Law & Order Season 22 Episode 6 Review: Vicious Cycle

On what is probably one of the more fascinating back-and-forth cases of the season, Law & Order Season 22 Episode 6, “Vicious Cycle,” proves that even the best attorneys falter sometimes.

It’s never easy to find out you have made a mistake, it’s even harder when that mistake causes harm to someone else. Maroun isn’t likely to forget this case or her hand in it anytime soon.

A True Career Criminal

Trying to solve a murder where there is little to no evidence is definitely a tough one, but not too tough for Cosgrove and Shaw. These two detectives show just how persistent their endeavors have to be in cases where the crime scene doesn’t yield many answers. 

Honestly, I’m not sure I have the gumption or the patience to be chasing down leads all over town. We could applaud Cosgrove and Shaw for especially keeping their professionalism around these career criminals.

It’s not very often that Law & Order gives us dialogue that makes us laugh. Lucky for us, this episode is filled with quippy one-liners to break up the insanity that is this murder case.

These boys definitely got their steps in chasing a band of thieves all over Manhattan. And then on top of that, they have to look these criminals in the eye and reiterate that they are going to jail for their crimes? No ma’am I don’t want any of that life at all.

To be honest, when the murder first happens I honestly thought it wouldn’t get solved considering the evidence is minimal at best. Yes, I’m aware that this drama has a cop side and a lawyer side, but I thought maybe for once we were going to get a case that didn’t require lawyers.

But then they find the perpetrator and he’s got a 15-page rap sheet with 107 arrests to his name. Talk about a true career criminal.

That is the moment this episode really picks up and gets exciting.

Maroun’s Mistakes

I want to preface this discussion of Maroun’s hiccup on this case with Castillo’s defense attorney is overly obnoxious. There is no need for her to be that over-the-top.

It’s great to see Law & Order addressing the problem with our country’s legal system. If there weren’t leaner bail laws, Maroun wouldn’t be so overwhelmed with her caseload and Castillo would’ve been off the street months ago.

As it is, there are leaner bail laws and so Maroun misses some evidence that could’ve denied Castillo bail on his most recent prior. It’s fine that the show depicts her making a mistake — in fact, it is good, but it’s not okay that the writers decided the defense attorney would rake her over the coals. 

This is where my argument that his defense attorney is unnecessarily pushy about protecting her client comes in. She doesn’t need to go so hard for Maroun’s head because her mistake isn’t helping her client it actually hurts him.

The entire court case for this episode is uniquely compelling and makes you think he’s going to get away with his crimes for the 108th time. This is why Maroun’s eleven o’clock discovery makes for great, dramatic television. 

It seems that all hope is lost on this case ever getting a fair shot at justice and then there is Maroun. She might carry guilt about this case for a long time yet, but Price’s words are also correct — she won this case because she is good at her job, and one mistake doesn’t alter that.

Stray Thoughts:

• “Can I go?” “No, we are arresting you for larceny” I full-on belly laughed at this exchange.
• “But I’m in the hospital, you can’t arrest me.” These criminals have some nerve.
• Does the DA’s office have anyone who doesn’t feel some kind of guilt about past cases?

 

What did you think of this episode of Law & Order? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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