The Undiscovered Country (Season 19, Episode 13)
Premise: A father kidnaps his terminally ill baby to stop doctors from ending his life support, and Barba’s response lands him on trial for murder.
- Air date
- Season/Episode
- Season 19, Episode 13
- Starring
- Lt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Det. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice-T), Det. Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Det. Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. (Peter Scanavino), ADA Rafael Barba (Raúl Esparza), ADA Peter Stone (Philip Winchester), DA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), Judge Karyn Blake (Ami Brabson)
- Guest stars
- Joe Tapper as Aaron Householder, Abigail Hawk as Maggie Householder, Peter Jacobson as Randy Dworkin, Lindsay Becker as Sandy Burnside
- Ripped from the headlines
- Inspired by the case of Charlie Gard, a British infant born with a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive brain damage and muscle failure.
- Director
- Alex Chapple
- Writers
- Story: Brianna Yellen & Robert Brooks Cohen & Céline C. Robinson & Elizabeth Rinehart; Written by: Michael Chernuchin
Summary
“The Undiscovered Country” opens at the memorial for former ADA Ben Stone, where District Attorney Jack McCoy recalls Stone’s advice that a man should do what he must, whatever the cost. Babysitter Sandy Burnside is found bound in a closet after Aaron Householder took his ten-month-old son, Drew, at gunpoint. His wife, Maggie, explains that Drew has mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome and will soon be unable to breathe unaided. A ventilator Aaron bought leads the squad to an apartment in Sheepshead Bay. Over the squad’s objections Benson goes in unarmed and recognizes his weapon as a paintball gun; Aaron says Maggie wants their son dead.
Maggie tells Barba she has asked a judge to let doctors end Drew’s life support because he has no brain activity; Aaron had agreed to abide by the ruling before changing his mind. Barba feels he must charge Aaron. McCoy meets Ben Stone’s son, Peter, a Chicago prosecutor in town to settle his father’s affairs. Over a drink, Barba admits to McCoy that he kept his own comatose father on life support for six weeks out of selfishness; McCoy says the office is not in the compassion business and suggests probation for Aaron. At the hospital, where a ruling now awaits a guardian ad litem, Maggie says she refused an abortion despite her doctors’ warnings. Barba sends her out and disconnects Drew’s ventilator.
McCoy appoints Peter Stone special counsel to prosecute Barba for murder, and Barba hires Randy Dworkin, who wants to argue against government power over the right to die. Stone confronts Maggie with her obstetrician’s report and tells Benson that excusing one killing would mean excusing others. Barba testifies that Drew could not see, hear or think and calls his act a justifiable homicide; on cross-examination he concedes he never consulted Aaron, who shared custody, and that he feels guilty.
Spoiler, the ending: The jury finds Barba not guilty of second-degree murder. He leaves the DA’s office despite McCoy’s attempt to keep him, and tells Benson that six years of working with her turned his black-and-white view of the world into shades of gray, and that it is time for him to move on.
Why it stands out
- Raúl Esparza’s last episode as a series regular: Barba leaves after six seasons, a departure Esparza said was his own decision.
- Philip Winchester first appears as Peter Stone, reprising his Chicago Justice role; Stone is the son of Ben Stone, the ADA in Law & Order’s first four seasons, whose memorial opens the episode.
- Sam Waterston makes his fourth SVU guest appearance as Jack McCoy, now District Attorney.