EPISODE OF THE WEEK: STRESS POSITION

[Patcat]

Will air Friday, June 22, at 7 pm EST on the USA Cable Network
Episode # 70 from the Fourth Season.
First aired February 14, 2005

Directed by Frank Prinzi

Written by Charlie Rubin and Rene Balcer

Guest Actors: Chris Noth (Mike Logan): Arija Barcikis (Gina Lowe)

Repeat Offender: Jimmy Webb (Chocolate Jimmy) later appeared in ON FIRE

Synopsis: The investigation of a corrections officer's murder lead Goren and Eames to a group of corrupt prison guards and the abuse of federal prisoners.

Quotes:

Mike Logan: "I guess I'll have some of your Major Case coffee."

Logan (as he and Goren give up their weapons and cell phones at the prison): "I guess if we need one we can always borrow it from an inmate."

Logan: "Funny how bad apples always find each other."
Goren: "Maybe it's their barrels that make the apples bad."

Eames (responding to the folders Goren has spread over the floor): "I didn't know you could play Twister by yourself."

Logan: "Oh, the Patriot Act, yea, I read that in the original title: 1984."

Goren (upset that the responding cop disturbed the body): "Next time, remember that you're a cop and do not disturb the crime scene."

In comparison with the last two Episodes of the Week, STRESS POSITION generated a lot of comments. So much so that I hesitated in making it an Episode of the Week. But this is a favorite episode of mine, one with much to recomend it and dealing with issues and themes worth further exploration.

There's a lot going on in this story. Corruption, the treatment of detainees, the roles of torturer and victim, the return of Mike Logan. How well does this episode deal with all of these issues?

Is Eames' role diminished by Logan's presence?

Eames and Logan in particular are portrayed as tough cops. Goren has also shown sensitivity towards other cops. But all of them make statements in this episode (and others) that indicate they have a very low tolerance for corrupt cops. Comments?

How well do Goren and Logan work together?

Do the LAW AND ORDER programs have a political agenda?

Is the final "aria" believable?

At the time of this episode's first airing, there was a great deal of intelligent commentary about Goren's reactions to the appearance of the guards at the end of the story. Several posters argued that Goren demonstrated signs of past abuse in his reactions. We later learned from Stephanie SengTupa's interview that physical abuse is part of Goren's back story. How is this reflected in this and other episodes? And to engage in some speculation (like we never do that(g)), any thoughts as to how and from whom that might have come?

Comment: Goren hovers in the background of some of this episode, acting as an observer. It's only at the very end in the prison that he emerges fully from the background. He defends Logan, Gina, and his own life, and shines the light on the guard's sins.

I had many other comments and thoughts about this episode. I hope that if others have questions and ideas that they feel free to let them free.

And do people like these weekly updates and their format?

Patcat

[Patcat]

A correction--Ms. SenGupta's name is misspelled above. My apologies, and thanks for the gentle correction from the administrators.

Patcat

[prodigaltwit]

Okay, no offence to anyone who really liked it...but this episode was BAD.

Were they doing a ripped-from-the-headlines thing of Abu Ghraib? It was nice to bring back Logan to prepare us for Season 5 but I felt Goren and Logan had more chemistry in 'In the wee small hours'.

The end is what really wrecked the episode for me...or else I would've said it was an okay ep....the fact that Goren talked five guys out of beating the crap out of him, Logan and Logan's g/f was just too unbelievable for me.

When the second dropped his baton and ran away I just laughed, and laughed harder when the third guy did it too. I mean you have to believe what you see and I didn't. Would've made more sense if the detectives tried to fight their way out.

[diablodeblanco]

The finale with Goren talking the guards out of beating them was just too hokey. I liked the Logan intro to MCS. It flowed, but the other part with the guards, made me almost embarrassed. It was one of those "you gotta be s###ing me!" scenes.

[Patcat]

I grant that the final confrontation with the guards stretched credibility--for some viewers obviously too far. It worked for me because of several reasons. One was the setup of the confrontation. Logan takes the lead in the scene, not so gently reminding the guards that the one way (at the time) of ensuring the death penalty is the killing of a cop. Logan's speech also may give the guards--at least the brighter ones in the group--that the guards, not the convicts, will be the primary suspects if something happens to Goren, Logan, and Gina. It's then that Goren steps forward and begins to psychologically pick off the guards. Now, it's fortunate for everyone that the physically strongest and youngest guards are also the most intelligent and most morally conflicted of the guards.

Why didn't the guards just attack the detectives and the nurse and not let Logan or Goren speak? Well, the guards' alliance is already splintering over the murder of one of their members. Gina's presence may also be a factor.

So, the scene more than worked for me, especially as Noth and D'Onofrio executed it.

Patcat

[Luna]

I'd have to agree. It didn't seem too far fetched to me. I liked this episode, but then, there's few that I DON'T like! LOL

This episode also had two of my favourite of all time snarks in it, both from Logan:

"I guess I'll have some of you Major Coffee"
and
"Oh, the Patriot Act... Yeah, I read that in it's original title: 1984"

The comment about the guard being worth another 10 years in Staten Island was great too. I love the way they tied everything together.

[DonnaJo]

I love Stress Position! Favorite scene is on the stairwell, when Goren can barely contain his frustration at the cop who pulled the dead guy's pants up. Any other Detective would have understood the cop's instinct. Even Eames had an understanding look on her face. For Goren, that lack of professionalism is not to be borne. God, I love him!

I have never felt that Eames role was diminished by Logan's presence. I especially like her scenes with Carver, trying to get the guys & Gina out of the prison.

Great Logan quips, especially the 1984 reference. I always feel old when he says that though, since we all probably had to read that in High School in the 70's. How old is Logan supposed to be, BTW?

The more I view the aria, the more I can see how Goren's method could have worked. I agree, upon initial viewing, its absurd. But I think that Gina's presence was critical in aiding the guards decision to back off. I mean, they may not care about beating Goren & Logan's' brains in. But Gina, a woman, and their friend from work, come on.

[musicwench]

Another of my all-time faves!

There's a lot going on in this story. Corruption, the treatment of detainees, the roles of torturer and victim, the return of Mike Logan. How well does this episode deal with all of these issues?

I thought this episode dealt with them all very well.

Love the return of Mike Logan and love his comment about the Patriot Act and 1984.

All the statements made in this episode hit the right notes with me and pretty much helped me to once again believe there are people out there who get it. Living in the middle of conservativeland I was beginning to think all my fellow countrymen had their head stuck in the ground. Love the story, loved the sentiments expressed by our protagonists.

It was a great episode and one of my favorites as I mentioned before. I thought the Abu Ghraib incident was important enough to be a ripped from the headlines episode. It wasn't tacky and stupid. It was important and should serve as a reminder to everyone what happens when you give anyone ultimate power.


Is Eames' role diminished by Logan's presence?

I thought it was a little but it was Logan and he was a guest star of note and it's understandable.

Eames and Logan in particular are portrayed as tough cops. Goren has also shown sensitivity towards other cops. But all of them make statements in this episode (and others) that indicate they have a very low tolerance for corrupt cops. Comments?

I think that was in character for all of them. Even though Logan and Goren push the envelope sometimes, they're basically very ethical and moral people. And of course Eames is as well.

Being tough cops and sympathetic towards your brothers and sisters in blue is one thing but corruption is inexcusable. It makes all cops look bad when you have those bad apples out there.

How well do Goren and Logan work together?

I thought they did well together. They're both wary of each other but they both seem to realize the other is also a good cop with good intentions. They do have that shared dislike of corruption in the law enforcement agency.

Do the LAW AND ORDER programs have a political agenda?

I seem to detect a definite left leaning view of things there from time to time. This episode pretty much seemed to be an outright condemnation of the way the Bush Administration does business. But then I am a left leaning person so I find it actually refreshing and it helps me keep my sanity living in conservativeland.

It reminds me that there are intelligent life forms out there who understand my fear of certain aspects of the Patriot Act. It's amazing how many people don't even know what it is but support it based soley on it's title.

Is the final "aria" believable?

Yes. To me it was very believable. Patcat summed it up nicely so I won't repeat it.

I do want to add how much more I love the Goren character for the way he handled things in the aria. It shows you that these men do have a conscience and that as easily as most people can become corrupt, when a light is shone on their wrong doings, their basic decent human nature can see what they've done wrong and feel remorse.

It also shows you that if you're really smart enough you don't have to start a war and bully people into doing the right thing.

Okay, off the old soap box and on to the rest of the questions.

At the time of this episode's first airing, there was a great deal of intelligent commentary about Goren's reactions to the appearance of the guards at the end of the story. Several posters argued that Goren demonstrated signs of past abuse in his reactions. We later learned from Stephanie SengTupa's interview that physical abuse is part of Goren's back story. How is this reflected in this and other episodes? And to engage in some speculation (like we never do that(g)), any thoughts as to how and from whom that might have come?

Goren can always empathize with people who have been physically and mentally abused. I always wondered if it came from having a schizophrenic mother and a womanizing, drunk father. Both are candidates for heaping abuse on poor Bobby in both forms. I know his mother seems to emotionally abuse him even as an adult. Whether it's her illness or just part of her nature, I don't know.

I think it also shows in the way Goren is soft spoken and tries to NOT use his size as a way to bully anyone - unless it's to protect Eames or someone else around him who might be in danger [ie in Gone when a guy Eames is questioning gets loud and threatening, Goren is right there, slamming against the wall and in Semi-Professional when Judge Sabatelli makes a threatening move towards Carver, Goren puts himself between them].

And do people like these weekly updates and their format?


Love them. This has been a lot of fun. Keeps my mind off of the dismal fact we have three more months to new episodes. LOL

[meggyd]

I really liked Stress Position. Before seeing the character of Logan in this episode, I wasn't going to watch any of the "alternative team" episodes when they first began. I hadn't seen Logan on the Mothership, it was before my time - to me he was just "Mr Big" not a detective, and I hated the idea of CI being anything but Goren and Eames. It was clever of the writers to introduce his character this way, in a Goren/Eames episode rather than straight into one with a new partner, because it hooked in a lot of people who might have been indifferent or hostile to the introduction of a new team.

I found the story fascinating, from the little details about how prison officers would never tell people what they really did for a living, to the wide range of individuals from different backgrounds who end up in the job. The linking of Logan to the case, through his anger over the questioning of his girlfriend, was incidental enough not to seem too forced. It wasn't a "stumble across a great detective doing great work in the field, he impresses with his work, recruit him" sort of introduction.

As an Australian, I have no idea what the Patriot Act is really about or what it really allows, but it seems to be continually portrayed on television and movies as something that allows the government to do whatever they want with no consideration of peoples' rights. That's scary.

I thought the final aria was about contrasting the styles of Goren and Logan. Goren's insight into what made the pack work, and the individual pressure points of the men to defuse them, contrasted with Logan's "we'll take one of you with us" and threatening with the baton at the end. Both can be effective, but these two detectives will not be working the same way. By necessity Goren had to talk each man down, one at a time, and that was a little awkward. It reminded me of one of the martial arts movies where there is a team of bad guys, and they patiently wait their turn to get their butts kicked one by one instead of overwhelming the lone hero in a rush. But it didn't really detract from the suspense and dread that the scene had - the first time I watched it I was on the edge of my seat, desperate to see what was going to happen. They really created the atmosphere where I believed that one or more of the good guys really would get hurt.

As DonnaJo asked, how old is Logan meant to be? And a related question - what age is retirement typically in the US, or don't you not have a standard age? (Not that I think Logan is nearing retirement - just curious).

This is one of my favourite episodes. I think it was detailed and really well performed. A more original introduction of a new team member and a good story.

[Patcat]

The age of retirement in the US is usually 62 or 65--that's when you're entitled to Social Security benefits. Many people continue working beyond that for financial or personal reasons or both. Police officers often retire well before that, in their late forties or fifties, because of the physical and mental demands of the job and the fact they do have decent (and deservedly so) pension plans.

It was frequently noted that the late Jerry Orbach's character Lennie Briscoe had to be the oldest working detective in New York City.

I don't think this episode was originally intended to introduce Logan to CI. It was meant as a one time thing, and when Mr. D'Onofrio's health problems required a change, Mr. Noth was brought back in.

Patcat

[Luna]

NYPD and FDNY both have a pension that kicks in after 25 years. My aunt was a detective in the NYPD and she retired in her mid forties. My father was a liutenant in the FDNY and he was 50 when he retired. But it is true that Social Security benefits kick in at 62-65, so that's when MOST of the working country retires. My father and my aunt both still work because after working as hard as they did for as long as they did, sitting around and doing nothing was just NOT an option! LOL

[meggyd]

Thanks for the information. Our retirement age is nominally 55, though that is changing. I did wonder how close the characters might be to the ends of their careers.

I didn't know the episode was supposed to be a one off! Towards the end of the episode, it seemed like the Captain had already made up his mind to recruit Logan and had investigated his past. By the time we saw Stress Position over here, Chris Noth was already a bonafide member of the cast and had filmed several episodes, so I assumed it was the introduction of his character. Still, it worked out very well as an introduction, regardless of whether it was meant to be one!

[spits]

I enjoyed re-watching this episode - I appreciate the addition of Logan's dry wit and I like his initial interactions with Goren/Eames. I know the first time I watched the aria I found it to be a bit unbelievable, but I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility. I think it's meant to show what we truly hope and believe would happen in such a situation - that is, the people responsible are truly good deep down, feel remorse for their actions, and in the end do the right thing. This, of course, excludes the 'group leader' of the prison guards, but again, I think that is meant to show how one person with bad intentions can force his or her beliefs on others and twist them in such a way to make them sound moral and righteous. It's scary, in a way, to think about how easily "group think" can take over (seems to fit with the reference made to 1984 in the episode). In the end of the episode, however, the guards regain their individuality and I feel that we are left with a reminder of the power of one single voice against "convention" (perhaps I'm stretching things a bit here).

I found the story fascinating, from the little details about how prison officers would never tell people what they really did for a living, to the wide range of individuals from different backgrounds who end up in the job. The linking of Logan to the case, through his anger over the questioning of his girlfriend, was incidental enough not to seem too forced. It wasn't a "stumble across a great detective doing great work in the field, he impresses with his work, recruit him" sort of introduction.

Well said - I think that this type of attention to connections was something that was lacking in, say, the season 6 finale.

Eames (responding to the folders Goren has spread over the floor): "I didn't know you could play Twister by yourself."
Logan: "Oh, the Patriot Act, yea, I read that in the original title: 1984."
I just have to toss in my two cents and say that these are some of my favorite CI quotes (though the latter is a bit depressing to think about, however...).

[gorensdoppelganger]

Spits wrote: It's scary, in a way, to think about how easily "group think" can take over (seems to fit with the reference made to 1984 in the episode). In the end of the episode, however, the guards regain their individuality and I feel that we are left with a reminder of the power of one single voice against "convention" (perhaps I'm stretching things a bit here).

Wow, so wonderfully put and I so agree with your sentiment. History has shown the power of "group think" and how it most often leads to hatred and violence. It does only take one person to stand and break free though for it to be defeated. I don't think you were stretching at all.

[Ladyheather]

I liked the Goren-Logan interaction. They did play well together when they understood each other.