Cold (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Encyclopedia
Cold is the season finale
of the ninth season of the legal drama
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
.
). The SVU squad is left to revisit the original murder case, as Detectives Benson
and Stabler
search for Lake and his hostage. Tutuola
threatens to leave the squad after Stabler searches his cell phone records, thinking Tutuola is Lake's accomplice. The case ultimately causes Novak
to violate due process
while prosecuting the case. She is called to Donnelly
's chambers and informed that the D.A. had declined to refile charges against the defendant and that Novak would be facing censure
or suspension by the Bar association
; she is disbarred for the violation (according to her replacement, ADA Kim Greylek, in the second episode of season 10; However, in Novak's return episode, "Reparations", it is revealed she was not disbarred but rather simply censured - having her license suspended for three years). Lake shoots the defendant, Thomas Crane (Jack Gwaltney) at the end of the episode, which ultimately leads to his arrest.
and directed by David Platt
.
broadcast (May 13, 2008), "Cold" ended its broadcast with 11.81 million viewers after reaching 10.83 during the first half of the episode.
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
of the ninth season of the legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
.
Plot summary
An old murder case of a teenage girl is reopened, when Detective Lake is caught in a gunfight and wounded by the case's former investigator, Detective Edward Kralik. The shooting leaves Kralik dead, and Lake's uncooperative answers lead to confusion in the squad room. The case intensifies when Lake escapes from the hospital, and takes hostage the original case's only witness, Cecilia Cruz (Victoria CartagenaVictoria Cartagena
Victoria Cartagena is a theater and television actress of Puerto Rican origin.Victoria was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State University, where she earned a degree in education. She was later accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy...
). The SVU squad is left to revisit the original murder case, as Detectives Benson
Olivia Benson
Det. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro...
and Stabler
Elliot Stabler
Det. Elliot "El" Stabler is a fictional character on the TV crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Christopher Meloni. He was the partner of Olivia Benson before retiring, following a shooting.-Character overview:...
search for Lake and his hostage. Tutuola
Fin Tutuola
Det. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola is a fictional character and protagonist on the TV drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Ice-T.The character's name is taken from the book The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola, a member of the Yoruba people of Nigeria...
threatens to leave the squad after Stabler searches his cell phone records, thinking Tutuola is Lake's accomplice. The case ultimately causes Novak
Casey Novak
Casey Novak is a fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Diane Neal. She is the only female assistant district attorney to have appeared in five complete seasons in any Law & Order series and the longest-running ADA in the entire franchise.-Character:Casey Novak is a...
to violate due process
Due process
Due process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
while prosecuting the case. She is called to Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Judith Light since 2002.-Character overview:...
's chambers and informed that the D.A. had declined to refile charges against the defendant and that Novak would be facing censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
or suspension by the Bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
; she is disbarred for the violation (according to her replacement, ADA Kim Greylek, in the second episode of season 10; However, in Novak's return episode, "Reparations", it is revealed she was not disbarred but rather simply censured - having her license suspended for three years). Lake shoots the defendant, Thomas Crane (Jack Gwaltney) at the end of the episode, which ultimately leads to his arrest.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Christopher Meloni Christopher Meloni Christopher Peter Meloni is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama Oz.-Early life:Meloni was born the youngest of three children in... |
Det. Elliot Stabler Elliot Stabler Det. Elliot "El" Stabler is a fictional character on the TV crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Christopher Meloni. He was the partner of Olivia Benson before retiring, following a shooting.-Character overview:... |
| Mariska Hargitay Mariska Hargitay Mariska Hargitay is an American actress, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.The daughter of actress... |
Det. Olivia Benson Olivia Benson Det. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro... |
| Richard Belzer Richard Belzer Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest... |
Sgt. John Munch John Munch Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise... |
| Diane Neal Diane Neal Diane Neal is an American actress widely known for her role as Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Biography:... |
ADA Casey Novak Casey Novak Casey Novak is a fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Diane Neal. She is the only female assistant district attorney to have appeared in five complete seasons in any Law & Order series and the longest-running ADA in the entire franchise.-Character:Casey Novak is a... |
| Ice-T ICE-T * Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains... |
Det. Fin Tutuola |
| Adam Beach Adam Beach Adam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr... |
Det. Chester Lake |
| B.D. Wong B.D. Wong Bradley Darryl "BD" Wong is an American actor, best-known for his roles as Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as Father Ray Mukada on HBO's Oz, Henry Wu in the movie Jurassic Park, and for his starring role as Song Liling in the Broadway production of M... |
Dr. George Huang George Huang (Law & Order) Special Agent George Huang, M.D. is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He is portrayed by B. D. Wong.-Character overview:... (absent) |
| Tamara Tunie Tamara Tunie Tamara Renee Tunie is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit... |
ME Melinda Warner Melinda Warner Dr. Melinda Warner is a fictional character on the show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Tamara Tunie. Tunie was originally a recurring cast member until she was added to the main credits in season 7. She became a recurring cast member again in season 13.-Character overview:As the... |
| Dann Florek Dann Florek Ezekial Dann Florek , professional name Dann Florek, is an American actor and director.-Early life:Florek was born in Flat Rock, Michigan. He attended Eastern Michigan University, but never graduated... |
Capt. Donald Cragen Donald Cragen Donald "Don" Cragen is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Dann Florek.-Character appearances:... |
Production
"Cold" was written by Judith McCrearyJudith McCreary
Judith McCreary, aka Judi McCreary, is an American TV writer and producer. She has worked on such shows as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Criminal Minds.- External links :* on the Slate website...
and directed by David Platt
David Platt (director)
David Platt is a thrice Emmy-nominated American film and television director. He has directed many episodes of Law & Order and its spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as an episode of The Wire....
.
Reception
In its original NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
broadcast (May 13, 2008), "Cold" ended its broadcast with 11.81 million viewers after reaching 10.83 during the first half of the episode.
External links
- "Cold" at TV.com