Zoonotic (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
Encyclopedia
"Zoonotic" is a second season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
.
and Eames
investigate the murder of a corrupt policeman found trapped in a full-height subway turnstile
and stabbed to death.
Goren and Eames initially discover the dead cop had been blackmail
ing female escorts who had become ill with infectious diseases. Investigating other female patients with infectious diseases, the detectives find a common link — the victims all dated a South Africa
n infectious disease specialist, Dr. Roger Stern. His former dates had all been infected with uncommon zoonotic viruses normally found in animals in Africa
. It is not long before Goren find holes in his story, and refocuses the investigation towards the voyeuristic doctor (Goren notices the mirrored cabinets in Stern's office, which allow him to secretly watch his unsuspecting patients behind the examining curtains).
As the team begin to stitch together the pieces, they trace the suspect's association with an exhibitionist veterinarian
, Dr. Scott Borman, who might have been involved in infecting the female dates with zoonotic viruses. When Goren look deeper into the case, he realizes there are unequivocal psychological components. Finally in the holding cell, Goren confronts both doctors by pitting them against each other.
During the confrontation, Goren reveals that Stern hated his mother, a refined, cultured woman who made him feel inferior. He now dates refined, cultured women and enjoys watching them be humiliated and degraded as Borman has his way with them. He subsequently gives his dates a gift of earrings secretly coated with a zoonotic virus that makes them sick and can eventually kill them. Borman trapped Stern's blackmailer, the corrupt cop, in the malfunctioning subway turnstile, then repeatedly stabbed him.
As this episode ends, two grams of anthrax
bacterium go missing, which leads into the season finale, "A Person of Interest".
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 summary
In this episode, Detectives 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....
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...
investigate the murder of a corrupt policeman found trapped in a full-height subway turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
and stabbed to death.
Goren and Eames initially discover the dead cop had been blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ing female escorts who had become ill with infectious diseases. Investigating other female patients with infectious diseases, the detectives find a common link — the victims all dated a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n infectious disease specialist, Dr. Roger Stern. His former dates had all been infected with uncommon zoonotic viruses normally found in animals in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It is not long before Goren find holes in his story, and refocuses the investigation towards the voyeuristic doctor (Goren notices the mirrored cabinets in Stern's office, which allow him to secretly watch his unsuspecting patients behind the examining curtains).
As the team begin to stitch together the pieces, they trace the suspect's association with an exhibitionist veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, Dr. Scott Borman, who might have been involved in infecting the female dates with zoonotic viruses. When Goren look deeper into the case, he realizes there are unequivocal psychological components. Finally in the holding cell, Goren confronts both doctors by pitting them against each other.
During the confrontation, Goren reveals that Stern hated his mother, a refined, cultured woman who made him feel inferior. He now dates refined, cultured women and enjoys watching them be humiliated and degraded as Borman has his way with them. He subsequently gives his dates a gift of earrings secretly coated with a zoonotic virus that makes them sick and can eventually kill them. Borman trapped Stern's blackmailer, the corrupt cop, in the malfunctioning subway turnstile, then repeatedly stabbed him.
As this episode ends, two grams of anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
bacterium go missing, which leads into the season finale, "A Person of Interest".
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... |
| Jamey Sheridan Jamey Sheridan James Patrick "Jamey" Sheridan is an American actor. He was born in Pasadena, California.He has had a prolific acting career in theater, television, and feature film productions. Born to a family of actors, he made it to Broadway and earned a Tony nomination in 1987 for his performance in the... |
Capt. James Deakins James Deakins Captain James Deakins is a fictional character on the NBC-USA Network U.S. television series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, played by Jamey Sheridan.On the show, Deakins supervises New York City's Major Case Squad... |
| Courtney B. Vance Courtney B. Vance Courtney 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... |
A.D.A. Ron Carver Ron Carver Ron 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... |
| Leslie Hendrix Leslie Hendrix Leslie Hendrix is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Elizabeth Rodgers on four Law & Order series... |
Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers |