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"The Fertile Fields"
L&O, Episode 2.19
Production number: 67425
First aired: 7 April 1992
  th of 456 produced in L&O  
th of 456 released in L&O
  th of 1271 released in all  
Cragen The Fertile Fields
Written By
Michael S. Chernuchin & René Balcer

Directed By
Ed Sherin

A corpse of a badly burned Jewish jeweler is found in an alley.

Plot[]

Plot

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

  • Erza Shore (victim)

Quotes[]

Officer #1: Damn Indian winter.
Officer #2: That's Indian summer, you idiot, there's no such thing as an Indian winter.
Officer #1: A winter this cold, it's gotta be somebody's fault.
Officer #2: So you blame the Native Americans?
Officer #1: Well, you have anyone better to blame?
Officer #2: See, that's the problem with today's society, that assumption. Bad stuff doesn't just happen to you, somebody caused it to happen.
Officer #1: Keeps us in business.

Phil Cerreta: Hate crimes are crimes of fear. They're spontaneous. The bodies usually don't get moved.

Benjamin Stone: Banks kill with a thousand cuts, not a blow to the head.

Donald Cragen: Mike, I've had week-old flounder that smelled better than this!


Background information and notes[]

  • This is one of only a handful of episodes in which District Attorney Adam Schiff shares a scene with a cop, in this case Captain Donald Cragen. Some of the other episodes in which this occurs are "The Troubles", "The Blue Wall", "Conduct Unbecoming", "Sweeps", "Pride", "Savages", and "Corruption".
  • This episode has the first appearance of Leslie Hendrix as long time Medical examiner Elizabeth Rodgers.
  • This episode is inspired by the Crown Heights Riot of 1991. The Crown Heights Riot was a three-four day riot that occurred in August of 1991 in the Crown Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The riots began on August 19, 1991 after a prominent Hasidic Rabbi called Rabbi Schneerson, who was returning from a regular visit to his father-in-law's grave, was crossing through an intersection when it was hit by another car and veered out of control, striking and killing 7-year-old Guyanese youth Gavin Cato. There were numerous acts of violence were committed against Jewish citizens in the area. One historian described the riot as "the most serious anti-Semitic incident in American history". (Source: Crown Heights riot at Wikipedia)

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3

The Wendall Building
573 7th Avenue
Friday, February 16

District Attorney's
Conference Room
Tuesday, May 8

Supreme Court
Trial Part 48
Monday, May 14

Previous episode:
"Cradle to Grave"
"The Fertile Fields"
Law & Order
Season 2
Next episode:
"Intolerance"
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