Law & Order (season 5)

The fifth season of Law & Order aired on NBC between September 21, 1994, and May 24, 1995.

Law & Order
Season 5
Season 5 U.S. DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes23
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 21, 1994 (1994-09-21) –
May 24, 1995 (1995-05-24)
Season chronology

Critic Alan Sepinwall considers the season's casting lineup to be the best out of all the seasons of Law & Order.

Cast

Jack McCoy (played by Sam Waterston) replaced season 4's Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty) as Executive Assistant District Attorney. Mike Logan (played by Chris Noth) departed the cast after this season, thus making Adam Schiff (played by Steven Hill) the last remaining first-season cast member.

Main cast

Recurring cast

Departure of Chris Noth

After the fifth season, Chris Noth, who played Junior Detective Mike Logan, was let go from the series. His departure made Steven Hill the sole remaining cast member since the show's first season. Noth later reprised his role of Logan in the 1998 television film Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, and later on Law & Order: Criminal Intent from 2005 to 2008.

Episodes
Law & Order season 5 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
891"Second Opinion"Ed SherinMichael S. Chernuchin & Jeremy R. LittmanSeptember 21, 1994 (1994-09-21)6940818.3[1]

A woman's death exposes an unorthodox method of treating cancer that new Executive Assistant DA McCoy intends to prove is negligent homicide.

902"Coma"Jace AlexanderEd ZuckermanSeptember 28, 1994 (1994-09-28)6940619.5[2]

A comedy-club owner Michael Dobson comes under suspicion for having shot his wife, now comatose with a bullet in her head, after it is discovered he was abusive and she was about to divorce him.

  • The events of this episode continue in the following season's episode "Encore".
913"Blue Bamboo"Don ScardinoS : Hall Powell;
T : Morgan Gendel;
S/T : René Balcer		October 5, 1994 (1994-10-05)6940215.5[3]
The killing of Shinro Hayashi a Japanese nightclub owner who was visiting New York City leads to the arrest of singer Martha Bowen (Laura Linney), whose lawyer uses the "battered-woman syndrome" as a defense. While assisting on the case, Olivet remembers her own prior sexual assault.
924"Family Values"Constantine MakrisRené Balcer & William N. FordesOctober 12, 1994 (1994-10-12)6940117.7[4]

A missing victim Laura Madsen, a suspicious ex-husband Victor Connor, and a family hiding something all contribute to the ADAs' decision to risk their licenses on a hunch. After ruling out suicide, McCoy and Kincaid turn their focus on the missing woman's daughter (Sarah Paulson) – and take a giant leap to prove their far-fetched theory.

  • This episode was the basis for the Law & Order: UK episode "Fatherly Love".
935"White Rabbit"Steven RobmanEd Zuckerman & Morgan GendelOctober 19, 1994 (1994-10-19)6941118.2[5]
A burglary unlocks a decades-old case. A safety deposit box company unwittingly exposes a female political activist-fugitive who has been hiding for over 20 years. Detectives locate and arrest one of the four involved in the burglary, and ultimately catch the female fugitive who is accused of killing a policeman during a 1971 robbery.
946"Competence"Fred GerberMichael S. Chernuchin & Mark B. PerryNovember 2, 1994 (1994-11-02)6940917.9[6]
When Lt. Van Buren is the victim of an attempted holdup by two teens, she fires her gun and kills one of them, and the detectives are faced with the fact that she shot an unarmed child in the back.
957"Precious"Constantine MakrisRené Balcer & I.C. RapoportNovember 9, 1994 (1994-11-09)6941017.5[7]
When Briscoe and Logan suspect that a missing infant may have been murdered rather than kidnapped, they uncover a terrible family secret.
968"Virtue"Martha MitchellMark B. Perry & Jeremy R. LittmanNovember 23, 1994 (1994-11-23)6941218.7[8]
McCoy uses a charge of "larceny by extortion" against Spencer Talbert a councilman, whose former colleague claims he demanded sex in exchange for a law-firm partnership.
979"Scoundrels"Marc LaubEd Zuckerman & Charles C. MannNovember 30, 1994 (1994-11-30)6941518.3[9]

Among the suspects in a lawyer's murder are a swindler who conned a woman out of her family fortune, and the woman's once-wealthy son.

9810"House Counsel"James QuinnMichael S. Chernuchin & Barry M. SchkolnickJanuary 4, 1995 (1995-01-04)6941316.4[10]

The killing of David Lampert a man who had served as a juror in a mob trial leads to a battle of wills between McCoy and his long-time friend, the suspect's attorney.

9911"Guardian"Christopher MisianoS : Brad Markowitz;
T : William N. Fordes;
S/T : René Balcer		January 11, 1995 (1995-01-11)6940416.6[11]
After the body of a young female junkie is identified as Katie Blanchard the daughter of a wealthy family, Briscoe and Logan try to find out who left her to die in the yard of a day-care center.
10012"Progeny"Don ScardinoS : Mark B. Perry;
T : Ed Zuckerman;
S/T : Morgan Gendel		January 25, 1995 (1995-01-25)6941616.4[12]
After the murder of Eleen Reed an abortion-clinic doctor, Briscoe and Logan are led to a suspect who belongs to a radical anti-abortion movement and their suspicion soon turns to the group's leader, who admits that he's glad the doctor died. McCoy faces the unpleasant task of charging the respected and charismatic former priest with murder, and the public debate over whether the secular community should interfere in spiritual matters.
10113"Rage"Arthur W. ForneyMichael S. ChernuchinFebruary 1, 1995 (1995-02-01)6941417.1[13]

A Wall Street broker Benjamin Greer accused of murdering his mentor Wallace Holbrook uses the defense of "black rage" in court.

10214"Performance"Martha MitchellS : René Balcer;
T : Ed Zuckerman;
S/T : Jeremy R. Littman		February 8, 1995 (1995-02-08)6941916.2[14]
Briscoe and Logan set out to identify the apparent victim Corey Russell in a snuff film, but find her alive and the victim of a points-for-sex club at her prestigious high school.
10315"Seed"Don ScardinoMichael S. Chernuchin & Janis DiamondFebruary 15, 1995 (1995-02-15)6942016.8[15]
A routine investigation into a woman's death leads Briscoe and Logan to a fertility doctor guilty of unethical practices, but who apparently cannot be touched because of confidentiality rules, and patient reluctance to talk.
10416"Wannabe"Lewis H. GouldRené Balcer & I.C. RapoportMarch 15, 1995 (1995-03-15)6941716.0[16]
The shooting of Bill Presscott a board member of an exclusive private school leads to a blue-collar family and a classist system.
10517"Act of God"Constantine MakrisEd Zuckerman & Walter DallenbachMarch 22, 1995 (1995-03-22)6942216.0[17]
A bomb at a construction site kills a 12-year-old boy, and the suspects include the bankrupt contractor and a jealous husband.
10618"Privileged"Vincent MisianoJeremy R. Littman & Suzanne O'MalleyApril 5, 1995 (1995-04-05)6941814.6[18]
The investigation into David and Eileen Lerner a double homicide leads to a young alcoholic whose family once lived in the victims' house and admitted to his AA group that he had nightmares about the killings.
10719"Cruel and Unusual"Matthew PennRené Balcer & Michael S. ChernuchinApril 19, 1995 (1995-04-19)6942315.5[19]
The death of Kevin Jeffries an autistic youth (Steven Burns) in custody reveals a multitude of unusual and possibly illegal therapies being used, but also parents reluctant to pursue a prosecution.
10820"Bad Faith"Dann FlorekRené BalcerApril 26, 1995 (1995-04-26)6942613.4[20]
Logan relives unhappy childhood memories when a friend Det. Marino is found dead; a presumed suicide, until the investigation reveals recent contact with a former priest who has a history of pedophilia.
10921"Purple Heart"Arthur W. ForneyMorgan Gendel & William N. FordesMay 3, 1995 (1995-05-03)6942114.1[21]
The investigation into a taxi driver's murder involves a loan shark, a missing plumber,a forged check, and the victim's wife.
11022"Switch"Christopher MisianoJeremy R. Littman & Sibyl GardnerMay 17, 1995 (1995-05-17)6942514.1[22]
Suspects in a psychiatrist's murder include the victim's ex-husband, a patient suffering from multiple-personality disorder and her obstructive father.
11123"Pride"Ed SherinEd Zuckerman & Gene RitchingsMay 24, 1995 (1995-05-24)6942713.4[23]

Gay city councilman Richard Durban is murdered and the trail leads to Kevin Crossley – a bigoted rival politician – and a male prostitute.

Critical reception

Alan Sepinwall wrote in TV (The Book) that the casting lineup in season 5 was the best out of all the seasons of Law & Order, stating that it was "[t]he '27 Yankees of L&O casts, featuring not only Hall of Famers at every position but the very best example of each respective role in the franchise's history."[24]

References
  1. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. September 28, 1994. p. 3D.
  2. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 5, 1994. p. 3D.
  3. Graham, Jefferson (October 12, 1994). "CBS edges into No. 1 spot, but can it stay?". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  4. DeRosa, Robin (October 19, 1994). "Regular series put ABC back on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  5. DeRosa, Robin (October 26, 1994). "'Grace' leads ABC to tie with CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  6. DeRosa, Robin (November 9, 1994). "'Cagney & Lacey' makes winning return". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  7. DeRosa, Robin (November 16, 1994). "CBS' 'Scarlett' sweeps to No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  8. DeRosa, Robin (November 30, 1994). "Reason for CBS to love 'Rockford'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  9. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 7, 1994. p. 3D.
  10. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. January 11, 1995. p. 3D.
  11. DeRosa, Robin (January 18, 1995). "'ER' rolls into the No. 1 spot". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  12. DeRosa, Robin (February 1, 1995). "Super Bowl kicks ABC to the top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  13. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 8, 1995. p. 3D.
  14. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 15, 1995. p. 3D.
  15. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 22, 1995. p. 3D.
  16. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. March 22, 1995. p. 3D.
  17. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. March 29, 1995. p. 3D.
  18. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. April 12, 1995. p. 3D.
  19. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. April 26, 1995. p. 3D.
  20. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 3, 1995. p. 3D.
  21. DeRosa, Robin (May 10, 1995). "Ratings go to the movies". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  22. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 24, 1995. p. 3D.
  23. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 31, 1995. p. 3D.
  24. Sepinwall, Alan; Seitz, Matt Zoller (2016). TV (The Book). New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-4555-8819-0.
Preceded by
Season Four
(1993-1994)		 List of Law & Order seasons
(1990-2010)		 Succeeded by
Season Six
(1995-1996)
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