Law & Order (TV Series) Conduct Unbecoming (1993) User Reviews

The Navy takes care of its own

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 January 2018]

The ironic thing about this Law And Order episode is if this had happened on the high seas there would be no question of jurisdiction and the Navy could have gotten away with what it tried to do here.

The police are called in when some sailors who rented a whole floor of a hotel got too lively bringing in a whole escort service. When the cops come in there's one woman dead and she's no hooker. In fact she's a Navy Lieutenant and Annapolis graduate.

She and her Captain Len Cariou have history and it ain't good history. So while the NYPD and the Manhattan DA build their case Cariou uses his position to thwart the investigation.

The military and civilian authorities have differing ideas on justice and the Navy has an image to uphold which takes priority.

Cariou gives a wonderful performance of a man who knows what levers to pull and how to abuse authority.

Civilian justice is where it's at after you see this story.

Way of the navy

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 4 August 2020]

Although the title of the episode doesn't leave much that surprised, the story did sound intriguing though there was the concern as to whether it would be handled with tact or not or whether it would be too somewhat sleazy. What was also interesting was seeing Len Cariou in a role completely different to the Michael Hagarty character he played very amiably in 'Murder She Wrote' (my introduction to him), making for one of that show's best re-curring characters.

"Conduct Unbecoming" is a great showcase for him and it handles its subject very well, intelligently and not in a sleazy way. Like the previous episode "Jurisdiction", it is an extremely good episode in its own way and has a huge amount to recommend (and that is including Cariou himself). Like that episode though, "Conduct Unbecoming" also does slightly lack the extra something that the very best Season 3, and 'Law and Order' overall, episodes had.

My only complaint of "Conduct Unbecoming" is actually the same as for the previous episode "Jurisdiction" in an episode with very little to criticise. Do feel that other episodes before and since have more intensity and emotion.

The performances however are very good. Michael Moriarty effortlessly dominates in the courtroom and Jerry Orbach relishes his one-liners. Love how he and Chris Noth have already gelled so well, and although he would give even better performances the meatier Briscoe's character writing got Orbach was always one of the best things about 'Law and Order' when he was on it (most of the show's run).

Cariou is also wonderful in his role, it is not a subtle one as it is obvious that he is not to be trusted almost immediately. But Cariou gives it all he's got without over-acting and is quite unsettling.

Script is tight and intelligent, with nice tension in the exchanges in the second half and Briscoe's one-liners and wisecracks will never get old. The case is a compelling and clever one and makes one think and unsettled. The episode is well made and there isn't anything inappropriate or misplaced about the use of music and sound.

On the whole, great. 9/10

An Officer and a Gentleman

[safenoe · 7/10 · 3 October 2023]

Julianna Margulies, before she hit it big in E. R., guest stars as Lieutenant Ruth Mendoza in this episode that brings across the sleaze and booze and anything else you can think of on the Navy. Len Cariou, who has had a distinguished stage career, also stars as a submarine captain who ain't no gentleman, and his outburst on the witness box at the end seemed rather contrived and neatly timed to secure his conviction.

Anyway, I'm enjoying catching up on the early seasons of Law and Order, along with Father Brown and Magnum, P. I., along with a dose of Barry and Superstore.

It's hard to believe this episode is 30 years old.

Watered Down

[refinedsugar · 6/10 · 25 April 2024]

Catching up on random history is sometimes time well spent. Read about the US Navy's 'Tailhook' scandal before sitting thru this episode. 'Conduct Unbecoming' is the fictionalized tale, but 'Law & Order' bumps up the stakes to murder. It doesn't make for a bad watch, but it's also a rather simple straightforward slice of the pie and less interesting that the entire event, fallout it's based on.

At a NYC hotel officers have a party that gets out of control and one of their own - Lt. Tracy Hagen - is found dead. Briscoe (Orbach) & Logan (Noth) have to fight lies to find the guilty. As do Stone (Moriarty) & Robinette (Brooks) battle the bureaucratic nature of the US military with a tendency to protect it's own. An ensign who drunkenly tried to have sex with the deceased ends up confessing. The Navy is satisfied he's their man, but further digging uncovers Cpt. Bunker (Len Cariou) had a antagonistic past with this female officer, was at the party and they spoke privately before her death.

The event which this was based highlights the "old boys club". Outdated sexist misogynist attitudes where abuse, harassment & sexual assaults are kept quiet, brushed aside, never reported. Then of course a bungled government investigation, media frenzy where an image was left of protecting it's highest ranking men in the wrong. This episode touches on select pieces of the fiasco, but it feels relatively surface level at best.

'Conduct Unbecoming' is a serviceable whodunit using a topical theme "ripped from the headlines", but it's not amongst L&O best work. It's also one of those episodes that doesn't make it hard to guess who is the bad guy. A young Julianna Margulies puts in an early role and seeing George Coe (Best Seller) play another lawyer you love to hate was fun. They'd return to this Navy world again seasons later with 'Navy Blues' and it did a better job of presenting it's theme, bag of lies and military ignorance rooted in reality.