# Law and Order (Jan 12) Surprise -- (Open spoilers)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 13, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482 "2005-01-13T02:57:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/1 "2005-01-13T02:57:43Z")
Spoilers, natch. Be warned.
Just saw the Jan 12th episode and though I missed the beginning, the episode ends with Elisabeth Röhm’s character getting fired becuase she’s too passionate about the prosecutions, while the D.A. prefers a more “cold-blooded” approach. Well, colour me shocked, because Röhm’s painfully wooden acting always struck me as being entirely too _im_passionate.
And I guess I missed a bunch of episodes because Röhm’s character asks at the end if she’s being fired for being a lesbian. To me, that came _way_ out of left field. Was this an established plot point or just thrown in for shock value?
Anyhoo, Annie Parisse has been lined up as replacement. I can’t imagine she’ll be worse than Röhm or, God forbid, Dianne Wiest.
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/2 "2005-01-13T03:50:54Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#):
>
> …
>
> And I guess I missed a bunch of episodes because Röhm’s character asks at the end if she’s being fired for being a lesbian. To me, that came _way_ out of left field. Was this an established plot point or just thrown in for shock value?
>
> Anyhoo, Annie Parisse has been lined up as replacement. I can’t imagine she’ll be worse than Röhm or, God forbid, Dianne Wiest.
I wasn’t paying much attention but I heard the “Is this because I’m a lesbian?” line and wondered where the heck that came from, too. I don’t recall any reference to it before. Was it mentioned earlier in the show?
Perhaps it was for shock value or maybe they plan on having her sue for wrongful dismissal and keeping the actress around a little while longer.
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### Author:  [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/3 "2005-01-13T03:53:33Z")
I thought the lesbian thing was showing how shallow Serena was–everything was personal and all about her. She didn’t take onboard Arthur’s reasonable dissertation on the difference between being a prosecutor and an advocate at all.
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### Author:  [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/4 "2005-01-13T03:59:07Z")
I’m not terribly fond of Rohm, but I didn’t think she was hideous. However, I think I’ve seen most of the episodes that she has been on.
My immediate reaction to the “Is it because I’m a lesbian?” was a loud and resounding **WHAT THE FUCK**? Frankly, I was impressed that she hadn’t gotten laid by Jack. 😉 I _never_ would’ve seen that, and maybe it’s that “wooden” acting again, but I, well… I was stunned.
NBC’s done stuff to get a reaction, but this was just, IMO, gratuitous. She got fired for a valid reason. Why bring sexual orientation into it at all?
_sigh_ I like most of the remaining cast, but I’m starting to be very disappointed. Oh, well.
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/5 "2005-01-13T06:04:18Z")
Am I the only one who thinks it was just a joke?
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### Author:  [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/6 "2005-01-13T06:55:46Z")
I like the thread title Bryan. Didn’t you also post “OMG the dude in the crying game is a man! (spoilers)?”
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### Author:  [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/7 "2005-01-13T12:19:33Z")
> [@Slacker](#):
>
> I like the thread title Bryan. Didn’t you also post “OMG the dude in the crying game is a man! (spoilers)?”
Nice!- Another old movie I’ve missed that I can skip. 😉
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### Author:  [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/8 "2005-01-13T12:38:40Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#):
>
> Nice!- Another old movie I’ve missed that I can skip. 😉
Whoops… I meant to say _man, what a good movie!_ (yay!) 😃
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/9 "2005-01-13T14:56:13Z")
C’mon, **Bryan** , you know better than that. I have edited the thread title, although it’s probably too late. NOte that you posted it before the show had aired on the West Coast of the U.S., to say nothing of people who taped it to watch for later. Putting a spoiler in the title of the thread is rude and inconsiderate.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/10 "2005-01-13T15:50:28Z")
> [@Indyellen](#):
>
> My immediate reaction to the “Is it because I’m a lesbian?” was a loud and resounding **WHAT THE FUCK**? Frankly, I was impressed that she hadn’t gotten laid by Jack. 😉
Jack hasn’t slept with any of his assistants since Claire, from what I recall.
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### Author:  [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/11 "2005-01-13T16:25:04Z")
I thought Branch looked nonplussed when she said was it because she was a lesbian.
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/12 "2005-01-13T17:19:41Z")
I also vaguely remember her having mentioned past boyfriends (which doesn’t mean she isn’t a lesbian. But did add to the “where the hell did that come from?” aspect.)
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/13 "2005-01-13T19:58:27Z")
Well one thing we can be sure won’t happen as a result of this “lesbian” thread on Law & Order: penis ensues.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/14 "2005-01-13T22:30:38Z")
Though I’ll concede it was inconsiderate of me to forget the West Coasters who might not have known that this particular episode marked Rohm’s departure, the subject _of_ her impending departure was discussed on this board [some time ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=263919&highlight=Rohm).
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/15 "2005-01-14T01:28:47Z")
We knew she was leaving. We didn’t know the how of the leaving.
Color me surprised as well at the “Is it because I’m a lesbian?” thing. I agree, that was completely gratuitous. Arthur had a reasonable reason for letting her go.
Who is her replacement? I’ve never heard of the actress.
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### Author:  [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/16 "2005-01-14T01:50:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Jack hasn’t slept with any of his assistants since Claire, from what I recall.
Very true…having your co-worker/lover die in a car wreck does tend to make you at least swear off sleeping with co-workers.
Besides, Jamie was married & Abbie, well, she’d just smack him around if he tried anything. And now we know why Serena didn’t…
😃
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/17 "2005-01-14T01:54:26Z")
Jamie was divorced.
The thing that ticks me off is that pre-Claire, Jack had only had three female assistants. I guess they’re trying to make up for lost time. It’s not realistic he’d have four female assistants in a row.
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### Author:  [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/18 "2005-01-14T01:57:42Z")
All I can say is that the phrase “Is it because I’m a lesbian?” has already entered the lexicon. Starting with us L&O fans, but it’ll spread.
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### Author:  [@JDeMobray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDeMobray)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/19 "2005-01-14T02:02:32Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> Jamie was divorced.
>
> The thing that ticks me off is that pre-Claire, Jack had only had three female assistants. I guess they’re trying to make up for lost time. It’s not realistic he’d have four female assistants in a row.
I agree. They should just bring back Abbie Carmichael. . .
Cause, y’know it would be more realistic. . .
What?
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### Author:  [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-and-order-jan-12-surprise-open-spoilers/284482/20 "2005-01-14T02:04:47Z")
As far as wooden acting goes, I never really thought of that as an issue. She’s a frickin Prosecutor for gods sake, what do you expect? Look at Janet Reno. They aren’t exactly the life of the party.
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