Random Best Seasons of 'Law & Order' (20 items)

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  (#1) Law & Order - Season 5

  The fifth season of Law & Order premiered on September 21, 1994 and contains 23 episodes. This season introduces the arrival of Executive ADA Jack McCoy and some of the cases involve the bombing of a construction site and the death of a drug-addicted woman in the yard of a daycare.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "House Counsel," "Rage," and "Second Opinion." 

  Memorable moments from Season 5 include:

  • Van Buren faces heat when she kills an intellectually disabled teenager in what she claims was a robbery attempt.
  • A suburban housewife is investigated for the 23-year-old murder of a police officer.
  • The team discovers that the murder of an unassuming Parks Dept. worker may have been due to the fact that he was a juror in a trial against a mob boss. 
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  (#2) Law & Order - Season 6

  The sixth season of Law & Order premiered on September 20, 1995 and contains 23 episodes. This season introduces viewers to a new character named Detective Rey Curtis who replaces Detective Logan.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Savages," "Pro Se," and "Aftershock."

  Memorable moments from Season 6 include:

  • A mother kills her daughter's kidnapper during his trial.
  • The death penalty is instituted in New York.
  • A defense lawyer argues that his teen client is actually the victim of a conspiracy. 
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  (#3) Law & Order - Season 10

  The tenth season of Law & Order premiered on September 22, 1999 and contains 24 episodes. This season finds Detective Ed Green replacing Detective Rey Curtis as Briscoe's partner.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Killerz," "Blood Money," and "Fools For Love." 

  Memorable moments from Season 10 include:

  • After a young boy is murdered, suspicions fall on a 10-year-old girl from his neighborhood.
  • A man insists that he was set up in both the murder of his girlfriend and the assault of her sister.
  • The DA's office must question whether a man with Alzheimer's Disease is competent enough to stand trial for murder. 
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  (#4) Law & Order - Season 7

  The seventh season of Law & Order premiered on September 18, 1996 and contains 23 episodes. This season finds Assistant DA Jamie Ross replacing Claire Kincaid. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Showtime," "Mad Dog," and "Double Time."

  Memorable moments from Season 7 include:

  • A cop accused of a bad shooting in turn claims that Briscoe is responsible for stealing drugs during an arrest.
  • During an investigation, police uncover that a mother ordered a professional hit on her old daughter-in-law's newest husband.
  • Prosecutors make a deal with a man suspected of killing a cop in order to help find the victim of another crime.
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  (#5) Law & Order - Season 8

  The eighth season of Law & Order premiered on September 24, 1997 and contains 24 episodes. This season features no cast changes, but lots of new cases including a murder that may lead to a case involving judicial misconduct and the murder of a psychologist that may be linked to a complex divorce case. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Damage," "Under the Influence," and "Blood." 

  Memorable moments from Season 8 include:

  • The DA's office plans to seek the death penalty for a cop killer, but things get more complicated when it turns out the killer found religion while incarcerated.
  • Two punks are discovered to have murdered a random stranger, simply for the thrill.
  • A victim's doctor is suspected of being behind her murder in order to sell her organs. 
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  (#6) Law & Order - Season 4

  The fourth season of Law & Order premiered on September 15, 1993 and contains 22 episodes. Anita Van Buren and ADA Claire Kincaid join the cast of characters this season, as the teams investigate and prosecute crimes ranging from a mail bombing to an assault on a tennis player.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Profile," "American Dream," and "Old Friends." 

  Memorable moments from Season 4 include:

  • The investigators use a profiler to help catch a racist serial killer.
  • The lawyer of a 14-year-old boy tries to argue that his client is not responsible for a murder because he has an extra Y chromosome and is genetically predisposed to violence.
  • Kincaid faces charges for not revealing the extent of her past with a suspect. 
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  (#7) Law & Order - Season 1

  The first season of Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990 and contains 22 episodes. This season introduces viewers to the NYPD investigators who solve crimes and the staff of the DA's office who bring offenders to justice.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Prescription for Death," "Indifference," and "Mushrooms."

  Memorable moments from Season 1 include:

  • A doctor's actions come into question when a patient dies after a stressful late night shift.
  • A murdered woman's former boyfriends are investigated as suspects in her death.
  • The investigators must uncover the culprits after an abortion clinic is bombed.
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  (#8) Law & Order - Season 3

  The third season of Law & Order premiered on September 23, 1992 and contains 22 episodes. This season sees the return of most of the characters in season two, although Phil Cerreta is replaced with Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe mid-way through the season.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Helpless," "Prince of Darkness," and "Manhood." 

  Memorable moments from Season 3 include:

  • A jewelry dealer claims self-defense when he kills two robbers, but his deeper motives soon come under suspicion.
  • A mother confesses to murdering her drug-addicted daughter over money.
  • An investigation reveals that a slain officer's fellow cops may be partially responsible for his death. 
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  (#9) Law & Order - Season 9

  The ninth season of Law & Order premiered on September 23, 1998 and contains 24 episodes. This season, Angie Harmon joins the cast as ADA Abbie Carmichael who replaces Jamie Ross. Some of this season's cases involve the death of a fertility clinic worker and the murder of an officer at a women's prison. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Tabula Rasa," "Refugee: Part 1," and "Refugee: Part 2."

  Memorable moments from Season 9 include:

  • White police officers are investigated in the possible death of an African American man.
  • The only witness in a murder by the Russian mob is a 10-year-old boy who is afraid to testify.
  • McCoy feels forced to defy Schiff in the course of prosecuting a trial.
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  (#10) Law & Order - Season 2

  The second season of Law & Order premiered on September 17, 1991 and contains 22 episodes. This season sees the arrival of Sgt. Phil Cerreta and begins with the murder of one of the unit's officers. Logan and Cerreta become partners.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Confession," "The Working Stiff," and "Cradle to the Grave."

  Memorable moments from Season 2 include:

  • After Logan pressures a confession out of a killer, the prosecutors struggle to allow it to be used as evidence during the trial.
  • An investigation reveals that an aspiring actress' mother may have driven her to suicide.
  • A crime that killed 53 people at a Hispanic social club may be linked to the sale of fake green cards. 
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  (#11) Law & Order - Season 14

  The fourteenth season of Law & Order premiered on September 24, 2003 and contains 24 episodes. This season was the last for longtime character Detective Lennie Briscoe, who was played by actor Jerry Orbach.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Bodies," "Identity," and "C.O.D."

  Memorable moments from Season 14 include:

  • An 80-year-old man is accused of murdering the man who ruined his life by stealing his identity.
  • When one homeless man is accused of killing another, his lawyer argues that the same laws should not apply to those who live on the outskirts of society.
  • After an assistant DA is murdered, investigators discover that he wasn't who he had led everyone to believe.
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  (#12) Law & Order - Season 13

  The thirteenth season of Law & Order premiered on October 2, 2002 and contains 24 episodes. This season, Arthur Branch replaces Nora Lewin as DA. Some of the cases include a hit-style murder investigation and a basketball player who is suspected of killing his driver.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Shangri-La," "Open Season," and "Couples."

  Memorable moments from Season 13 include:

  • A teenage Muslim on trial for murder claims he's the victim of an anti-Muslim conspiracy set up.
  • Investigators look into a right wing militia group after an attorney is found murdered.
  • Briscoe and Green are able to solve three murder cases and a kidnapping case all within the span of one day.
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  (#13) Law & Order - Season 11

  The eleventh season of Law & Order premiered on October 18, 2000 and contains 24 episodes. This season features Interim DA Nora Lewin replacing DA Adam Schiff and also features a cameo by Rudolph Giuliani, the then mayor of NYC.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Endurance," "Hubris," and "Brother's Keeper."

  Memorable moments from Season 11 include:

  • When a charming conman is put on trial for murder, he decides to act as his own defense.
  • The DA's office links a drug dealer to a murder for which another man has already been convicted.
  • The investigators become suspicious of two FBI agents who thwart their investigation into a mobster by providing him with an alibi. 
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  (#14) Law & Order - Season 20

  The twentieth season of Law & Order premiered on September 25, 2009 and contains 23 episodes. This season marks the conclusion of the series with a variety of complex and emotionally charged cases. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "For the Defense," "Innocence," and "Rubber Room."

  Memorable moments from Season 20 include:

  • A husband is suspected of killing his wife for refusing to allow their family to participate in a reality TV show.
  • The DA finds themselves involved in a trial involving teenagers who have been trained by the cartel as assassins.
  • A defense attorney is investigated for having damaging witnesses in his trials silenced permanently. 
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  (#15) Law & Order - Season 19

  The nineteenth season of Law & Order premiered on November 5, 2008 and contains 22 episodes. This season's cases involve everything from the mafia to a serial killer. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Zero," "By Perjury," and "Pledge."

  Memorable moments from Season 19 include:

  • After a 17-year-old boy is murdered, the investigation uncovers a radical Mormon sect.
  • One investigation leads to the possibility of a cover-up that may go up to the highest levels of the state government.
  • The detectives must look into other suspects after a man convicted of a murder and his wife are both killed.
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  (#16) Law & Order - Season 16

  The sixteenth season of Law & Order premiered on September 21, 2005 and contains 22 episodes. This season features the return of Detective Green and cases concerning the deaths of a journalist, as well as three women who all have the same name.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Red Ball," "Criminal Law," and Invaders."

  Memorable moments from Season 16 include:

  • A husband who has plans to remove his comatose wife's breathing tube is murdered.
  • When a synagogues' Chumash is stolen, it threatens to result in the breakout of a religious war.
  • A 14-year-old's testimony reveals a dark family secret.
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  (#17) Law & Order - Season 18

  The eighteenth season of Law & Order premiered on January 2, 2008 and contains 18 episodes. This season, Detective Nina Cassady is replaced with Detective Cyrus Lupo who returns after dealing with a family tragedy. McCoy is also promoted this season from EADA to DA with Michael Cutter filling his old job.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Driven," "Burn Card," and "Excalibur."

  Memorable moments from Season 18 include:

  • An investigation into a crime committed during a blackout reveals the criminals had advanced knowledge that the blackout was coming.
  • An African-American father and a white mother go on trial for their parts in the deaths of two people during a racially-motivated conflict.
  • The team investigates an illegal dog fighting ring as well as the disappearance of the wife of one of the men involved.
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  (#18) Law & Order - Season 15

  The fifthteenth season of Law & Order premiered on September 22, 2004 and contains 24 episodes. This season features several changes as Detective Joe Fontana replaces Detective Lennie Briscoe, ADA Serena Southerlyn is replaced by ADA Alexandra Borgia, and Det. Ed Green is temporarily replaced by Det. Nick Falco.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Fluency," "License To Kill," and "Tombstone."

  Memorable moments from Season 15 include:

  • A prison guard who murders a released inmate claims that the victim posed a threat to he and his family.
  • Investigators attempt to unravel the responsible party after 16 people die because they received counterfeit vaccinations.
  • While escorting a trial witness, Detective Green is critically injured.
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  (#19) Law & Order - Season 12

  The twelfth season of Law & Order premiered on September 26, 2001 and contains 24 episodes. This season introduces a new ADA named Serena Southerlin to the cast of characters. 

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "DR 1-102," "Myth of Fingerprints," and "Who Let the Dogs Out?"

  Memorable moments from Season 12 include:

  • Detectives investigate a man for training his pit bull to become a killer.
  • A criminal defense attorney is suspected of being behind his wife's murder and using insider knowledge to frame a client.
  • A college activist is murdered while investigating a meat-packing plant that may be  responsible for deaths involving its products. 
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  (#20) Law & Order - Season 17

  The seventeenth season of Law & Order premiered on September 22, 2006 and contains 22 episodes. This season introduces the new characters Detective Nina Cassady and ADA Connie Rubirosa.

  This season features several unforgettable episodes including: "Deadlock," "Captive," and "The Family Hour."

  Memorable moments from Season 17 include:

  • A fundamentalist on trial for murder claims he was merely protecting his daughter from the dangers of learning about evolution.
  • A lawyer attempts to use a trial as a referendum for the death penalty.
  • A case involving a gay man threatens to expose the secrets of a right-wing pastor.

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