Ripped from the headlines: The plot for Wednesday's Law & Order on NBC is inspired by the Schiavo case -- and it looks like one of those fighting to keep the Schiavo-like character alive may also be a murderer since the NBC Web site's description of the episode says that “a car bomb kills the husband of an incapacitated woman shortly before the victim planned to disconnect her feeding tube.” I would caution, however, that L&O plots often first pursue logical suspects before discovering an alternate motivation for the crime.
In a promo aired Tuesday night on NBC, the announcer plugged, "On Law and Order: A comatose woman." Then the video jumped to a man addressing protesters with signs: "The feeding tube will remain in place." Finally, over video of a car exploding, the announcer asserted: "In a case that rocked a nation." The show plot, as listed on NBC's Web page for the show, follows.
From NBC's page for the 10pm EDT/PDT and 9pm CDT/MDT Law & Order:
"BEFORE DISCONNECTING WIFE'S FEEDING TUBE, HUSBAND IS KILLED BY CAR BOMB WHICH IGNITES SENSATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION -- A car bomb kills the husband of an incapacitated woman shortly before the victim planned to disconnect her feeding tube, and when Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) wade into the politically charged case, they find the bombmaker who points them to suspects that include the woman's angry family and clergy. As national media arrive, A.D.A.s McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Borgia (Annie Parisse) engage in a frustrating shell game where each suspect seems to have a mutually bulletproof alibi."
