Stone is reluctantly forced to pursue criminal charges against a woman who kidnapped a young girl and took her away from an abusive foster home, even though he thinks she should receive psyc... Read allStone is reluctantly forced to pursue criminal charges against a woman who kidnapped a young girl and took her away from an abusive foster home, even though he thinks she should receive psychiatric care instead.Stone is reluctantly forced to pursue criminal charges against a woman who kidnapped a young girl and took her away from an abusive foster home, even though he thinks she should receive psychiatric care instead.
Patricia Hodges
- Helen Veysey
- (as Pat Hodges)
- Director
- Writers
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode was originally written to have the girl sexually abused by a male kidnapper. However, shortly before shooting was to have begun NBC felt uncomfortable with the storyline and asked for it to be changed. The writers quickly rewrote it so that the kidnapper was a female who believed she had the best interests of the child at heart. All the locations that had been set up for the original script were used in the episode. The rewrite of the script seems to coincide with the battle Janet Reno was waging for censorship of TV violence, song lyrics, etc....This censorship was the reason that Michael Moriarty (E.A.D.A. Ben Stone) gave as his reason for resigning from the series at the end of season 4, causing his character to resign on the show. This was disputed by show creator Dick Wolf, citing erratic behavior on the part of Moriarty as the reason for the departure of the character E.A.D.A. Stone, and had nothing to do with a censorship battle between the network and Reno, which he stated would not effect his show Law and Order anyway. The timing of an entire script rewrite at this time though does seem to lend some credence to Moriarty's claims of censorship as an issue.
- GoofsAt her arraignment Arnette Fenady is charged with, among other things, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, implying there are different degrees of seriousness to the crime. However in New York state endangering the welfare of a child doesn't have different degrees, there is only one, it is a class A misdemeanor.
- Quotes
Detective Lennie Briscoe: So how did she endanger the kid? Drinking sherry while playing pick-up-sticks?
- ConnectionsReferences Mary Poppins (1964)
Featured review
Care and protection
On my first watch, "Nurture's" plot on paper did not excite me massively with it not sounding like anything new with familiar story tropes. In execution, it struck me as solid enough and with enough to maintain interest, elevated by the performances, but the storytelling was not a massive amount to write home about with not much distinct about it. So it was one of those liked it but not loved it episodes, a lesser Season 4 effort (not a bad thing as the lesser Season 4 episodes still had a lot to like).
My feelings a couple of re-watches later for "Nurture" are pretty much exactly the same. It is a disappointment after such an outstanding previous episode in "Sanctuary", have seen this more than once with episodes following on from brilliance, and it could have been a better episode if it took more risks and wasn't so familiar plot-wise. Good thing that the performances all round are so good and they raise the episode from being very average to decent but never mind-blowing.
"Nurture" does have a lot of things that work. As usual for 'Law and Order' and its spin offs, the production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden, while never being particularly inspired.
The writing has enough moments where it provokes thought and is intriguing. The story does have moments of tension and the conflict is believable enough in the latter stages with a difficult subject being handled tactfully if not quite insightfully. The characterisation is interesting, especially for the perpetrator and the children. The performances are what makes "Nurture" better than it deserved to be, the regulars are all great as is Lisa Eichorn in one of several appearances for the whole franchise (not just the original 'Law and Order'). It is one of not many episodes of 'Law and Order' to have child actor performances that are even better than those of the adults, Stephi Lineberg is beyond her years brilliant especially in her poignant chemistry with Jill Hennessy as Kincaid.
Less brilliant is the story. Competent enough but needed more spark, due to its lack of originality. It's a familiar subject that has been done many times before and since (or at least in some of the ideas) in the show, the franchise and elsewhere, and the episode does little fresh with it. Was surprised by very little of what went on in the story and thought the pace needed more urgency.
Something that, some tension in places aside, wasn't always there. The episode sometimes did feel over-stretched and slightly thin and feels very routine and too conventional in execution, the early portions in particular are fairly by the numbers.
In summary, decent but not great. The acting (especially Lineberg's) is the main reason to check it out, as well as if you are a 'Law and Order' enthusiast. 7/10
My feelings a couple of re-watches later for "Nurture" are pretty much exactly the same. It is a disappointment after such an outstanding previous episode in "Sanctuary", have seen this more than once with episodes following on from brilliance, and it could have been a better episode if it took more risks and wasn't so familiar plot-wise. Good thing that the performances all round are so good and they raise the episode from being very average to decent but never mind-blowing.
"Nurture" does have a lot of things that work. As usual for 'Law and Order' and its spin offs, the production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden, while never being particularly inspired.
The writing has enough moments where it provokes thought and is intriguing. The story does have moments of tension and the conflict is believable enough in the latter stages with a difficult subject being handled tactfully if not quite insightfully. The characterisation is interesting, especially for the perpetrator and the children. The performances are what makes "Nurture" better than it deserved to be, the regulars are all great as is Lisa Eichorn in one of several appearances for the whole franchise (not just the original 'Law and Order'). It is one of not many episodes of 'Law and Order' to have child actor performances that are even better than those of the adults, Stephi Lineberg is beyond her years brilliant especially in her poignant chemistry with Jill Hennessy as Kincaid.
Less brilliant is the story. Competent enough but needed more spark, due to its lack of originality. It's a familiar subject that has been done many times before and since (or at least in some of the ideas) in the show, the franchise and elsewhere, and the episode does little fresh with it. Was surprised by very little of what went on in the story and thought the pace needed more urgency.
Something that, some tension in places aside, wasn't always there. The episode sometimes did feel over-stretched and slightly thin and feels very routine and too conventional in execution, the early portions in particular are fairly by the numbers.
In summary, decent but not great. The acting (especially Lineberg's) is the main reason to check it out, as well as if you are a 'Law and Order' enthusiast. 7/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 14, 2020
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