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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Law & Order Season 23 Episode 7 “Balance of Power.”]
With Sam Waterston‘s exit and Jack McCoy resigning from the DA’s office in his last Law & Order episode, someone needs to fill that role. Enter Tony Goldwyn, making his debut as DA Nicholas Baxter in “Balance of Power”—and he does so immediately!
In fact, Baxter surprises Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Riley (Reid Scott) by showing up at their crime scene (a Wall Street investor was murdered in his home). “Excuse me. Who the hell are you?” Shaw asks and, after Baxter introduces himself, tells him it’s their crime scene. “I understand. I was just walking up town and saw the swirling lights and I got excited. I thought I’d pop my head inside. I haven’t been to a crime scene in over 30 years. Couldn’t help myself,” he explains. But before Baxter leaves, he adds, “There’s one more thing: I want you all to know I’m going to do everything in my power to create a constructive and transparent relationship with the police.”
But who killed the victim, Jonah? The first suspect is a man who attacked him (the same night he was killed) for ruining his life and costing him a lot of money in the stock market. DNA found at the scene confirms they’re looking for a woman, and Jonah’s ex-wife fits the description. She didn’t get any money in the divorce and happened to come to New York the day of his murder. But according to her, she had to leave because he became a different person and she came to town because Jonah said he wanted to try again.
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Jonah did tell her there was drama with another woman, but he wanted to put that behind him. Videos on his external hard drive lead to a dominatrix, Melissa. She insists it was consensual and legal and they broke up a month ago because he started giving her money, which offended her. He also wanted her to insult him for being rich. She has an alibi. Melissa did point them to his online profile; he found a woman, Jessica, to dominate him through his finances. She also stole $25 million from him. She asks for her lawyer. She’s held without bail, due to her potential access to that money.
Price (Hugh Dancy) and Maroun (Odelya Halevi) watch as a colleague leaves; Baxter is making changes already to the staff. And when Price goes to see Baxter, he’s making plans to make his new office feel more contemporary. The new DA remarks on the political feathers Jack ruffled on his way out—and Price’s own troubles with the mayor. Baxter, too, wants to get the right results, but he also is prioritizing getting people back on the same page and wants a team (the senior staff) he can trust. The case seems solid against Jessica—Jonah threatened to go to the police about the money she stole, and she texted she was on her way over 45 minutes before he was killed—and Baxter needs to “get on base” with his “first at-bat.”
Then they suffer a couple major setbacks. First, the judge rules in favor of Jessica’s lawyer (Zeljko Ivanek) to suppress the evidence on her phone due to an officer accidentally unlocking it when it rang. Then, the bank in Panama refuses to honor the subpoena, so they can’t tie Jessica to the money and prove her motive. Baxter, eavesdropping, asks Price and Maroun for their plan. Price is going to go hard on opportunity, that she was the only one who could have realistically killed him that night. “Your call,” the DA says and walks away.
Though it’s looking like Jessica’s lawyer has the upper-hand in court, that changes when Maroun tracks down another man from whom Jessica stole and he takes the stand. Jessica’s lawyer then wants to talk about a deal. Price will only hear it if she pleads guilty to second degree murder. But Jessica has valuable information: One of the biggest actors in the world told her he brutally raped at least 10 women, and she has proof. Evan Connelly confessed as part of their role-play after meeting on a BDSM forum, and she has the videos and incriminating texts. There are rumors about him. Baxter wants to pursue it and make a deal: manslaughter in the first degree, 10 years. As Baxter sees it, if Evan did rape 10 women, he’s a bigger threat to public safety. Price doesn’t necessarily agree, later citing one of McCoy’s favorite lines that nothing trumps murder to Maroun.
Still, it looks like the deal is going to go through—until the judge denies Price another continuance and the lawyer can’t reach Baxter. It falls on Price to make the call about whether to make a deal or continue with the trial. Price refuses to let Jessica play him for a fool, and the trial continues. The jury finds Jessica guilty of murder in the second degree.
When Price goes to see Baxter at the end, the DA congratulates him on the win and apologizes for being unavailable. But it sounds like he did what he thought made the most sense. That’s what matters, “I suppose,” Baxter says. “We don’t know each other, but you should now that I take this job very seriously, and I feel the weight each and every trial and I try my hardest to do what is in the best interest of the victim, always,” Price tells him. “But if that isn’t good enough…”
“Are you tendering your resignation?” Baxter asks. “I’m just telling you who I am,” Price says. Baxter will see him tomorrow. Something tells us that tension will only get worse.
But what did you think of Baxter’s introduction? Let us know in the poll and comments section, below.
Law & Order, Thursdays, 8/7c, NBC