An innocent doctor is murdered in a case of mistaken identity. The intended target performed a botched lethal injection in South Carolina.An innocent doctor is murdered in a case of mistaken identity. The intended target performed a botched lethal injection in South Carolina.An innocent doctor is murdered in a case of mistaken identity. The intended target performed a botched lethal injection in South Carolina.
Photos
- Janis Burns
- (as Pamela Holden Stewart)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode appears to be based on three separate cases/incidents:
- The 2006 botched execution of Ángel Nieves Díaz and other botched executions that occurred in the United States.
- Anonymity laws that shield the identities of people involved in executions.
- The 2007 Steven Hayes/Joshua Komisarjevsky case.
- Quotes
Michael Cutter: The man murdered children. Seeing him like that doesn't bother me.
Connie Rubirosa: Are you serious? You may not have been repelled, but I was, and I'm sure some of the jurors were, too.
Jack McCoy: Which means they'll be buying Yost's defense.
Michael Cutter: Well, he's taking the stand. It'll give me a chance to go after him.
Connie Rubirosa: After he tells the jury how his family was slaughtered.
Michael Cutter: Yost killed an innocent man in our jurisdiction.
Jack McCoy: No shades of gray in this for you, Mike?
Michael Cutter: Nope.
Jack McCoy: Good.
- SoundtracksAll I Really Need Is You
Written by Jamie Dunlap
Performed by Sweet Baby Jai, Scott Nickoley and Jamie Dunlap
"Executioner" to me was a great episode and one of the best of the season. After a shaky start, Season 18 hit its stride with "Quit Claim" and the rest of the episodes were solid and more (the one disappointment being "Boogeyman"). Really liked its handling of the difficult subject matter and it did have an early seasons 'Law and Order' feel to it, which was great as not enough of the post-Briscoe episodes gave off that sensation (or at least to this extent).
It begins on the ever so slightly routine and formulaic side.
Once things become more complex, the episode is anything but either adjective. The production values are suitably slick and gritty, with photography that is reliant on close ups that have an intimacy without being too claustrophobic. The music is didn't come over as too melodramatic or like it was emphasising the emotion too much. The direction is sympathetic while still giving momentum.
The script is tight and intelligent, the tone is a typically serious one but to me it didn't become melodramatic or dreary. It is particularly thought provoking in the different points of view of the defendant's character and what it has to say about botched executions fascinates. The story is continually compelling, especially in the legal scenes, the standard of which here and the previous two episodes being completely different to when the season first started. Loved the pull no punches yet sensitive and thought probing handling of the subject.
As well as that McCoy (criminally understand pre-"Quit Claim" has more to do with a meaty role in the second half, which generates a good deal of tension. The regulars are all on strong form, especially Sam Waterston and Linus Roache and while James Rebhorn effectively makes the skin crawl it's the powerful performance of Michael Rooker that shines most. As others have said, the defendant is not the character that is hated by the end.
Summing up, excellent. 9/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 13, 2022