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Season 18, Episode 14, Aired

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Internal Affairs takes a special interest in Detective Green after he shoots a gambler that may be connected to a current case. The investigation turns up a part of his past he's taken pains to conceal.
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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • Detective Green leaves L&O.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By 1funkychick, May 01, 2008
    I was really disappointed with this episode. Ed is my favorite detective from L&O and I love Jesse L. Martin. I don't have any ideas for any other way they could have written him off, but I'm not a paid TV writer either. L&O is a procedural that very rarely delves into the personal aspects of its characters - we do know that Ray Curtis had an affair & that his wife had MS and he left to take care of her. We know that Lennie was a recovering alcoholic and his daughter had a drug problem and died as a result of it. And it has been hinted that Jack has had affairs with many women who work in or with his office. And we know that Ed had gambling issues. But to bring in some woman from his past? I would have rather they made him the father of her kid and he quit to be a daddy while she goes to jail for embezzling from the school board. I don't think I'll watch L&O anymore. I'm not a fan of Anthony Anderson.moreless

  • The party's over.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By lawgotham, Apr 29, 2008
    Okay, this show has been a little less than perferct over the years, but what I like about it is that it is not entirely about the stars. It is an ensemble show. And as such cast members are changed along the way. It came as a surprise revelation that Detective Green was a gambler and that he was tied up in the case on this episode. It was something of an ambushing for us viewers and it was an awfully quick wrap-up.

    On the other hand, we're introduced to the Detective from Internal Affairs played by one of my favorite, most versatile actors, Anthony Anderson. I'm hoping he's kept around, perhaps as a replacement for Green.

    We see Rubirosa and Van Buren doing their best to keep Gren around, but Cutter showing unusual idealism wants to hang Green. Hmmmm, i'll chalk this up to some character development.

    All in all, a shame to see Green go, fine job Jesse L. Martin.moreless

  • Detective Green becomes the subject of an internal affairs investigation following his involvement in a shooting.

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By vicbjones, Apr 26, 2008
    This episode could have, and should have, been a lot better. The element that has distinguished the Law & Order episodes that Rene Balcer has been involved in is that under his guidance the series has been first and foremost a potboiler. As arresting and surreal as the dead man in sunglasses being wheeled down the street, the episode would have been more interesting if it had started with Lupo arriving at the scene of Bunny's shooting and seeing that Green is being questioned about his involvement, then, after the credits, flashing back to the detectives' investigation into the initial murder of the part-time referee, maybe play up Green's identification with the victim's gambling problem a little more, and then 20 to 25 minutes into the episode, we're back where we started at the scene of the Bunny shooting, and the Smith investigation isn't quite so obvious a McGruffin.

    As it stands, the initial crime is resolved within the first 15 minutes, and instead of watching Green and Lupo work the case, we're waiting to see how Green ends up on trial and off the show. It's one thing for a show's writers to introduce a character with the intention of having him replace a long-time regular; it's another for the characters in the show to be sizing up the new character as a replacement, which Van Buren seems to be doing with regard to Anthony Anderson's character for no apparent reason. That, as well as the prosecutors' scuttling of their own case because they thought Green was worth it, fly in the face of the verisimilitude the best L&O episodes have. The way Manning is brought in to provide a context for Green's actions and some background into his personal life in basically two scenes just serve as a reminder of how viewers have been given tidbits about Lupo's personal life all season long, while Ed's life is crammed into his last episode. It's as if we had only found out about Briscoe's daughter in his last episode or Logan's abuse at the hands of a priest in his final episode.

    The episode has its moments (the opening scene, Lupo's unique entrance, coming from the side of the frame where the wino is looking, the IA interview of Green), but it suffers from NBC having telegraphed that this would be Jesse Martin;s last episode and ultimately not living up to either its hype as a so-called Law & Order event or most of the episodes this season.moreless

  • 'Goodnight! Goodnight! My night after night...' Man, I'm going to miss detective Green. They gave him a good send off though. review with spoilers.

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By DreamingPixel, Apr 25, 2008
    Oh the Trauma!
    Yeah, as stated I think it's possible the baby's his, but I don't think it's of super importance.
    Anyways, an excellent send-off for Jesse Martin, and I loved his performance. I thought the shoot would come sooner.
    Martin, although he clearly pwned this episode, was not alone- Jeremy Sisto and Epatha Merkeson were both moving, as Lupo has to deal with the fact that he didn't know his partner well and the possibility that Green could be dirty. Van Buren is simultaneously tough, and worried about her detectives. The best scenes in my opinion were the one-on-ones with Lupo, Van B., and/or Green, ("How's your friend in the hospital?" "Not so good")
    For a first-timer, I was moderately impressed by Anthony Anderson's performance, and the spin they gave on his character. They perpetuate the 'Evil IAB' stereotype though- the 'good' IAB guy (Bernard) was forced into it, REALLY he wants to be a detective. And while it's true he jumped the gun (I enjoyed Van B. calling him out on that) about Green's guilt, you notice that afterwards he was pretty commited to the investigation and ready to change his mind.
    It kind of worries me that he'll be the new detective though, I mean for most of the show there's been one younger detective (Logan, Younger Green, Cassady, Lupo) and an older one (Greevey, Cerreta, Briscoe, Fontana) Neither Lupo nor Bernard seem up to that.
    Furthermore, I know they're trying to make the point that Cutter is pretty tough, but he's looking absolutely merciless in this episode. I mean, even when he's trying to HELP Green he ends up looking mean (How strange to see Green as a defendant, hear him talked about like a criminal). A great bit was where Green asks Cutter why he's doing this, and Cutter says he's worth saving. Well, the lady Green was protecting has been charged, his sordid past has come out, and his police career is over. Not the best save. Although I guess it beats prison/being killed on the job, which could easily have been employed to finish his character.
    Due to a little bit of cheesiness, this episode wasn't great one hundred percent of the time, but I still enjoyed it.
    Good bye detective Green! I can't wait to see a follow-up where we hear "where he lands".moreless

  • What can you say when one of the most tenured players in the most tenured drama on TV leaves the show. WOW!!!

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By vendbien, Apr 24, 2008
    There was so much info out about Jesse L. Martin leaving that it was going to be hard to be surprised by last night's proceedings. But I was.

    After nine years at the 'Two-Seven', Green, who was Lenny Briscoe's partner when everyone's favorite detective left the force (with the terminal cancer that took Jerry Orbach's life soon thereafter) now leaves as well. In typical L&O style, it wasn't by the book.

    I have seen every episode of every L&O ever (including the spinoffs), and I have seen the show kind of going downhill recently. But this was one of the best eps in years. Sorry to see Det. Green go (I wonder how many young adults have decided to become detectives because of the example he set), but he leaves with style and grace and a wonderful track record for integrity and poise under pressure.

    SPOILERS???

    In this one, Green hears that a gambler that he (and the mother of his child that we never knew about?) had owed money to, had knocked off some stiff and that was going to open up several, large cans of worms for Green and his girl. In what ends up being a 'good shoot', we're not sure whether Green is covering his tracks, protecting his girl or just distributing a little 'street justice'. It's prob all three.

    Anthony Anderson did a great job as the IAB detective that first hinders and then helps Lupo clear the case, and he looks like Lupo's new partner. I'm OK with that - Anderson has got something special going on if given the chance.

    Van Buren and Rubirosa seem to have emotional ties to Green beyond what we might have thought, and this was one of the better-acted episodes in a long time. Cutter and McCoy are both pressing for an indictment and/or conviction - but with the reluctance reserved for a 'good cop' in a 'bad spot'. The fact that Green had hinted at a past gambling problem going back to the days of Lenny Briscoe, made this storyline much more believable, and I counted at least a dozen quotes that I would submit from this one (congrats to the writers).

    Jesse will play Marvin Gaye in a biopic coming up soon, and, after last night, I can't wait to see it.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (3)

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  • QUOTES (14)

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    • Kevin Bernard: Turn around, detective. Cyrus Lupo: What, are you gonna ask me for this dance?

    • Cyrus Lupo: (about pay phones) All I know is that my dog likes to piss on them.

    • Michael Cutter: (to Connie Rubirosa) If this was a cop you didn't know, you'd be running to the grand jury too.

    • Connie Rubirosa: Lupo! I'm guessing there was something that you wanted to talk about. Cyrus Lupo: Looks like I took it to the wrong office. Connie Rubirosa: I have my own office.

    • Ed Green: (extending his hand) Hey ... thank you. Cyrus Lupo: Thank me for what? For digging up the evidence that got you arrested ... or digging up the girl you wanted hidden? Ed Green: For being a good cop.

    • Kevin Bernard: We ran his cell-phone records... nothin'. Cyrus Lupo: He stopped at a gas station in New Jersey. (sarcastically) You think there might be a phone there? Kevin Bernard: How 'bout you take a ride with me? Cyrus Lupo: What... me and you? Kevin Bernard: Yeah ... carpool. It saves gas.

    • (Cutter and Rubirosa discuss a theory of Green's motive.) Connie Rubirosa: That's arguable… . Michael Cutter: Well, I'm pretty good at arguing. That's how I got this job.

    • Ed Green: I've been a cop, a gambler and 12 other things that don't necessarily go together that well.

    • Ed Green: I just came back to get my date book and some personal stuff. Anita van Buren: Maybe I should take a look at it. Apparently there's a lot I never knew about you, Ed.

    • Jack McCoy: (about Ed Green) The man's been in my office a hundred times. I just kind of assumed he wasn't a murderer.

    • Connie Rubirosa: We know Detective Green. Det. Kevin Bernard: Look. He lied to us, no question. He lied to his own partner, no question. Now don't you think you ought to try to figure out why?

    • Ed Green: I used to have a little gambling problem. I knew that club. I just didn't think the whole world needed to know.

    • (After Green is questioned about the shooting) Anita van Buren: How did it go? Ed Green: It was great, I love being treated like a criminal in my own house.

    • Det. Kevin Bernard: How many shots did you fire? Ed Green: Two. Anita van Buren: Detective Green's not answering questions until he consults his union attorney. Det. Kevin Bernard: We're just making conversation, lieutenant. There's no need to get our hackles up.

  • NOTES (3)

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  • ALLUSIONS (2)

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    • The storyline involving John Singer, the basketball referee with a gambling problem, is ripped from the headlines of the Tim Donaghy case.

    • The opening scene is ripped from the headlines of the David Daloia and James O'Hare case in New York City; Daloia and O'Hare put their dead acquaintance Virgilio Cintron in an office chair and wheeled him down the street to a check-cashing office in an attempt to cash Cintron's Social Security check.

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