Written By Robert Nathan and Roger Wolfson
Directed By David Platt
When a young boy named Henry Morton wanders away from a party and is found dead in an alley from suffocation and other mistreatment, the case leads to the discovery of it being the work of a young boy named Jake O'Hara.
It is soon discovered from a trip to Jake's summer camp that Jake is a sociopath, having no remorse whatsoever for his actions. When word reaches the judge while Jake is in Family Court, the judge rules that despite this new evidence, there is no way to bump the case to the adult court without throwing it out and letting Jake walk. News of Jake being a sociopath hits Henry's father, Dr. Brett Morton (Kyle MacLachlan), so hard, Elliot has to take him out of the courtroom to try and calm down, but when Jake emerges and gives a fake, unsympathetic apology to him, Dr. Morton snaps, grabs the service pistol from a passing bailiff, and shoots Jake, before being restrained by Stabler and the bailiff he took the gun from, while others secure the area and draw their own pistols as Olivia rushes to the aid of Jake as Jake's mother looks on in horror at what happened.
Despite the best efforts by doctors, Jake dies of his gunshot wounds, and now Dr. Morton faces prison time for his actions, but there's a problem: Did he act as a grieving father, or out of pure instinct to stop Jake from killing again?
After the best efforts by Novak and the defense attorney to convince the jury as to whether Dr. Morton should face second-degree murder charges, or was acting out of grief, the jury vote "not guilty", thinking that Dr. Morton's actions were out of grief, and not intentional, and that Jake deserved what he got.
However, after the trial, when Brett speaks to Stabler and Novak, it turns out that his actions were in the right state-of-mind, but then explains to them that there was one big difference between him and Jake O'Hara: Jake would have killed again, but Dr. Morton never will.
This episode provides examples of:
- And Starring: "Special Guest Star Kyle MacLachlan", plus the guest starring lineup ending "With Tamara Tunie as M.E. Dr. Melinda Warner".
- Asshole Victim: Jake O'Hara brutally murdered Dr. Morton's young son and mentally taunted the doctor himself after it was found that he'd walk on the murder charge. Dr. Morton may have been in the wrong, but no one will mourn Jake (save for his mother, who continues to remain in denial about her son's true nature even after his death and Dr. Morton's acquittal).
- Bad People Abuse Animals: When investigating the claims of 13-year-old boy Jake that he was abused at a wilderness survival camp, the other boys reveal that he was actually the one who bullied them. One of the things he did was kill a gopher and leave it in another boy's bed.
- Beware the Nice Ones: At first, Dr. Morton is actually sympathetic towards Jake despite the latter's role on his son's death. But when it's revealed that it's not an Accidental Murder like Jake made it seem...
- Death of a Child: Jake suffocates Henry Morton, then gets shot by Henry's father.
- Enfant Terrible: Jake O'Hara is a pre-teen sociopath who has history of violence and murder.
- Expelled from Every Other School: It is revealed that Jake's school records show that he was kicked out of two schools for arson and violent behavior.
- Had to Come to Prison to Be a Crook: Jake invokes this, claiming he murdered Dr.Morton's son because of the effects of his time at a reform school-type camp, where other participants had abused him. But when the detectives investigate, they realize the opposite was true; Jake had been the one terrorizing other participants.
- Knight Templar: Dr. Morton claims sociopathic children cannot be treated and must be removed from society by any means necessary, though he claims he doesn't mean killing them.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Jake claims that what happened with Dr. Morton's son was an Accidental Murder.
- Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal: When being confronted with the evidence that Jake killed Dr Morton's son, Jake's mother is initially shocked but then claims it was the boys at the survival camp who made him that way by abusing him. However, upon discovering Jake was the one who terrorized the other kids there, it is also revealed that his mother angrily refused to believe the camp director's claims about her son and threatened to sue before taking Jake home.
- Mirror Character: The ending seems to indicate that Jake and Dr Morton are this. While Enfant Terrible Jake tried to pull a Wounded Gazelle Gambit to manipulate others, Morton's final words to Stabler and Novak also paints him this way, getting away with murdering Jake by eliciting sympathy from the jury as a grieving father. He then points out the only difference being that he wouldn't kill again whereas Jake would have.
- Missing Child: The episode begins with a child suddenly disappearing despite the mother being in the vicinity. Said child later turns up dead. The episode also deals with having a sociopath child.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The reaction of Dr. Morton, Casey, and the detectives when they realize they've been played by Jake into trying him as a juvenile (meaning a much lighter sentence), but it's too late to go back on that decision without letting him walk away completely. This sends Dr. Morton over the edge and drives him to murder Jake to avenge his son and ensure that Jake never hurts anyone ever again.
- Necessarily Evil: The court concludes that Dr. Morton shooting Jake was this. Dr. Morton bluntly explains to the court that Jake was simply born a sociopath; nothing would've helped him change his ways, not even therapy. And his mother had allowed him to embrace his amoralities and make herself fall victim to her own child's manipulations. Dr. Morton explains to the detectives that he feared Jake would've more than likely grown up into a Serial Killer once his sentencing was over at 18, so he had to kill him to ensure he won't manipulate and murder anyone else again.
- Outliving One's Offspring: What drives the entire episode.
- Papa Wolf: The moment Jake's true nature and role in his son's death are revealed, Dr. Morton goes apeshit for both Revenge for his child and to ensure Jake does not kill anyone else.
- Rage Breaking Point: Dr. Morton snaps as Jake silently taunts him over getting away with killing Henry.
- Smug Smiler: Jake's infuriating grin lasts right up until the doctor puts a hole in him.
- Sympathetic Murderer: Dr. Morton may be wrong about putting justice on his own hands, but the person he killed was a massive Asshole Victim.
- Initially appears to be the case with Jake himself, though it turns out to be an act. Dr. Morton even buys it, convincing them to try Jake as a minor; his My God, What Have I Done? upon realizing the truth is a large part of what leads him to kill Jake.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Jake claims he was abused at a survival camp his mother sent him to, showing burn scars on his arm as evidence. He was actually the psychopathic one; according to the other boys at the camp, he tried to drown another kid, left a dead gopher in someone's bed, and would regularly burn himself and another with a cigarette.
- Villain Protagonist: Depending on where you stand on Dr Morton's actions, he is either a villain protagonist who made a calculated move when he killed Jake or if he really just reached his Rage Breaking Point. Even his latter confession to Stabler and Novak doesn't entirely make it clear.
- If you take the latter, then Novak takes the Villain protagonist role for prosecuting Dr Morton.
- You Killed My Father: Inverted. It is Dr. Morton who is pissed as fuck for the murder of his son and wants Revenge.
