A schizophrenic attorney who refuses to take medication defends himself against multiple charges of murder.A schizophrenic attorney who refuses to take medication defends himself against multiple charges of murder.A schizophrenic attorney who refuses to take medication defends himself against multiple charges of murder.
Photos
- Pharmacy Clerk
- (as Arthur T. Acuña)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications built by France in the 1930's the help deter invasion by Germany. When Germany finally did invade they exploited a weakness in the line, which did not extend all the way north to the English channel. The French government figured that the terrain in the Ardennes forest was too rough for a German invasion force to traverse in a fast amount of time so they never built the line that far north. The Germans were aware of this flaw and brought special equipment that allowed them to clear trees out of their path much faster than French strategists anticipated, so the vast expense put into the Maginot line was ultimately for nothing. The line has since become a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security, which is what Claire meant when she called the DA's office the Maginot line of the criminal justice system.
- GoofsThe bayonet was describe by the seller as a "Korean War" type, but the Korean War bayonet for the M-1 (Garand) rifle was much shorter. This looks more like a WW1 (1903 Springfield) bayonet.
- Quotes
James Smith: I am a captain in Jabin's army!
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Really? I was a corporal in Uncle Sam's.
James Smith: I fought at the Kishon River.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Oh, you did? So, when you killed Linda Bowers and those other people, you were following orders, right?
James Smith: The chattering people across the street. They're with the CIA too, aren't they?
Detective Lennie Briscoe: This isn't the CIA, Jim, this is the 27th precinct of the New York City Police Department. You understand that?
James Smith: [laughing] It's a hell of a system. It's a hell of a system. They drive touch-tone dialing to work and they're still hungry.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Right.
[pause]
Detective Lennie Briscoe: I give up.
[exits interrogation room: to Van Buren and Kincaid]
Detective Lennie Briscoe: I think I need whatever he's supposed to be taking.
- ConnectionsReferences Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964)
And it does so brilliantly here in one of Season 6's high points "Pro Se", the best episode since "Hot Pursuit" in my view. And this is not by a little, we're talking about a lot as although there were great episodes in the period between the two it was the period when the season became inconsistent. It is an outstanding episode in every way, with a guest star that burns long in the memory and that it managed to make a well balanced and attention grabbing story from a difficult topic and explore it forcefully yet tactfully was truly admirable and to me worthy of a lot of respect.
Everything is superb in "Pro Se". What immediately stands out here is the acting. While all the regulars are excellent, "Pro Se" belongs to David O'Hare". Who really wrenches the gut in a demanding role that demands a lot on a psychological level and O'Hare is both unsettling and nuanced. The character interaction in especially the second half is spot on.
"Pro Se" contains one of the most powerful cases of Season 6. Its portrayal of schizophrenia is both chilling and heart-breaking, being truly scary and devastating to see how not taking medication suddenly does to you. Of the episodes of the 'Law and Order' franchise (it was explored more than once, like in 'Special Victims Unit's' "Noncompliance") to deal with schizophrenia, this is one of the most balanced and in depth ones.
The script is taut, thoughtful and emotionally varied, the tension and emotion (plenty of both here) nicely balanced by some humorous one-liners from Briscoe. The story pulls no punches and is not as obvious as it sounds. It was very surprising to see Schiff speak the way he does here to Kincaid, but it was an incredibly well written exchange and a good example of how difficult prosecuting cases can be.
Expectedly, it's a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole.
In summation, absolutely brilliant and a fine example of what 'Law and Order' is all about. 10/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 10, 2021