Law & Order (season 13)

The following is a list of Law & Order episodes from the series' thirteenth season (2002–2003):[1]

Law & Order
Season 13
Season 13 U.S. DVD cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	October 2, 2002 (2002-10-02) – May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)
Season chronology

Cast

Arthur Branch (played by Fred Dalton Thompson) replaced season 12's Nora Lewin (Dianne Wiest) in the role of District Attorney. The resulting ensemble cast was the most stable in the history of the Law & Order series up to that time, being unchanged for 2 seasons over 48 episodes. The longest period of cast stability overall encompassed the last four episodes of Season 18 and the entirety of Seasons 19 and 20, a total of 49 episodes.

Main

• Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe
• Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren
• Sam Waterston as E.A.D.A. Jack McCoy
• Elisabeth Röhm as A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn
• Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch

Recurring

• Carolyn McCormick as Elizabeth Olivet
• J. K. Simmons as Emil Skoda

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions)
278	1	"American Jihad"	Constantine Makris	Aaron Zelman & Marc Guggenheim	October 2, 2002 (2002-10-02)	E3304	19.10[2]
An American Muslim becomes the prime suspect in a double murder after an academic challenges his religious beliefs. First appearance of Fred Dalton Thompson as Arthur Branch. Guest stars: Ali Farahnakian, Gordon MacDonald, Donna Hanover, Richard Bekins, Merritt Wever with Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet and Wil Horneff.
279	2	"Shangri-La"	Constantine Makris	Michael S. Chernuchin	October 9, 2002 (2002-10-09)	E3301	20.20[2]
The murder of a female high school English teacher uncovers a love triangle that includes a female student and a male teacher, both of whom become suspects. The prosecutors have to deal with a dark secret the student has been hiding once said secret is revealed.
280	3	"True Crime"	Martha Mitchell	Wendy Battles & Noah Baylin	October 16, 2002 (2002-10-16)	E3305	19.30[2]
Investigating the death of a rock band singer who had large amounts of cocaine and heroin in her system, the detectives question a former boyfriend who was a disgruntled band mate of her late husband. The actions of a retired detective-turned-writer, who worked a case with Briscoe several years back and whose unconventional research tactics make him an additional suspect, hamper the prosecutors.
281	4	"Tragedy on Rye"	David Platt	William N. Fordes	October 30, 2002 (2002-10-30)	E3303	20.20[2]
A struggling actress is murdered in an apparent robbery-homicide where a videotape, made by a couple touring the city and sold to a local news station, shows three suspects loading the stolen property into an SUV. They are charged with felony murder, a capital crime, and this causes unrest with Southerlyn surrounding the death penalty. Inspired by the May 2001 New York City shooting above the popular tourist attraction the Carnegie Deli[3]
282	5	"The Ring"	Richard Dobbs	Michael S. Chernuchin	November 6, 2002 (2002-11-06)	E3309	18.40[2]
The discovery of a body in Hell's Kitchen that had been wearing a $40,000 diamond ring leads Briscoe and Green back to the September 11th attacks, as the victim had been reported to have died on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center. The ensuing investigation leads to a fiancé, an extramarital lover, and the determination that the events of 9/11 may have been convenient timing to hide the fact that she was murdered the night before.
283	6	"Hitman"	Richard Dobbs	Eric Overmyer	November 13, 2002 (2002-11-13)	E3302	19.00[2]
The execution-style shooting of a city contractor leads Briscoe and Green to suspect a professional hitman. They first focus upon possible enemies of the victim, but end up suspecting the victim's wife and her boyfriend of hiring the killer. However, as they investigate every possibility, the evidence leads McCoy and Southerlyn to a conspirator that no one had suspected.
284	7	"Open Season"	Matthew Penn	Richard Sweren	November 20, 2002 (2002-11-20)	E3306	18.00[2]
A defense attorney who had just acquitted a man charged with trying to kill a cop is gunned down outside a Manhattan restaurant. The detectives start with police officers in the precinct of the injured officer, then his brother, before they are led to a white supremacist who is part of a national network. McCoy is faced with the unlikely prospect that the defendant's attorney, his friend of 20 years and a friend of the slain lawyer, played a part in the murder of a Florida district attorney following the defendant's arrest. McCoy is able to make a deal that preserves the integrity of his adversary but not without a cost.
285	8	"Asterisk"	Steve Shill	Terri Kopp	November 27, 2002 (2002-11-27)	E3308	15.80[2]
A star baseball player becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his limousine driver when it is discovered that the driver regularly supplied steroids to the sports icon. The subsequent investigation reveals blackmail as the underlying motive for the murder.
286	9	"The Wheel"	Richard Dobbs	Jill Goldsmith	December 11, 2002 (2002-12-11)	E3307	19.60[2]
The smoldering corpse of an Asian girl found outside the Chinese consul general's apartment leads the detectives to believe she had immolated herself to make a political statement. When forensics shows that she had been murdered beforehand, they find themselves in the middle of a religious conflict, with the consul general as their prime suspect. His attorney is an old friend of DA Branch.
287	10	"Mother's Day"	Jace Alexander	Janis Diamond	January 8, 2003 (2003-01-08)	E3311	19.60[2]
The hit-and-run death of a popular high-school student leaves the detectives suspecting the girl's father was the real target. When evidence reveals that the death was possibly a random killing, they are able to track down their suspect to his apartment. However, things get complicated when their killer is murdered, and the person who committed the crime happens to be the victim's mother.
288	11	"Chosen"	Ed Sherin	Michael S. Chernuchin	January 15, 2003 (2003-01-15)	E3310	19.00[2]
The murder of a bookie with a high-class clientele leads the detectives to arrest his partner. Charged with first-degree murder, his attorney puts forth an unusual defense strategy that turns the trial into a political statement.
289	12	"Under God"	Gloria Muzio	Marc Guggenheim & Noah Baylin	February 5, 2003 (2003-02-05)	E3313	18.30[2]
A drug dealer is killed and suspicion falls on a dead teenager's father. Briscoe, still mourning his daughter, is unusually sympathetic. Before the police can prove this, the suspect's priest (Denis O'Hare) confesses — claiming that God told him to do it.
290	13	"Absentia"	Martha Mitchell & Darnell Martin	Eric Overmyer	February 12, 2003 (2003-02-12)	E3314	18.40[2]
When the witness in a jewelry store robbery-homicide fails to appear in court, McCoy suspects foul play until he discovers more about the witness (Mandy Patinkin).
291	14	"Star Crossed"	David Platt	Richard Sweren	February 19, 2003 (2003-02-19)	E3315	19.80[2]
The bludgeoning of a luxury sports car dealer leads the detectives to a mentally challenged man and his girlfriend, who is extremely attractive and whose expensive tastes lead her to be equally manipulative.
292	15	"B****"	Constantine Makris	Michael S. Chernuchin & Roz Weinman	February 26, 2003 (2003-02-26)	E3320	15.62[4]
The death of a stockbroker leads the detectives to his famous photographer girlfriend and her wealthy mother, who is a cosmetics mogul with a longstanding friendship with DA Arthur Branch. The mother will stop at nothing to protect her corporate image. She goes as far as using hormone replacement therapy withdrawal as the basis for her defense.
293	16	"Suicide Box"	Matthew Penn	Aaron Zelman	March 26, 2003 (2003-03-26)	E3312	16.48[5]
A media-savvy attorney defends a black teenager accused of shooting an off-duty police officer.
294	17	"Genius"	Jace Alexander	William N. Fordes	April 2, 2003 (2003-04-02)	E3318	15.50[2]
Investigating the murder of a cab driver, the detectives come to suspect a famous author and his protege, a former child prodigy.
295	18	"Maritime"	Gloria Muzio	Wendy Battles	April 17, 2003 (2003-04-17)	E3319	15.50[2]
A missing football player becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a woman whose body is discovered floating in the East River, but when his yacht is found with all the guests missing the detectives suspect that he was a victim himself of his problematic brother. Inspired by the death of Bison Dele.
296	19	"Seer"	James Quinn	Jill Goldsmith	April 23, 2003 (2003-04-23)	E3316	18.10[2]
The prime suspect in the murder of a woman outside a sex club claims to have merely witnessed the crime via a psychic vision.
297	20	"Kid Pro Quo"	David Platt	Eric Overmyer & Roz Weinman	April 30, 2003 (2003-04-30)	E3325	18.10[2]
The murder of an admissions director of a private school leads the detectives to investigate a pair of angry parents whose children were denied admission, but then they set their sights on the headmaster when they discover that the victim was about to go public with the denied admissions.
298	21	"House Calls"	Jace Alexander	Janis Diamond	May 7, 2003 (2003-05-07)	E3323	17.50[2]
The suspicious death of a Russian model leads the detectives to suspect medical malpractice.
299	22	"Sheltered"	Richard Dobbs	Terri Kopp	May 14, 2003 (2003-05-14)	E3324	18.30[2]
It's a race against time as the detectives go on the hunt for a sniper whose victims are shot in broad daylight.
300	23	"Couples"	David Platt	Lorenzo Carcaterra	May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)	E3317	16.00[6]
One of the few episodes that deviates from the usual formula. Briscoe and Green catch three murders and a kidnapping on the same day and get handed confessions in each case. The DA's office only features minimally.
301	24	"Smoke"	Constantine Makris	S : Dick Wolf; T : Michael S. Chernuchin	May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)	E3322	19.00[6]
Briscoe and Green are assigned to a case involving an eccentric comedian who may have killed his young son by dangling him off a ledge.

Notes

• Fred Dalton Thompson joins the cast as Arthur Branch in this season.
• The episode "Couples" marks the show's 300th episode.

References

1. CNET Networks, Inc. (2007). TV.com episode summary for Season 13 Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. William K. Rashbaum (May 13, 2001). "Search for Suspects Narrows in Fatal Shooting Atop Deli". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
4. "Dateline: Week Of March 1, 2003 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
5. "Dateline: Week Of April 1, 2003 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Episode guide from NBC.com

Preceded by Season Twelve (2001-2002)

List of Law & Order seasons (1990-2010)

Succeeded by Season Fourteen (2003-2004)