Law & Order (TV Series) Working Mom (1997) User Reviews

Her life or her reputation

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 20 September 2015]

Elaine Stritch makes the second of two appearances on Law And Order as a feminist defense attorney Lainie Steglitz and she's got quite the cause here. Her client is Mount Kisco housewife Felicity Huffman who between attending her kid's soccer games has an interesting sideline as a hooker. In fact she and several of her peers are earning a little extra pin money with it.

That only lasts as long as you can keep it a secret. But a certain bottom feeding former cop now a private eye find out about it and demands payment one way or another. He's found shot with his own weapon in a most unflattering position in his car.

The claim is self defense, but was Huffman defending her life or her reputation? That's the issue that Sam Waterston and Stritch contend with at trial.

One really fascinating scene was at a cop bar while Jerry Orbach and Benjamin Bratt are interrogating one of the victim's former colleagues. While the witness is telling Briscoe and Curtis what a corrupt bum this guy was the rest of the crowd well fortified with lots of booze is celebrating his life. A real strange dichotomy.

Watch the show if you want to see if Jack McCoy pulls this one out.

Care and protection

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 28 April 2021]

'Law and Order' was a brilliant show in its prime and overall is actually my favourite of the 'Law and Order' franchise and out of it, 'Special Victims Unit' (the longest running) and 'Criminal Intent'. Despite not feeling the same post-Briscoe. 'Special Victims Unit' started off brilliantly, but became hit and miss Season 7 onwards and has not lived up to the early seasons generally for a long time. 'Criminal Intent' also was truly fine in its early seasons, but became wildly inconsistent mid-run.

Talking about Season 7's "Working Mom", it is a good episode. Did feel though that it was a little bit of a let down after four brilliant previous episodes in a row and that it was missing something. Many things are still done absolutely solidly to wonderfully, with there being much to like. Do prefer episodes that have tougher topics explored more uncompromisingly and also the ones that are more complex and twisty, both of which were things that the previous four episodes excelled brilliantly at.

"Working Mom" could have been better than it was. It would have been better if there were more twists and surprises, there are a fair few familiar ideas here from seeing familiar elsewhere and there is not a lot unique in how they're dealt with. Other episodes have more complexity, the premise is interesting but quite basic and the execution is on the slightly too simple side too.

Everything is done more than competently, all present and correct. It just could have done with a little more tension and emotion.

However, there is a lot that is done very well as has been said already. "Working Mom" does look good, with the usual slickness and subtle grit. Really liked too that the photography was simple and close up but doing so without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when used, and luckily it isn't constant, and when it is used it doesn't feel over-scored. The direction allows the drama to breathe while still giving it momentum as well.

Furthermore, the script is typically tight and intelligent. Especially good are the sassy yet gritty exchanges with Briscoe and Curtis and the closing statement in one of not many early season episodes where it was easy to see both sides. The story could have had more tension and is not particularly complex, but it is compelling especially in the bar scene and the lengths McCoy goes to to get the truth. McCoy is fascinating as was always the case when he settled fully and the characters are all strongly written. As well as acted. Sam Waterston gets the honours but Elaine Stritch in her second 'Law and Order' appearance after Season 3's "Point of View" and Felicity Huffman are also strong.

In summary, pretty good but not great. 7/10.

This story didn't age well.

[jujuju123 · 8/10 · 19 July 2022]

As title. The working mom's choice of profession-sex was given a bad name and the defendant discredited because of her choice of profession. McCoy was brutal asking her how many men she had serviced. To me, the question is tantamount to sex-shaming,a position that in my opinion could hardly resonate with audience post the millennium. On the other hand, the defendant's story of self-defense really isn't as unbelievable ad McCoy made it out to be. (I actually believed her story.) Now watching it the third time or so, the new discovery on my part is to be re-introduced to how Jamie Ross holds her ground between the fine lines between right and wrong and on standing up to McCoy for going to far to bend the rules.

I am getting sick of the McCoy character.

[m-47826 · 6/10 · 3 January 2024]

His smug face is really getting on my nerves, and the way he debunked the woman's defense, was unpleasant to watch. Like he wouldn't have done the same, if he was the one brutalized and forced to having sex, with someone he had absolutely no desires of pleasing. Prostitute or not, the character played by Felicity Huffman (great acting, by the way) had the right to say « no » to that dirty cop, and defend herself against him. I also think her questionable morals played a big part in the jury's decision. But like her lawyer said, that wasn't the point of the trial. Her being pressured mentally and physically to have inner course with someone violent, was what should've remained when the jury decided to convict her or not. I am kind of tired of the way writers always decide to give a bad verdict, whenever some wealthy white person is accused of a crime. It's becoming a pattern lately, and I don't like that.

Please downvote away, you stalker freak. You must have a lot of spare time, to do that to ALL my previous reviews. It took you what? Two hours and a half to accomplish that?...