Anti-Thesis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
The introduction of this article is vague or missing. To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, it should be improved. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the lead section guide to make sure the introduction summarizes the article. |
| “Anti-Thesis” | |
|---|---|
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 3 |
| Guest stars | Reg E. Cathey Daniel London Olivia d'Abo |
| Written by | Dick Wolf René Balcer Eric Overmyer |
| Directed by | Adam Bernstein |
| Production no. | E3203 |
| Original airdate | October 13, 2002 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Bright Boy" | "Best Defense" |
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
When the President of Hudson University is bludgeoned to death in his office, suspicion falls on a prominent African-American professor who had accused the victim of being a racist.
[edit] Cast and crew
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Detective Robert Goren
- Kathryn Erbe as Detective Alexandra Eames
- Jamey Sheridan as Captain James Deakins
- Courtney B. Vance as Ron Carver
- Olivia d'Abo as Nicole Wallace
- Pascale Armand as Valerie Goodman
- Stefanie Bari as Maria
- Doug Barron as Hamilton Frisch
- Khaz B as Male Student
- Philip Bosco as President Winthrop
- Geoffrey Cantor as Ronald Hardin
- Reg E. Cathey as Professor Roland Sanders
- Craig Chester as Derek
- Linda Emond as Dr. Christine Fellowes
- Jason Furlani as Detective Ponds
- Peter Gerety as George Dawkins
- Shauna Hurley as Katie Robbins
- Tina Lina as Vana
- Daniel London as Mark Bayley
- Jane Elizabeth Mendez as Female Student
- Lianni Pai as Janey Lin
- Teleplay by: Eric Overmyer
- Story by: Dick Wolf, René Balcer and Eric Overmyer
- Director: Adam Bernstein
[edit] Episode trivia
This episode features the first appearance of Nicole Wallace.
- What's in a name:
The episode title, "Anti-Thesis", is a play on words with two meanings. The word "antithesis" is defined as something being the direct opposite of what it is being contrasted against. The recurring character Nicole Wallace, introduced for the first time in this episode, could be considered both Detective Goren's equal and his opposite. Additionally, another character's 1000+ page thesis is very important to this episode's story.
Harvard University's undergraduate student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, suggested in October 2002 that the episode's premise was lifted from the nationally-publicized, real-life squabble between Harvard President Lawrence Summers and African-American Studies Professor Cornel West.[1] Similarities include
-
- The fictional Professor Sanders wears an afro and goatee, teaches American Studies, and is criticized for releasing a rap album. Cornel West wears an afro and goatee, teaches African-American Studies, and was criticized by Summers for releasing a rap album.
- President Winthrop quotes a line of dialogue almost identical to a sentence attributed to Summers; Sanders' reply accurately reflects the charges of racism raised against Summers' criticism of the spoken word rap album.
- "Sanders" is the name of the largest lecture hall on Harvard's campus; "Winthrop" is a traditional Boston family name with long ties to the Harvard campus.
[edit] Quotes
- Nicole Wallace: Got carried off by dingoes. It happens a lot in Australia.
- Goren: Professor Sanders wasn't in that night grading papers, was he?
Eames: True or false, Miss Goodman, and we don't give incompletes. - Goren: You use sex as an exercise in self-hatred.
- President Winthrop: I expect my professors to be in the classroom teaching.
Professor Sanders: I am not your professor. Just because you run this university like a plantation doesn’t mean you’re the massah and I’m yo’ field-han’. - Dr. Christine Fellowes: I can't have you here. You're relieved of your duties.
Goren: In that case, you're under arrest.
Nicole Wallace: For what?
Eames: You just got fired. You're in violation of your work visa.
[edit] External links
- Official Website hosted by NBC
