A new year, another race-obsessed episode of NBC's "Law & Order."
Thursday's episode, "Greater Good," focused on a billionaire hip-hop mogul who is murdered in cold blood. The mogul is discovered to be a P-Diddy type predator who lured vulnerable aspiring singers into sex trafficking.
Both the mogul and his murderer are black, but the episode somehow makes racism and "a system created by white men" into the villain.
Vanessa Washburn (Karen Obilom), a black undercover police officer investigating sex trafficking, saw the victim shortly before he was killed. NYPD detectives Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) and Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) ask her questions about the night of the murder, but she is unhelpful. She despises the victim and does not want his murderer caught. While her reluctance is understandable, her dialogue's strangely racialized view of police work is not.
The murdered mogul had pimped out the killer's 18-year-old daughter through coercion, drugging and false promises. The murderer naturally felt enraged, and the audience feels sympathetic.
Related: ‘Like a Trained Seal’: Navarro Attacks Black Artists at Trump Ball
Nonetheless, the killer argues in court that he actually acted in self-defense, claiming the mogul was about to strike him on the head with a champagne bottle. Washburn knows the mogul was not holding a champagne bottle at the time. However, she refuses to testify in court, blaming her refusal on a "system created by white men to keep the black community in its place."
Washburn prefers vigilantism over a "system created by white men." Forced to testify, she lies on the stand. Shaw is then called to the stand to tell the truth.
A multi-racial jury ultimately finds the father guilty in the mogul's death. Washburn meets Shaw outside and criticizes him for being honest in court. She is especially upset that her law enforcement career is now ruined for committing perjury. Shaw looks downhearted.
In the end, "Law & Order" somehow turned an episode about hip-hop industry sexual exploitation and vigilante justice into a muddled attack on both white men and the rule of law. Hollywood just can't help itself.
Follow Us On X
Sorry Joe, the DHS is back to calling them “illegal aliens” instead of “undocumented noncitizens.”https://t.co/OsLmAIydFD
— MRCTV (@mrctv) January 24, 2025