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"Patient Zero"
L&O, Episode 14.03
Production number: E4301
First aired: 8 October 2003
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Written By
Wendy Battles

Directed By
David Platt

Summary[]

A murder investigation involves the SARS virus and a biochemist who was having an affair.

Plot[]

The detectives investigate Anna Hopkins' murder and carjacking.

A woman driving a blue Escalade SUV, Anna Hopkins, is shot dead by a carjacker. Briscoe and Green are referred by a Bronx auto theft detective to a low-level car thief, who tells them about a body shop owner who likes SUVs and doesn't ask questions. Entering without a warrant on the pretext of hearing a woman crying for help, they discover the stolen Escalade. The owner admits to receiving it but was scared off by the presence of a mysterious biohazard container in the trunk.

The detectives arrest the carjacker, Lamont Tyler. The murder weapon was his apartment and three eyewitnesses pick him out of a lineup. He begrudgingly confesses, but the case is just getting started: that biohazard container had a vial of SARS, an infectious respiratory coronavirus. Mr. Hopkins informs the detectives that his wife was a lab technician for Dr. Charles Blanchard of Hudson University. The doctor says they imported a sample of SARS from China for anti-viral research, but it would be transported by a special team, not in Anna's trunk. He guesses he was mistaken to hire someone with the maiden name Zazeri; she was born in Saudi Arabia.

The detectives investigate a sudden SARS outbreak

Mr. Hopkins reacts angrily to the implication that his wife's ethnicity makes her a suspected bioterrorist, as Green gets a distressing call about an outbreak of SARS at St. Mark's Hospital. Anna's blood tested negative for the virus and none of the 12 patients have an apparent connection to her. Briscoe then learns from one of Anna's friends that Dr. Blanchard in fact ordered Anna to dispose of the viral sample.

The detectives meet with patient zero at the hospital, a medical journalist named Jeannine Wilson whose son Tanner is also in serious condition. She recently returned from a conference in Toronto, the site of another SARS epidemic. However, the Toronto variant originated in Singapore while this outbreak matches the Chinese strain from Blanchard's lab. Briscoe asks, "Shouldn't we be wearing masks or something?" and is assured there's no need as the patients are properly isolated. From behind glass, Wilson says she knows Anna through Dr. Blanchard but hasn't seen her in a year. She also admits to breaking off a four-year affair with the doctor, and thinks he must have injected her with the virus when they last met; he had previously been giving her weekly Vitamin B12 shots for chronic fatigue.

Dr. Blanchard is charged with attempted murder, which he argues is unfair since even if he had injected Wilson, SARS isn't fatal, just "a bad flu" if treated properly. Furthermore, lawyer Charlotte Swan contends his wife will alibi him as having been home all night, and Anna Hopkins's Arab background provides more than enough reasonable doubt as to the source of the outbreak. McCoy promptly moves to suppress this fact as irrelevant, baseless and racially inflammatory, which Judge Mellon grants.

The DAs interview Dr. Blanchard's associates

Southerlyn interviews Mrs. Blanchard, who stands firmly by her man and says Jeannine is a jealous liar; however, one of Anna's coworkers confirms the affair and says Anna and Jeannine were still in contact nearly every week. When confronted, Jeannine divulges that Tanner is actually Dr. Blanchard's illegitimate son. Serena goes to see if the doctor's alibi holds up after Mrs. Blanchard is informed, and surprisingly it does. Tanner soon dies due to his weakened immune system and the charges are upgraded to murder, yet Dr. Blanchard is uninterested in a plea bargain. At trial, Jeannine testifies that the doctor said she would be "sorry" for ending their affair, but there's no needle to prove he injected her with SARS, and on the stand he suggests she made the story up to get back at him.

The next day, Mrs. Blanchard initially reiterates his alibi before breaking down under McCoy's cross-examination and confessing he wasn't home. Judge Mellon laughs off Swan's demand to strike her own witness' testimony but allows her to redirect. Swan changes course and seeks to paint Mrs. Blanchard's apparent change of heart as attempted vengeance on her husband for his affairs, of which it turns out there were numerous others. She breaks down again and goes back to the original story, that he was at home.

At the DA's office, Mrs. Blanchard reveals her whole performance was an act calculated on the premise that it would be easier for the jury to believe a woman would lie to get back at her husband, than lie to protect him. McCoy sputters about perjury, but the ploy worked. The jury finds Dr. Blanchard not guilty on all counts. He and Mrs. Blanchard are seen holding hands as they walk out of the courtroom, and the episode ends.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Background information and notes[]

  • The kitchen in the Blanchard's home in this episode is the same kitchen in the Rosatti's home in the episode "Hitman".
Previous episode:
"Bounty"
"Patient Zero"
Law & Order
Season 14
Next episode:
"Shrunk"
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