Law & Order (TV Series) The Secret Sharers (1991) User Reviews

Back in Texas they would have given him a medal

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 October 2017]

At a church carnival a drug dealer with weapon still in his waistband is shot twice, once in the back and the second time in the crotch. Rule of thumb according to George Dzundza when it's below decks it's always personal.

When all is said and done Enrique Munoz is arrested because the deceased raped and beat up his girlfriend. No police report filed on that but Dzundza and Chris Noth find her in the hospital.

Usually Shambala Green doesn't step aside for any man especially white men. But as Munoz's attorney she does step aside for flamboyant Percy Foreman like Texas lawyer J.D. Cannon making his farewell appearance. He's here partly for publicity and partly to prove to himself that on certain matters New Yorkers aren't all that different from Texans.

Though he's only in the last third of the episode, Cannon is quite unforgettable and his dialog with Judge Stephen Elliott and Michael Moriarty as prosecutor is classic.

"The commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill". It does not say, "Thou shalt not kill only nice people"

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 6 November 2019]

Despite seeing every episode of all the 'Law and Order' shows (especially this, 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent') overtime for over a decade, most of them more than once and some of them recently when airing on a regular basis in the past few years, the decision to review all the episodes was fairly recent. In the past few months actually.

And it has been a more than worthwhile quest despite, due to being busy and being behind reviewing other things, having a huge amount more to review. "The Secret Sharers" is the eighteenth episode of the first season of 'Law and Order' and it is not one of the season's best in my view. Which doesn't mean that my opinion of the episode is negative, just think that there are better episodes and the best are so good. "The Secret Sharers" lacks the mounting tension of the two part "The Torrents of Greed", which has one of Season 1's and the show's nastiest antagonists, and the hard-hitting emotional impact of "Mushrooms" (talking about the previous two/three episodes, which were among the best of Season 1). And it is a slight disappointment in comparison. It is still a very solid episode though.

Although the case is diverting enough and goes at a good pace, it's also a touch standard and there is not an awful lot that's surprising. As said too, other episodes of Season 1 have more tension (only just as there is some here) and emotional impact.

It does primarily have two things in its favour. JD Cannon really dominates "The Secret Sharers" in a good way (without unbalancing the rest of the episode, a danger when someone/something's presence is so strong) and steals the show from under everybody in the last third. Chet is an interesting character and Cannon does wonders with him. The last third is great and in a different league to the still solid first two thirds, rising the episode above the ordinary. The dialogue and interaction with Chet, Stone and Markham agreed really makes the episode and a fond reminder of what makes 'Law and Order' such a great show (or at least in its prime years) in the first place.

Production values are slick as to be expected and the music has enough presence while being well utilised and letting the crackling script (in the last third especially) do all the talking. The procedural and prosecution elements are balanced well, though the latter makes more of an impression, while the moral dilemmas and fearless tackling of them are well handled. While Cannon steals the show, Michael Moriarty also fares strongly.

Overall, very solid if not classic. 8/10

The Jury Is Wise

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 16 December 2022]

When the drug dealer Jose Urbano is shot outside a church fair, the police officers look for witnesses but do not find any. Sgt. Greevey concludes that it is a sexual crime since the victim was shot four times in his genitals. Greevey and Mike investigate the case and conclude that the the low-life victim had raped and beaten the girlfriend of Nicky Guzman and the murder is a revenge. Despite the advice of DA Adam Schiff, Stone decides to prosecute Guzman for murder. But the famous defense lawyer Chet Burton from Texas decides to assume the defense of Nicky Guzman.

"The Secret Sharers" is a good and polemic episode of "Law & Order". The question is whether you shall not kill only nice people, or whether you may kill a rapist and drug dealer. I absolutely agree with the jury decision in this case. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Associados Secretos" ("Secret Associates")

12 people knew he was guilty and freed him anyway, hypocracy at its highest

[morkoff · 9 March 2024]

No wonder human societies went and keep going downhill, hypocracy will always be our downfall. Economy, ecology, constitution, moral, even religion, we read them as it pleases us. We have set rules that should favour the society we live in, then start bending them as we wish. If rules no longer work, challenge them, do not excuse the breaking of them.

Screenplay was unusually weak this episode, the lack of real exploration of the 'moral' vs. Legal issue presented was a huge miss. A judge who would allow the emotional manipulation and not overthrow the verdict (it was shown in other cases) is just useless. Revenge cannot be a justification for murder. Self defence is already a shady zone.