Law & Order (TV Series) Burn Baby Burn (2000) User Reviews

Can a Black man claim self-defense against a white cop?

[caroaber · 9/10 · 3 January 2011]

I come from a law enforcement background, and this episode is a keen and probing look at the racial divisions that still polarize our nation.

Police appear before grand juries frequently and cite "fear for my own life" as the reason why they shot an unarmed individual. But what happens when this defense is turned around? This episode asks us to consider whether a Black man--even an angry Black man--can cite his own fear as a justification for the use of deadly force. Was the defendant justified and are his claims of self-defense legit?

One line didn't ring true for me: NYPD cops do not come down "from New Paltz," but they do often come from Rockland County (Pearl River) and Long Island. But certainly not Ulster County, or Dutchess for that matter. Neither county's residents are eligible for hire by the NYPD.

Clarence Williams III was spectacular in his role, and it was so good to finally see him again. Merkerson, Orbach, Green and all the others were fine, too.

Burning with intrigue

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 3 May 2022]

Racial divisions is a very bold topic and also a controversial one. As is the argument of whether a crime was justified or not. On the most part, 'Law and Order' did great at tackling challenging and polarising topics and handling them in a way that's harrowing and thoughtful. There have been times, as seen in the previous three episodes of Season 11, where the subject is approached too heavy-handedly and where it is made too clear what the writer's point of view here.

"Burn Baby Burn" struck me as a very, very good and almost excellent episode until a certain point, with many truly excellent things. It handles the subject with a lot more tact and insight than most episodes approaching similar themes, and did so better than most of the previous Season 11 episodes that had topics that were not as difficult. It is one of the best episodes of the first half of Season 11 and one of the better ones of the season overall, up to this early stage of the season only "Endurance" was better.

Did feel that the final quarter or so wasn't as strong as the rest of the episode. It did suffer from trying to cram in too much information and it did come over as bloated and needed more time for it to be explained. Count me in as another person that didn't buy the reaction to the verdict as well, the verdict is anger inducing but considering that the case was not a particularly strong one it would have in my view been unrealistic for it to be the other way.

However, there is a lot that "Burn Baby Burn" does incredibly well. The production values as ever have slickness and grit, with an intimacy without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when it's used but does so without being intrusive, some of it is quite haunting too. The direction is also understated but the tension never slips, the second half being full of it.

As expected, the script is lean, even with a lot of talk, and incredibly thought provoking and gritty. There is a good deal of tension in the legal scenes, everything with the racial divisions and the moral dilemmas that come with the case are insightful, raises interesting questions and don't feel preachy. The story is continually compelling and manages to make something meaty and complex out of a case where a conviction is very touch and go in probability at best.

While all the regulars are excellent, especially Sam Waterston, the standout is Clarence Williams III giving one of the best guest performances of the season. He really is a powerful presence in his role.

Concluding, very, very good. 8/10.

Almost perfect.

[wkozak221 · 8/10 · 6 April 2021]

I have always like Clarence Williams ooo. Excellent actor. He looks the same from the Mod Squad except for gray hair. This episode bothers me.The trial is good. I do not agree with the verdict.

Mistaken address proves fatal

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 23 October 2020]

Someone gets an address wrong and it proves fatal for two cops on the warrant squad. One thing about the episode that is proven clear. When a policeman knocks on any given door they can never know what could be waiting on the other side.

These guys were expecting a non violent felon. Instead they're ngreeted with gunfire that leaves them dead.

The shooter was an old time radical Clarence Williams III, formerly of the Black Panthers. sam Waterston and Angie Harmon have an uphill battle to convince the jury that this man had an understandable fear for his own life.

A timely and relevant episode today considering the Black Lives Matter movement that has arisen today making the dame claims that Williams does 20 years ago in this episode.

Bloated story crammed with dramatic filler.

[PWNYCNY · 6/10 · 15 April 2019]

The show is trying to make a comment about police and racism, and fails. Too many dramatic contrivances. First, the dialog between the police and the woman who occupied the apartment where the shooting occurred. She denies knowing anything about the shooting. This was laughable. She says this despite the fact that a bullet slug and "size eleven shoes" were found in her apartment. Then the director injects racism into what was a basically a straight forward situation of self-defense. That was both pretentious and contrived. The episode ends with the district attorney offering a weak reply to the assistant DA's disgust with the not-guilty verdict for a case that was almost impossible for gain a conviction. This is another example of Hollywood using drama to spin a political message, which in this case gets lost in a bloated story crammed with dramatic filler.