Frame (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
Encyclopedia
"Frame" is a seventh season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
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brings flowers to his mother's grave and finds an old framed picture of him and his older brother Frank. When Frank is found murdered the following day, the victim of a poisoning meant to look like an overdose
, Goren deduces that his nemesis Nicole Wallace killed his brother.
Soon afterward, Goren's mentor Declan Gage is also found to be poisoned (but alive), and Goren and Eames
are led on a scavenger hunt, which leads them to Wallace's former stepdaughter, Gwen Chapel, in Arizona
— she is now dying of cancer
, which is believed to be the factor that incited Wallace's actions — and ends at a hotel where they find a box with Goren's nephew Donny's name on it, containing a human heart. Although Goren believes that Wallace murdered Donny to torment him, M.E.
Rodgers confirms that it is in fact Wallace's heart in the box. Goren refuses to believe it, claiming that Wallace has "nine lives". Gage suggests to Goren that Wallace had a partner who acted on her wishes, and that they were trying to frame him for her murder and Frank’s. Later evidence turns up that Frank Goren had a life insurance policy naming William Brady (Goren's undercover alias) as his beneficiary, supporting Gage's theory. At this time, Goren reveals that he has confirmed that serial killer
Mark Ford Brady
is his biological father.
In a twist ending, it is revealed that Gage planned the entire chain of events as part of an elaborate plan to "free" Goren from his troubled past. Goren realizes this after he notices someone has "tried to glue the pieces of his life together" throughout the case. He learns that Gage wrote a book on female serial killers (such as his daughter Jo, who, as it turns out, is in a coma
after biting off her tongue) to attract Wallace's attention, and knowing she would try to seduce him, he spurned her advances to engage her. Gage suggested to her that he also hates Goren, thus manipulating her into killing Frank. Then, Gage knew that Wallace would try to dispose of him afterwards and beat her to it: He cut out her heart, mailed some flowers in her name (aside from the ones she herself mailed to Goren), and faked his own poisoning to set the scavenger hunt in motion. Gage thought that Frank was "going down anyway", and that the people in Goren's life were like "dead weight" to him, and saw this plan as a way to give his protegé a "clean slate". Gage assures Goren that his nephew Donny is unharmed and still missing, as killing him would never have helped Goren.
After that, Gage tells Goren that Wallace's final words were "Tell Bobby he was the only man I ever loved".
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
.
Plot
In the Season 7 finale, Detective GorenRobert Goren
Det. Robert "Bobby" Goren is a fictional character featured in the NBC-USA Network police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio....
brings flowers to his mother's grave and finds an old framed picture of him and his older brother Frank. When Frank is found murdered the following day, the victim of a poisoning meant to look like an overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
, Goren deduces that his nemesis Nicole Wallace killed his brother.
Soon afterward, Goren's mentor Declan Gage is also found to be poisoned (but alive), and Goren and Eames
Alexandra Eames
Det. Alexandra "Alex" Eames is a fictional police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad featured in the NBC-USA Network Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Kathryn Erbe...
are led on a scavenger hunt, which leads them to Wallace's former stepdaughter, Gwen Chapel, in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
— she is now dying of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, which is believed to be the factor that incited Wallace's actions — and ends at a hotel where they find a box with Goren's nephew Donny's name on it, containing a human heart. Although Goren believes that Wallace murdered Donny to torment him, M.E.
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
Rodgers confirms that it is in fact Wallace's heart in the box. Goren refuses to believe it, claiming that Wallace has "nine lives". Gage suggests to Goren that Wallace had a partner who acted on her wishes, and that they were trying to frame him for her murder and Frank’s. Later evidence turns up that Frank Goren had a life insurance policy naming William Brady (Goren's undercover alias) as his beneficiary, supporting Gage's theory. At this time, Goren reveals that he has confirmed that serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Mark Ford Brady
Endgame (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
"Endgame" is a sixth season episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. This is the Goren/Eames finale of the sixth season.-Synopsis:As condemned serial killer Mark Ford Brady gets closer to his execution date, he asks to see Goren in hopes to extend his sentence and leads him to hidden scrapbooks...
is his biological father.
In a twist ending, it is revealed that Gage planned the entire chain of events as part of an elaborate plan to "free" Goren from his troubled past. Goren realizes this after he notices someone has "tried to glue the pieces of his life together" throughout the case. He learns that Gage wrote a book on female serial killers (such as his daughter Jo, who, as it turns out, is in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
after biting off her tongue) to attract Wallace's attention, and knowing she would try to seduce him, he spurned her advances to engage her. Gage suggested to her that he also hates Goren, thus manipulating her into killing Frank. Then, Gage knew that Wallace would try to dispose of him afterwards and beat her to it: He cut out her heart, mailed some flowers in her name (aside from the ones she herself mailed to Goren), and faked his own poisoning to set the scavenger hunt in motion. Gage thought that Frank was "going down anyway", and that the people in Goren's life were like "dead weight" to him, and saw this plan as a way to give his protegé a "clean slate". Gage assures Goren that his nephew Donny is unharmed and still missing, as killing him would never have helped Goren.
After that, Gage tells Goren that Wallace's final words were "Tell Bobby he was the only man I ever loved".
Cast
| Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"... |
Det. Robert Goren Robert Goren Det. Robert "Bobby" Goren is a fictional character featured in the NBC-USA Network police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio.... |
| Kathryn Erbe Kathryn Erbe Kathryn Elsbeth Erbe is an American actress known for her role as Det. Alexandra Eames in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, a spin-off of Law & Order, and death row inmate Shirley Bellinger in the HBO series Oz.-Personal life:... |
Det. Alexandra Eames Alexandra Eames Det. Alexandra "Alex" Eames is a fictional police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad featured in the NBC-USA Network Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Kathryn Erbe... |
| Eric Bogosian Eric Bogosian Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,... |
Capt. Danny Ross |
Facts
- The title of this episode, "Frame", may refer to either a presumably innocent person who is caused to appear guilty or a decorated border for a picture – or both. In this case, Goren is framed for killing his brother, Frank, and he discovers a picture of the two brothers framed near his mother's grave.
- This is the first time since "False-Hearted JudgesFalse-Hearted Judges"False-Hearted Judges" is the fourth season finale episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Plot summary:In this episode, Detectives Goren and Eames investigate the murder of a prominent New York family court judge, whose entire family was attacked.At first, Goren and Eames...
" (2005) that Goren and Eames have led a season finale. - Wallace herself only appears in two brief scenes in the episode: before the opening credits in brief flashes with her face concealed, and in the flower shop mailing flowers to Goren. In contrast to previous episodes featuring her, the focus is shifted towards Goren and his personal problems, and Wallace's role in the crime is more of an extension of this theme.
- In the flashbacks with Nicole Wallace, Courtney B. VanceCourtney B. VanceCourtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
was still in his role as Assistant District Attorney Ron CarverRon CarverRon Carver is a fictional character on the NBC-USA Network series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, played by Courtney B. Vance.Carver often works in conjunction with detectives Robert Goren, Alexandra Eames, Mike Logan and Carolyn Barek of the Major Case Squad. He graduated from John Jay College of...
(season 2). - This also notes that Goren's nephew Donny Carlson, is still missing; not even Nicole Wallace or Declan Gage knew where he was; because Goren stated, "Nicole doesn't have Donny, if she did she would have sent a more recent photo."
- This episode also denotes that Donny Carlson is Goren's only known or mentioned living relative. In "Faithfully" (which was the episode set to air after "Frame") Goren is seen sitting with family at the dinner table, so he possibly has more siblings than Frank. Later in that episode, he shows Eames a picture of his niece. He also hints in "Frame" that Wallace thought Frank was all he had, next to Donny.