Law & Order
Season 18
Season 18 U.S. DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes18
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseJanuary 2 (2008-01-02) –
May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21)
Season chronology

The 18th season of Law & Order premiered with a two part episode on NBC on January 2, 2008, and concluded on May 21, 2008. This was the final season to feature Jesse L. Martin, as he departs the series when Anthony Anderson joins the cast in episode 14.

Production

On May 13, 2007, NBC renewed Law & Order for an 18th season of 22 episodes as part of a deal made by series creator Dick Wolf and NBC.[1] Though the series was originally scheduled to air on Sundays as a midseason replacement for NBC Sunday Night Football,[2] TV Guide reported on December 4, 2007, that Law & Order would debut instead on Wednesday, January 2, 2008.[3]

René Balcer, who had developed and produced spinoff Law & Order: Criminal Intent, returned to Law & Order as executive producer.[4] Production of season 18 was interrupted by the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike. When Balcer and the rest of the writing staff participated in the work stoppage, the mid-season delay meant that the season only had 18 episodes instead of the scheduled 22.

Cast and crew changes

In May 2007, cast member Fred Thompson departed the series to return to politics, with reports saying he would seek the Republican nomination for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.[5] His character, District Attorney Arthur Branch, was replaced in that function by Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy, with McCoy being promoted to Branch's vacant seat after serving as Executive Assistant District Attorney since the resignation of his predecessor Benjamin Stone.[6] Since this move required that a new character be added to the series, the writers created the role of EADA Michael Cutter and British actor Linus Roache was brought in to portray him.[7]

Because of the equal-time rule, which requires that broadcasters treat legally qualified political candidates equally in regard to air time, NBC announced in July 2007 that it would not broadcast any episode of Law & Order in which Thompson appeared after September 1.[8] Thompson officially declared his intention to seek nomination on September 5, 2007, when he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[9]

Milena Govich, who played Detective Nina Cassady, also did not return to the series after joining the cast one year earlier following the departure of Dennis Farina (Joe Fontana).[10] She was replaced by Jeremy Sisto, who had guest starred as a defense attorney in the 17th season finale, as Detective Ed Green's new partner Cyrus Lupo.[11]

Rounding out the list of departures was Jesse L. Martin, who announced he was leaving the series after portraying Det. Ed Green since 1999.[12] Martin, who was scheduled to appear in only 13 episodes this season, announced the move in February 2008 and made his final appearance in "Burn Card". Anthony Anderson, who made his debut as Detective Kevin Bernard in the same episode, was then added to the cast.[13]

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

Law & Order season 18 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
3941"Called Home"Allen CoulterRené BalcerJanuary 2, 2008 (2008-01-02)1800113.46[14]

Det. Cyrus Lupo returns to New York after serving four years abroad in the Intelligence division after learning his brother Thomas Lupo committed suicide. Lupo and Green reluctantly partner up to investigate another suicide committed the same way and soon find a suspect in a parolee known as "Dr. Death".

3952"Darkness"Michael DinnerWilliam N. Fordes & David SlackJanuary 2, 2008 (2008-01-02)1800613.46[14]

Green and Lupo's first official case together is a kidnapping that happened during a citywide blackout; a housekeeper is slain and a mother and daughter are kidnapped. The evidence that links all the kidnappers is the father and husband of the kidnap victims. When they search the kidnappers' hideout, they find preparations which implies that the kidnappers knew that the blackout was coming. Cutter must convince the man to testify after he has lied about a search warrant to save the man's daughter, or else the kidnappers will all go free. Issues of a warrantless search arise.

  • Courtroom scenes revolve around questions of Enron-like manipulation of energy.
3963"Misbegotten"Michael WatkinsDavid Wilcox & Stephanie SenguptaJanuary 9, 2008 (2008-01-09)1800211.02[15]

Green and Lupo investigate after a package explodes at a scientific research lab, resulting in the injury of Lori Emerson a pregnant security guard. The investigation soon turns to the scientist's latest experiments.

  • Inspired by the concept of the gay gene.
3974"Bottomless"Alex ChappleEd ZuckermanJanuary 16, 2008 (2008-01-16)1800411.59[16]

The investigation into a pair of missing pants leads to the murder of Lily Yee a young lawyer. Green and Lupo soon turn their suspicions to a businessman who works for a shady multinational corporation called SavingsMart.

3985"Driven"Alan TaylorRichard Sweren & Gina GionfriddoJanuary 23, 2008 (2008-01-23)1800910.35[18]
Lupo and Green investigate after David Kendall a white teenager and a Tanya Anderson young black girl are shot and killed in a local neighborhood. The investigation stalls when no one is willing to talk, but the detectives later learn that the victim had earlier had an altercation with someone in the neighborhood that led to a surprising altercation later that evening.
3996"Political Animal"Jean de SegonzacEd Zuckerman & David SlackJanuary 30, 2008 (2008-01-30)1801111.10[19]
A triple homicide has ties to a politician, but he may be just the first step toward the truth and a killer who will take desperate measures to keep his freedom.
4007"Quit Claim"Jim McKayWilliam N. Fordes & David WilcoxFebruary 6, 2008 (2008-02-06)1801010.06[20]
A hit-and-run investigation leads back to a title company, but Green, Rubirosa and Lupo's undercover work takes a surprising twist that pits McCoy against the U.S. Attorney's office.
4018"Illegal"Constantine MakrisWilliam N. Fordes & David SlackFebruary 13, 2008 (2008-02-13)1800310.23[21]
A riot at an immigration rally ends in murder, and the political climate causes McCoy to assign a special prosecutor increasing tensions at the office.
4029"Executioner"Constantine MakrisRichard Sweren & Gina GionfriddoFebruary 20, 2008 (2008-02-20)1801210.86[22]
A case of mistaken identity leads Green and Lupo to suspect that a murdered doctor may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
40310"Tango"Dean WhiteStephanie SenguptaFebruary 27, 2008 (2008-02-27)1801311.42[23]
A high school party turns tragic when a teenager Ann-Marie Liscombe is found dead, and the detectives end up playing games with the two leading suspects to find out the real story. Unfortunately, unwanted attention from a juror for A.D.A. Rubirosa may disrupt the trial.
40411"Betrayal"Marc LevinRichard Sweren & Gina GionfriddoMarch 5, 2008 (2008-03-05)180059.63[24]
The murder of Isaac Waxman, a psychiatrist, focuses the suspect list to his clients and wife, and the defense of the murderer will challenge the D.A.'s office to somehow show the jury that a bad childhood is not a justification for crime.
40512"Submission"Constantine MakrisEd ZuckermanMarch 12, 2008 (2008-03-12)1800711.85[25]
When the police shut down a dog-fighting ring, the investigation becomes a murder case after a woman's finger is found inside one of the dogs; things get more complicated as the case deepens, and the interest of a pushy reporter is sparked.
40613"Angelgrove"Darnell MartinDavid Wilcox & Stephanie SenguptaMarch 19, 2008 (2008-03-19)1800810.49[26]
A recorded conversation has Lupo and Green delving into the personal and family life of Audrey Lortell, a murdered art dealer, and suspected of connections to terrorist activity.
40714"Burn Card"Mario Van PeeblesEd Zuckerman & David WilcoxApril 23, 2008 (2008-04-23)1801412.75[27]

Internal Affairs takes a special interest in Ed after he shoots a gambler that may be connected to a current case. The investigation turns up a part of his past he's taken pains to conceal. At the end, Green leaves the 27th Precinct even though all charges against him are dropped and he is cleared.

  • Last appearance of Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green; first appearance of Anthony Anderson as Internal Affairs Detective Kevin Bernard. He becomes the Junior Detective, with Senior Detective Lupo, in the next episode.
  • Detective Cyrus Lupo is promoted to Senior Detective.
40815"Bogeyman"Tim HunterS : Gina Gionfriddo;
S/T : Richard Sweren		April 30, 2008 (2008-04-30)180159.65[28]
A novelist's apparent suicide changes to a murder investigation. The suspects include a cult and her husband. Cutter's case is jeopardized by the defense attorney's indirect juror tampering tactics of scaring the jurors.
40916"Strike"Marisol TorresWilliam N. Fordes & David SlackMay 7, 2008 (2008-05-07)180168.85[29]
A legal aid strike ends in the death of a paralegal, and the investigation leads to a golf pro who proclaims his innocence, again. Then the case takes an even stranger twist when Rubirosa is pitted against Cutter because of the strike that started it all.
41017"Personae Non Gratae"John ColesStephanie Sengupta & Matthew McGoughMay 14, 2008 (2008-05-14)180178.46[30]
An online romance may be at the heart of a mechanic's murder, but Detectives Lupo and Bernard must unravel some truly bizarre developments before the full story is known.
41118"Excalibur"Jim McKayRené Balcer & Ed ZuckermanMay 21, 2008 (2008-05-21)180188.57[31]
A jeweler's murder may have ties to a prostitution ring. Once the case goes to trial, D.A. McCoy's job is on the line as favors are called in.

Notes

  • S. Epatha Merkerson has a different introductory image in the first three episodes. Afterwards, it's swapped back to the previous one of seasons 9-17 for unknown reasons.
  • Jesse L. Martin, Sam Waterston, and Alana De La Garza's introductory images have changed.

References

  1. ↑ "NBC Renews Original L&O; Criminal Intent Goes to USA". TV Guide. May 13, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  2. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (May 14, 2007). "NBC's Fall Banks on Bionic Woman, Other Heroes". TV Guide. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  3. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (December 4, 2007). "Law & Order, Legal at Last, Cops a New 'Tude". TV Guide. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (May 21, 2007). "Let's Make a Deal: Veteran Producer Returns to L&O". TV Guide. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ Cameron, Carl (May 31, 2007). "Fred Thompson Quits 'Law & Order,' Moves Closer to 2008 White House Bid". FOX News. Archived from the original on August 20, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  6. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (June 8, 2007). "New Law & Order DA Predicts "Fireworks"". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Linus Roache to Join NBC's 'Law & Order' Cast". FOX News. July 18, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  8. ↑ "NBC to Drop Fred Thompson in Reruns". TV Guide. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ Steve McGookin (September 5, 2007). "Thompson Finally Steps Onstage". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  10. ↑ "'Law and Order' Casting News: Milena Govich Out, Jeremy Sisto In". Tv Jots. June 1, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  11. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (June 1, 2007). "In Today's Casting News: A New L&O Cop, a Heroes Mutant". TV Guide. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Out of Order: Jesse L. Martin Calls It Quits". TV Guide. February 21, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  13. ↑ Rudolph, Ileane (April 23, 2008). "Will Anthony Anderson Bring New Order to Law & Order?". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Gorman, Bill (January 8, 2008). "Top NBC Primetime Shows, Dec 31 - Jan 6". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Jan. 7-13)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. January 15, 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Jan. 14-20)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. January 23, 2008. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ Barbaro, Michael (March 29, 2007). "Low prices and low tolerance for ethics violations at Wal-Mart". International Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  18. ↑ Gorman, Bill (January 29, 2008). "Top NBC Primetime Shows, January 21–27". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  19. ↑ Gorman, Bill (February 5, 2008). "Top NBC Primetime Shows, Jan 28 - Feb 3". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 4-10)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 11-17)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  22. ↑ Gorman, Bill (February 26, 2008). "Top NBC Primetime Shows, February 18–24". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 1, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  23. ↑ Calabria, Rosario T. (March 6, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Wednesday, March 5, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 3-9)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. March 11, 2008. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 10-16)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. March 18, 2008. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 17-23)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. March 25, 2008. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 21-27)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. April 29, 2008. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 28-May 4)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. May 6, 2008. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (May 5–11)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. May 13, 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (May 12–18)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. May 20, 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings (May 19–25)". ABC Medianet. ABC Medianet. May 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
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Preceded by
Season Seventeen
(2006-2007)		 List of Law & Order seasons
(1990-2010)		 Succeeded by
Season Nineteen
(2008-2009)
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