I loved this episode. To me, this story is a study in contrasts of the different types of families we find ourselves in. a rich source of storytelling; and our families, which are always a rich source of storytelling material. There are our found families, like sports teams or gangs, and there are our work families, like the police family Det. Vincent Riley is part of it. In Big Brother, all three types of families are put through a stress test. Let’s see which family situation breaks down…
Coach Walsh has passed away. Detectives Shaw and Riley were investigating as Riley left in a hurry to attend to family matters. The situation was – Riley’s brother – was incarcerated for illegally selling firearms. Ryan Eggold is no stranger to NBC (New Amsterdam and The Blacklist), having been busted (pun intended) as a wannabe gangster. At one point, his brother Vincent described him as “95 percent good, telling how he stepped up to care for his dying father without complaint, and 5 percent bad.” He told the police who arrested Marty that Marty might become a criminal informant (CI) because he was hanging out with bad guys. This would free him from arrests for gun charges. Vincent is doing everything he can to support his brother as a police officer.
“Big Brother” – “Law and Order”, pictured: Ryan Eggold as Matt Riley.
As the investigation progressed, video revealed Marty had contact with the victim on the day of his death. This twist in the plot puts the brothers into some sort of conflict. Because of Marty’s twisted sense of honor among thieves, Vincent works to convince him to assist in the investigation. To quell the gun charges, Marty wears a wire in an attempt to steal information from the main suspect, a bar owner named Jackie Costa. Costa, who has an extensive criminal record for racketeering, gambling and more, insists on searching Marty for wires hidden in the buttons, which leads to some tense moments. When no wires were found, Costa began to speak. He explained why victim Coach Walsh met him to pay off a gambling debt for a former player. Suddenly, there was silence in the live broadcast room. When Vincent and Shaw demand to know what’s going on, Marty says, “I’m not a snitch,” and actually prioritizes his street family over his own family and what’s morally right things.
“Big Brother” – “Law and Order”, picture: (left) Reid Scott plays Det. Vincent Riley, Maura Tierney plays Lt. Jessica Brady, and Mehcad Brooks plays Det. Jalen Shaw. Broadcasting, all rights reserved by the Company
Back at the station, Lieutenant Brady asked Vincent what happened to his brother and the wire. He tried to dismiss it as a simple malfunction. detection. Xiao Zhan looked at him uncomfortably. Lieutenant Brady continued to pressure him in her bloodhound way until he admitted that it was his brother who destroyed the wire. Brady told Vincent, “Next time, tell the truth and we’ll get along better.” Thankfully, what his brother did to allow police records was enough to get a search warrant.
A search of Costa’s bar revealed a Rolex watch worn by the coach. A few days later, a child showed up with the murder weapon and told the district attorney that he saw a white man throw it. CCTV again showed Costa near where the child said he found the gun. This case is a strong environmental case. District Attorney Price pressed police for more information. detection. Riley went back and made a generous plea to his brother. He stressed that this was not a Scorsese film, but a murder with real consequences. Marty didn’t budge. He wanted no part of it. His refusal forces his brother to focus on the transactional nature of their relationship, reminding Marty that his testimony is the only way to clear the gun charges. Marty told Vincent in disbelief: “There must be hundreds of ways to make a gun disappear.” Vincent deadpanned, “No.”
Martí, acting more out of self-preservation than doing the right thing, told prosecutor Price everything that could lead to Costa’s conviction. Price tells Matt, “You just tell me everything you told me on the witness stand.” Cut to Matt on the witness stand. His brother and detective. Shaw in court. Matt frequently glanced at defendant Costa and denied every question raised by prosecutor Price. The court adjourned briefly. Vincent asked Matt what he was doing. “I think I changed my mind,” Matt said, almost smugly. Matt’s antics as a witness led Price to treat him as a hostile witness because his direct testimony contradicted his previous sworn statements. In order to impeach Matt’s testimony, Price accused Matt, “You refused to cooperate because you felt that becoming a whistleblower was an unforgivable betrayal. Because of this, you would rather let a murderer go free than testify!” Matt leaned forward, grabbed the railing of the witness box, looked the prosecutor in the eye, and said, “You’re right.” I’m paraphrasing the whole scene, but you get the idea, right?
“Big Brother” – “Law and Order”, pictured: Ryan Eggold as Matt Riley.
The editing of this courtroom scene is superb. There are close-ups of SWAT officers. Xiao died of shame. You saw Det. Xiao looked disgusted. You saw Price’s frustration. But you also see that as Matt refuses to cooperate, the jury slowly becomes convinced of Costa’s guilt. You can also see the hint of guilt on the faces of Costa and his lawyers. The camera cuts to the judge asking about the verdict: “We find the defendant guilty.” Test. Shaw said to Vincent: “Shaw, you are an excellent policeman. People respect you, but if Costa is acquitted…”
“Big Brother” – “Law & Order”, pictured: (left) Katee Sackhoff as Attorney Gallo and Chris Ball as Jake Costa. Photo: Scott Gries/NBC ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved
Later, Vincent shows up at his brother’s house. He said, “We gotta get a ride to the precinct. They’re going to charge you. Boom! What goes around comes around, Marty.”
In a procedural like “Law & Order,” the best episodes are the ones that reveal the characters’ personal backgrounds. This story is all about family bonding. What families, criminal gangs and police seem to have in common is the high-stakes, high-stress nature of their relationships. Being a member of a family always comes down to who you can trust, who you can rely on, who has your back. The Riley brothers seemed irrevocably broken because, by the end, neither one was rooting for the other. Both men’s loyalties transcended their families of origin. While it’s heartbreaking because you want blood brothers to get along, it all makes sense when Vincent arrests Matt.
Again, I loved this episode. I thought the movie was well plotted and had great performances, especially Reed Scott’s portrayal of the SWAT officer. Vincent. What do you think? Do you like Ryan Eggold’s dirty portrayal of Matt Riley? Do you enjoy courtroom scenes as much as I do? Write and let me know what you think. cheers!
Lynette Jones