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Law & Order
EpisodesSeason 7 Episode Guide
23 Episodes 1996 - 1997
NBC's long-running procedural drama "Law & Order" returns for this seventh season, for more tense cases shared by the NYPD homicide division and the New York City District Attorney's office. Returning characters this season include DA Adam Schiff (Steven Hill), Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), detective supervisor Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), Executive ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), and Detective Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt), with Assistant DA Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell) replacing Claire Kincaid. Ross's character opens the season, with her attempt to crack down as harshly as possible on a carjacker responsible for brutally murdering a schoolteacher; additional investigations include a millionaire's ties to the murder of a numismatist, the slaying of a deadbeat dad whose son suffers from terminal leukemia and McCoy's relentless pursuit of a paroled serial rapist. As the season winds to a close, Schiff must face some devastating personal news.
Episode 1
Causa Mortis
Wed, Sep 18, 1996 43 mins
The detectives try to find the killer of a wife and mother, who was murdered for her car. Fernando: Victor Sierra. Anna: Cyndi Cartagena. Mercer: George Martin. Mrs. Galvez: Divina Cook. Wrightman: Louise Sorel. Rankin: Lawrence Arancio. Judge Scarletti: Ted Kazanof.
Episode 2
I.D.
Wed, Sep 25, 1996 43 mins
After a corpse is found in a building elevator, the detectives start their investigation with records that show on which floors the elevator had previously stopped. Joanne: Pamela Gray. Judge Parks: Jerry Adler. Gillum: Gerry Bamman. Larry: Billy Gillespie. Ross: Carey Lowell.
Episode 3
Good Girl
Wed, Oct 2, 1996 43 mins
The killing of a student leads to a case in which the accused claims that she was raped, and that she defended herself against another assault. Danielle: Chelsea Altman. Archer: Dennis Boutsikaris. Mason: John MacKay. Baylor: Giancarlo Esposito. Ross: Carey Lowell.
Episode 4
Survivor
Wed, Oct 23, 1996 43 mins
A set of coins figures into a gallery owner's murder, in which one of the suspects is the victim's wealthy friend (Michael Willis). Judith: Karen Allen. Melnick: Tovah Feldshuh. Dunlap: Larry Keith. Mrs. Schoenberg: Lenka Peterson. Chad: Eddie Kaye Thomas. Ross: Carey Lowell.
Episode 5
Corruption
Wed, Oct 30, 1996 43 mins
While on a stakeout, a detective (Kevin Conway) kills a suspected drug dealer, but Curtis refuses to testify that he saw the deceased reach for a gun. Judge Hellman: Josef Sommer. Det. Sullivan: Tim Ransom. Det. Edwards: Jeff Williams. Curtis: Benjamin Bratt.
Episode 6
Double Blind
Wed, Nov 6, 1996 43 mins
A college janitor's murder begins a case that leads to a troubled student and the scientist who used him in drug research. Alan: Mark Bateman. Dr. Varick: John Bedford Lloyd. Blum: Randle Mell. Mrs. Sawyer: E. Katherine Kerr. Sawyer: Daniel Ziskie. Ross: Carey Lowell.
Episode 7
Deadbeat
Wed, Nov 13, 1996 43 mins
Individuals involved in the case of a man murdered in a hotel room include the wife he deserted, his father-in-law (Val Avery) and his new fiancée. Pokras: Jerry Stiller. Arlene: Deborah Hedwall. Ms. Mills: Abby Lewis. Victoria: Renee Props.
Episode 8
Family Business
Wed, Nov 20, 1996 43 mins
A department-store murder casts suspicion on the two daughters of the store's owner, one of whom is the deceased's widow. Kate: Anne Twomey. Laura: Jean De Baer. Judge Larkin: Rochelle Oliver. Patton: Bill Moor. Greer: Richard Venture. Briscoe: Jerry Orbach. McCoy: Sam Waterston.
Episode 9
Entrapment
Wed, Jan 8, 1997 43 mins
The shooting of a black activist involves a man who believes that his father's murder was caused by the activist. Angela: Michelle Hurd. Huey: Chris McKinney. Books: Ron Cephas Jones. Mrs. Tate: Gloria Foster. Dubois: Samuel E. Wright. McCoy: Sam Waterston.
Episode 10
Legacy
Wed, Jan 15, 1997 43 mins
The attempted murder of a family man leads to a case involving a vendetta and the possibility that a death that was ruled accidental five years earlier may have been a killing. Estelle: Frances Sternhagen. Ruth: Jenny Robertson. Harvey: Tom Riis Farrell. James: Bradley White. Briscoe: Jerry Orbach.
Episode 11
Menace
Wed, Feb 5, 1997 43 mins
A woman jumps off a bridge, and witnesses say that she was running away from a man who was threatening her. Harold Dorning: John Cullum. Di Marco: Tony Lo Bianco. Robert Dorning: Christopher Cousins. Mike McDugan Jr.: John Conlee. Briscoe: Jerry Orbach.
Episode 12
Barter
Wed, Feb 12, 1997 43 mins
After the treasurer of an apartment co-op is shot to death in the building's garage, the detectives discover that the killing may have been a case of mistaken identity. Russo: George DiCenzo. Tashjian: Scott Bryce. Flores: Victor Argo. Susan: Dana Reeve. Tucker: Greer Goodman.
Episode 13
Matrimony
Wed, Feb 19, 1997 43 mins
The investigation of a wealthy, elderly man's murder involves his young widow, her mother, the deceased's lawyer and a longtime servant. Kim: Arija Bareikis. Shain: Boyd Gaines. Meyers: George Grizzard. Velma: Anna Holbrook.
Episode 14
Working Mom
Wed, Feb 26, 1997 43 mins
A retired cop is found shot to death in his car, and the investigative trail involves two interior decorators who double as prostitutes. Hillary: Felicity Huffman. Lanie: Elaine Stritch. Colson: David Chandler. Sondra: Jodie Markell. Metzler: John Cunningham.
Episode 15
D-Girl
Thu, Mar 13, 1997 43 mins
Part 1 of a three-part story centers on the killing of a movie-studio president, whose corpse is fished out of a river. Grant: Jeffrey D. Sams. Newman: Scott Cohen. Lisa: Lauren Graham. Greta: Janeane Garofalo. Klein: Dick Latessa. Robert Culp has a cameo as himself.
Episode 16
Turnaround
Thu, Mar 20, 1997 43 mins
Part 2 of three. As the case of the movie-studio president's killing continues, it appears that the wrong suspect has been arrested; and Ross must face her ex, who's the new suspect's defense attorney. Newman: Scott Cohen. Grant: Jeffrey D. Sams. Gorton: Keith Szarabajka.
Episode 17
Showtime
Thu, Mar 27, 1997 43 mins
As the three-parter concludes, the suspect gets his day(s) in court, but several events serve to complicate matters. Among them: Gorton suing Ross for custody of their daughter. Gorton: Keith Szarabajka. Newman: Scott Cohen. Joyner: Franchelle Stewart Dorn.
Episode 18
Mad Dog
Fri, Apr 4, 1997 43 mins
After a serial rapist (Burt Young) is freed on parole, a young woman is attacked and killed---leading McCoy (Sam Waterston) to try various methods to keep the man off the streets. Janeane: Lisa LoCicero. Granick: Ned Eisenberg. Munro: David Wolos-Fonteno.
Episode 19
Double Down
Wed, Apr 16, 1997 43 mins
A suspect in a holdup involving the killing of a policeman asks for a deal in exchange for revealing the whereabouts of his missing accomplice. Harp: Luke Reilly. Bell: Edie Falco. Mrs. Titus: Theresa Merritt. Judge Davis: Nancy Addison. Sandra: Marlene Forte.
Episode 20
We Like Mike
Wed, Apr 30, 1997 43 mins
A woman finds her brother shot to death, and the investigation leads to a suspect who first lies to police, then claims he helped the victim change a tire, but had nothing to do with the murder. Bodak: Frank John Hughes. Ricky: Benny Nieves. Shuman: Casey Siemaszko.
Episode 21
Passion
Wed, May 7, 1997 43 mins
An editor is found dead in an apartment that's shared by one of her authors and a lawyer, both of whom insist they were out of town at the time of the murder. Evans: Robert Foxworth. Sarah: Sara Botsford. Adele: Cynthia Harris. Austin: Oren J. Sofer. Dalton: Guy Paul.
Episode 22
Past Imperfect
Wed, May 14, 1997 43 mins
The murder of a model leads to an investigation involving her ex-husband, their son and the illegitimate daughter she'd given up for adoption.
Episode 23
Terminal
Wed, May 21, 1997 43 mins
In the season finale, Schiff refuses the governor's order to seek the death penalty in the prosecution of a fatal shooting, and is removed from the case---prompting him to sue the governor.
