A therapist is charged with murder after an 11-year-old girl dies during a "rebirthing" procedure.A therapist is charged with murder after an 11-year-old girl dies during a "rebirthing" procedure.A therapist is charged with murder after an 11-year-old girl dies during a "rebirthing" procedure.
Photos
T.J. Edwards
- Mark Danielson
- (as Jason Edwards)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBased on two separate cases:
- The Candace Newmaker case, which involved 10-year old Candace, a Colorado girl that was smothered to death after several adults sat on her during a "rebirthing" ceremony that was meant to help bring her closer to her adoptive mother.
- The Susan Smith case. Susan was convicted of murdering her two children, three-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. Her case gained international attention because of Smith's false claim that a black man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking. Her defense attorneys, David Bruck and Judy Clarke, called expert witnesses to testify that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment when she committed the crimes. Smith was originally sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years' imprisonment.
- GoofsThe ex-husband is stated as living near Philadelphia in Camden, PA. Camden is actually located in New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. This is not entirely correct. When the victim's mother tells Briscoe and Green that her ex-husband lives "near Philadelphia" this would be accurate as Camden, New Jersey is only 5 miles from Philadelphia. However, the title card preceding Briscoe and Green's meeting with the ex-husband incorrectly states the location as "Camden, Pennsylvania" which doesn't exist.
- Quotes
Detective Lennie Briscoe: Any mother too good to be true usually is. Except mine.
Featured review
Ridiculousness reborn
'Law and Order' did numerous episodes with stories based on real life cases. "Born Again" was based on two, that of Candace Newmaker and that of Susan Smith. With perhaps more shades of the former. That is what is meant when calling an episode that does that "ripped from the headlines). The show and the franchise did this type of story often very well and even brilliantly at the best of times and the subject while intriguing could have gone either way.
"Born Again" didn't quite work for me, although it is a long way from being a terrible episode and starts with a lot of promise. It is an unnerving case to begin with with an unthinkable situation, but once the motive and circumstances are revealed to me the story lost plausibility. As far as the generally solid if not outstanding Season 12 goes, despite having one of the most hard-hitting and controversial topics "Born Again" is one of the weaker ones and did have potential to be a lot more.
There are good things here. 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. With one exception the performances are great, Sam Waterston and Debra Monk giving the best ones.
Script has some punch and intrigue in the first half and really do enjoy the chemistry between Briscoe and Green. Briscoe is one of the most popular characters in the franchise for good reason and he and Green are my personal favourite of the lead pairings of the show (maybe it is because it was through the later episodes from that period that got me addicted). The first half starts the episode off very well, uncompromising and unnerving as well as sad.
However, the second half isn't as strong. Disappointing considering that with a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes the second half is the superior half. The tension and edge dissipate, the pacing slackens and the case becomes predictable and over-stretched. Also thought the story lost plausibility, everything with the rebirthing did have the danger of being on the far fetched side if not done well and once it was revealed what the technique was used for and what it was trying to cure it was hard to believe for me.
Especially considering that it in real life it was not likely to fullfill what it said it would do (as someone with mental health issues much of me is doubtful that rebirthing would be effective). And considering too that with the Newmaker case especially still having raw emotions people would have real doubt about rebirthing working and that it would be a danger. Elisabeth Rohm is wooden as to be expected.
In conclusion, not bad but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
"Born Again" didn't quite work for me, although it is a long way from being a terrible episode and starts with a lot of promise. It is an unnerving case to begin with with an unthinkable situation, but once the motive and circumstances are revealed to me the story lost plausibility. As far as the generally solid if not outstanding Season 12 goes, despite having one of the most hard-hitting and controversial topics "Born Again" is one of the weaker ones and did have potential to be a lot more.
There are good things here. 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. With one exception the performances are great, Sam Waterston and Debra Monk giving the best ones.
Script has some punch and intrigue in the first half and really do enjoy the chemistry between Briscoe and Green. Briscoe is one of the most popular characters in the franchise for good reason and he and Green are my personal favourite of the lead pairings of the show (maybe it is because it was through the later episodes from that period that got me addicted). The first half starts the episode off very well, uncompromising and unnerving as well as sad.
However, the second half isn't as strong. Disappointing considering that with a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes the second half is the superior half. The tension and edge dissipate, the pacing slackens and the case becomes predictable and over-stretched. Also thought the story lost plausibility, everything with the rebirthing did have the danger of being on the far fetched side if not done well and once it was revealed what the technique was used for and what it was trying to cure it was hard to believe for me.
Especially considering that it in real life it was not likely to fullfill what it said it would do (as someone with mental health issues much of me is doubtful that rebirthing would be effective). And considering too that with the Newmaker case especially still having raw emotions people would have real doubt about rebirthing working and that it would be a danger. Elisabeth Rohm is wooden as to be expected.
In conclusion, not bad but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
helpful•62
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 26, 2022
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