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Law & Order Season 20 Episode 23

Rubber Room

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9.0

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 5/24/10

The detectives investigate after a blogger threatens to attack a school.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Final Case

10

By sh811a, Nov 14, 2011

It's been a long time but it's time has finally come. Personally I'm not sure how else the show could of ended, and I'm glad the way this episode played out most final episode tend to disapoint me this isn't one of them, in fact this episode turned out to be one of my all time favorate episodes of the show, as well as one of my favorate final episodes.

I really loved the plot because it is something that does happen which makes it almost scary. The issue of school violance is something I'll admit always emotionally cuts me. But the episode also questions how much the school system is protecting both the lives of students and teachers.

Everyone of the characters were at their best, the whole episode was litterally a race against time. I really wanted all of them to find the perpetrator of the online threat before he/she made the plan a reality. But as they are getting closer to finding the perpetrator unfortunately there are some obsticles in their way that compromise their efforts and endager the lives of a school about to be in grave danger.

These parts I'll admit I found the most emotionally jarring. One scene was the grand jury, the detectives are proposing supenas and warants so they can have access to the school board information to narrow and lock down on the identity of the perpetrator. But then suddenly some of the grand jury say a bunch of bull crap to object to the idea. I just wanted to yell to that grand jury, what the hell is wrong with you people! I'm not a parent but if I had kids going to high school I wouldn't object to the idea, I'd let the police do their job because what if it was the school my kids were going to is in danger. And there is one when they are close to uncovering a bit more of the identity of the perpetrator but then some laywer from the school board also says a lot of bull crap to stop the detectives. I'll admit every thing that lawyer said just made my blood boil, and I could tell from the team and Sam Waterson's characters eyes their blood was boiling too, it was the last straw. There was one beautiful moment when Sam's character they stops both the laywer and the teacher leaving and he then give an angry monalogue to the laywer, I couldn't help but cheer at that moment because that was exactly what I've been feeling from all the crap the detectives have gone thorough.

And of course they are able to find the perpetrator, and it comes down to an really intense final conflict, where as it's going on I'm hopping no kids and teachers got hurt or worse dead and that the team will be able to stop him. Thankfully the team wins and no one has died, thank god mostly thank the team.

Well there really isn't much else for me to say, "Law and Order" was a great show that has gone on for a long time and rightfully so, and I'm going to miss it but they solved their final case and won. Though I wouldn't be too sad due to that branched shows in the law and order universe still going on SVU and Criminal Intent and a new show coming up Law and Order L.A. which I hope will be good. So the Law and Order leagcy will live on. No matter where crime is there will always be soilders of the law to stop it.moreless
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Best episode ever, now we need a 21st season!

10

By jmortonloci, Nov 14, 2011

Mr. Rene Balcer really outdid himself Monday night! It's one of the best episodes of "Law & Order" in it's history since Balcer's been back (season 17)! Even though the ratings would disagree (7.60 million)

The acting from all the actors was the best I've seen on this show and it's spinoffs. This TOPS Law & Order: SVU's "Shattered" and CI's "Loyalty"!

A couple of good words here:

"Sam Waterston shines!", "S. Epatha Merkerson is simply breath taking!", "NBC's best drama!", "So smooth, it's criminal.", "An hour of television that holds on and doesn't let go.", "A++", "Jeremy Sisto, Anthony Anderson, Linus Roache, and Alana de la Garza give the show it's youth!", "A show with a guilty verdict of being enjoyable!"

Where is season 21 at? It's not fair, if the writers would follow where Rene Balcer left the show, it would be excellent. We NEED this show RENEWED! Let's tell NBC! TNT, USA Network, CBS, FOX, anybody!moreless
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Simply the BEST!!

10

By Maryland55, Nov 14, 2011

And I mean, all of it: the cast, stories, chemistry, laws, flaws... I grew up watching this show and was always a pleasure. The final episode was absolutely great. I loved how the story wasn't just about some terrorism stuff, ticking bombs and SWAT all over the place. It showed more complex side when teaching, a job that is these days so hard and sometimes dangerous. I liked it a lot because a few of my friends (and some in my family) are teachers too. It also showed us when we have (or don't have) that right to enter into personal lives of everyone in the world when it comes to these kinds of threats etc. Well, L&O, it was a great ride! I know some may say that last season wasn't so great but IMHO it was good. For one show to get so many years and fans, to have its "kids" shows, to stay interesting and fun and still develop characters that we loved and followed. many ups and downs, some so-so episodes, some wonderful and sad stories...In Sinatra's words...that's life..And my oh my, it was a good one with L&O!moreless
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This 10 is for the show.

10

By bluejayfusion, Oct 16, 2011

The perfect 10 rating is for the show- my favorite show. Give me a thumbs down and risk facing Jack McCoy's outrage... maybe not, but spiritually yes, because no other show was like Law & Order, and here are a few of the reasons why: 1) Who but Jerry Orbach could take the grimmest or corniest one-liner imaginable and make it gold every time? 2) Who but Steven Hill could take the qualities of grumpiness and cynicism and make them completely endearing. 3) If we lived in a perfect world, Jack McCoy would be foaming at the mouth right now and by means of a mesmerizing closing argument somehow convince NBC to give Law & Order its final record-breaking season. So many of the things that made this show a ratings juggernaut in the 1990's are gone and yet for anyone who kept watching, it was still solid entertainment right to the very end. When they announced that Sam Waterston would become the DA, and that the brilliant arguments would be delivered by a British actor named Linus Roache, I was completely baffled... but then there is a reason why L&O has lasted for 20 seasons, isn't there? Like its detectives it followed its intuition, and in the process introduced us to Jill Hennessy, S. Epetha Merkerson, Chris Noth, Alana De La Garza, Jesse L. Martin, Jeremy Sisto.... the amazing thing is that I could actually keep going, because for 20 great years, the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups, and they've done us proud.moreless
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Rubber Room

8.0

By thefanof, Jul 01, 2010

On Sunday night the greatest drama of all time, Lost, signed off for the last time. Tonight, a definite top five show, when you look at its entire body of work, had its last episode. While it made sure there were no loose ends as we found out Anita is cancer free, it definitely did not give us the closure Law and Order fans deserve.

I became a fan a little over three and a half years ago when a teacher started showing my class episodes of Law and Order during class to help us learn about the law. I started watching new episodes, I started watching old ones. I saw Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Milena Govich, Fred Thompson, Chris Noth, Jeremy Sisto, I saw all the characters and the great actors this show has had to play them. I grew to appreciate Dick Wolf's excellent series so when I found out that it would not set the record for 21 seasons on the air I was a bit hurt.

Law and Order was never the water cooler show, but it was always among TV's most respected programs. And it went out with a good episode revolving around teachers getting pushed to the limit, and students getting pushed even further. It was entertaining, and it was relevant, something the show has not always been.

Law and Order went out with a great episode and I am going to miss it not being a part of the NBC lineup. Hopefully its spin-off series, Los Angeles, fills that void for us.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Jeremy Sisto	Det. Cyrus Lupo
Anthony Anderson	Det. Kevin Bernard
S. Epatha Merkerson	Lt. Anita Van Buren
Sam Waterston	D.A. Jack McCoy
Alana De La Garza	A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa
Linus Roache	Exec. A.D.A. Michael Cutter

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Lindsey Vonn	Alicia	Guest Star
Angela Goethals	Moira Scott	Guest Star
John Speredakos	AUSA Schlicter	Guest Star
J.K. Simmons	Dr. Emil Skoda	Recurring Role
Ernie Hudson	Frank Gibson	Recurring Role
Deirdre O'Connell	Dr. Valerie Knight	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Trivia: Connie Rubirosa spent a year teaching kindergarten.
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QUOTES (1)
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- Cyrus Lupo: It's like looking for a needle in the ocean. Old Chinese saying.
  Anita van Buren: Just do it. Old American saying.
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NOTES (3)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  
  United Kingdom: December 8, 2011 on Sky 1/Sky 1 HD
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- Special billing was given to Emil Skoda (with), Ernie Hudson (and), and Lindsey Vonn (Special Appearance by) for this episode.
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- This is the series finale of Law & Order. The show was abruptly cancelled by NBC on May 14th 2010, 10 days before this episode originally aired.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- This episode appears to be ripped from the headlines of the controversy over New York City Department of Education reassignment centers, also known as "rubber rooms."
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