50 Best Law And Order Episodes Ranked

The original "Law & Order" debuted in 1990 and ended its original run in 2010. That's an impressive stint for any show, let alone an hour-long police procedural/courtroom drama hybrid. During that time, it launched six different spin-offs with 38 combined seasons between them — the longest-running thus far being "Special Victims Unit." In February of 2022, after twelve years off the air, the original "Law & Order" series returned with a mostly new cast but led by returning regulars Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson.

What the future holds for the "Law & Order" revival and whether it will recapture the magic of the original run remains to be seen, but there is definitely a lot for it to live up to. "Law & Order" is regularly hailed as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and there are literally hundreds of hours of incredible television across its multi-decade run. Unlike many top 50 lists, where the lower entries are of somewhat questionable quality, the top 50 "Law & Order" episodes are all legitimately great pieces of television. A "worst to best" list of "Law & Order" episodes, this is not — think of it more like a list of "great to excellent" episodes.

"Law & Order" is one of those shows that every actors seems to have popped up on, particularly those living and working in New York. Watching reruns now, it seems that almost every episode features some then-unknown actor that has since gone on to be a household name. The 2001 episode "3 Dawg Night" has two examples: Kerry Washington and Idris Elba, both appearing on the show before becoming big stars.

Examining hip hop-related violence, "3 Dawg Night" links a famous rapper to a shooting at a nightclub. Elba plays the club's manager, who reveals that the venue relies on a guest list for security and therefore has never bothered with things like metal detectors. He also boasts that the club isn't typically associated with violence or drug use. It turns out that the shooter, who was not on the guest list, was let in by a bouncer who was an old acquaintance of his. The investigation is made difficult by the celebrity rapper's handlers restricting access to him, as well as the hundreds of potential witnesses who supposedly saw nothing. It comes down to one community's mistrust of law enforcement and a legal system that rarely seems to be on their side. 

It should go without saying that a lot of the best "Law & Order" episodes are season premieres and season finales. As a show that is almost entirely episodic in nature, it doesn't do the clichéd season finale cliffhanger thing that so many shows do. But that's not to say there isn't clearly an effort made to have each season start and end with a particularly good episode, and that is definitely the case with the one that wrapped up the show's 18th season.

At the time, star Sam Waterston seemed to initially confirm that the plot of "Excalibur" was based on the prostitution scandal surrounding New York governor Eliot Spitzer, but then backtracked and said it was just a generic story about a politician and a prostitute. "Law & Order" will often advertise an episode as "ripped from the headlines" but is understandably hesitant to say which headlines, even though it's usually obvious where the inspiration is coming from. Whether "Excalibur" was based on a specific story or not, it is a powerful episode that does an amazing job at addressing the conflicts that arise when members of a DA's office have to essentially go after their own boss. 

Actor Jerry Orbach is so closely associated with the first decade and a half of "Law & Order," informing so much of the show's tone during its police procedural days, that it's easy to forget he wasn't there from the first episode. In fact, he wasn't even there from the first season, not joining the cast until the ninth episode of Season 3. But the debut of Lennie Briscoe isn't the only reason that "Point of View" is such a key episode — it also marks the final appearance of another character.

Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino) had been Mike Logan's (Chris Noth) partner up to this point, but suffers serious injuries after being shot during an undercover operation gone sour in  the previous episode. He makes the call himself to settle into desk work, realizing he will never be 100% again. It's a performance that really showcase's Sorvino's remarkable talents. In addition, beyond Cerreta passing the torch to Briscoe, the actual case at the center of "Point of View" deals with a mob shooting that brings in the wonderful Elaine Stritch to guest star as an attorney in a performance that would later nab her an Emmy. It's not easy for one episode of a TV series to balance all of that, but "Point of View" handles it all flawlessly.

Actor Mandy Patinkin made the rounds in law and hospital shows in the '90s and '00s, with stints on both "Chicago Hope" and "Criminal Minds." However, he only showed up in the entire "Law & Order" universe once, during a single episode of the original show's thirteenth season. In "Absentia," Patinkin plays Glenn, the witness of a jewelry store robbery who ends up disappearing before his turn comes to testify. It is then revealed that Patinkin's character was originally known by a completely different name — and in the life attached to that name, he was on the run for a murder he'd already been convicted of. 

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise that Patinkin ended up doing way more than witnessing a crime. He has a much bigger role in the episode, in which his lawyer is played by the highly underrated Andrew McCarthy in the second of his three different "Law & Order" universe roles. With the argument being that the original murder conviction was unconstitutional, the episode examines the complicated nature of whether a correct verdict should be upheld when that verdict was reached in a legally flawed manner.

Assistant DA Abbie Carmichael was one of the most no-nonsense, eyes-on-the-prize prosecutors on the show. Played by the wonderful Angie Harmon, Carmichael never hesitated to ruffle feathers in her pursuit of what she thought was right, and it would often put her at odds with her fellow prosecutors — something that never bothered her in the slightest. Sometimes her aims could be classified as extreme, but there was never any doubt that she was doing what she believed with her whole heart to be the "right" thing.

One of the episodes that best showcases Carmichael's tenacity is "Teenage Wasteland," where a teenager is on trial for the brutal murder of a delivery driver all in the name of an adrenaline rush. Being 18 years old, there is some question as to whether the defendant should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. But it's an easy choice for Carmichael, who fully pushes for an adult trial for the accused even though (or perhaps because) it would mean death row if he is convicted. Not only does the episode provide an amazing showcase for Carmichael as a character and Harmon as an actor, but it is a very hard look at what to do when the person behind a violent crime is in that gray area between teenager and adult. 

A girl is driven to suicide as a result of the pain and anguish she suffered from having her face burned with the acidic drain cleaner which was deliberately thrown on her. The girl turns out to have a connection to Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), being the daughter of a longtime friend. While Van Buren hopes this will mean swifter justice for the girl, that doesn't end up being the case, as her friend has another daughter and she fears that the man will retaliate against her if she testifies against him. And considering how much he has gotten away with thus far, and that he continues to walk free (and be openly cocky about that fact), her fears are far from unfounded.

After a series of events finally gets the man on trial and behind bars, Van Buren's personal connection to the case almost gets the better of her and she very nearly commits perjury in order to help ensure that the man doesn't get off. It's a big moment for Van Buren, one of the show's staunchest moral compasses. This episode gets to the heart of what it means to be too close to a case. Van Buren finds herself wanting to bend the rules so the man gets what he deserves, and Merkerson's performance is compelling.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

The "Law & Order" universe has taken inspiration from Michael Jackson for characters and plotlines several times over the years. The "Special Victims Unit" episode "Sick" is the most blatant one, in that it involves a rich man that had children spend the night at his house. But the Season 13 episode "Smoke" definitely has enough similarities that it's hard to argue for it being coincidental, especially given the proximity of its airing to certain events in Jackson's life.

While the eccentric celebrity in 2003's "Smoke" is a comedian rather than a pop singer, he dangles his child from a balcony as Jackson infamously did with his own child the previous year. Only, in this case, the child not only falls, but dies. This sets the legal proceedings of the episode in motion. While the comedian was supposedly trying to save his kid from a fire rather than just doing it to show the boy off to his fans, it was very reminiscent of the scary real life moment. Similarities aside, "Smoke" is an enthralling episode that requires no knowledge of pop culture to enjoy.

It's actually somewhat surprising that "Law & Order" didn't address religious cults before Season 19's "Lost Boys." This episode, which is about the investigation of a teenage boy's murder, takes detectives to a small New York village that is home to a cult led by supposed prophet Wyatt Landon (Colm Meaney). It doesn't take much digging to uncover that child brides and various forms of abuse are prevalent within the cult, and that Landon is exactly as dark and manipulative as we expected him to be.

Jena Malone puts in a powerful performance as one of the young brides who is trying to get away from the cult and its leader. As is often the case when dealing with a religion and their practices, questions of religious freedom and the jurisdiction of police in such matters play heavily into the episode. Such situations are always messy in real life, and that messiness is portrayed very well here. The authorities are frustrated, but it's a satisfying experience for the viewers.

Though he kept it private until shortly before his death, Jerry Orbach had actually been living with prostate cancer for most of his time on "Law & Order." The plan was for him to move over to spin-off "Trial By Jury" in a reduced role to accommodate his health issues, but he filmed only two episodes before he died in December of 2004. "C.O.D." would've already cemented itself as one of the great "Law & Order" episodes just by virtue of it being Lennie Briscoe's farewell, but they weren't about to let him end on a lesser case.

This is a story about a murdered delivery man and the subsequent questioning of his wife (and mistresses). Things get even more interesting when a similar case involving a dead husband, an angry wife, and the affairs that may have led to his murder pops up. Before long, authorities begin to suspect that the two wives might have planned their respective revenge plots together. The case that is brought is successful, giving Briscoe the chance to remark, "It's nice to go out on a win." 

Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy has become so closely associated with "Law & Order," which is reinforced by his return to the 2022 revival, that even OG fans would be forgiven for thinking he was there from the start. In fact, for the show's first four seasons, the show's main prosecutor was Ben Stone, played by Michael Moriarty. A bit more subtle and low-key than McCoy, Stone nonetheless did a great job carrying the legal half of the show during his tenure — up to and including his explosive final episode, "Old Friends."

In the episode, Stone proves his bravery and commitment to the job by going after the Russian mafia head-on after they are alleged to have been involved in the death of an accountant. The always excellent Allison Janney plays the star witness in the case, directly implicating the mafia in the accountant's murder. Unfortunately, as things often go when the mafia is threatened, several lives are ruined and Stone takes his role in that very personally. So much so, in fact, that he ends up resigning over the whole ordeal (thanks to Moriarty quitting the show), making room for Jack McCoy to take his place.

It only took "Law & Order" three seasons before it realized that there are only so many kinds of street crime to build episodes around. That's when it started to think a little bigger (and more international). In "Prince of Darkness," none other than the Columbian drug cartel are in the crosshairs of the DA's office when a cartel assassin murders a couple. During the investigation, Phil Cerreta is shot, setting up what would be actor Paul Sorvino's exit from the show in the next episode (the previously-discussed "Point of View").

It definitely took a certain amount of hubris for the show to go so big with its targets in the third season, but "Law & Order" handled it well, especially since the show resisted the urge to try and continuously one-up itself from this point on and still had the confidence to return to smaller crimes, knowing it could make them just as compelling. It's also worth noting that the man who shoots Cerreta is a gun runner played by Mark Margolis, who would go on to portray Hector Salamanca in "Breaking Bad."

The real-life story of Gillian Guess, a juror that had a sexual relationship with a murder suspect during a trial, was too juicy for "Law & Order" to ignore. This story is the foundation that the episode "Hubris" is built upon: A man on trial for murder uses his charms and good looks to blatantly flirt with the jury forewoman. McCoy attempts to get the juror removed, but the judge doesn't feel that enough has occurred to justify the difficult process of switching out a juror — and the forewoman, no less — in the middle of a trial.

The judge does warn the defendant to stop treating the courtroom like "a single's bar," but at that point the defendant had already gotten in the juror's head (it is never confirmed that they engage in an actual affair, but it's not difficult to infer it). A criminal who uses his charms to make people doubt that he could possibly be capable of the heinous act he is being accused of is something that has been seen many times in both real life and on "Law & Order," but this episode in particular handles it in just the right way without cheapening its impact by getting too salacious about it.

The conflict at the heart of many "Law & Order" episodes occurs between attorneys on opposite sides of a trial. In "Terminal," that's not the case. This episode sees DA Adam Schiff take on and even sue the governor of New York after being removed from a case amid a battle over whether or not to seek the death penalty in a trial. Schiff (Steven Hill) was one of the original series regulars and would go on to be the last of the original cast to leave, appearing in over 200 episodes. The series definitely lost a little something after he left, and episodes like this are a good example of what the show would be missing once he was gone.

In the midst of dealing with his battle with the governor, Schiff also faces a personal tragedy in "Terminal." In a shocking turn of events, his wife is left unconscious after suffering a massive stroke. He ends up making the difficult decision to take her off of life support and letting her pass away. To this day, it remains one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show's entire run. 

This episode is not to be confused with the planned "Law & Order" spin-off of the same name that was slated to debut in the fall of 2021 but was ultimately scrapped. This "For The Defense" is the ninth episode of the show's twentieth season and it tells the story of two attorneys who become murder suspects. Marcus Woll (Jonathan Cake) has an affair with Connie Rubirosa and both get questioned over the death of a witness in a murder trial. Eventually, Woll is found guilty of that murder and two others, with Rubirosa cleared of any wrongdoing. 

It's always exciting when members of the cast become the suspects, and "For The Defense" is one of the best examples of this. More than that, though, the episode also sees Van Buren begin to show signs of recovery from her chemotherapy treatments, and having her back in full force just hammered home how much she had been missed. 

A lawyer is the main suspect in the murder of the plaintiff he was representing, but, needless to say, he knows his way around the courtroom. So much so, in fact, that he is easily able to get the most damning piece of evidence against him dismissed from his trial. It turns out that Detective Lupo obtained said evidence from a sealed file without going through the proper channels, which doesn't paint him in a flattering light. Even more embarrassing is that Lupo is studying law and wants to be a lawyer. Michael Cutter is particularly angry about the misstep, saying Lupo clearly doesn't have what it takes to make it in law.

Luckily, Lupo has a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Cutter when the lawyer on trial attacks him in the restroom. Lupo shows up just in time to stop him, saving Cutter from a beating. The two men make up, and each of them are further solidified in being great additions to the show. This one is not to be missed for fans of Linus Roache's Michael Cutter.

Not every "Law & Order" episode can tell a completely unique and surprising story, not without getting into the territory of similarly-themed shows that resort to outlandish episode ideas to stay fresh. Instead, the route that "Law & Order" typically takes to remain compelling is to allow itself to tell fairly by-the-numbers stories that are elevated by clever writing and committed performances. Even the smallest story can be riveting with a good script and the right actors.

This is the direction the show took with "Working Mom." On the surface, it's a pretty standard whodunit that focuses on a sex worker named Hillary and a client who is attempting to blackmail her. What lights the fire under the whole thing are the dynamite performances of both Felicity Huffman as Hillary and Elaine Stritch as the women's rights attorney representing her. It's not a blockbuster of an episode, but it's definitely a must-see.

"Law & Order" seemed to dip in quality during Season 18 and Season 19, owing to the departures of several key cast members and stories that just weren't up to par. Season 20 saw the show bounce back in a major way, with the makers deciding to follow the example set by "SVU" and put more of a spotlight on the characters' personal lives. It worked to great effect — something that the episode "Just a Girl in the World" demonstrates.

Detective Lupo makes a serious error of judgment in this episode. He creates a conflict of interest by becoming romantically involved with a suspect in a murder investigation, obviously a huge no-go area. On top of that, Van Buren discovers she has cancer, a real emotional gut punch for viewers. Despite this heartbreaking revelation, "Just a Girl in the World" is one the show's best episodes in years. Unfortunately, it would prove too little, too late in terms of preventing the cancellation of "Law & Order."

Another noteworthy season premiere, "Second Opinion" is especially significant in that it marked the debut of Jack McCoy. This isn't the only change that the episode signifies, as it feels like a shift into the show's second era: Several original cast members are gearing up for their exits and the group that will form the main cast for the next several years are settling into their roles. In fact, many fans say that the Season 5 ensemble remains the best group in the entire run of the series.

"Second Opinion" is a riveting tale about a woman who dies in a hospital and begins to give off an odor that causes a doctor to pass out. A hazmat team is called in, and while the first assumption is that she was poisoned by her husband, it turns out to be the result of an alternative treatment method she sought for her cancer. The person who provided the woman with these treatments then becomes the focus of the investigation, as it is discovered she has built a business around taking advantage of cancer patients, making big promises with her dubious treatments.

In the second of her two "Law & Order" appearances (playing different characters each time), Ellen Pompeo turns in a stunning — not to mention disturbing — performance as a woman whose younger sister has been murdered. Where things get really messed up is that Laura is dating the man accused of killing not only the sister, but another woman, too. And, just to make things even more "Law & Order," there's a chance Laura was involved in their deaths.

Not only does Pompeo do an incredible job in "Fools for Love," playing Laura with an expert blend of coldness and menace, but the episode itself is the type that has every hair on your body standing straight by the time it comes to its conclusion. It's obvious things have descended into truly messed up territory when Benson and Stabler from the SVU come join the investigation — and even they are taken aback by what they find. 

There is plenty of debate among fans over which season of "Law & Order" is truly the best, but the fact remains that the seventh season was the only one to win the show an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. And that honor was well deserved, thanks to quality episodes like the ones that comprised the three-part arc that takes the gang to Hollywood for a rare cross-country investigation. While the first two episodes — "D-Girl" and "Turnaround" — are also great, closer "Showtime" is easily the best and justifies itself as representing the unofficial trilogy as a whole.

Guest star Lauren Graham is at her charming best in the episode, serving as Curtis and Briscoe's escort while they conduct their investigation in and around various sound stages and production lots. There is little doubt that the episode is the writers' indictment of the way that powerful men in Hollywood are seemingly insulated from repercussions for even their worst offenses. They make their feelings known about the narcissism of such men with a flowery speech the accused is inexplicably allowed to give in the middle of the trial about how he feels fully justified in his murderous actions. 

"Law & Order" rarely had true two-part episodes — but when it did, they usually made sure the story being told justified the need for two full episodes. That was certainly the case for Season 9 two-parter "Refuge," which sees not only the welcomed return of Dr. Olivet after a two-season absence but puts her in the same episode as Dr. Skoda for the first time, something that didn't happen nearly often enough. Another Russian mafia story, this one has a child being the only witness to a brutal mob hit. It gets pretty complex from there.

By the second part, the mafia have taken out all but one of the potential witnesses that could implicate them in various crimes. At this point, the investigation into their activities also uncovers a vast money-laundering scheme. The precinct then becomes the target of a bomb scare in one final attempt to get them to stop coming after the Russians. There is no way all of this could've been covered in just one episode, and there isn't a single element of it that could've been sacrificed to make that happen without altering the impact of this epic tale.

"Damaged" is that rare "Law & Order" episode that is equally great for both the case at the center of it and for the personal drama that happens to a member of the main cast. On the legal side, attorneys deal with the sexual assault of an intellectually disabled high school girl by three classmates and the murder of a teacher. Things begin to spiral when the attorney for the boys claims that they didn't know of her disability and they become even more complicated when the girl says under oath that she enjoyed the encounter. It's not easy to watch, but it's handled in a sensitive manner and Lauren Ambrose plays the role of the girl with aplomb.

But the drama doesn't end there. As all of that is going on, Lennie Briscoe receives devastating news: His daughter has been murdered execution-style as retaliation for testifying against her drug dealer boyfriend. While it doesn't completely mark the end of Briscoe's trademark subtle smirks and dry quips, it does understandably change him in a noticeable way for the rest of his time on the show.

In Season 14's "Caviar Emptor," a rich businessman is murdered the day after his wedding. Naturally, his new, much younger bride is immediately the prime suspect. But soon, the suspect lists expands to include the man's daughter, son-in-law, and even his main rival in the caviar importing business. Though the episode does feature a shocking confession nobody saw coming that completely upends the whole case, it largely follows the process of having a list of suspects and doing the work of eliminating them one by one.

And that's perfectly okay. Not every noteworthy episode of "Law & Order" has to have some unique gimmick or angle to set it apart, and the cleverly-named "Caviar Emptor" is the perfect example of that. It's just a very well-made episode, a compelling look at how the legal system investigates and then subsequently rules out suspects while trying to find the culprit of a crime. Even 14 seasons in, "Law & Order" still felt confident having episodes that mined regular legal procedures for drama.

Remember when we said that every season of "Law & Order" should have its own version of "Mayhem," the rare episode that moves very quickly, is more action-packed than usual, and in which there are several different crimes instead of just a main one. While not quite as chaotic as that episode, Season 13's "Couples" might just be the best version of that type of episode that "Law & Order" has ever done.

This episode is truly jam-packed with crime. There are four different murders and a kidnapping for Briscoe to deal with, and this time around he's got Ed Green by his side rather than Mike Logan. The result is a more focused version of what "Mayhem" tried to do. It has the same chaotic feel but without as much of the randomness and gimmicky references. Briscoe has also been on the force for a lot longer at this point, so his attitude this time feels more amused at the absurdity of the crazy day, which makes the episode more fun to watch. 

Perhaps not surprisingly given the number of excellent "Law & Order" episodes we've had over the years, one of the only times the show attempted a season-ending cliffhanger, it did so more or less flawlessly. Season 6's "Aftershock" is also an outlier in that it takes place almost entirely in the off-duty lives of the main characters, and this rare extended dive into their personal lives does not disappoint.

The four characters that are the primary focus of the episode — Jack McCoy, Lennie Briscoe, Claire Kincaid, and Rey Curtis — are all trying (and mostly failing) to move on from the trauma of watching a person they helped get sentenced to death have that sentence carried out. Two of them in particular deal with it in an unhealthy manner: Curtis ends up cheating on his wife with a grad student (a young Jennifer Garner), and recovering alcoholic Briscoe falls off the wagon. Kincaid comes to the bar to give Briscoe a ride home, and their car is hit by a drunk driver — with Kincaid dying from her injuries. It's a stunner of an episode, and one that would have repercussions on the characters (and the show itself) for years to come.