The DA's office charges a racist who killed an African-American CEO over a taxicab with a hate crime. The defense responds by arguing that racism is a mental defect.The DA's office charges a racist who killed an African-American CEO over a taxicab with a hate crime. The defense responds by arguing that racism is a mental defect.The DA's office charges a racist who killed an African-American CEO over a taxicab with a hate crime. The defense responds by arguing that racism is a mental defect.
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- Doug Larsen
- (as Kevin Scott Henderson)
- Andrea Reddick
- (as Gay Thomas-Wilson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhile not the first episode aired after 9/11, this was the first one filmed after 9/11. You can tell the change by the number of American flags in the background, increased uniformed police presence and then a reference to the Towers falling by A.D.A. Serena Sutherland.
- GoofsThe episode takes place after the September 2001 attack on New York - the detectives have bands on their badges, and American flags are prominently shown throughout. The first date shown onscreen is Tuesday October 24. This date aligns with calendar year 2000, 11 months before the 9/11/01 attacks.
- Quotes
Clerk: I'm not sure you should be going through that.
Detective Ed Green: Look, we're dealing with a homicide investigation.
Clerk: I... I just meant that there might be some sensitive material there.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: That's exactly what we're looking for.
Clerk: I was referring to the corporate financial information, about the buyouts.
Detective Ed Green: Buyouts?
Clerk: Of the other magazines. That's what Mr. Reddick's meetings were about yesterday.
Detective Lennie Briscoe: When was his last appointment?
Clerk: Uh... that would have been his 6:30 with Legal.
Detective Ed Green: And that was the last time you saw him?
Clerk: On his way upstairs. He wasn't very happy; Mr. Reddick didn't really look forward to meetings with lawyers
Detective Lennie Briscoe: I know the feeling.
Despite every previous season of 'Law and Order' having at least one race-related episode, which goes to show how relevant it was/is and how big a problem it was and still is, it is a topic that warrants a lot of discussion, awareness raised and searching for ways to decrease it. Season 12's "Prejudice" does a generally very good job with the topic, though there are other episodes of 'Law and Order' that handle it even more powerfully, namely Season 4's "Profile" and Season 5's "Rage".
Personally did not buy the defense argument. 'Law and Order' has had its fair share of ridiculous defense arguments ("Remand" being a primary example), but still this one was very naive, silly and even near-insulting as equating mental illness as an excuse for racism (and to this degree) is a big stretch and is not going to go down well with many.
It's 10 episodes in and Southerlyn is such a deadweight still it is quite wearing. Elisabeth Rohm is still wooden.
Wooden cannot be something to describe the rest of the regulars for, the complete opposite for Jerry Orbach and especially Sam Waterston. Do agree that the truly chilling Steven Rishard is the main reason to see "Prejudice", his character is truly repellent (to the extent that it does defy belief that anybody would want to defend him) and Rishard personifies evil as him. The character interaction is a nice mix of tense and intimate, Briscoe and Green are such a good pairing and they are for me my personal favourite of the show's police duos.
The production values as ever have slickness and grit, with an intimacy without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when it's used but does so without being intrusive, some of it is quite haunting too. The direction is also understated but the tension never slips, the second half being full of it.
Script is taut and intelligent, while the story is lean, intense and emotional. Very little overwrought-ness or no preachiness, not easy with this topic to do.
Overall, very good. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 24, 2022