Best Defense

Season 2, Episode 4, Aired

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An assistant district attorney, who had been receiving death threats, confronts and kills a hired gunman. Goren and Eames first suspect his wife, a prominent defense attorney, through a convict whose case was being prosecuted by the A.D.A. and the rumors of her romantic affairs. After he realizes there are cracks in the seemingly airtight case, Goren is forced to keep Carver in the dark about some details to prove his theory.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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  • An attorney in the DA's office has his brake line cut and he shoots and kills someone who tries to kill him. All the clues lead to his wife a brilliant defense attorney trying to kill him until Goren sees through the vale of lies.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By jyarter, Oct 05, 2009
    Another very good episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. How diabolical. Over a very long time using colleagues as corroborating people. Setting up little clues with amazing efficiency.

    The key was Jo Jo Martinez who was putting the finger on the wife based on hearsay evidence, but the evidence seemed pretty airtight as he thought he had spoken to the women twice. The kicker should have been that she would not have ever identified herself if she really was going to do something like this. That would have been a really stupid maneuver. Of course Goren was correct in concluding that the husband was either going to corroborate his wife if he wasn't guilty or Jo Jo if he was. Pretty cut and dried.

    Can you imagine the thoughts that must have ran through this mans mind over a few years time. To have that much built up anger and to really think he would be able to pull this off. Overall one of the more impressive cases by Goren and Eames. Sometimes I wish Eames would make more of a splash though. She really comes across as the second fiddle to Goren most of the time. Thanks for reading...moreless

  • clever twist and some silliness

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By oldergeek, Oct 19, 2007
    Just watched this episode again. The twist of the story is good, but I noticed something else this time. When you watch it, pay close attention to the interview with the Bonham's friends - Goren is mimicking the husband's every move. So goofy; seems the only reason he is doing it is to try to make Eames laugh. I love this little stuff like when Goren took a picture of Eames and himself with the polaroid camera in a restaurant. This is what I am missing in the later seasons - everything is deadly serious. Hardly any snark from Eames and no funny business between them. I wonder if it is character development or just different writers that don't have a sense of humor.moreless

  • ADA Carver's friend, another ADA becomes the target of a hit. Who's behind it? Could it be his own wife?

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By qstevie, Sep 07, 2006
    I guess the story's been given away elsewhere here, so I don't need to include spoilers. This is a good episode, largely because the targeted guy is a friend of Carver's which means we believe in Carver's belief in his friend. At least for a while.

    Anyone who's watched a similar kind of show and story won't be too fooled by the car crash that's only seen off screen, or the off-screen confrontation in a cellar that results in the death of the hitman and not the target.

    But the plotting is clever. The ADA's wife - a very successful attorney - is suddenly looking very good for the conspiracy. She knew the hitman and all kinds of evidence points directly to her.

    Fortunately, Goran and Eames are not fooled by the circumstantial and when one particular piece of evidence seems not to fit, they have to look elsewhere for their suspects and that involves lying to Carver.

    Frankly, although the story is good, the motive behind the actual crime is worryingly pedestrian. To think that someone could go to all that trouble for such a wimpy reason is awful.moreless

  • When in his own home, an ADA shoots a hit man it is clear there is a contract out on the prosecutor. Altho it looks like his high powered defense atty wife is behind it, the ADA himself has set up his wife.moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Firefligh, Jun 23, 2006
    Another well acted and engrossing story. The asst. DA is a Carver underling and the detectives have to tread more softly than usual. But the motive for the elaborate set up becomes clear...the "second-rate prosecutor" can't kill his more successful wife, and divorce won't gain him anything, so why not frame her for attempted murder? Of yourself.

    This epi is a little gem..not too elaborate a plot but with a clear logic and altogether believable, even to the wife's conspiratorial use of her ex-clients in prison.

    The dynamics among the series regulars is furthers developed in this storyline...you may have to hide a few actions from your superiors, but you trust their ethics and sense of justice won't belabor any hard feelings. Carver comes face to face with his colleague's criminality when Goren hangs the evidence and the husband's inferiority complex out to dry. "My own daughter looks at me like I'm some kind of joke", the ADA moans.

    One wonders tho, how an asst prosecutor clever enough to hatch so evolved a frame-up could have allowed himself to have played such a sad second professional fiddle to his mate.
    moreless
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