30 (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
Encyclopedia
"30" is a sixth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
.
and Wheeler
investigate when Logan's old friend Josh Lemle (Lee Tergesen
), a business reporter who had backed Logan after he been transferred to Staten Island
, comes to Major Case to report that he has been poisoned with radioactive polonium
. Logan agrees to help his friend find out who used Polonium-210 to poison him, but Lemle is reluctant to reveal the whole story to Logan. Both Hazmat
and the FBI get involved as the search turns city wide, with both the mayor and the Department of Homeland Security wanting answers.
At first, Logan and Wheeler suspect one of Lemle's sources, a self-styled Russian spy
, for leading the killer to Lemle or of being the killer himself. However, the polonium is traced to a restaurant where Lemle last dined with a woman named Rebecca Slater (Miriam Shor
), another reporter and Lemle's extramarital lover. It turns out that Rebecca was the actual target, but when Logan and Wheeler go to question her, they hit a wall engineered by the FBI. Logan presses Lemle for more information, and he reveals that Rebecca was working on a story concerning the death of an American teacher with Palestinian
sympathies by an Israel
i tank.
When Rebecca is found dead, Captain Ross wrestles the truth from his friend, a lobbyist for an Israeli-American political action committee
. Rebecca's story was much more explosive than originally thought: an American teacher who had moved to Palestine to show solidarity with the Palestinian people
was killed as a result of a false tip allegedly leaked to the Israelis by the Palestinians themselves. Furthermore, the victim was actually a Mossad
agent, and thus the Israelis killed their own spy. Then, Logan confronts a dying Lemle with this new information, pleading with him to share what he knew about Rebecca's story, but Lemle simply remains silent.
As Logan and Wheeler follow the trail of clues all over the city, they find themselves digging deeper and deeper into Middle East
ern intrigue. They learn that the dead teacher was really a mole for Mossad, and that her death was the result of a betrayal by the Palestinians, who had given a tip to the Israelis that a suicide bomber would disguise herself as a blond American woman in order to get closer to troops. The detectives eventually decide that the polonium was actually meant for Rebecca, who was about to release the story, but never learn whether it was the Syria
ns, Hamas
, or the Israelis who were responsible.
, who alleged that the episode portrayed Israel in a harsh and unbalanced light and promoted anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jews as disloyal citizens.
as well as the death of Rachel Corrie
.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
.
Plot summary
In this episode, Detectives LoganMike Logan (Law & Order)
Michael "Mike" Logan is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order franchise, played by Chris Noth.-History in the franchise:...
and Wheeler
Megan Wheeler
Det. Megan Ann Wheeler is a fictional character portrayed by Julianne Nicholson on the NBC-USA Network series Law & Order: Criminal Intent...
investigate when Logan's old friend Josh Lemle (Lee Tergesen
Lee Tergesen
Lee Allen Tergesen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Tobias Beecher in HBO’s prison drama Oz and as Evan Wright in Generation Kill.-Early life:...
), a business reporter who had backed Logan after he been transferred to Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, comes to Major Case to report that he has been poisoned with radioactive polonium
Polonium
Polonium is a chemical element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84, discovered in 1898 by Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie. A rare and highly radioactive element, polonium is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and it occurs in uranium ores. Polonium has been studied for...
. Logan agrees to help his friend find out who used Polonium-210 to poison him, but Lemle is reluctant to reveal the whole story to Logan. Both Hazmat
Hazmat
Hazmat, HazMat and similar terms can refer to:* Hazardous materials and items—see Dangerous goods** Hazchem—a system of hazardous chemical classification and firefighting modes** A hazmat suit is a type of protective clothing...
and the FBI get involved as the search turns city wide, with both the mayor and the Department of Homeland Security wanting answers.
At first, Logan and Wheeler suspect one of Lemle's sources, a self-styled Russian spy
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
, for leading the killer to Lemle or of being the killer himself. However, the polonium is traced to a restaurant where Lemle last dined with a woman named Rebecca Slater (Miriam Shor
Miriam Shor
Miriam Shor is an American film, stage, and television actress.-Early life:Shor was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is Jewish on her father's side, and speaks fluent Yiddish as well as Italian. Her parents divorced when she was 7, and she alternated between living in Turin, Italy , and...
), another reporter and Lemle's extramarital lover. It turns out that Rebecca was the actual target, but when Logan and Wheeler go to question her, they hit a wall engineered by the FBI. Logan presses Lemle for more information, and he reveals that Rebecca was working on a story concerning the death of an American teacher with Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
sympathies by an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i tank.
When Rebecca is found dead, Captain Ross wrestles the truth from his friend, a lobbyist for an Israeli-American political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
. Rebecca's story was much more explosive than originally thought: an American teacher who had moved to Palestine to show solidarity with the Palestinian people
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
was killed as a result of a false tip allegedly leaked to the Israelis by the Palestinians themselves. Furthermore, the victim was actually a Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
agent, and thus the Israelis killed their own spy. Then, Logan confronts a dying Lemle with this new information, pleading with him to share what he knew about Rebecca's story, but Lemle simply remains silent.
As Logan and Wheeler follow the trail of clues all over the city, they find themselves digging deeper and deeper into Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern intrigue. They learn that the dead teacher was really a mole for Mossad, and that her death was the result of a betrayal by the Palestinians, who had given a tip to the Israelis that a suicide bomber would disguise herself as a blond American woman in order to get closer to troops. The detectives eventually decide that the polonium was actually meant for Rebecca, who was about to release the story, but never learn whether it was the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
ns, Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, or the Israelis who were responsible.
Cast
| Chris Noth Chris Noth Christopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been... |
Det. Mike Logan Mike Logan (Law & Order) Michael "Mike" Logan is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order franchise, played by Chris Noth.-History in the franchise:... |
| Julianne Nicholson Julianne Nicholson Julianne Nicholson is an American actress. She is known for having played Det. Megan Wheeler on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:... |
Det. Megan Wheeler Megan Wheeler Det. Megan Ann Wheeler is a fictional character portrayed by Julianne Nicholson on the NBC-USA Network series Law & Order: Criminal Intent... |
| Eric Bogosian Eric Bogosian Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,... |
Capt. Daniel Ross |
Criticisms
The episode was criticized by the pro-Israel media watchdog group CAMERACommittee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is an American non-profit pro-Israel media watchdog group. The group says it was founded in 1982 "to respond to the Washington Post's coverage of Israel's Lebanon incursion", and to respond to what it considers the media's "general...
, who alleged that the episode portrayed Israel in a harsh and unbalanced light and promoted anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jews as disloyal citizens.
Background
Interestingly, this episode revealed many resemblances with the Alexander Litvinenko poisoningAlexander Litvinenko poisoning
Alexander Litvinenko was a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, FSB and KGB, who escaped prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in the United Kingdom...
as well as the death of Rachel Corrie
Rachel Corrie
Rachel Aliene Corrie was an American member of the International Solidarity Movement . She was killed in the Gaza Strip by an Israel Defence Forces bulldozer when she was standing or kneeling in front of a local Palestinian's home, thus acting as a human shield, attempting to prevent the IDF from...
.