“Bad Apples” is the mid-season finale that explores the challenges of holding police officers accountable for corruption. Centered around Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney), the series deftly balances content with accessibility without overly relying on overused, sensationalized, race-based narratives about police misconduct . Let’s get started.
The episode begins with Lt. Jessica Brady’s former narcotics team conducting a raid on suspect Edward White. After an argument with White, Det. Jordan Harrison (Chris Hill-Cox) finds himself hanging from a roof by his fingertips. His partner, Detective. Miles Brandt (Mike Vogel) saves him and later saves the agent. Riley (Reed Scott) finds him dead. Riley discovered Harrison’s cell phone, wallet and badge were still on him, indicating he was not the victim of an armed robbery. Lieutenant Brady’s former captain Greg Stockwell (played by Frederic Lane) emphasized to his subordinates, “There is no doubt that Lieutenant Brady is leading this team.”
“Bad Apples” – “Law and Order”, pictured: (left) Fredric Lehne as Captain Greg Stockwell and Maura Tierney as Lieutenant Jessica Brady.
Law and Order investigations typically involve three suspects, and then the District Attorney’s Office files charges against one suspect. Harrison’s girlfriend, Maureen Herrera, cleared herself of suspicion by sending the text messages long after her boyfriend’s death. Suspect No. 2, Tyler Harrison, the victim’s brother, sent a text message: “The only good cops are dead cops.” Tyler supports police abolition through his organization Abolition Now. When Shaw (Mecad Brooks) and Riley (Reed Scott) meet him, he seems to admit, “I did what I had to do and I don’t regret it.” He eventually admits Destroyed a police car because he loved his brother but didn’t want him to be part of a corrupt institution. The episode revolves around Taylor’s concerns that police officers are the black sheep. Ballistics linked the bullet to a third suspect, Eddie White, who was the target of the drug bust. White has denied killing Harrison, saying the gun was in a duffel bag containing $50,000 and 10 kilograms of fentanyl.
“Bad Apples” – “Law & Order” Pictured: Mike Vogel as Agent Miles Brandt. LLC.
While paying tribute to Harrison in the bar, Brady reminded captain Stockwell that before her transfer she had reported members of the squad for pocketing cash. He recalled with a laugh that he told the team, “There are some things you can’t see even if you see them.” Brady locked eyes with Stockwell, who shifted uncomfortably before replying : “You caught the killer – that’s all that matters. That’s it. Brady can’t let it be like this. She demands that Brandt give her a copy of Harrison’s body camera so she can find the man who stole it from The duffel bag was not recorded as evidence When Brandt reviewed the tape, she repeated that Eddie White was the killer and that she should just let it be.
Brady sees the duffel bag in the film, implying that it was stolen by police during a raid, suggesting that the person who stole it was likely the killer. Brandt hinted at testing. Melcher. Brady said she helped Melcher move his belongings into Don Jon’s storage unit. Reed obtained the address and unit number, and Brady obtained a search warrant. Upon arriving at the storage facility, it didn’t take long to find the duffel bag. Shaw handcuffs a surprised Brandt for Harrison’s murder. Riley asked Brandt, “How did you know?” “Just a hunch,” she shrugged.
“Bad Apples” – “Law & Order”, pictured: (left) Juan Javier Cardenas as Officer Travis Melcher, Hugh Dancy as ADA Nolan Price, Odelia Halevi plays ADA Samantha Maroun.
Brady stars Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), Samantha Maroon (Odelia Halevey) and Nicholas Baxter (Tony Gold Wen (played by Wen) assists. Price brags that Lieutenant Brady collaborated with the Interior Department to assassinate Brandt, but Baxter believes that possession of the bag does not prove murder. Price revealed that Harrison’s blood was also on Brandt’s shoes, leading to him being charged with first-degree murder.
Brady confronts Sheriff Stockwell, testifying for the prosecution that he is putting corruption in the name of a good cop. She admitted to Reed that she was aware of Brandt’s corrupt behavior and how his actions accelerated the corruption of officials around him, including herself. She recounted her time in uniform when her sergeant accepted money to protect people. They succeeded. They looked the other way. You don’t think you did anything wrong. Twenty years later, she muses, a good cop is dead.
The next day, Brady testified in court that everyone knew Brandt was corrupt, even though Captain Stockwell never made a formal complaint. The jury found Brandt guilty. Jessica Brady walks into her workplace and everyone stares at her. Reed nodded in the direction of her office, where someone from the Home Office was waiting. “We need to talk about Myles Brandt,” he said. dun! dun!
“Bad Apples” – “Law & Order” Pictured: Maura Tierney as Lt. Jessica Brady. All rights reserved
“Bad apples” mean you have to check your fruit regularly for signs of spoilage. This step is crucial to maintaining freshness. The Home Office is responsible for identifying “spoiled” police officers to maintain accountability and public trust. The full consequences of Lieutenant Brady’s actions have yet to be determined. Will Lt. Jessica Brady be considered a hero or a zero by the department? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Overall rating:
8/10
Lynette Jones