Cutter finds himself pitted against a lawyer whose manipulation of the legal system keeps letting him get away with murder, and Lupo's mistake risks the current case and Cutter's life.Cutter finds himself pitted against a lawyer whose manipulation of the legal system keeps letting him get away with murder, and Lupo's mistake risks the current case and Cutter's life.Cutter finds himself pitted against a lawyer whose manipulation of the legal system keeps letting him get away with murder, and Lupo's mistake risks the current case and Cutter's life.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDallas Roberts has played three different characters over the course of the series:
- Episode 5.11 Guardian (1995) - Matthew Blanchard
- Episode 11.16 Bronx Cheer (2001) - Mark Daltrey
- Episode 19.9 By Perjury (2009) - Marty Winston
- GoofsThe U.S. Supreme Court has held that jeopardy attaches to a case during a jury trial when the jury is empanelled and has began hearing witness testimony (in other words it applies the instant the first witness is sworn in). As the motion to suppress the evidence Lupo obtained from the Sheriff's Deputy was made, and ruled on, in a pre-trial motion double jeopardy would not apply. The state would be free to refile murder charges against the defendant at a later date if new evidence is discovered, assuming the new evidence is discovered from a line of investigation that does not rely on the evidence suppressed in this motion.
- Quotes
Court Clerk: Docket number 86947, People v Martin Winston. Murder in the second degree.
Judge Arlene Jones: How does the defendant plead?
Marty Winston: I'm not guilty, Your Honor. And I'm appearing pro se.
Judge Arlene Jones: You're a lawyer?
Marty Winston: A litigator, but I'm sure I can master the intricacies of criminal law.
Judge Arlene Jones: And ego's no substitute for common sense, counselor. But it's your funeral.
This is an example of one of those episodes. "By Perjury" is not as great as the previous three episodes or the first two of the season, as well as a few episodes after, but it is very good with a number of great things. Along with a couple of things that could have been even better. Not one of the best episodes of the season (the previous two episodes), also a long way from being one of the worst ("Lost Boys", "Crimebusters").
Not a perfect episode by all means. . It is a bit ordinary to begin with, which is not uncommon with 'Law and Order' and this is throughout the show's run, not just one period.
Also thought that the whole thing with the smoking not raising immediate alarm bells was a rather big stretch.
However, "By Perjury's" good things vastly outweigh those. The acting is great all round in particularly the legal portion. Dallas Roberts has always done creepiness and unsettlement so well and he once again excels. Linus Roache commands the courtroom beautifully too and the tension between the two is where the episode is at its most intriguing. As said before by me, Lupo and Bernard and their interaction have come on a lot. While the story starts off on the predictable side, it is riveting once it comes to trial. It no longer becomes too simple, surprises more and lots happens in terms of events and twists without being too complicated. The ending is satisfying.
Furthermore, the dialogue is thought-provoking and has a pull no punches grit without being heavy-handed. It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments. The direction doesn't try to do too much and is understated but never flat or unsure.
On the whole, very nicely done once it gets going. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 19, 2022