Law & Order season 24, episode 14 delivered an episode that made us question the legal system and the medical system all in one. It also left Price and Shaw at odds with one another. Could this come back against Shaw?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Law & Order season 24, episode 14.
When a movie star is murdered, all eyes are on the police to get answers. They’re on the legal system to deliver justice. What happens when justice can’t happen due to other circumstances?
That was the case in this latest episode. Both law and justice attempted to work together. They made deals with a criminal to get details of the one responsible for the movie star’s death, but things went wrong when the criminal with immunity took his own life. Realizing that he had no life even with the deal, he couldn’t live. It was the coward’s way out, and it led to complications in the case.
Shaw realized a friend was somewhat involved in Law & Order
On the one hand, the detectives got Madam K. She sold the drugs and was the one arrested for murder. Of course, she had a good lawyer. When you sell a lot of drugs to wealthy clientele, you build up a stash to save for a lawyer when you need one. The death of the star witness almost won it for Madam K’s lawyer.
The cops needed to find another way to get her, and that meant looking through her client list. On that list was a friend of Shaw’s. Not just a friend, but a mentor and supporter. This guy was military and suffering from PTSD due to the sacrifices he made for his country.
While this guy had seen shoes that were bloody, he couldn’t testify. That would mean admitting that he was doing ketamine for his PTSD. It would mean a dishonorable discharge. He would lose his benefits, his house, his pension, everything. He couldn’t lose that while dealing with PTSD at the same time, and Shaw didn’t want him to face that.
It’s funny how the criminal at the start got a deal that would see him gain immunity. That would have kept his name out of the whole thing. Nothing could be done to save the veteran from consequences. And yes, they’re consequences. Should you do drugs? No. However, there needs to be something set up to help people with PTSD. Veterans are expected to take on everything they’re trained to do and then not be given the help they need afterward. Ketamine therapy works for some, but since the military wouldn’t cover it, he had to get it illegally.
To make it clear, Shaw didn’t actually tell his friend to run. He didn’t make any suggestions about what to do. He went to tell his friend that he would be compelled to testify. He’s just getting the blame from Price when his friend decided to take a last-minute tour to Okinawa.
Price wants justice for those like his brother in Law & Order
While Shaw was doing what he could to protect his friend, Price came at this from personal experience. His brother had died of a drug overdose. It was people like Madame K who he blames for his brother’s death. His brother’s own drug dealer got him out of rehab to sell to him.
Of course, Price wants to see Madame K put away for a long time. He also doesn’t agree with anyone taking ketamine. He doesn’t view it as therapy, just like so many others out there wouldn’t. All he’s thinking about is the victims’ family members.
So, it’s not surprising that Price went after Shaw. Price threatened Shaw with legal charges, but will he actually go through with them? If he was going to, he would have done it at the end of the episode. We would have seen Shaw arrested. Price knows that he can’t prove anything, and it wouldn’t take a lot for Shaw to go free.
However, this is certainly going to make this working relationship harder. Price is very much steadfast in his ways. It’s rare that he steps back from his views, and he didn’t in this episode. Shaw might want to watch his back.
Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.
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