Law & Order season 12

Law & Order
Season 12
Season 12 U.S. DVD cover
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 26, 2001 (2001-09-26) – May 22, 2002 (2002-05-22)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 11 Next → Season 13
List of episodes

The following is a list of Law & Order episodes from the series twelfth season, which originally aired from September 26, 2001 to May 22, 2002. This season is the last season to feature Dianne Wiest as DA Nora Lewin and the first to feature Elisabeth Röhm as ADA Serena Southerlyn.

Cast

Season 12 began with an unchanged cast. Serena Southerlyn (played by Elisabeth Röhm) replaced season 11's Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon in the role of Assistant District Attorney).

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
• Dianne Wiest as Interim District Attorney Nora Lewin

Recurring cast

• Leslie Hendrix as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
254	1	"Who Let the Dogs Out?"	Don Scardino	Kathy McCormick & Douglas Stark	September 26, 2001 (2001-09-26)	E2208	20.68 [1]
The investigation into the death of Sandy Meekin a jogger mauled by a vicious dog leads to an Attica inmate, his attorneys, and an underground dog-fighting ring. First appearance of Elisabeth Röhm as ADA Serena Southerlyn.
255	2	"Armed Forces"	Martha Mitchell	Richard Sweren & Sean Jablonski	October 3, 2001 (2001-10-03)	E2210	22.55 [2]
The fatal stabbing of Joseph Eastman a man leads to the discovery of his status as a Vietnam war veteran and the truths uncovered about an incident that occurred with him and three former soldiers in his division.
256	3	"For Love or Money"	Constantine Makris	Wendy Battles & Sean Jablonski	October 10, 2001 (2001-10-10)	E2207	22.07 [3]
The death of Ronnie Buck a parolee, who was a hit man, leads to a wealthy widow and daughter who may have hired him to kill their rich relative.
257	4	"Soldier of Fortune"	Richard Dobbs	Barry Schindel	October 24, 2001 (2001-10-24)	E2206	21.39 [4]
The daring daylight kidnapping of a diamond dealer which results in two murders at the scene uncovers an international dynasty of blood diamonds sales and its links to a foreign civil war.
258	5	"Possession"	James Quinn	Robert Palm	October 31, 2001 (2001-10-31)	E2202	18.07 [5]
Investigating the murder of Virginia Boone a woman in a rent-controlled apartment, Green and Briscoe initially turn their attention to janitor Roberto Ramos, who had been given a cash gift of $5,000 by the deceased but claimed he didn't remember her when questioned. But it isn't long before the detectives discover that she was engaged in a long-running battle with her landlord and had been blocking the potentially lucrative sale of the building.
259	6	"Formerly Famous"	Richard Dobbs	Wendy Battles & Marc Guggenheim	November 7, 2001 (2001-11-07)	E2201	18.96 [6]
The shooting death of a former singer's wife leads the detectives to investigate his manager and sons after his explanation of the events surrounding her death have no credibility. Based on the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley
260	7	"Myth of Fingerprints"	David Platt	S : Eric Overmyer; T : Terri Kopp & Aaron Zelman	November 14, 2001 (2001-11-14)	E2209	20.42 [7]
A murder investigation uncovers deliberately faulty forensics in the wrongful conviction of two men 12 years earlier in the case that paved the way for Van Buren's promotion.
261	8	"The Fire This Time"	David Platt	David Black	November 21, 2001 (2001-11-21)	E2205	17.77 [8]
When a building is set ablaze, a girl must be identified despite her fatal burns. Through further investigation, it turns out that an extreme environmentalist group struck the match.
262	9	"3 Dawg Night"	Stephen Wertimer	S : Aaron Zelman; S/T : Richard Sweren	November 28, 2001 (2001-11-28)	E2203	20.22 [9]
When a celebrity is implicated in a nightclub murder, McCoy and Southerlyn battle the flaks who attempt to insulate their client from any involvement or interrogation.
263	10	"Prejudice"	Ed Sherin	Jill Goldsmith	December 12, 2001 (2001-12-12)	E2213	19.39 [10]
The murder of Thomas Reddick a magazine publishing company's black CEO leads to a suspect who has a clear streak of racism and whose attorney intends on using that as a mental defect.
264	11	"The Collar"	Matthew Penn	Richard Sweren	January 9, 2002 (2002-01-09)	E2214	19.95 [11]
The death of Father Grady a cleric leads the detectives to a priest who was given information by a murder suspect outside of the church but insists that he can't discuss anything about it, bringing McCoy to question whether the confessional seal should apply.
265	12	"Undercovered"	Jace Alexander	Wendy Battles & Noah Baylin	January 16, 2002 (2002-01-16)	E2220	21.17 [12]
The father of a dying girl gets his revenge on an insurance executive who denied a leukemia treatment for his daughter. One problem arises when the father is technically on both sides of the law.
266	13	"DR 1-102"	Richard Dobbs	Marc Guggenheim & Aaron Zelman	January 30, 2002 (2002-01-30)	E2216	20.56 [13]
The bludgeoning of two women in their apartment leads the detectives to a suspect who has taken a hostage while demanding legal representation. Southerlyn's actions to secure the hostage's release, while heroic, result in disbarment proceedings against her for violation of Disciplinary Rule 1-102.
267	14	"Missing"	David Platt	S : Barry Schindel; T : Eric Overmyer & Matt Witten	February 6, 2002 (2002-02-06)	E2212	18.95 [14]
When a girl's parents frantically search for her, Briscoe and Green see that the girl's belongings were packed up in her apartment. They learn that the girl had been seeing a married man — her boss. When the boss is brought up on charges, his wife sheds some new evidence.
268	15	"Access Nation"	Constantine Makris	Sean Jablonski & Terri Kopp	February 27, 2002 (2002-02-27)	E2215	17.90 [15]
The murder of Tracy Conley a psychologist leads to a case involving a computer company that sells information and their responsibility in shielding their clients' history in order to serve their needs.
269	16	"Born Again"	Jace Alexander	S : William N. Fordes; T : Jill Goldsmith & Matt Witten	March 6, 2002 (2002-03-06)	E2204	20.09 [16]
The investigation into the death of Paula Weston an 11-year-old girl uncovers the possible culpability of the child's mother and a rebirthing therapist.
270	17	"Girl Most Likely"	Steve Shill	Lynn Mamet	March 27, 2002 (2002-03-27)	E2227	19.25 [17]
When Julie Cade a high school student is found dead in an apartment building, Briscoe and Green suspect that the murder was a result of her getting a message board shut down. As McCoy and Southerlyn investigate the case further, they realize that her best friend, who was reluctant to come forward as a witness, may be the answer to the murder.
271	18	"Equal Rights"	James Quinn	Terri Kopp	April 3, 2002 (2002-04-03)	E2221	18.93 [18]
A stock analyst's murder leads the detectives to a corporation whose stock had fallen.
272	19	"Slaughter"	Constantine Makris	Rob Wright	April 10, 2002 (2002-04-10)	E2218	19.54 [19]
The investigation of Andrew Hatcher a student's killing leads to a case involving meat contamination at a food service.
273	20	"Dazzled"	Lewis H. Gould	Eric Overmyer & Matt Witten	April 24, 2002 (2002-04-24)	E2224	19.15 [20]
When Katy Snyder a "gold digging" wife is found dead, there are plenty of possible perpetrators. Her husband has become "whipped" and blinded by his young wife and then messes up his story to Briscoe and Green. When he finally comes around, it seems that the wife's ex-boyfriend was getting revenge for being fired from a contracting job. The medical examiner uncovers some more clues which point to a bitter alcoholic ex-wife. Eventually, the criminal comes forward but the only crime she has committed is trying to save her family.
274	21	"Foul Play"	Richard Dobbs	Richard Sweren & Stuart Feldman	May 1, 2002 (2002-05-01)	E2222	19.30 [21]
The investigation into the death of Mike Drucker a private investigator uncovers corruption, deceit, and immigration fraud in a Youth Baseball League whose manager will go to any lengths to win.
275	22	"Attorney Client"	Matthew Penn	Jill Goldsmith	May 8, 2002 (2002-05-08)	E2225	19.77 [22]
The wife of an attorney with many disgruntled clients is killed, but the detectives believe that he was the intended target as he was willing to reveal information despite confidentiality agreements. As the investigation continues, his tumultuous love life is exposed and the prosecutors are suspicious of his desire to return to the courtroom.
276	23	"Oxymoron"	Constantine Makris	Michael Harbert	May 15, 2002 (2002-05-15)	E2217	18.30 [23]
The murder of Eliza Glazer a young doctor leads Briscoe and Green to her involvement in an underground oxycodone ring, of which the leaders have hatched a plan to con McCoy and Southerlyn out of a trial.
277	24	"Patriot"	David Platt	William N. Fordes & Sean Jablonski	May 22, 2002 (2002-05-22)	E2226	19.51 [24]
A tenement building explodes and the lone victim is Joseph Haden. The building was rent controlled and there had been a tenant strike, so the police initially suspect arson. But the landlord doesn't have insurance, ruling out their arson theory, and the medical examiner discovers that Haden's neck was broken and he was tied up before the explosion happened. Trying to figure out Haden is even more difficult. He didn't appear to have a family or a girlfriend and never got any substantial mail. He worked at the Jiffy Job service station making minimum wage, yet had $90,000 in the bank. Briscoe and Green do some more digging and find out that Haden was using an alias, and his real name was Yusuf Haddad. Last appearance of Dianne Wiest as IDA Nora Lewin.

Notes

• In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the main title voiceover by Steven Zirnkilton was changed for the first few episodes to include the following dedication: "On September 11, 2001, New York City was ruthlessly and criminally attacked. While no tribute can ever heal the pain of that day, the producers of Law & Order dedicate this season to the victims and their families and to the firefighters and police officers who remind us with their lives and courage what it truly means to be an American". This voiceover was also heard at the beginning of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
• Throughout the season, police in the series are seen wearing black mourning bands on their badges, as was done by the NYPD following September 11.
• Elisabeth Röhm joins the cast as ADA Serena Southerlyn in this season.
• This is the final season to feature Dianne Wiest as IDA Nora Lewin.
• In the episode "Attorney Client," Annie Parisse plays a stripper named Jasmine Blake before assuming a regular role on the series as ADA Alexandra Borgia, Season 15, Episode 14.
• Barry Schindel, Jeffrey M. Hayes, and Peter Jankowski serve as executive producers this season, René Balcer having left to be the executive producer for the series's second spin-off, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Balcer left CI after the 5th season and returned to L&O in its 17th season).
• The second Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: Criminal Intent , debuted at the time of this season.

References

1. "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 24-30)". The Los Angeles Times . October 3, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
2. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 1-7)". The Los Angeles Times . October 10, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
3. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 8-14)". The Los Angeles Times . October 17, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 22-28)". The Los Angeles Times . October 31, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 29-Nov. 4)". The Los Angeles Times . November 7, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times . November 14, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 12-18)". The Los Angeles Times . November 21, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 19-25)". The Los Angeles Times . November 28, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 26-Dec. 2)". The Los Angeles Times . December 5, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Top 20 Network Primetime Report". Zap2it . Archived from the original on April 27, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
11. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times . January 16, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
12. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 14–20)". The Los Angeles Times . January 25, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
13. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 28–Feb. 3)". The Los Angeles Times . February 6, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
14. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 4–10)". The Los Angeles Times . February 13, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
15. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 25-March 3)". The Los Angeles Times . March 6, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
16. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 4–10)". The Los Angeles Times . March 13, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
17. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 25–31)". The Los Angeles Times . April 3, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
18. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 1–7)". The Los Angeles Times . April 10, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
19. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 8–14)". The Los Angeles Times . April 17, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
20. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 22–28)". The Los Angeles Times . May 1, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
21. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 29-May 5)". The Los Angeles Times . May 8, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
22. "National Nielsen Viewership (May 6–12)". The Los Angeles Times . May 15, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
23. "National Nielsen Viewership (May 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times . May 22, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
24. "National Nielsen Viewership (May 20–26)". The Los Angeles Times . May 30, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Episode guide from NBC.com

Preceded by Season Eleven (2000-2001)

List of Law & Order seasons (1990-2010)

Succeeded by Season Thirteen (2002-2003)