Vanishing Act (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
Encyclopedia
"Vanishing Act" is a seventh season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
.
and Eames
investigate the case of a man found dead in strange circumstances following a magic act.
The opening shows two very different acts of illusionism
, one by Miles Stone, a young escapologist
and TV celebrity figure, and the other by The Great Carmine, an alcoholic has-been. While Stone is doing a stunt where he is buried for over 30 days, Carmine is performing a trick where a pretty woman hides in a box and appearances are she’s being skewered with swords. But the acts takes on a new twist when both stunts go awry after Stone appears to become ill in the underground casket, and when the casket is opened, he is not in there. Simultaneously, Carmine opens his own magic box to find Stone in there, with seven swords stuck in his body.
During the investigation, Goren and Eames question Carmine, and find that his original assistant disappeared from the job for a vacation, and her replacement also seems to have vanished after Stone’s body is found. Though the old man has not completely been eliminated as a suspect, he offered an alibi that leads them to realise other people could have been involved. The list of suspects include Dean Holiday, a renowned illusionist who, along with Stone, was trained by the old magician, as well Jacob Green, a highly skilled technician who was in charge of Stone’s act. It is clear that the small circle of suspects had their own motives for wanting this magician dead.
After further testing shows that the victim had been given potassium chloride
through his I.V. drip, mimicking a heart attack, the detectives focus their attention on the missing mystery woman, who could be the final puzzle piece to solving the case.
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 GorenRobert Goren
Det. 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....
and Eames
Alexandra Eames
Det. Alexandra "Alex" Eames is a fictional police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad featured in the NBC-USA Network Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Kathryn Erbe...
investigate the case of a man found dead in strange circumstances following a magic act.
The opening shows two very different acts of illusionism
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
, one by Miles Stone, a young escapologist
Escapology
For the Jessica Mauboy song, see Inescapable.Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks and other perils, often in combination.-History:The art...
and TV celebrity figure, and the other by The Great Carmine, an alcoholic has-been. While Stone is doing a stunt where he is buried for over 30 days, Carmine is performing a trick where a pretty woman hides in a box and appearances are she’s being skewered with swords. But the acts takes on a new twist when both stunts go awry after Stone appears to become ill in the underground casket, and when the casket is opened, he is not in there. Simultaneously, Carmine opens his own magic box to find Stone in there, with seven swords stuck in his body.
During the investigation, Goren and Eames question Carmine, and find that his original assistant disappeared from the job for a vacation, and her replacement also seems to have vanished after Stone’s body is found. Though the old man has not completely been eliminated as a suspect, he offered an alibi that leads them to realise other people could have been involved. The list of suspects include Dean Holiday, a renowned illusionist who, along with Stone, was trained by the old magician, as well Jacob Green, a highly skilled technician who was in charge of Stone’s act. It is clear that the small circle of suspects had their own motives for wanting this magician dead.
After further testing shows that the victim had been given potassium chloride
Potassium chloride
The chemical compound potassium chloride is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. In its pure state, it is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance, with a crystal structure that cleaves easily in three directions. Potassium chloride crystals are...
through his I.V. drip, mimicking a heart attack, the detectives focus their attention on the missing mystery woman, who could be the final puzzle piece to solving the case.
Main cast
| Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"... |
Det. Robert Goren Robert Goren Det. 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.... |
| Kathryn Erbe Kathryn Erbe Kathryn Elsbeth Erbe is an American actress known for her role as Det. Alexandra Eames in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, a spin-off of Law & Order, and death row inmate Shirley Bellinger in the HBO series Oz.-Personal life:... |
Det. Alexandra Eames Alexandra Eames Det. Alexandra "Alex" Eames is a fictional police detective with the NYPD Major Case Squad featured in the NBC-USA Network Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Kathryn Erbe... |
| 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. Danny Ross |