Law And Order Trivia

1. "Subterranean Homeboy Blues" was the second episode of the series to air. A white woman shoots several black youths on a subway. The actress who plays the shooter was relatively unknown, but later she would become quite famous. Who was she?

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, Pt. II

Answer: Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon was only 24 when she starred in season 1, episode 2 of "Law & Order," eight years before she would land her breakthrough role on "Sex and the City." Laura Linney and Julianna Margulies both did star in episodes before they were famous, Margulies with her future "The Good Wife" co-star Chris Noth, who is reported to have predicted that she would be famous some day. Anita Gillette guest-starred in the episode "Remand," but she was already an established star at the time. This episode is based on Bernhard Goetz's crime, where Goetz shot four black youths on the subway, and was charged with attempted murder. The public was very much sympathetic to Goetz on this issue, as witnesses were clear that was a case of self-defense, but the DA refused to back down, mainly because Goetz's handgun was unregistered. Goetz served eight months of a one year sentence, and lost a civil judgment brought by one of the men, who had been brain damaged and paralyzed.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: provide voice over narrations for franchise series

In addition to his brief appearance on the 1990 pilot episode of "Law & Order", Zirnkilton has provided the voice-over narrations heard at the beginning of each episode of "Law & Order", "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". At the start of episodes of "Law & Order", the voiced narration is: "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories." Each episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" starts with the narration: "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories." For the series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", the opening narration is: "In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenses are pursued by detectives of the Major Case Squad. These are their stories." Following the opening narration and often during the episodes when there is a transition of location (indicated by a black screen with a card giving the new location and time of day), the familiar "doink doink" (franchise signature trademark) sound is heard. There has been much speculation over the seasons as to what the "doink doink" sound represented. During the 2008 television season, a series of promotional 30 second TV spots were broadcast featuring various cast members of the franchise explaining what they thought the "doink doink" sound meant. The "doink doink" was created by Mike Post, who also composed the theme songs used for the series. According to Post, the "doink doink" sound represented the distinctive sound made by the closing of a jail cell door. A different arrangement of the same theme song is used for each of the three franchise series.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, pt. IV

Answer: The Griffin

"The Griffin" is based on Ira Einhorn, a man who actually was on the run for two decades, after skipping bail during the trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Holly Maddux. Because voir dire had been completed, the trial had officially commenced, and Einhorn was declared to have voluntarily given up his right to confront his accusers, and therefore the trial proceeded without his presence, or "in absentia." In the US, trials in absentia are generally unconstitutional, because the accused has the right to confront his accuser, but in rare exceptions, like Einhorn's, a trial that has begun may be allowed to continue in absentia. When Einhorn was discovered and arrested in France, his extradition proved complex. His lawyers in France argued that Einhorn faced the death penalty if extradited, and France does not extradite people to face death penalty trials. The US responded that Einhorn had already been tried, and not received the death penalty. However, France then responded that people tried in absentia must be guaranteed the right to request a new trial. The state of Pennsylvania did not have the death penalty at the time, and therefore under ex post facto provisions, could not be given the death penalty for the murder of Holly Maddux. Finally, Pennsylvania passed a law allowing defendants convicted in absentia to request new trials. Einhorn's attorneys in France argued that the law was unconstitutional, but the French court declared itself unable to evaluate the constitutionality of a US law. Einhorn was extradited on July 20, 2001. He was retried, and sentenced to life without parole. Einhorn took the stand in his own defense, and rambled about the CIA having killed Maddux in order to frame him. Mandy Patinkin beautifully recreates both the insanity and the arrogance of Einhorn in his "testimony" scene in this episode.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, Pt. II

Answer: Elizabeth Olivet

Dr. Elizabeth Olivet joined the cast in season 2, when Dick Wolf wanted to add more female characters. She remained part of the cast until 1999, left, made one appearance in 2002, and rejoined the cast in 2003. Carolyn McCormick is one of only a handful of cast members who played the same character on the original "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." This episode is one of the first times we get a glance into the personal life of one of the characters, when we see, at the end, Dr. Olivet in a session with her own therapist. Elizabeth Rodgers is the red-headed ME, who also made appearances on all three major L&O franchises. Emil (not Emily) Skoda is the male psychiatrist who replaced Olivet during her hiatus from the 27th precinct. Melinda Warner is the ME on "L&O: SVU."

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Joe Fontana

On "Law & Order", Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina) was a senior homicide detective, partnered first with Ed Green, and later with Nick Falco. Det. Fontana first appeared in the first episode of the 15th season of the show. Max Greevey (George Dzundza) and Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino) were both sergeants on the 27th Detective Squad in season one and season two, respectively. On "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) was promoted to the grade of Detective Sergeant during the eighth season of the series. Dennis Farina was one of the few actors playing the role of a TV cop who actually had a past history in law enforcement. Prior to starting his acting career, Farina served for 18 years as a member of the Chicago Police Department.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, Pt. II

Answer: Jack McCoy

This episode begins with the "ripped-from-the-headlines" moment where the woman emits fumes, causing several emergency workers to pass out, before the patient dies. The ME rules the death a homicide, even though she cannot find the cause of the fumes. This was based on the case of Gloria Ramirez, a woman with advanced cervical cancer, who was using DMSO, an industrial solvent, as a folk remedy for pain. The oxygen administered to Ramirez in combination with DMSO probably caused a gas to rise from her body. At this point, though, the stories diverged, and a villain is introduced into the story in the form of a quack doctor who is killing cancer patients by diverting them from legitimate cancer treatment to her "metabolic therapy" consisting mostly of a special diet that contains no medicine, and could be cooked up by anyone. McCoy and Kincaid decide to prosecute her for murder. This was not inspired by any single case, but by the controversy over laetrile specifically, and "complementary and alternative" medicine in general. Besides the Gloria Ramirez case, which is the source for the opening scenes, the Joey Hofbauer case probably influenced the script. He was a small boy whose parents sued the state of New York back in the 1970s to be able to give him laetrile, rather than standard cancer treatments. He ended up dying of a very curable cancer. No oncologist would agree to treat him, so he was treated by a psychiatrist, just as Dr. Haas in this episode is a doctor, but a Ph.D, not a medical doctor.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Ed Green

The character of Detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) joined the cast of "Law & Order" as a junior detective during the 10th season of the show, and worked as partner to Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach). During the 17th season while partnered with Joe Fontana, Green was advanced to the position of senior detective. Detectives Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and Mike Logan (Chris Noth) both remained as junior detectives during their tenures on the series. Lennie Briscoe always held the position of senior detective.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The 16th precinct was the base of operations that housed the Manhattan Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department. As was mentioned in the episode "Folly" during the second season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", the precinct house was one of the few in the city specifically equipped and outfitted to deal with children and the elderly as victims, witnesses, and suspects. The 16th precinct and the Special Victims Unit was under the command of Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek).

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: location of her mother's death

In the season two episode "Taken" on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", Detective Olivia Benson is summoned to the office of Captain Donald Cragen on December 10, 2000, where she was informed by her empathetic supervisor that her mother, Serena Benson, was the victim of a fall down a flight of stairs by the subway entrance near the corners of 110th and Broadway, and that she did not survive the accident. It was no surprise to Olivia that the stairs were outside the entrance of the Velvet Bar. Serena Benson was known to be a troubled and sometimes abusive alcoholic, and was intoxicated at the time of her fatal fall. Throughout the series, Serena Benson was played by actress Elizabeth Ashley.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, pt. III

Answer: Drop him off in Harlem from their patrol car.

The officers have detained the teen for marijuana use, at which point, he tells them they should go to Harlem and arrest some real criminals. This angers the officers, who put the teen in their patrol car, and drop him off in Harlem the night there happens to be a riot over the police treatment of a homeless man. Several youths in Harlem see the teen get out of the police car, and assume that he is an informant, or otherwise works for the police, and they attack and beat him to death. Not questioning the presence of a child in the back of a van that is stopped for speeding is an element of the episode "Bitter Fruit." Child molesters being beaten in prison is an element of many episodes, including some episodes of "Law & Order: SVU," but it is not an element of "Black, White and Blue."

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, Pt. II

Answer: chicken

The first call, when they order two buckets of fried chicken, is unsuccessful, so the second time, they order four. Then they shoot the delivery man when he arrives. The two shooters in the fictional case each claim the other did the shooting, a game that can raise reasonable doubt for each one, so McCoy tricks their attorney into severing their trials, and then proposes to try them simultaneously, arguing during one trial that one man shot the delivery driver, while in the other courtroom, Jamie Ross will argue that the other man fired it. In real life, one of the men tried to argue that he was bullied by the other man into going through with the plan. But part of his argument was that he missed on purpose. The ME discovered that he fired one of the fatal bullets, and so his argument fell apart, and he was convicted. He must serve 47 years to be eligible for parole.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Olivia Benson

The personality and attitudes of Olivia Benson often reflects her past life encounters. Numerous episodes have featured Olivia's conflicted feelings about her mother's alcoholism, which eventually lead to her death, and her search to find the man, who through the rape of her mother, became her biological father. Olivia learned through an unauthorized DNA test that she had a brother, a man who was also suspected of being a rapist. Her past failed romantic involvements included a teenage engagement, a brief affair with Brian Casey, who was another SVU detective, and a relationship with journalist Kurt Moss. Mariska Hargitay plays the role of the dedicated, usually focused, and passionate SVU detective Olivia Benson. Mariska Hargitay was the recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award in 2006, winning in the category "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series". Consistent in her stellar portrayal of Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", Hargitay was nominated for the same award for six consecutive years, starting in 2004. Prior to being cast in the role of Olivia Benson, Hargitay was featured in several movies, and played roles in over 25 television series, including a recurring role on the hit series "ER" (1994). Many of the hairstyles worn by Mariska Hargitay on the series are fashioned to cover the small scar on the right side of her forehead. She received the scar at the age of three and a half, when she was injured in a car crash, which claimed the life of her mother, blonde screen actress Jayne Mansfield.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: ADA Alexandra Cabot

While involved in a heated case involving Colombian drug dealers, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) received death threats because of determination in seeing that justice was done in the case, despite the fact that a key witness and an undercover DEA agent had been murdered. As there were no surviving witnesses, she was urged by both the detectives of the Special Victims Unit and her boss, District Attorney Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson) to abandon the case, for her own safety. At the conclusion of the episode "Lost", Alexandra Cabot was gunned down in a drive-by shooting just moments after leaving a pub where she had drinks with friends Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson. The following day, it was reported in the press that Cabot did not survive the shooting and members if the SVU openly grieved the loss of a colleague. The final scene of the episode showed Stabler and Benson meeting federal agents in a secluded location. There, Alexandra Cabot emerged from a black van surrounded by the federal marshals to say goodbye to the detectives. It is then that she informs the two shocked detectives that her death was staged and that she would be relocated by the Federal Witness Protection Program. Stabler and Benson were the only ones to know the truth.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, pt. III

Answer: He had heard a murder confession, and was trying to get the confessor to come forward.

Another man was in prison for the crime, so the priest was desperately trying to get the killer to come forward, not only because it was the correct thing for the man to do before receiving absolution, but because the priest wanted the other man to be released from prison. McCoy tried to get a judge to rule that the priest should reveal the name of the confessor, but not the contents of the confession, because it would solve the murder of the priest, not the crime that was covered by the confession. The diocese opposes McCoy, but the priest considers revealing the name anyway. At the end of the episode, he removes his collar. "Collar" refers both to the clerical collar the priest wears as a symbol of his office, and to the fact that the police use the word "collar" to refer to making an arrest.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson was the name of the actor who played the role of Arthur Branch. Thompson was never a character name during the series. Steven Hill played the role of Adam Schiff who was the District Attorney from 1990 until 2000. Arthur Branch (Fred Thompson) was the District Attorney from 2002 through 2007. Sam Waterston played Jack McCoy, who took over as the District Attorney in 2006, during the 17th season of the series.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, pt. III

Answer: midazolam, the generic name of the benzodiazepine drug also called Versed

The title literally refers to midazolam, and the Medical Examiner explains to the detectives that it is sometimes referred to by medical personnel as "dazzle." The title also symbolically and non-explicitly refers to the way the young wife has dazzled her new husband, blinding him to his responsibilities to his family, in order to lure him away from his marriage, and the way his first wife is "dazzled" by her alcoholism and drug use, and unable to see what is happening to her children. This episode seems to have been inspired by the fact that despite remarriages and obvious animus, most children of divorce harbor fantasies that their parents will reunite.

From Quiz "Law & Order": Great Episodes, Pt. II

Answer: the man knew he was infected prior to infecting the women

The crux of the case was that that man knew he was infected, but deliberately did not inform the women, in order to pass along the infection. If he could convince the jury he did not know he was infected, he could raise reasonable doubt. At one point, one of the characters refers to a similar case upstate. That is actually the case that inspired this episode, the case of Nushawn Williams. That case had several differences, though: Williams was a predicate felon, and had openly boasted to the media about his sexual prowess, claiming partners up to 300 in number, and had been accused of otherwise abusing many of the women he infected (or in some case girls, since he had also been accused of statutory rape, plus, two of his victims gave birth to HIV+ babies). Although no one had ever tried to convict someone of this particular crime, it was still what Jack McCoy might have called a "slam dunk." Williams was sentenced to prison, and served 12 years. His defense at trial had been that he thought the health department lied to him when he was informed of his HIV status. However, he ended up plea-bargaining, probably when he realized the degree to which the ages of many of his victims would prejudice the jury. This episode features Ross's compassionate side, as she counsels the victims to get tested, and even offers to accompany them, and at the end, tells McCoy that she is keeping track of the women, even the ones who tested negative.

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Anita Van Buren

The character of Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) held the police rank of lieutenant and was the commanding officer of the NYPD 27th Detective Squad. On the job, she was highly respected by her detectives who often addressed her as either "Lieu" or "L.T." in acknowledgment of her rank. Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) held the rank of Captain, and first commanded the 27th Detective Squad on "Law & Order", and later he commanded the officers of the SVU on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". James Deakins (Jamey Sheridan) and Zoe Callas (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) both held the rank of Captain. Brooks succeeded Deakins as the commanding officer of the Major Case Squad on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent".

From Quiz "Law & Order" Trilogy Quiz (Doink Doink)

Answer: Robert Goren

While interviewing death row inmate and serial killer Mark Ford Brady regarding unsolved homicide cases, Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) uncovered information that indicated that the condemned man was once a part of his childhood, and that the killer may have once had a relationship with his mother. An old picture of Brady obtained by Goren was shown to his older brother Frank, who recognized the man as being their distant "Uncle Mark", a man who was around before Robert was born. When confronting his elderly and dying mother, who was confined to a mental hospital, after showing her the photo, she tearfully admitted to having had a brief relationship with the man and that she did not know whether or not if Brady was Robert's biological father. Through a DNA blood test on evidence obtained from one of Brady's past crime scenes, Goren was able to confirm that he was the biological son of the serial killer.

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