Law & Order (TV Series) True North (1998) User Reviews

A line not to cross

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 15 September 2021]

'Law and Order' was incredibly good at exploring challenging topics and themes that hit hard and are still relevant and important to address. It was also, as has been said more than once in previous reviews, incredibly good at exploring them in an honest and pull no punches way and in a way that still holds up. The debate here in "True North" is not a new one for the franchise and was explored a number of times since, but is always interesting when addressed. Season 9 was another very solid season with many great episodes and no real misfires.

"True North" struck me as a very good episode on first watch, especially the legal portions and the performance of Bellamy Young in the latter stages. Also admired its handling of the capital punishment debate and what it has to say about extradiction. On subsequent rewatches overtime, the latest being a couple of days ago, "True North" is even better and got more out of it due to understanding what is said in the episode more. Did notice a flaw though that wasn't apparent or picked up on on first viewing.

It did strike me as heavy-handed in spots, with "True North" not being subtle in its representation of Canadians. Not to mention agreed the father's innocence proclaimation, which was dramatic overkill.

Everything else is executed fantastically however. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction is sympathetic but also alert. All the regulars are absolutely terrific, particularly in the legal portions and in the debates. Young is chillingly amoral and also oddly moving, it is agreed that her acting leaves one moved at the end but one doesn't buy the plea for a second as it goes against how she is written in the rest of the episode.

Writing is very thought-provoking and felt real. It is also taut, intelligent and well balanced, with the different sides of opinion being handled in a hard-hitting but also tactful way where one can see where all sides are coming from. All while developing a firm opinion themselves where one argument is particularly persuasive (i.e. Schiff's view on warning signs), some episodes in the franchise (especially 'Special Victims Unit's' mid period) made it too clear what their opinions on controversial issues were but "True North" doesn't do that.

Moreover, the story is engrossing throughout and while both the policing and legal halves are brilliantly written and fascinating the more complex and suspenseful legal one is even better. All the regulars are written beautifully, especially McCoy. Carmichael has settled beautifully.

Concluding, excellent episode despite moments of heavy-handedness. 9/10.

A Poster Child For The Death Penalty

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 29 November 2011]

Was Steven Hill right in this one, do we really have to post warning signs at the Canadian border that in the USA we still have the death penalty? If there ever was a poster child for it it's Bellamy Young who plays the white trash Canadian girl from Niagara Falls who marries a rich American and then kills him when she finds out he was planning to dump her. Bad enough, but she also kills the man's minor daughter and a friend of her's to cover up her crime. No mental illness defense possible here.

Not even that there is some suspicion though it can't be proved because the trail is way too cold that Young also murdered her husband's first wife plus a lover she had in Canada. No doubt if the Canadians believed in the death penalty Young would be first on the list for lethal injection.

But they don't and that is the crux of this episode of Law And Order. Some wire money transfers from a Canadian bank are an element in Sam Waterston's and Angie Harmon's case and the Canadians balk at providing evidence that might execute one of their citizens.

Merits of the death penalty notwithstanding they don't get to make that call. I believe Waterston and Harmon handled the situation appropriately.

Bellamy Young's portrayal of the amoral perpetrator however is what really drives this episode. And her rather pathetic plea for mercy when the penalty portion of the trial is on is really an incredible piece of acting. I was moved by the performance, but unmoved by the plea.

This was about Justice, not Canadians.

[CrimeDrama1 · 8/10 · 9 September 2022]

I laughed at the review related to how Canadians view the death penalty. This episode was really about a heartless woman who killed four Americans and lied every step of the way until the sentencing hearing. By then, it was too late. Let's not forget that a child was killed. Justice was primarily for that girl. The writers wanted more drama and conflict so they made the killer a native of Canada, making the debate about the death penalty and extradition more substantive. The conviction and death penalty were never in doubt. Justice, American style. My take-away, never assume you are not considered a loose end. Not even $50,000 would make me forget that.

a few remarks

[hrbraz · 12 March 2007]

While the other comment on this episode does an excellent job of summing up the episode, and accurately points out some rather heavy-handed treatment of Canada and its representatives, I do feel obliged to point out a couple of things. First, to address one point; the ADA who makes the statement that the other user found so galling, about the presumptuousness of Canadians or Brits lecturing Americans on human rights, is set up as a pretty conservative character - as such, it is entirely in keeping with her character to express that opinion. Not a value judgment - just pointing out that in the contemporary American political context, it is in keeping with the character of an American conservative to make such a remark. I don't necessarily feel that that was a message that the show itself was trying to communicate (I feel like the show attempts to stay as neutral as possible) - especially since other characters express some sympathy for the "Canadian" perspective. Secondly, the fact that a defendant makes an abject and extremely self-abasing plea for clemency in a sentencing proceeding that includes a likely sentence of capital punishment is hardly remarkable, or further evidence of Canadian debasement. I won't take issue with some of the other points raised (i.e. that the Canadian minister was depicted as "milquetoast") because they're a bit too subjective to be productively discussed. But there were definitely some bits that came across just a bit heavy-handed.... as when the father of the murderess at one point finishes some dramatic proclamation of his daughter's innocence, pauses for a moment and then, with all the subtlety of a tractor trailer ramming a dinosaur, tacks on an "eh?" at the end.

Not an accurate representation of Canadians

[EddieSixx · 5/10 · 9 April 2022]

In this episode, Canadians definitely get made out to be against capital punishment, and a bunch of wishy-washy bleeding hearts who have the best interests of a serial killer in the forefront.

I am Canadian. This is not representative of all Canadians, especially ones who live west of southern Ontario. It may be a fair representation of Ontarians, but when Abby makes the comment about the Canadian phone calls being 9 to 1 in favor of letting this serial killer live, I had to laugh. Where I live, we make Texas look like Portland in terms of our viewpoints on crime and punishment.

I understand the need to group all of Canada under this leftist stereotype for the sake of the episode, I am just here to tell you it isn't accurate for most of the country. Toronto and Ottawa are not Canada, no matter how much they think they are.