Lennie Briscoe
Encyclopedia
Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe is a fictional character
on NBC
's long running police procedural
and legal drama
television series Law & Order
. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green
and René Balcer
, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach
. He also appeared in three Law & Order spin-offs
, and was part of the original cast of Law & Order: Trial by Jury
, appearing in only the first two episodes due to Orbach's death.
Orbach portrayed defense attorney Frank Lehrmann in the second season episode "The Wages of Love" before assuming the role of Briscoe.
's 27th Detective Squad in the 27th Police Precinct's Station House. His boss during his first season on the show is Capt. Don Cragen (Dann Florek
); a year later, Lt. Anita Van Buren
(S. Epatha Merkerson
) takes over the 27th Squad. He was previously assigned as a detective in the 116th Det. Squad in Queens
.
Briscoe joins the squad after Det. Mike Logan
's (Chris Noth
) partner, Sgt. Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino
), is shot by a black market arms dealer
and is given a desk job.
After Logan is transferred to Staten Island
in 1995, Det. Rey Curtis
(Benjamin Bratt
) becomes Briscoe's partner. Four years later, Curtis goes into early retirement
to take care of his multiple sclerosis
-stricken wife, and he is replaced by Det. Ed Green
(Jesse L. Martin
) in 1999.
. A veteran of two failed marriages, Briscoe has two daughters, the elder Julia and the younger Cathy, and a nephew, Det. Ken Briscoe (played by Orbach's son, Chris
). He mentions being a grandfather and Cathy is shown to have no children so they must be Julia's. Briscoe is portrayed as an alcoholic
, although in recovery. Many references are made to his former problems both in his personal and work life because of his alcoholism. He often makes references to being a "friend of Bill W.
" which is a reference to his having attended Alcoholics Anonymous
. His family is fairly dysfunctional
, due to his alcoholism, he was often absent from his daughters' lives, and they have distant, fractious relationships with him as adults. Briscoe blames himself, especially when Cathy, a methamphetamine
addict, is murdered by a drug dealer
after she testifies against the dealer in court. However, he finds closure
when the drug dealer dies from a heroin overdose
. It's implied (although never explicitly stated) that Briscoe had the dealer killed. An old snitch of Briscoe's had offered to kill the dealer if Briscoe could get his charges reduced. Briscoe is later seen talking to the arresting officer about the snitch, but it's never confirmed if Briscoe did him the favor.
In the 1996 episode "Aftershock", after witnessing an execution from a case he helped investigate, Briscoe falls off the wagon with disastrous results; A.D.A. Claire Kincaid
(Jill Hennessy
) is struck and killed by a drunk driver while driving him home from a bar
. The experience shakes him deeply, and he remains sober
for the rest of his life.
Briscoe was raised Catholic
, but is Jewish on his father's side and occasionally attends Jewish services as a courtesy to his first wife. It was revealed that his father suffered from Alzheimer's. Though not actually Jewish according to the traditional definition, Briscoe is sometimes the target of antisemitism from criminals and even some of his own colleagues. Briscoe also develops a friendship with one of the few featured Jewish police officers during his tenure, John Munch
(Richard Belzer
), despite Munch's initial resentment when he discovers Briscoe had slept with one of Munch's ex-wives.
in the United States Army
. On several occasions he has referred to his service in the Vietnam War
. After leaving the Army, Briscoe joined the NYPD in the 29th Precinct in Manhattan
and walked a beat
there with stops at the 31st and 33rd Precincts, also in Manhattan, and the 110th and 116th Precincts in Queens, at some point reaching the rank of detective. It is also revealed in the 1999 episode "Marathon", that he spent 3 years in the Anti-Crime Unit. Briscoe's detective shield number is 8220.
Briscoe typically has a wise-crack or joke about the victim or circumstances of death at the close of the opening scene, with the joke usually exhibiting a very deadpan
delivery while at the same time being highly "on target" if/when the viewer(s) gets the joke. He likes music, but mostly music that was popular in his youth. In Season 9, Curtis chides his musical taste for stopping with Bobby Darin
. Briscoe used to read Langston Hughes
back when he was a beatnik
"for about five minutes" and "it used to work pretty good on Jewish girls."
Many of Briscoe's former partners and colleagues outside the series (offscreen before Briscoe joined the 27th Precinct) have been or ended up becoming corrupt. In the 1993 episode "Jurisdiction", Lieutenant Brian Torelli (Dan Hedaya
) forced a confession from a mentally challenged
man; at the end of the episode Briscoe is present when Internal Affairs
arrests Torelli for suborning perjury
and obstruction of justice
.
In the 1994 episode "Kids", the son of police detective Ted Parker, a former colleague of Briscoe, is arrested for shooting another teenager. Parker and Briscoe have a private conversation where Parker uses hypothetics to virtually confess to Briscoe that his son only shot in self-defense. At the end of the episode, Parker tacitly acknowledges to Briscoe that he used his contacts in his old precinct to engineer the shooting death of a key prosecution witness in his son's case (resulting in a mistrial).
Another of Briscoe's former partners, Det. John Flynn (Kevin Conway), falsely implicates him in the 1996 episode "Corruption" for taking seized drugs from the 116th Precinct evidence room (given to him by Flynn) during their stint there several years before. Flynn makes this allegation partly to throw off the Hellman Commission, which had been convened to investigate police corruption, including the questionable shooting death of a suspect by Flynn himself at the start of the episode, and partly as revenge against Curtis, who refused to falsely defend Flynn. Briscoe, however, has an alibi—he was having an affair with Officer Betty Abrams, a married woman. Against Briscoe's wishes, Abrams testifies before the commission to exonerate him. Because of the affair, however, the commissioners question her credibility. Although Briscoe is ultimately cleared, defense attorneys exploit the allegations for the rest of his career.
There are moments in Briscoe's career where his decisions are controversial. In the episode "Stalker", a stalker
accused of murdering a woman could have gone free because the police concluded that the victim had earlier lied to the police about previously being attacked by the stalker, thereby undermining the victim's credibility. However, after the victim is found murdered, Briscoe goes to ADA Jack McCoy
(Sam Waterston
) and tells him that he now believes that the victim did not lie to the police of the stalker's earlier attacks and that he is willing to take the stand and state that the original police report was incorrect. Curtis would be called by the defense to testify that he thought the original police report was correct. At the end of the episode, the stalker is found guilty; outside the courtroom, Curtis and Briscoe reconcile.
Shortly after Green is assigned as his partner, he and Briscoe nearly come to blows during a particularly difficult investigation of a robbery-homicide. Their primary suspect confesses as he is being arrested, but because Briscoe is the only officer within earshot, Green, Van Buren, and McCoy are placed in a difficult position with regard to the confession. Again, Briscoe is eventually vindicated, and he and Green work to rebuild their professional rapport and what eventually ends up as a close friendship.
Briscoe retires
from the NYPD in 2004. His successor in the 27th Precinct Detective Squad is Det. Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina
), whose stint in the 27th Precinct would be far shorter than Briscoe's.
Briscoe died at some point between 2004 and 2005 (Orbach himself died on December 28, 2004). Although not addressed directly in the main series until 2008, his death was implied in 2005 and confirmed in 2007 in Criminal Intent (see "Death" section below).
.38 Special, snub-nosed revolver. He carries the Model 36 as his sidearm since he was a long serving veteran police officer with the NYPD having been a "Member Of the Service" (MOS) prior to 1986. In 1986 the department started issuing Smith & Wesson Model 64
.38 Special revolvers to MOS. All NYPD officers who were hired after 1986 had to carry stainless steel finished revolvers. After 1992 the NYPD started issuing 9mm semiautomatic pistols (certain authorized S&W, Glock, and SigSauer 9mm pistols) to their officers. The Model 36 was a very popular revolver with NYPD Detectives and Plainclothes officers because it is reliable and easy to conceal, and the .38 Special cartridge has a good reputation among police officers for reliability.
, Briscoe makes three guest appearances assisting his old boss, Don Cragen (Dann Florek
). Briscoe also makes a guest appearance in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent
episode "Poison", in which he assists the Major Case Squad on a similar case.
Soon after his retirement, Briscoe joins Law & Order: Trial By Jury
, having accepted an appointment as an investigator in the office of New York County District Attorney
Arthur Branch
(Fred Thompson), with partner Inv. Hector Salazar
(Kirk Acevedo
).
. The character's departure from the show was originally to be in the episode "Baby Boom" where members of the DA's Office attend a memorial service for him after dying from an illness. This scene was in fact filmed but never actually made it into the episode before its airing, leaving Briscoe's whereabouts after his last appearance in the second episode unknown.
In the 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Diamond Dogs
" (Chris Noth's first episode as a regular cast member), Logan, questioning a burglar's fence in a pool hall, is clearly referring to Briscoe when he says that a former partner was a "wizard with the stick". In the 2007 Criminal Intent episode "Renewal", Logan says that Briscoe has died but he still sees him alive in his dreams.
In 2008, Green explains he returned to gambling
briefly after Briscoe died. In a 2008 episode of Criminal Intent, a Catholic priest who was a friend of Briscoe approaches Logan after a prisoner's deathbed confession to a 16-year-old double murder in The Bronx
.
In the 2009 Law & Order episode "Fed", Briscoe's old partner Rey Curtis
returns to New York to bury his deceased wife Deborah, who had finally succumbed to MS, next to her parents. Anita Van Buren
was able to come to the tail end of Deborah's funeral and meet with Curtis where Curtis revealed that he had spoken with Lennie Briscoe just before his death and that Lennie was his old wisecracking self right up to the end.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's long running police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
and legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
television series Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green
Walon Green
Walon Green is an American documentary film director and screenwriter for both TV and films. He is currently the showrunner/executive producer for the USA Network television series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Career:...
and René Balcer
René Balcer
René Balcer is a Canadian television writer, director and producer.-Early life:He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and attended Lower Canada College in Montreal. He earned his B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Communication Studies from Concordia University in 1978. He began his career as a journalist,...
, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
. He also appeared in three Law & Order spin-offs
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
, and was part of the original cast of Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...
, appearing in only the first two episodes due to Orbach's death.
Orbach portrayed defense attorney Frank Lehrmann in the second season episode "The Wages of Love" before assuming the role of Briscoe.
Law & Order universe
Lennie Briscoe is introduced in the 1992 episode "Point of View" as the new senior detective in the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
's 27th Detective Squad in the 27th Police Precinct's Station House. His boss during his first season on the show is Capt. Don Cragen (Dann Florek
Dann Florek
Ezekial Dann Florek , professional name Dann Florek, is an American actor and director.-Early life:Florek was born in Flat Rock, Michigan. He attended Eastern Michigan University, but never graduated...
); a year later, Lt. Anita Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
(S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
) takes over the 27th Squad. He was previously assigned as a detective in the 116th Det. Squad in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
Briscoe joins the squad after 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:...
's (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...
) partner, Sgt. Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
), is shot by a black market arms dealer
Arms industry
The arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
and is given a desk job.
After Logan is 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...
in 1995, Det. Rey Curtis
Rey Curtis
Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt from 1995 to 1999.-Character overview:Curtis is introduced as homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th Detective Squad...
(Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
) becomes Briscoe's partner. Four years later, Curtis goes into early retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
to take care of his multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
-stricken wife, and he is replaced by Det. Ed Green
Ed Green
Edward "Ed" Green is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order, created by Rene Balcer and portrayed by Jesse L. Martin.-Character overview:...
(Jesse L. Martin
Jesse L. Martin
Jesse L. Martin is an American theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for originating the role of Tom Collins in the Broadway theatrical production of Rent, and for his portrayal of NYPD Detective Ed Green on the NBC drama television series Law & Order.-Early life:Martin, the third of...
) in 1999.
Character biography
He grew up in the Meatpacking District of ManhattanMeatpacking District, Manhattan
The Meatpacking District is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan which runs roughly from West 14th Street south to Gansevoort Street, and from the Hudson River east to Hudson Street, although recently it is sometimes considered to have extended north to West 16th Street and east...
. A veteran of two failed marriages, Briscoe has two daughters, the elder Julia and the younger Cathy, and a nephew, Det. Ken Briscoe (played by Orbach's son, Chris
Chris Orbach
Christopher Ben Orbach is an actor-singer/songwriter who is the son of late Law & Order star Jerry Orbach and his first wife Marta Curro...
). He mentions being a grandfather and Cathy is shown to have no children so they must be Julia's. Briscoe is portrayed as an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, although in recovery. Many references are made to his former problems both in his personal and work life because of his alcoholism. He often makes references to being a "friend of Bill W.
Bill W.
William Griffith Wilson , also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous , an international mutual aid fellowship with over two million members belonging to 100,800 groups of alcoholics helping other alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety...
" which is a reference to his having attended Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. His family is fairly dysfunctional
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
, due to his alcoholism, he was often absent from his daughters' lives, and they have distant, fractious relationships with him as adults. Briscoe blames himself, especially when Cathy, a methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addict, is murdered by a drug dealer
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
after she testifies against the dealer in court. However, he finds closure
Closure (psychology)
Closure or need for closure is a popular psychology term used to describe an individual's desire for a definite cognitive closure as opposed to enduring ambiguity...
when the drug dealer dies from a heroin overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
. It's implied (although never explicitly stated) that Briscoe had the dealer killed. An old snitch of Briscoe's had offered to kill the dealer if Briscoe could get his charges reduced. Briscoe is later seen talking to the arresting officer about the snitch, but it's never confirmed if Briscoe did him the favor.
In the 1996 episode "Aftershock", after witnessing an execution from a case he helped investigate, Briscoe falls off the wagon with disastrous results; A.D.A. Claire Kincaid
Claire Kincaid
Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid is a fictional character on the television series Law & Order, played by Jill Hennessy from 1993 to 1996.-Character overview:...
(Jill Hennessy
Jill Hennessy
Jillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
) is struck and killed by a drunk driver while driving him home from a bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. The experience shakes him deeply, and he remains sober
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
for the rest of his life.
Briscoe was raised Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, but is Jewish on his father's side and occasionally attends Jewish services as a courtesy to his first wife. It was revealed that his father suffered from Alzheimer's. Though not actually Jewish according to the traditional definition, Briscoe is sometimes the target of antisemitism from criminals and even some of his own colleagues. Briscoe also develops a friendship with one of the few featured Jewish police officers during his tenure, John Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
(Richard Belzer
Richard Belzer
Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
), despite Munch's initial resentment when he discovers Briscoe had slept with one of Munch's ex-wives.
Character highlights
Briscoe is one of many characters on the show to have served in the military; he was at one point a corporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. On several occasions he has referred to his service in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. After leaving the Army, Briscoe joined the NYPD in the 29th Precinct in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and walked a beat
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
there with stops at the 31st and 33rd Precincts, also in Manhattan, and the 110th and 116th Precincts in Queens, at some point reaching the rank of detective. It is also revealed in the 1999 episode "Marathon", that he spent 3 years in the Anti-Crime Unit. Briscoe's detective shield number is 8220.
Briscoe typically has a wise-crack or joke about the victim or circumstances of death at the close of the opening scene, with the joke usually exhibiting a very deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
delivery while at the same time being highly "on target" if/when the viewer(s) gets the joke. He likes music, but mostly music that was popular in his youth. In Season 9, Curtis chides his musical taste for stopping with Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
. Briscoe used to read Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
back when he was a beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
"for about five minutes" and "it used to work pretty good on Jewish girls."
Many of Briscoe's former partners and colleagues outside the series (offscreen before Briscoe joined the 27th Precinct) have been or ended up becoming corrupt. In the 1993 episode "Jurisdiction", Lieutenant Brian Torelli (Dan Hedaya
Dan Hedaya
Daniel G. “Dan” Hedaya is an American character actor. He often plays sleazy villains or uptight, wisecracking individuals; three of his best-known roles are as Italian Mafia boss Tony Costello in Wise Guys, a cuckolded husband in the Coen brothers' crime thriller Blood Simple, and the scheming...
) forced a confession from a mentally challenged
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
man; at the end of the episode Briscoe is present when Internal Affairs
Internal affairs (law enforcement)
The internal affairs division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force...
arrests Torelli for suborning perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
and obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
.
In the 1994 episode "Kids", the son of police detective Ted Parker, a former colleague of Briscoe, is arrested for shooting another teenager. Parker and Briscoe have a private conversation where Parker uses hypothetics to virtually confess to Briscoe that his son only shot in self-defense. At the end of the episode, Parker tacitly acknowledges to Briscoe that he used his contacts in his old precinct to engineer the shooting death of a key prosecution witness in his son's case (resulting in a mistrial).
Another of Briscoe's former partners, Det. John Flynn (Kevin Conway), falsely implicates him in the 1996 episode "Corruption" for taking seized drugs from the 116th Precinct evidence room (given to him by Flynn) during their stint there several years before. Flynn makes this allegation partly to throw off the Hellman Commission, which had been convened to investigate police corruption, including the questionable shooting death of a suspect by Flynn himself at the start of the episode, and partly as revenge against Curtis, who refused to falsely defend Flynn. Briscoe, however, has an alibi—he was having an affair with Officer Betty Abrams, a married woman. Against Briscoe's wishes, Abrams testifies before the commission to exonerate him. Because of the affair, however, the commissioners question her credibility. Although Briscoe is ultimately cleared, defense attorneys exploit the allegations for the rest of his career.
There are moments in Briscoe's career where his decisions are controversial. In the episode "Stalker", a stalker
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
accused of murdering a woman could have gone free because the police concluded that the victim had earlier lied to the police about previously being attacked by the stalker, thereby undermining the victim's credibility. However, after the victim is found murdered, Briscoe goes to ADA Jack McCoy
Jack McCoy
John James "Jack" McCoy is a fictional character in the television drama Law & Order, created by Michael S. Chernuchin and played by Sam Waterston since 1994. He is the second-longest tenured character on the show, after Lt. Anita Van Buren . On January 28, 2009, McCoy's character ended the longest...
(Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
) and tells him that he now believes that the victim did not lie to the police of the stalker's earlier attacks and that he is willing to take the stand and state that the original police report was incorrect. Curtis would be called by the defense to testify that he thought the original police report was correct. At the end of the episode, the stalker is found guilty; outside the courtroom, Curtis and Briscoe reconcile.
Shortly after Green is assigned as his partner, he and Briscoe nearly come to blows during a particularly difficult investigation of a robbery-homicide. Their primary suspect confesses as he is being arrested, but because Briscoe is the only officer within earshot, Green, Van Buren, and McCoy are placed in a difficult position with regard to the confession. Again, Briscoe is eventually vindicated, and he and Green work to rebuild their professional rapport and what eventually ends up as a close friendship.
Briscoe retires
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
from the NYPD in 2004. His successor in the 27th Precinct Detective Squad is Det. Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
), whose stint in the 27th Precinct would be far shorter than Briscoe's.
Briscoe died at some point between 2004 and 2005 (Orbach himself died on December 28, 2004). Although not addressed directly in the main series until 2008, his death was implied in 2005 and confirmed in 2007 in Criminal Intent (see "Death" section below).
Briscoe's Revolver
His duty weapon is a Smith & Wesson Model 36Smith & Wesson Model 36
The Smith & Wesson Model 36 is a revolver chambered for .38 Special. Like nearly all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, it has a 5-round capacity in a swing-out cylinder, and features an exposed hammer. It features a nickel-plated or blued finish and either wood or rubber grips...
.38 Special, snub-nosed revolver. He carries the Model 36 as his sidearm since he was a long serving veteran police officer with the NYPD having been a "Member Of the Service" (MOS) prior to 1986. In 1986 the department started issuing Smith & Wesson Model 64
Smith & Wesson Model 64
The Smith and Wesson Model 64 Military and Police revolver is the stainless steel version of its Model 10. It is a six shot revolver chambered in .38 Special....
.38 Special revolvers to MOS. All NYPD officers who were hired after 1986 had to carry stainless steel finished revolvers. After 1992 the NYPD started issuing 9mm semiautomatic pistols (certain authorized S&W, Glock, and SigSauer 9mm pistols) to their officers. The Model 36 was a very popular revolver with NYPD Detectives and Plainclothes officers because it is reliable and easy to conceal, and the .38 Special cartridge has a good reputation among police officers for reliability.
Spin-offs
On the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, Briscoe makes three guest appearances assisting his old boss, Don Cragen (Dann Florek
Dann Florek
Ezekial Dann Florek , professional name Dann Florek, is an American actor and director.-Early life:Florek was born in Flat Rock, Michigan. He attended Eastern Michigan University, but never graduated...
). Briscoe also makes a guest appearance in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent
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...
episode "Poison", in which he assists the Major Case Squad on a similar case.
Soon after his retirement, Briscoe joins Law & Order: Trial By Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...
, having accepted an appointment as an investigator in the office of New York County District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
Arthur Branch
Arthur Branch
Arthur Branch is a fictional attorney and a regular character on the TV crime dramas Law & Order and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Branch has also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Conviction....
(Fred Thompson), with partner Inv. Hector Salazar
Hector Salazar (Law & Order)
Hector Salazar, played by Kirk Acevedo, is a fictional character on the short-lived TV drama Law & Order: Trial by Jury.Salazar is an investigator with the Manhattan District Attorney's office. He was originally a police detective with the NYPD, but was shot in the line of duty and severely wounded...
(Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
).
Death
In 2005, the Briscoe character was written out after the second episode of Trial By Jury coinciding with Orbach's death on December 28, 2004 from prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. The character's departure from the show was originally to be in the episode "Baby Boom" where members of the DA's Office attend a memorial service for him after dying from an illness. This scene was in fact filmed but never actually made it into the episode before its airing, leaving Briscoe's whereabouts after his last appearance in the second episode unknown.
In the 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Diamond Dogs
Diamond Dogs (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
"Diamond Dogs" is a fifth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Plot summary:In this episode, Logan gets his first Major Case and is partnered with Detective Carolyn Barek to investigate a spate of murderous jewellery store robberies.The investigation leads them to...
" (Chris Noth's first episode as a regular cast member), Logan, questioning a burglar's fence in a pool hall, is clearly referring to Briscoe when he says that a former partner was a "wizard with the stick". In the 2007 Criminal Intent episode "Renewal", Logan says that Briscoe has died but he still sees him alive in his dreams.
In 2008, Green explains he returned to gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
briefly after Briscoe died. In a 2008 episode of Criminal Intent, a Catholic priest who was a friend of Briscoe approaches Logan after a prisoner's deathbed confession to a 16-year-old double murder in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
.
In the 2009 Law & Order episode "Fed", Briscoe's old partner Rey Curtis
Rey Curtis
Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt from 1995 to 1999.-Character overview:Curtis is introduced as homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th Detective Squad...
returns to New York to bury his deceased wife Deborah, who had finally succumbed to MS, next to her parents. Anita Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
was able to come to the tail end of Deborah's funeral and meet with Curtis where Curtis revealed that he had spoken with Lennie Briscoe just before his death and that Lennie was his old wisecracking self right up to the end.
Reception
- Lennie Briscoe was voted the 30th greatest television show character of all time by Bravo TV.
- Lennie Briscoe was Law & Order's third greatest Detective on the Hallmark ChannelHallmark ChannelThe Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
poll in 2010, beaten only by Special Victims Unit Detective Olivia BensonOlivia BensonDet. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro...
, who came in second, and Criminal Intent Detective Robert GorenRobert GorenDet. Robert "Bobby" Goren is a fictional character featured in the NBC-USA Network police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio....
, who won the poll.