Rubber Room (Law & Order)
Encyclopedia
"Rubber Room" is the twenty-third episode of the twentieth season and the series finale
of NBC
's long-running legal drama
Law & Order
. In the episode, Detectives Lupo
and Bernard
search for an anonymous blog
ger who has posted plans to blow up a school, while Lt. Van Buren
struggles to keep her personal issues private.
The episode was written and directed by René Balcer
and received positive reviews from critics and a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic in its original American broadcast. The episode reaired on TNT on October 25, 2010.
In the last scene of the episode, at a local bar Lupo and Bernard planned a debt party for Van Buren. She arrives with Frank Gibson (Ernie Hudson
) and they all applaud her. The Chief of Detectives provides a few checks for the collection jar. She introduces Frank as her boyfriend, but says of that afternoon, he is her fiancé. Van Buren's phone rings with a message; it is her doctor. She cries briefly after she gets off the phone, then composes herself, saying "thank you, thank you, thank you." She whispers into Frank's ear, and they embrace. Although the exact nature of the message is left ambiguous, it is implied from Van Buren's reaction that she has received good news about her cervical cancer
, such as remission.
It seems likely that elements of the plot were inspired by an ongoing controversy surrounding New York City's policy and union rules for teachers in early 2010.
S. Epatha Merkerson
announced she was leaving the cast of the series prior to its cancellation by NBC
.
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
gave the episode a positive review, saying "That’s why Law & Order in eternal reruns is so comforting. You can enjoy episodes even when you remember the case or the outcome, because you want to immerse yourself in that Law & Order feeling that didn’t insult your intelligence."
The episode reaired on TNT
on October 25, 2010.
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's long-running legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. In the episode, Detectives Lupo
Cyrus Lupo
Det. Cyrus "Lupes" Lupo is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, played by Jeremy Sisto. He replaced Nina Cassady, who was written out of the show due to Milena Govich's departure from the cast.-Character development:...
and Bernard
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard is a fictional character on the TV crime drama Law & Order, portrayed by Anthony Anderson.- Character overview :Detective Bernard first appears in the episode "Burn Card" as an Internal Affairs detective, investigating a shooting in which Detective Ed Green is involved...
search for an anonymous blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger who has posted plans to blow up a school, while Lt. Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
struggles to keep her personal issues private.
The episode was written and directed by René Balcer
René Balcer
René Balcer is a Canadian television writer, director and producer.-Early life:He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and attended Lower Canada College in Montreal. He earned his B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Communication Studies from Concordia University in 1978. He began his career as a journalist,...
and received positive reviews from critics and a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic in its original American broadcast. The episode reaired on TNT on October 25, 2010.
Plot
After Van Buren discovers a blog site featuring video of an alarming amount of explosives, Detectives Lupo and Bernard race against time to find the anonymous blogger before he can make good on his threat to blow up a school. The Department of Education's refusal to take the threat seriously and resistance from the teachers' union further complicate the investigation. Fortunately, an administrative assistant at the teachers' union, Alicia (Lindsey Vonn), gives the detectives a tip to lead them in the right direction. Meanwhile, Van Buren struggles to keep her personal issues from becoming public.In the last scene of the episode, at a local bar Lupo and Bernard planned a debt party for Van Buren. She arrives with Frank Gibson (Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
) and they all applaud her. The Chief of Detectives provides a few checks for the collection jar. She introduces Frank as her boyfriend, but says of that afternoon, he is her fiancé. Van Buren's phone rings with a message; it is her doctor. She cries briefly after she gets off the phone, then composes herself, saying "thank you, thank you, thank you." She whispers into Frank's ear, and they embrace. Although the exact nature of the message is left ambiguous, it is implied from Van Buren's reaction that she has received good news about her cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
, such as remission.
It seems likely that elements of the plot were inspired by an ongoing controversy surrounding New York City's policy and union rules for teachers in early 2010.
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
announced she was leaving the cast of the series prior to its cancellation by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Sisto Jeremy Sisto Jeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. Sisto has had recurring roles as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order on television and also starred in the films Jesus, Clueless and Thirteen.-Early life:Sisto was born in Grass Valley, California, the... |
Det. Cyrus Lupo Cyrus Lupo Det. Cyrus "Lupes" Lupo is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, played by Jeremy Sisto. He replaced Nina Cassady, who was written out of the show due to Milena Govich's departure from the cast.-Character development:... |
| Anthony Anderson Anthony Anderson Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The... |
Det. Kevin Bernard Kevin Bernard Kevin Bernard is a fictional character on the TV crime drama Law & Order, portrayed by Anthony Anderson.- Character overview :Detective Bernard first appears in the episode "Burn Card" as an Internal Affairs detective, investigating a shooting in which Detective Ed Green is involved... |
| S. Epatha Merkerson S. Epatha Merkerson S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations... |
Lt. Anita Van Buren Anita Van Buren Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show... |
| Linus Roache Linus Roache Linus William Roache is an English actor.-Early life:Roache was born in Manchester, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper. Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa Church of England School in Chichester, West Sussex and at the independent Rydal School in Colwyn Bay,... |
EADA Michael Cutter Michael Cutter Michael "Mike" Cutter is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit played by Linus Roache. The character debuted in L&O's eighteenth season premiere, broadcast January 2, 2008, and remained through its series finale on May... |
| Alana de la Garza Alana de la Garza Alana de la Garza is an American actress. She is most famous for her role as A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa on the television series Law & Order and its short-lived spin-off, Law & Order: LA.-Biography:... |
ADA Connie Rubirosa Connie Rubirosa Assistant District Attorney / Deputy District Attorney Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa is a fictional character, portrayed by Alana de la Garza, who joined the cast of long-running NBC drama series Law & Order during the 17th season premiere episode "Fame". She is the only second-chair ADA of Law &... |
| Sam Waterston Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy... |
DA Jack McCoy Jack McCoy John James "Jack" McCoy is a fictional character in the television drama Law & Order, created by Michael S. Chernuchin and played by Sam Waterston since 1994. He is the second-longest tenured character on the show, after Lt. Anita Van Buren . On January 28, 2009, McCoy's character ended the longest... |
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Rubber Room" was viewed by an estimated 7.60 million households with a 1.9 rating/5% share in the 18-49 demographic.Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the episode a positive review, saying "That’s why Law & Order in eternal reruns is so comforting. You can enjoy episodes even when you remember the case or the outcome, because you want to immerse yourself in that Law & Order feeling that didn’t insult your intelligence."
The episode reaired on TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
on October 25, 2010.