Law & Order (season 14)

Law & Order
Season 14
Season 14 U.S. DVD cover
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 24, 2003 (2003-09-24) – May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 13 Next → Season 15
List of episodes

The 14th season of Law & Order premiered on September 24, 2003 and concluded on May 19, 2004 on NBC which remained unchanged. The season consists of 24 episodes. This is the final season to feature Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe. The character was transferred to the spin-off Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Orbach appeared in only two episodes of the show, dying of prostate cancer on December 28, 2004. In May 2004, it was announced that Dennis Farina would be replacing Jerry Orbach (Detective Lennie Briscoe) as Detective Joe Fontana. Having moved over to the third Law & Order spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Orbach only filmed two episodes of the series before his death in December 2004 Season 14 was released on DVD, September 14, 2004 & the slimline reissue set was released on February 25, 2014.

Cast

The cast of season 14 remained unchanged from season 13. Jerry Orbach, who played Lennie Briscoe, left the series at the end of the 14th season, and was replaced by Dennis Farina. But he moved to the third spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury before his death on December 28, 2004 at the age of 69. This season aired alongside season five of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and season 3 of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Main cast

• Jerry Orbach as Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe
• Jesse L. Martin as Junior Detective Ed Green
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
• Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy
• Elisabeth Röhm as Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn
• Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch

Recurring cast

• Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
• J. K. Simmons as Dr. Emil Skoda

Departure of Jerry Orbach

Jerry Orbach, who played Lennie Briscoe, left the series at the end of the fourteenth season. But he reprised his role with only 2 episodes of Law & Order: Trial by Jury before his death on December 28, 2004 at the age of 69.

Episodes

See also: List of Law & Order episodes

Law & Order season 14 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
302	1	"Bodies"	Constantine Makris	S : Michael S. Chernuchin; S/T : William N. Fordes	September 24, 2003 (2003-09-24)	E4302	20.86 [1]
While investigating the death of a teenaged girl, the detectives stumble on a pattern of crimes that indicate they are after a serial killer. The suspect, however, puts the prosecutors through an ethical wringer when he discloses his attorney's knowledge of the victims and their whereabouts.
303	2	"Bounty"	Matthew Penn	Michael S. Chernuchin	October 1, 2003 (2003-10-01)	E4304	17.50 [2]
The investigation into the murder of Robert Rovelli a bounty hunter leads to a reporter with compromised ethics and a dubious defense strategy.
304	3	"Patient Zero"	David Platt	Wendy Battles	October 8, 2003 (2003-10-08)	E4301	16.47 [3]
The investigation into the carjacking of Anna Hopkins reveals her vehicle contained vials of a deadly virus, leading the detectives on a search for the first person infected with the virus and a biochemist whose sinister motivations were driven by passion.
305	4	"Shrunk"	Jace Alexander	Richard Sweren	October 22, 2003 (2003-10-22)	E4305	16.60 [4]
The police and prosecutors investigate the connection between John David Myers an award-winning songwriter and Carrie Gunderson the young woman found murdered in his home to discover who would profit by her death at his hands.
306	5	"Blaze"	Gloria Muzio	Marc Guggenheim & Aaron Zelman & Michael S. Chernuchin	October 29, 2003 (2003-10-29)	E4309	16.17 [5]
A teenager's need for parental love, acceptance, and recognition sets in motion the events leading to the deaths of 23 concert-goers in a blaze started by a rock band's illegal pyrotechnics.
307	6	"Identity"	Jace Alexander	Janis Diamond	November 5, 2003 (2003-11-05)	E4311	16.38 [6]
When a man is found murdered shortly after depositing almost $400,000 in his savings account, the investigation into the source of funds reveals that Andy Hitchens the victim ran an identity theft scam which left Lonnie Jackson an elderly man homeless and impoverished.
308	7	"Floater"	Richard Dobbs	Eric Overmyer	November 12, 2003 (2003-11-12)	E4307	18.93 [7]
The husband of a woman whose partially decomposed body is found floating in the Hudson River becomes the prime suspect in her murder until the prosecutors uncover a connection between her prospective attorney and a judge who has heard a suspiciously high number of his cases.
309	8	"Embedded"	Ed Sherin	Craig Turk	November 19, 2003 (2003-11-19)	E4303	17.53 [8]
After Frank Elliot a reporter accused of causing the deaths of soldiers with whom he was embedded in Iraq by reporting on their troop movements is shot and wounded on the eve of his return to the front, the ballistics report indicates that the gun belonged to one of the dead soldiers, leading the detectives to uncover who brought the gun back from the front and committed the crime.
310	9	"Compassion"	Constantine Makris	Roz Weinman	November 26, 2003 (2003-11-26)	E4308	14.74 [9]
When Gideon Blake a con man passing himself off as a grief counselor is poisoned by a respected doctor he victimized, McCoy must determine whether revenge or insanity prompted the crime.
311	10	"Ill-Conceived"	David Platt	Aaron Zelman & Noah Baylin & Michael S. Chernuchin	December 3, 2003 (2003-12-03)	E4306	16.61 [10]
The owner Arnold Zachary of a clothing company with illegal immigrant workers is found murdered which sends the detectives on a search for an unidentified evening caller whose girlfriend, also a worker in the factory, recently gave birth. Upon discovery that the victim was also the baby's father, the boyfriend is arrested with the motive being an office affair until the victim's widow discloses that it was a surrogate arrangement.
312	11	"Darwinian"	Jace Alexander	Marc Guggenheim	January 7, 2004 (2004-01-07)	E4313	17.99 [11]
The apparent hit-and-run of a homeless man sends the detectives on a search for the driver, a high-profile female publicist, which fuels the fire for the prosecutors to obtain a murder conviction. However, an autopsy reveals that the victim died as a result of a beating, which had to have taken place hours before the car accident, which leads to a suspect within the homeless community.
313	12	"Payback"	Constantine Makris	Lorenzo Carcaterra	January 14, 2004 (2004-01-14)	E4310	17.23 [12]
The investigation into the murder of Jerry Tortino a former bookie turned mob informant reveals a disturbing new wrinkle in organized crime involving legitimate businessmen moonlighting as contract hitmen in a battle for mob leadership, and ends with a Federal ploy to nullify the plea bargain in the case, leaving McCoy seething and two more people dead.
314	13	"Married with Children"	Richard Dobbs	Wendy Battles & William N. Fordes	February 4, 2004 (2004-02-04)	E4315	17.33 [13]
The death of Lisa Winslow, a woman who fell from a hotel balcony leads to a case involving a lesbian couple and a state law banning gay adoption.
315	14	"City Hall"	Gloria Muzio	Richard Sweren & Marc Guggenheim	February 11, 2004 (2004-02-11)	E4318	16.96 [14]
A city employee's clerical error sets in motion a chain of events which culminates in a fatal shooting at City Hall and a secret federal court proceeding with sinister implications.
316	15	"Veteran's Day"	David Platt	Noah Baylin	February 18, 2004 (2004-02-18)	E4314	18.04 [15]
A decorated Gulf War veteran, grief-stricken over the Afghanistan combat death of his son, murders an anti-war protester, claiming at trial that he acted under extreme emotional distress.
317	16	"Can I Get a Witness?"	Don Scardino	Aaron Zelman	February 25, 2004 (2004-02-25)	E4320	16.73 [16]
McCoy faces an uphill battle in proving that witnesses to the murder of Henry Ware a drug mule were bribed, intimidated, and eventually murdered on the orders of the drug dealer accused of the crime.
318	17	"Hands Free"	Gloria Muzio	Janis Diamond	March 3, 2004 (2004-03-03)	E4316	14.61 [17]
When McCoy fails to win a murder conviction against an eccentric cross-dressing millionaire for the death of his neighbor, he redoubles the effort to convict the man for murdering his second wife years earlier by demonstrating that he murdered a witness to the crime. Based on the murderer Robert Durst
319	18	"Evil Breeds"	Constantine Makris	S : Barry Schindel; S/T : Noah Baylin	March 24, 2004 (2004-03-24)	E4326	15.05 [18]
A Holocaust survivor, Leah Glaser, is murdered on the eve of her testimony in the deportation trial of Stefan Anders, a former concentration camp guard. McCoy must not only put the murderer on trial, but also the former guard who stood to gain the most from the survivor's death, even though evidence is limited.
320	19	"Nowhere Man"	Martha Mitchell	William N. Fordes	March 31, 2004 (2004-03-31)	E4324	17.86 [19]
The District Attorney's Office is set on its ear when the investigation into the death of Daniel Tenofsky an A.D.A. uncovers a scandal that could imperil hundreds of cases. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg makes in-character cameos at the beginning and end of the episode.
321	20	"Everybody Loves Raimondo's"	Richard Dobbs	S : Richard Sweren; S/T : Lorenzo Carcaterra	April 14, 2004 (2004-04-14)	E4327	16.16 [20]
Greed, treachery and disrespect shape the motives for murder when two men are gunned down at an exclusive restaurant.
322	21	"Vendetta"	David Platt	S : Michael S. Chernuchin; S/T : David Nahmod	April 21, 2004 (2004-04-21)	E4317	17.21 [21]
The investigation into a barroom brawl fatality reveals a detective's decades-old vendetta against a petty criminal turned murderer who was falsely accused of one murder after evading conviction on another. Partially inspired by the 2003 Steve Bartman incident.
323	22	"Gaijin"	Jace Alexander	Wendy Battles	April 28, 2004 (2004-04-28)	E4325	17.19 [22]
Van Buren has reservations about Branch's tactics in luring a Ginza nightclub owner back to New York after the Japanese government is unwilling to extradite him to face charges of conspiracy and murder in the death of his wife on a New York City vacation.
324	23	"Caviar Emptor"	Richard Dobbs	Roz Weinman	May 12, 2004 (2004-05-12)	E4321	15.86 [23]
When Manny Suleimani a caviar importer is murdered the day after his wedding to a much-younger woman, the large pool of suspects includes his new wife, his children, and his chief competitor, each of whom has a compelling motive for committing the crime.
325	24	"C.O.D."	Matthew Penn	Richard Sweren & Marc Guggenheim	May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)	E4319	19.46 [24]
Briscoe bids farewell to the 27 as the prosecution of two women for killing each other's husbands comes to a successful conclusion. Final appearance, on this series, of Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe.

Notes

• This is the final season to feature Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe. The character was transferred to the spin-off Law & Order: Trial by Jury . Orbach appeared in only two episodes of the show, dying of prostate cancer on December 28, 2004.
• The episode "Blaze" is based on The Station nightclub fire.
• Season 14 was released on DVD, September 14, 2004 & the slimline reissue set was released on February 25, 2014.
• This was the second time that the series had no cast changes for two successive seasons. The first time this happened was with the 8th season.

References

1. "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 22-28)". The Los Angeles Times . October 1, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
2. "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 29-Oct. 5)". The Los Angeles Times . October 8, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
3. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 6-12)". The Los Angeles Times . October 15, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 20-26)". The Los Angeles Times . October 29, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 27-Nov. 2)". The Los Angeles Times . November 5, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times . November 12, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. Livsey, A.J. (November 19, 2003). "In a barren season, 'Tree' sprouts for WB". Media Life Magazine . Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
8. Livsey, A.J. (November 26, 2003). "What's got NBC itchy on Wednesdays". Media Life Magazine . Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
9. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 24-30)". Los Angeles Times . December 3, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 1-7)". The Los Angeles Times . December 10, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
11. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 5-11)". Los Angeles Times . January 14, 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
12. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 12-18)". The Los Angeles Times . January 23, 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
13. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 2-8)". The Los Angeles Times . February 11, 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
14. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 9-15)". The Los Angeles Times . February 20, 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 16-22)". ABC Medianet . February 24, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
16. "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 23-29)". ABC Medianet. March 2, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
17. "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 1-7)". ABC Medianet . March 9, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
18. "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 22-28)". ABC Medianet . March 30, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
19. "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 29-Apr. 4)". ABC Medianet . April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
20. "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 12-18)". ABC Medianet . April 20, 2004. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
21. "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 19-25)". ABC Medianet . April 27, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
22. "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 26-May 2)". ABC Medianet . May 4, 2004. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
23. "Weekly Program Rankings (May 10–16)". ABC Medianet . May 18, 2004. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
24. "Weekly Program Rankings (May 17–23)". ABC Medianet . May 25, 2004. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2023.

External links

• Episode guide from NBC.com

Preceded by Season Thirteen (2002-2003)

List of Law & Order seasons (1990-2010)

Succeeded by Season Fifteen (2004-2005)