The BEST episodes of Law & Order season 12

Every episode of Law & Order season 12, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Law & Order season 12!

A blended police procedural and courtroom drama which employs a two-part approach: The first half of each episode focuses on NYPD homicide detectives investigating a crime—often derived from a real-life headline—and apprehending a suspect. The second half takes place in the courtroom, with the district attorney prosecuting the defendant.

Last Updated: 10/8/2024Network: NBCStatus: Continuing
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Born Again
star
7.78
165 votes

#1 - Born Again

Season 12 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/6/2002

The investigation into the death of an 11-year-old girl uncovers the possible culpability of the child's mother and a rebirthing therapist.

Directors: Jace Alexander
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Myth of Fingerprints
star
7.69
127 votes

#2 - Myth of Fingerprints

Season 12 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/14/2001

A murder investigation uncovers deliberately faulty forensics in the wrongful conviction of two men 12 years earlier in the case that paved the way for Van Buren's promotion.

Directors: David Platt
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Missing
star
7.66
119 votes

#3 - Missing

Season 12 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/6/2002

When a girl's parents frantically search for her, Briscoe and Green see that the girl's belongings were packed up in her apartment. They learn that the girl had been seeing a married man -- her boss. When the boss is brought up on charges, his wife sheds some new evidence.

Directors: David Platt
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dazzled
star
7.59
141 votes

#4 - Dazzled

Season 12 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/24/2002

When a "gold digging" wife is found dead, there are plenty of possible perpetrators. Her husband has become "whipped" and blinded by his young wife and then messes up his story to Briscoe and Green. When he finally comes around, it seems that the wife's ex-boyfriend was getting revenge for being fired from a contracting job. The medical examiner uncovers some more clues which point to a bitter alcoholic ex-wife. Eventually, ther criminal comes forward but the only crime she's committing is trying to save her family.

Directors: Lewis H. Gould
Watch Now:Apple TV
DR 1-102
star
7.55
147 votes

#5 - DR 1-102

Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/30/2002

The bludgeoning of two women in their apartment leads the detectives to a suspect who has taken a hostage while demanding legal representation ... and Southerlyn's actions, while heroic, results in disbarment proceedings against her for violation of Disciplinary Rule 1-102.

Directors: Richard Dobbs
Watch Now:Apple TV
For Love or Money
star
7.54
155 votes

#6 - For Love or Money

Season 12 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/10/2001

The death of a parolee, who was a hit man, leads to a wealthy widow and daughter and whether they hired him to kill their rich relative.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Slaughter
star
7.51
132 votes

#7 - Slaughter

Season 12 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/10/2002

The investigation of a student's killing leads to a case involving meat contamination at a food service.

Writer: Rob Wright
Watch Now:Apple TV
Oxymoron
star
7.50
138 votes

#8 - Oxymoron

Season 12 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/15/2002

The body of a scantily clad woman is found on the Upper East Side. Because of her attire, it is initially presumed that she could be a high-class escort, especially after promiscuous behavior is uncovered by the medical examiner. The detectives uncover a seven-digit number on a slip of paper inside her pocket, which turns out to be a hack driver's ID. They track down the cab driver who claims he dropped the woman off on 60th St. and there was a black Infiniti waiting for her. But she died 33 blocks uptown. The Detectives retrace her steps and discover she had been at a "swingers" party where she got into a fight with another woman, Alexandra Shabtai, who works at a nightclub and ID's the dead woman as Eliza Glaser, a cosmetic dermatologist who was providing her with the narcotic Oxycodone.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Access Nation
star
7.49
142 votes

#9 - Access Nation

Season 12 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/27/2002

The murder of a psychologist leads to a case involving a computer company that sells information and their responsibility in shielding their clients' history in order to serve their needs.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Patriot
star
7.49
136 votes

#10 - Patriot

Season 12 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/22/2002

A tenement building explodes and the lone victim is Joseph Haden. The building was rent controlled and there had been a tenant strike, so the police initially suspect arson. But the landlord doesn't have insurance, ruling out their arson theory, and the medical examiner discovers that Haden's neck was broken and he was tied up before the explosion happened. Trying to figure out Haden is even more difficult. He didn't appear to have a family or a girlfriend and never got any substantial mail. He worked at the Jiffy Job service station making minimum wage, yet had $90,000 in the bank. Briscoe and Green do some more digging and find out that Haden was using an alias, and his real name was Yusuf Haddad.

Directors: David Platt
Watch Now:Apple TV
Armed Forces
star
7.47
145 votes

#11 - Armed Forces

Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/3/2001

The fatal stabbing of a man leads to the discovery of his status as a Vietnam war veteran and the truths uncovered about an incident that occured with him and three former soliders in his division.

Directors: Martha Mitchell
Watch Now:Apple TV
Attorney Client
star
7.47
137 votes

#12 - Attorney Client

Season 12 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/8/2002

The wife of an attorney with many disgruntled clients is killed but the detectives believe that he was the intended target as he was willing to reveal information despite confidentially agreements. As the investigation continues, his tumultuous love life is exposed and the prosecutors are suspicious of his desire to return to the courtroom.

Directors: Matthew Penn
Watch Now:Apple TV
Soldier of Fortune
star
7.46
151 votes

#13 - Soldier of Fortune

Season 12 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2001

The daring daylight kidnapping of a diamond dealer which results in two murders at the scene uncovers an international dynasty of diamond sales and its links to a foreign civil war.

Directors: Richard Dobbs
Watch Now:Apple TV
Prejudice
star
7.45
145 votes

#14 - Prejudice

Season 12 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/12/2001

The murder of a magazine publishing company's black CEO leads to a suspect who has a clear streak of racism and whose attorney intends on using that as a mental defect.

Directors: Ed Sherin
Watch Now:Apple TV
Foul Play
star
7.42
114 votes

#15 - Foul Play

Season 12 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/1/2002

The investigation into the death of a private investigator uncovers corruption, deceit, and immigration fraud in a Youth Baseball League whose manager will go to any lengths to win.

Directors: Richard Dobbs
Watch Now:Apple TV
3 Dawg Night
star
7.42
148 votes

#16 - 3 Dawg Night

Season 12 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/28/2001

When a celebrity is implicated in a nightclub murder, McCoy and Southerlyn battle the flaks who attempt to insulate their client from any involvement or interrogation.

Directors: Stephen Wertimer
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Fire This Time
star
7.39
146 votes

#17 - The Fire This Time

Season 12 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/21/2001

When a building is set ablaze, a girl must be identified despite her fatal burns. Through further investigation, it turns out that an extreme environmentalist group struck the match...

Directors: David Platt
Writer: David Black
Watch Now:Apple TV
Girl Most Likely
star
7.39
137 votes

#18 - Girl Most Likely

Season 12 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/27/2002

When a high school student is found dead in an apartment building, Briscoe and Green suspect that the murder was a result of her running a website. As McCoy and Southerlyn investigate the case further, they realize that her best friend, who was reluctant to come forward as a witness, may be the answer to the murder.

Directors: Steve Shill
Writer: Lynn Mamet
Watch Now:Apple TV
Undercovered
star
7.38
141 votes

#19 - Undercovered

Season 12 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/16/2002

The father of a dying girl gets his revenge on an insurance executive who denied a certain leukemia treatment for his daughter. One problem arises when the father is technically on both sides of the law.

Directors: Jace Alexander
Watch Now:Apple TV
Equal Rights
star
7.37
138 votes

#20 - Equal Rights

Season 12 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/3/2002

A stock analyst's murder leads the detectives to a corporation whose stock had fallen ... and plenty of suspects in the investors.

Directors: James Quinn
Writer: Terri Kopp
Watch Now:Apple TV
Who Let the Dogs Out?
star
7.37
194 votes

#21 - Who Let the Dogs Out?

Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/2001

The investigation into the death of a jogger mauled by a vicious dog leads to an Attica inmate, his attorneys, and an underground dog-fighting ring.

Directors: Don Scardino
Watch Now:Apple TV
Possession
star
7.36
149 votes

#22 - Possession

Season 12 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/2001

Investigating the murder of a woman in a rent-controlled apartment, the detectives discover that she was engaged in a long-running battle with her landlord and had been blocking the potentially lucrative sale of the building.

Directors: James Quinn
Writer: Robert Palm
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Collar
star
7.34
145 votes

#23 - The Collar

Season 12 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/9/2002

The death of a cleric leads the detectives to a priest who was given information by a murder suspect outside of the church but insists that he can't discuss anything about it, bringing McCoy to question whether the confessional seal should apply.

Directors: Matthew Penn
Watch Now:Apple TV
Formerly Famous
star
7.33
154 votes

#24 - Formerly Famous

Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/7/2001

The shooting death of a former singer's wife leads the detectives to investigate his manager and sons after his explanation of the events surrounding her death have no credibility.

Directors: Richard Dobbs
Watch Now:Apple TV