In a week when a convicted felon once again ascends to the presidency, it feels like a fitting metaphor for an episode exploring how the rich and powerful manipulate a system. I’m sorry if my political views came through. Regardless, this week’s episode, “Time Will Tell,” was great and worth watching. Lieutenant Jessica Brady, Ida Nolan Price and District Attorney Baxter discuss ethical dilemmas, scrambling to defend their choices and pondering the consequences, all while trying to maintain a moral compass Point north. Let’s look into it, shall we?
“Time Will Tell” – “Law & Order” – Pictured: Red Scott as Detective. Vincent Riley. Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
A prep school director was bludgeoned to death outside his home. Detectives Riley and Xiao learned from her husband that the mother of two had no known enemies. I appreciated the specifics he described of how he spent a typical day working remotely from home, preparing his wife’s favorite dish, broccoli puree, only to find that she was suddenly gone.
Using all the usual tools, detectives identified suspect No. 1, a parent frustrated by her son’s failed essay. Echoing the Hollywood College cheating scandal, victim Meredith West was the “fixer” at Ellsworth Prep. She made sure students whose families could afford to fund school were given “extra time” to take standardized tests like the SAT. In the video, the parent yells at West, who admits that his sophomore son faces intense pressure to get into a prestigious school and is at a disadvantage because his scheduling request was denied. Detectives asked him if he was angry enough to kill. He said no. In fact, the man felt West “brought the school together.”
“Time Will Tell” – “Law & Order,” pictured: (left) Maura Tierney as Lt. Jessica Brady, Steve M. Robertson Plays Ryan Brady. Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
In many ways, this episode is about parent-child boundaries. For example, we are introduced to one of Lieutenant Brady’s two sons. One of her sons, Leo, was a recovering alcoholic and wanted his mother to attend a show, according to his brother. She refused to watch her son perform despite his brother’s pleas, apparently reinforcing the boundaries between her and her drug-addicted son. Her rejection was deeply frustrating and sad.
The victim’s calendar showed she had gone to see someone who had died years before. Could this person be the murderer? No. The woman who used the identity of the deceased had an “inappropriate relationship” with the 18-year-old student. The school paid her a six-figure fee and let her live in school-owned housing in exchange for her silence in the form of a nondisclosure agreement (NDA). West comes to tell her that her “time” to live rent-free has come. detection. Shaw commented on how “easy” it was to land after her dismissal, which she no doubt believed was the basis for the motive for the murder. The woman denied this and said West treated her fairly. She told detectives that West left to go home but complained that he was in “overtime hell.”
“Time Will Tell” – “Law & Order” Pictured: Jeremy Shamos as Dr. Carlton Kelly. Photo by Will Hart/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
Detectives went to the school to speak to Dean Kelly but remained calm. Why? To their surprise, District Attorney Baxter was already there. It turns out that Baxter is a graduate of Ellsworth College. His children also graduated from Ellsworth, and he currently serves on the school board. Dundon! You can see the almost imperceptible but immediate revulsion on the part of the detectives when they question whether the district attorney is somehow interfering with their investigation on behalf of his alma mater. Baxter can sense their doubts and guides the detectives to do their jobs with a cavalier attitude.
Riley and Shaw learned two things from the dean. one. A witness saw a small man wearing a green hoodie. two. Lisa Dumont, the parent of a scholarship student, is upset with Theresa West because her daughter, who has a medically diagnosed debilitating anxiety disorder, Did not get time accommodation. Eventually, the third and final suspect was identified. Daughter Emily was taken into custody.
“Time Will Tell” – “Law & Order”, pictured: (left) Odelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun, Hugh Dancy as ADA Nolan Price. Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
The girl is fragile, confused, and on the verge of collapse. She is also 18 years old and confirms that she understands her Miranda rights. Lieutenant Brady interrogates Emily. The kid just wants to go home and study to prepare for the college entrance examination that will be held on Saturday. Lieutenant Brady decides to lie to Emily and promises her that if she reveals what happened with West, she will be allowed to go home. The editing shifts to Riley and Shaw, who are observing the girls’ interviews. They looked at each other, feeling uncomfortable. Emily admitted to hitting West with a hockey stick as she left. “How many times did you hit her?” Lieutenant Brady asked. “Two, maybe three.” “Where’s the hockey stick?” Emily asked, replying that she had thrown it near her apartment but not revealing the exact location. “I can go home now.” “No,” Brady replied.
ADA Samatha (Sam) Maroun acknowledged the importance of considering Emily’s age and mental capacity. In my opinion, Baxter aggressively asked Sam if she was implying manslaughter, even though Emily admitted to the murder. Sam corrected him and said, “I’d suggest considering the lower cost.” Baxter and Price mused, recalling the pressures they experienced at their respective prep schools. Samantha brought them back to reality, saying, “I went to public school. This is not the same thing.” The DA’s office agreed to charge Emily with murder.
The court set Emily’s bail at $500,000. Her mother cried and said she didn’t have $5,000, let alone $500,000. Emily’s attorneys filed a motion with the district attorney to suppress her confession. In the judge’s office, District Attorney Price and Emily’s attorney argue over the meaning of age. The lawyer believes that age is not just a chronological order; This is also a mental ability. Emily is not mature enough to understand the consequences of confessing, especially after Lieutenant Brady lied to her and said she could go home. The district attorney’s argument that “legally speaking, police can lie” failed to convince the judge, and Emily’s confession was dismissed.
“Time will tell” – “Law and Order”, picture: (left) Maureen Sebastian plays the lawyer. Vanessa Keller, Odelia Halevi as Ida Samantha Maroon, Hugh Dancy as Ida Nolan Price. Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
Baxter and Price met again to discuss the strength of the case without confessing. Baxter challenged Price’s call to testify against Dean Kelly. Price explained that Kelly could help determine motive by revealing the school’s housing program. Price wanted to continue murdering. District Attorney Baxter wants him to plead to Emily. Price gently suggested that Baxter had a conflict of interest because of his involvement with the school. Distrust and tension between the two men grew.
Back in court, Price calls Kelly to the stand. He explains why kids face so much pressure as they compete to get into elite colleges. He quoted the proverb: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” The price calls this value into question. Through cross-examination, he got the dean to admit that nearly 50 percent of students were granted accommodations because parents manipulated the system, while denying deserving scholarship students like Emily who had legitimate medical conditions. Price was momentarily distracted when Baxter entered the courtroom. You can feel Price’s discomfort. You can see him wondering if Baxter is showing some strange flexibility by appearing in court, perhaps to influence the case. He shook it off and continued. He called Lt. Brady to testify. She read the hateful emails Emily sent, one of which read: “I really want to kill her.”
“Time Will Tell” – “Law & Order” Pictured: Cara Bono as Lisa Dumont. Photo by Will Hart/NBC @2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved
The defense called Lisa Dumont, who made a dramatic confession, saying, “Emily didn’t kill West because I killed West,” the courtroom erupted. Dumont, on the other hand, is doing what she thinks is good parenting. She had no money, so she sacrificed her life to give her daughter a chance. Price wants to prosecute Emily, the real guilty party. Baxter didn’t. He instructed Price to enter a second-degree murder plea for Lisa, and the daughter left. Price blanched at the idea of jailing an innocent woman for 20 years, but entered the plea anyway. The judge warned Lisa Dumont that once she accepted the plea, there would be no looking back. The courtroom erupted again, with Emily jumping to her feet and crying that her mother was lying. She killed West! Emily is led out of the courtroom. The judge accepted the plea and court officers took Lisa Dumont into custody.
At the last moment, Lieutenant Brady received a text message from her son, Ryan. He reported that Leo’s show was a success and that they missed her. She had just witnessed the sacrifice a parent made for their child, and it moved her deeply; her attitude softened somewhat. She called Leo and left the following message: “Leo” and, ironically, “it’s me, mom”, as if he didn’t remember. “I haven’t seen you in a while, and I’m not in a good mood.” Time will tell whether her vulnerability and hope at the moment will lead to a reconciliation with Leo. Ryan wants it. Leo might need it. This is what mothers do to protect their children. They relax boundaries and keep communication open.
So, do you find Time Will Tell as interesting as I do? What are your thoughts on lying to a suspect during interrogation? I reply to comments, so leave me one.
Overall rating:
8/10
Lynette Jones