Born Bad

The subject of nature versus nurture is not new territory and was re-visited quite a number of time throughout the whole 'Law and Order' franchise. That doesn't matter though, as it is a very thoughtful and relevant subject that is important to discuss and it is the sort that suits the franchise's tone to the ground. 'Law and Order' and its spin offs did so well with exploring and not trivialising hard hitting topics, and the whole nature versus nurture debate is just one of those.

"Born Bad" explores this topic very well. Will also agree that this is not the best 'Law and Order' episode. It is not even one of the best and to me there are episodes in Season 4 that are quite a good deal better. Also agree that the latter half is superior to the earlier one. "Born Bad" is still a very good and very powerful episode that hits hard, provokes a lot of thought and one is left feeling a lot of emotions after watching. Definitely well worth watching.

Is it a perfect episode? Not quite, but actually there is very little wrong with it. The first quarter agreed is a little uninspired and somewhat formulaic with it not doing a lot new with familiar ground.

Other than that, "Born Bad" has so much to recommend. The production values are slick and professional, not ever resorting to cheap or untested gimmicks or anything. The music is haunting in the right places and isn't constant or too loud, and the direction gives the drama urgency and breathing space.

Writing-wise, "Born Bad" is a triumph. It's incredibly intelligent and thought-provoking, doing very well in not taking sides when exploring this difficult issue. It especially shines in the final scenes and a very telling conversation between Stone and Schiff in regard to the plea which sums the whole dilemma of the case beautifully. The story doesn't immediately grab, but the legal part of the case is incredibly compelling, exploring the subject with remarkable tact and nuance and one does care about how the case ends.

As said, "Born Bad" is incredibly powerful in the final third, with an ending that brought tears to my eyes. The acting is great from all involved, Michael Moriarty's performance is full of authority and anguish and Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth carry the crime solving with their charismatic presence and entertaining chemistry. Will Horneff is very poignant in the final scenes.

Concluding, very good. 8/10

This is a good'un, but hardly "the best" Law & Order episode ever, as one reviewer before me has claimed.

This one starts out a bit plain, with a dead kid (sad, but we've seen it before) and some suspects with ties to male prostitution and the New York foster care system. The prime suspect/defendant ends up being another foster kid, and that's where the writers use this story to explore the question of nature vs. nurture.

It is a good, if somewhat introductory, examination of that debate, with a focus on whether or not males with "XYY Syndrome" (a real-life genetic condition) make one predisposed to aggressive actions - and whether or not that makes a person responsible for their actions. There's some nice small moments too, like when ADA Claire Kincaid meets with a cynical Wordsworth-quoting children's rights attorney who doesn't mind if some of the "little buggers" get locked up:

"I'm just being pragmatic," he tells her over dinner. "'The child is father of the man.' I gotta live in this city when these kids grow up."

Ultimately, the episode's ending makes very clear that, regardless of what a few scientific studies say, if you don't give someone hope in their life at an early age then they'll just be hopeless by default. It's a sad ending, though you might see it coming.