Law & Order (TV Series) Gov Love (2004) User Reviews

1st lady of Connecticut a crime victim

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 25 June 2020]

Even the detectives don't know just how sensitive this homicide of the wife of the governor of Connecticut will turn out when they start investigating.

She's killed with a rock upside the head while at the boat moorings at Central Park Lake. The perpetrator was a contractor who was most favored for state business by her husband. That is because he shared her husband's deepest darkest secret about his sexual orientation.

This episode is of course based on the outing of James McGreevey of New Jersey. As I write this review now an out and proud gay man was elected Governor of Colorado. Adds a certain amount but not too much quaintness to the story. As the current administration proves, liberties and rights for minorities have to be guarded zealously.

The issues of the time are portrayed with dignity and compassion. Elisabeth Rohm gives one her best performances on the series in this episode.

Tough love

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 26 July 2022]

Of all the subjects explored in Season 15, that for "Gov Love" is a contender for the most controversial and the bravest. At the time the episode was made and first aired it was a big issue, but is now under-talked about. It is also a subject that is very hard to explore tactfully, with such extreme opinions on all sides. This was an episode loved on first watch, and to me on first watch it was one of the season's best episodes due to admiring it opening my eyes up to the subject.

Rewatching "Gov Lov" though, my opinion of it now is not near as high. While liking the episode generally, it did shock me at how McCoy's handling of the prosecution didn't bother me because on rewatch it was the thing that brought the episode too much for me to consider it one of the best now. My only answer to that is due to knowing little about the subject on first watch but am more understanding of it now. "Gov Lov" was an episode that started off incredibly well and sensitively, but it is one of the few latter seasons episodes where the legal portion wasn't as strong.

"Gov Lov" does have a lot of good things, despite how all of that sounds. It is a slickly made episode as usual with the photography's intimacy not being too filmed play-like. The music isn't overused or overpowering and suits the tone of the show aptly. The direction is a mix of alert and accomodating and the dialogue is lean enough despite a lot going on and with the right amount of grit.

The episode also starts off incredibly well, in the one episode of the season perhaps where the first half is better than the second. The first half is tough as nails but also intriguing and entertaining, and Fontana and Green's chemistry has come on quite a lot since "Paradigm". As has Fontana himself, who is a lot more hard-edged compared to his first appearance. All the acting is excellent, Jeremy Webb kills it in a very challenging role. Elisabeth Rohm giving a contender for her best performance of the show here was a pleasant surprise too, this is a rare case where this viewer was on Southerlyn's side as well.

However, "Gov Love" loses its way in the second half. Which has the tension in the dialogue, some strong character interaction and some intrigue going for it, but the prosecution case itself is really flimsy (the flimsiest in a while) to the point that the case could easily have not gone to trial, with the evidence being so little and what there is of it pretty weak. Meaning that momentum drags.

Really didn't like McCoy's character writing here, he is more stubborn than usual and a jerk and his legal tactics were not just unrealistic but also reeked of desperation and insensitivity. Am personally not that surprised that some found the episode morally wrong. Regarding whether the subject was handled with tact, it was to begin with but the more desperate the legal tactics became it felt too much of one side.

Concluding, was well on its way to being one of the season's best but the handling of the prosecution case didn't sit right. 7/10.

Politically Correct

[AngelaConklinTowner · 10/10 · 29 November 2006]

Very well played out! Touchy subject to begin with, but was well portrayed and done "politically" correct. In our "closed eye" world, it's hard to face challenges that occur right in front of us. One reason I love this show. They're not afraid to take Political issues as well as touchy subjects in today's society and run with it. This "subject" was seen all over the news when it was first talked about, and now nothing. The only comments you see are on Saturday Night Live, which is another show not afraid to wade the waters of television. Very nicely done and still was able to get the point across and do it in such a way that no one was offended, should they be in the first place. My view, I don't really care if anyone would be, it happened. It's life. And people are human. Kudos to Jeremy Webb. I have to say he was fantastic for such a hard politically-viewed role. Risky one at that, and you did great! Can't wait to see the next new one! Looking forward to it.

Take care. Angela Conklin-Towner Ithaca, New York

We are not second-class citizens, Mr. McCoy.

[Mrpalli77 · 6/10 · 13 December 2017]

At a Democratic party, two guests were about to smoke some grass; behind a rowboat, they noticed a woman stabbed to death with an ice pick. The victim was the wife of Connecticut governor and shortly before the murder she had an argument with a local reporter: she accused the governor of taking bribes from a construction businessman; anyway the journalist had a solid alibi at the time of the murder. Detectives realized the murder weapon was located in the businessman office desk drawer, so he became the prime suspect, even if he used his personal assistant (a hooker he introduced as fiancèe at parties) as alibi. The man was actually married to another man with whom the governor (gay as well) had a relationship. So all the episode turned into a matter of privilege: could it apply to gay marriages or not?

A nice episode at first, then too boring. McCoy more stubborn than usual, Branch is afraid to lose votes, Southerlyn totally disagree with her superiors. This time detectives take the back seat.

Am I the only one that saw the elephant in the living room?

[skaping · 4/10 · 22 March 2017]

The legal battle was regarding a governor's gay spouse testifying against the governor regarding the murder of his female wife. The governor is married to his wife pre-existing to his gay marriage to his male lover. Nowhere in the show did they address the obvious fact that bigamy is illegal in all 50 states and therefore the gay marriage was not valid. HUGE technical flaw to the very premise to this show.

Legally & Politically Abhorrent!

[omart82 · 1/10 · 3 February 2019]

This episode is the most legally and politically abhorrent of the entire series!

• First, McCoy threatens to indict the Governor of Connecticut with nothing but an assumption knowing full well that he has no solid proof to sustain a murder indictment!

• Then, McCoy argues that spousal privilege should only apply to straight, married couples to put a murderer in prison in order to get his sole witness to testify after it is discovered that said witness and defendant are legally married!

• Lastly, McCoy succeeds in invaliding the marriage between the witness and defendant (along with many others) before the State Supreme Court in order to get the witness to testify against the defendant!

This episode proves that prosecutors like McCoy (fictional & real) will do whatever it takes to win a case without considering the rights of and negative after effects to the people who do obey the law!

Do this day, I've wondered why Dick Wolf would approve of such an abhorrent episode!

A thorny issue

[lor_ · 25 August 2023]

A very interesting plot twist involving gay marriage, long before it was legalized, makes this an unusual episode, but it suffers from way too much contrivance. The show after all is a mystery, and too many elements out of left field, literally, do not a quality mystery make.

So for Sam Waterston, the key to convicting a clearly guilty murderer, of the wife of Connecticut's governor no less, verges on getting a key witness's testimony against the accused to pass muster. Only the witness had a civil gay marriage in the small town of New Paltz, New York to the murderer, violating the law that a spouse cannont testify against the mate. Waterston claims this shouldn't apply to same-sex marriages. Opposing defense counsel, played by Chris Sarandon begs to differ.

The casting is interesting, in that Waterston, certainly as progressive an actor as say Martin Sheen, is placed on the right-wing side of this key issue, because his successful prosecution of a murderer is at stake. The arguments before the State Supreme Court are quite interesting. But it still is way too gimmicky to bring such a serious issue into the murder case.