The bombing death of a husband set to remove the feeding tube of his wife, who's in a persistent vegetative state, focuses the investigation on the protesters.The bombing death of a husband set to remove the feeding tube of his wife, who's in a persistent vegetative state, focuses the investigation on the protesters.The bombing death of a husband set to remove the feeding tube of his wife, who's in a persistent vegetative state, focuses the investigation on the protesters.
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- TriviaThis episode appears to be based on the 1998-2005 Terri Schiavo case. The central figure in a decade-long legal battle, after a severe 1990 heart attack left her in a permanent vegetative state. Schiavo's husband fought to have her treatment terminated as he contended she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means; her parents strongly opposed his wishes, resulting in a series of cases throughout Florida's court system to determine her fate. The courts ultimately sided with her husband after multiple physicians confirmed that Schiavo's condition was irreversible, and she passed away in March 2005 after her feeding tube was removed.
- GoofsWhen detective Green is talking to the suspect he confronts him on the contents of his shed. One thing he names is "aluminum filings", only the actor, not knowing what he's talking about, says "aluminum fillings"
- Quotes
Shelly Denton: You haven't seen them? They went on the news. They called him a monster. They called me a whore for having kids with him. When I met him, she had been like that for six years. Robert dedicated his life to her. He fought to get money for her care.
Detective Joe Fontana: Fought how?
Shelly Denton: A malpractice suit. It took him four years to get a settlement.
Detective Ed Green: How much money are we talking about?
Shelly Denton: 3.2 million.
Detective Joe Fontana: And who will control this money now?
Shelly Denton: Guess.
- ConnectionsReferences The Age of Innocence (1993)
It is not new territory as such for 'Law and Order', but it's very powerful when done well. Am always rather iffy when religion is brought into a case, and the franchise has really varied in its portrayal of religion, and just as much if it concerns a cult-ish group which risks the episode being a bizarre one. "Age of Innocence" may be one of the weaker episodes of Season 16 and is somewhat uneven, but it does a lot right and is an admirable episode on the whole.
"Age of Innocence" does do a lot right. 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 momentum while being accommodating. The subject is mostly done with force and tact, with the attitudes being presented in an insightful way and where all sides are worth considering.
Script is taut and thought probing, especially in the second half, and the second half is suitably intricate and has a suitable amount of tension. The acting is very good from the regulars, and despite his character being rather over the top John Aylward is deliciously smug.
Did think though that some of the religious element was laid on too thick and on the bizarre side and that the supporting characters could have been written with a lot more subtlety and dimension rather than the overblown way some of them were written.
Felt too that the early portions were pretty ordinary.
Good episode overall. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 15, 2022