City. At the time, she was making ends meet by working as a babysitter. One of the people she babysat for was Stephen Colbert, whom she met while they both had small roles on another show.
Len Cariou appears in this episode as Claire's old college professor. In her conversation with the professor, it is subtly revealed that he is also her stepfather.
This is one of the few entries of this show that doesn't deal with the investigation and prosecution of a specific case. Instead, it explores what is probably the most powerful and fate altering day in the lives of the four principals.
[voiceover at end of episode, Lt. Anita Van Buren]. "...They were supposedly good people, and they did absolutely nothing. Then he beat her to death with a tire iron. And today the state of New York got its revenge. It's not enough, and it's too much.". [08.28.2020]