Jack goes head-to-head with his former assistant, Jamie Ross, as he prosecutes the gunman in a high-school mass shooting.Jack goes head-to-head with his former assistant, Jamie Ross, as he prosecutes the gunman in a high-school mass shooting.Jack goes head-to-head with his former assistant, Jamie Ross, as he prosecutes the gunman in a high-school mass shooting.
Photos
- Henry Semple
- (as Timmy Reifsnyder)
- John Laramie
- (as Kevin N. Davis)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSemple's mother mentions the "other boy" E.A.D.A. Jack McCoy and A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael prosecuted who "shot that delivery man." She is referring to Mitch Regan, the oldest of the thrill killers from a previous episode (Teenage Wasteland (2001), Episode 11.12).
- GoofsSome people believe that Henry Semple's psychologist violated privilege when she divulged her patient's name and basic psychological profile to Detectives Briscoe and Green, but she did not. The reason is that if a mental health professional has a reasonable belief that their patient is planning to harm themselves or others, they have an ethical, and legal, obligation to report that suspicion to the police. The defendant's psychologist strongly suspected her patient was the shooter, so she was within the canon of ethics and the law to divulge that suspicion to the police.
- Quotes
Jack McCoy: I'm sick of learning things about this case after the fact.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Hey, we talked to fifty-two kids who were either in the cafeteria or had been identified as friends of Semple.
Detective Ed Green: Nobody indicated that there were prior threats.
Jack McCoy: Well, apparently someone knew.
A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael: The parents claim that Semple told some kids he was gonna shoot the place up.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Did they have any names?
Jack McCoy: Detective, I had just told them that we had to cut Semple loose because of your screw-up. I wasn't about to let them know they knew more than we did.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Any time you think you can do my job better than me, just let me know.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Law & Order: Trial by Jury: 41 Shots (2005)
"School Daze" is in my view very good. It did have potential though to be great or more though, this subject has been done before on the show and it was done excellently and powerfully. It is a powerful episode and there are many truly fine things, but there is something that did put me off (and this is true for others as well) that brought it down a bit. As far as Season 11 goes, "School Daze" is among the better episodes and could pass easily for an early seasons episode.
Am going to begin with what didn't quite do it for me. Did not like Carmichael's character writing, normally do like her no nonsense take no prisoners approach but that is taken too far here in "School Daze". She was truly unsympathetic (in a way not usually seen with her), particularly to the parents, and it was like seeing a bloodthirsty rottweiller or something.
Did think too to a lesser extent that it was a little too talk-heavy in spots, particularly later on.
However, a lot works wonderfully here in "School Daze". The acting is uniformly good, can't fault Jerry Orbach, Jesse L Martin and Sam Waterston and despite disliking the way Carmichael was written here Angie Harmon does give it her best. Timmy Reifsnyder effectively makes one feel unsettled and Robert Ernest Lunney is movingly dignified at the end. Carey Lowell has lost none of what made Ross a great character, and while there is preference for her on the prosecution side it was interesting seeing this side and the different dynamic it shows.
The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space. The writing is very intelligent and thoughtful, with the moral dilemmas of the controversial subject of guns being sensitively but not in a sugar-coated way handled.
What it has to say is insightful and having seen a number of 'Special Victims Unit' for example episodes where the writers' stance on a certain stance is presented heavy-handedly from one side, it was great to see a firm but not preachy argument that leans towards one viewpoint in particular but in a way where it is completely understood. Moreover, the story is very compelling and taut. It is not an easy watch and is sometimes sad, but appropriately so.
Concluding, very good and nearly great. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 6, 2022