Law & Order – Enemy of the State– Review: Collateral Damage

Enemy of the State, the latest episode of Law & Order, revisits the tragedy of 9/11 through the lens of contemporary sensibilities. The show masterfully balances a critical examination of post-9/11 counter-terrorism measures with an exploration of ethical boundaries. Overall, it was a worthy return after the show’s winter hiatus.

Raymond Clark (Jevon Donaldson), a young man, is pushed into an oncoming subway train. His mother described Raymond, a washed-out police recruit, as “lost.” Detectives Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) quickly track down Luke Bragg (Josh Hooks), a dudebro with whom Raymond invested all his money to learn how to be an alpha male. Bragg’s methods failed to impress Clark, so he outed him as a fraud. A kid attempting to expose Bragg as a charlatan, however, was not a reason for Bragg to kill him

“Enemy of the State” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: Pictured: Carlin James as Noah Turan. Photo by: Will Hart/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The subway murder escalates into an act of terrorism when detectives visit the residence of Raymond’s oldest friend, Noah Turan (Carlin James). At Turan’s home, the police uncover undeniable evidence that he murdered his friend. Additionally, they discover his plans to bomb the Brooklyn Public Library during a visit by Chinese nationals. Shaw and Riley apprehend Noah just in time. Unbeknownst to Noah, his suicide mission was fabricated. In dismay, Noah requests a plea deal. He negotiates a reduced sentence for his friend’s murder in exchange for the name of the man who radicalized him. This man turns out to be an arrogant FBI agent, Joshua Haddad (Haaz Sleiman), who manipulated Noah’s anger towards the US for permitting severe human rights violations by the Chinese government, including the separation of Muslim children from their parents, sexual violence against women, sterilization of men, and what many argue constitutes low-key genocide.

“Enemy of the State” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley, Maura Tierney as Lieutenant Jessica Brady, Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Noah confessed to the DA that he didn’t intend to kill Raymond; however, when he called Joshua to report that Raymond had seen the bomb-making materials, Joshua instructed him to “deal with the problem.” In Noah’s mind, this meant silencing Raymond, as he believed he would be taking the lives of potentially hundreds of people the next day with the bomb he thought Joshua taught him to build. Executive DA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) proceeded to prosecute the methods and standards of the ‘Lure and Trap’ counter-terrorism program in court, particularly focusing on how Haddad executed it. Price argued that Raymond’s murder wouldn’t have occurred had Haddad not manipulated, threatened, and gaslit Noah into committing the act. Haddad’s defense relied on his exemplary record, stating that out of the 216 individuals he approached, only Noah committed a murder, thereby being solely responsible.

“Enemy of the State — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Alimi Ballard as Atty. Ron Delahunt, Haaz Sleiman as Joshua Haddad. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

At this point, Price is on the precipice of losing his case of manslaughter against Haddad until he finds that DA Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) wrote the ‘Lure and Trap’ guidelines. Baxter explains, “My job was to make methods and standards legal.” Price expects Baxter to testify. Baxter clearly does not want to, rationalizing, “Now that I’m District Attorney, I don’t need the world to know what we did after 9/11 to keep this city safe. Things look different today.” Price clapped back, “I will sleep knowing I’m fighting like hell for justice. Tell me in the morning where you stand.” The next day, DA Baxter testified that the FBI agent “went far beyond the legal boundary of his mission,” and Haddad was found guilty of manslaughter.

“Enemy of the State” — LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (l-r) Hugh Dancy as A.D.A. Nolan Price, Tony Goldwyn as District Attorney Nicholas Baxter. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC @ 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

After the courtroom showdown, Price and Baxter have a conversation that underscores their ongoing rivalry. Each man vies for moral superiority within the DA’s office. Baxter compliments Price on his closing argument and acknowledges that, despite his personal dislike for the aggressive tactics of the “Lure and Trap” program, it has indeed saved lives. An old saying fits this scene perfectly: “If you’re explaining, you’re not winning.” Since Baxter is the one explaining, the moral advantage clearly goes to Price.

Overall, Enemy of the State delivers a gripping and thought-provoking narrative, forcing us to confront the harsh realities of the 20-plus-year war on terror. It emphatically challenges us to question whether the tragic fate of Raymond Clark, an innocent taken as collateral damage on American soil, can ever be justified—even in the pursuit of stopping terror abroad. What did you think about this episode? Did you find yourself empathizing with Agent Haddad at all? 

Overall Rating:

9/10

Lynette Jones