Aria

"Aria"
←	L&O, Episode 2.03	→
Production number: 67411 First aired: 1 October 1991
	th of 456 produced in L&O
←	th of 456 released in L&O	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Teleplay By Christine Roum Story By Michael S. Chernuchin Directed By Don Scardino

Plot[]

A young actress dies of a drug overdose and the investigation leads the detectives and the District Attorney to an aggressive stage mother and a pornographic movie director and uncovers the reason behind the young actress' death.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

• Paul Sorvino as Sergeant Phil Cerreta
• Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan
• Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
• Michael Moriarty as Executive A.D.A. Benjamin Stone
• Richard Brooks as A.D.A. Paul Robinette
• Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff

Recurring cast[]

• Tovah Feldshuh as Defense Attorney Danielle Melnick
• William Severs as Judge Henry Fillmore

Guest cast[]

• Tony Roberts as Defense Attorney Lucas Pollard
• Marilyn Rockafellow as Elizabeth Blaine
• Maura Tierney as Patricia "Patti" Blaine
• Michael Countryman as Dr. Joseph Stern
• Stephen D. Newman as Dr. Seliger
• Lisa Nicole Carson as Jasmine
• Maria Pitillo as Angel Greer
• Lewis Black as Director Franklin Frome
• Mary B. Ward as Priscilla Blaine
• Dylan Haggerty as Roger Glenn
• Catherine Wolf as Judge Rosemary Hale
• Mary Doyle as Judge Dreiser
• Lou Martini, Jr. as Melton
• Frank Vincent as J.Z.
• Jay Goede as Graham
• Vince Cupone as Larry
• Ed Kovens as Ed Zakaris
• Schuyler Grant as Callie
• Vincent Curatola as Court Clerk

References[]

References

Quotes[]

Patricia Blaine: My mother couldn't decide if I was Martha Graham or Helen Hayes.

Phil Cerreta: Who were you?

Patricia Blaine: I was Patty Blaine. So I got out before I wasn't.

Benjamin Stone: In your new film, was Priscilla Blaine expected to perform sex acts on screen?

Franklin Frome: Tastefully, yes.

Paul Robinette: It's like a fairy tale.

Benjamin Stone: Which one?

Paul Robinette: Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

Elizabeth Blaine: But I loved her. She was my life!

Benjamin Stone: No, she was your daughter. She had a life of her own.

Background information and notes[]

• This is actress Tovah Feldshuh's first appearance as Defense Attorney Danielle Melnick.
• This episode appears to be based on the the death of famous actress Marilyn Monroe. Monroe was a major sex symbol and one of the most popular Hollywood stars during the 1950s and early 1960s. She died of a barbiturate overdose late in the evening of August 4, 1962, at her home in Los Angeles, California. Her body was discovered before dawn. Her death was officially ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, based on precedents of her overdosing and being prone to mood swings and suicidal ideation. No evidence of foul play was found, and accidental overdose was ruled out due to the large amount of barbiturates she ingested. Despite the coroner's findings, several conspiracy theories suggesting murder or accidental overdose have been proposed since the mid-1960s. Many of these involve President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, as well as union leader Jimmy Hoffa and mob boss Sam Giancana. Due to the prevalence of these theories in the media, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office reviewed the case in 1982, but it found no evidence to support them.
• In the time period that this episode was shot, Maura Tierney wasn't a famous actress. She would rise to stardom with her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio, and Dr. Abby Lockhart on ER in the years following.
• In this episode, it is revealed that Sergeant Phil Cerreta and his wife Elaine have five children.
• Goof: William Severs is credited as "Judge Freitag" but the nameplate shown lists his character's name as "Henry Fillmore".

Episode scene cards[]