Elisabeth Röhm Movies

As it entered its 13th season on the air, Law & Order also entered the history books as the longest-running TV program of its genre. This, however, did not satisfy series producer Dick Wolf, who had every intention of keeping the series in production for at least another eight years, long enough to smash Gunsmoke's status as the longest-running dramatic series of all time. Wolf also refused to rest on his laurels by concentrating on his "baby" alone: In addition to the original Law & Order, he was also churning out spin-offs Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as the documentary/reality series Crime & Punishment, with an updated revival of the classic Dragnet still in the wings. The basic Law & Order cast from season 12 was still in place, with one very significant change. After two years of service, interim District Attorney Nora Lewin (Dianne Weist), who'd replaced the venerable Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) in 2000, was herself replaced by DA Arthur Branch, played by Fred Dalton Thompson, an erstwhile actor better known to the public as a former Republican senator from Tennessee. The avuncular, home-fried conservatism of Branch -- who, unlike his strictly-business predecessors, was inclined toward long-winded anecdotes and rustic homilies whenever making an important point of law -- was frequently at odds with the intense liberalism of ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and the studied seriousness of McCoy's assistant Serena Southerlyn. So much for the "Order" portion of the program. Back on the "Law" end of the spectrum, producer Wolf had promised viewers that there would be more friction between detectives Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Eddie Green (Jesse L. Martin); as it turned out, however, Briscoe and Green developed into something of a comedy team, with Green playing off of the witty comments and abysmal puns invariably dropped by Briscoe at each murder scene. Similarly, the detectives' sober-sided superior, Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), became a bit more wry and light-hearted than she'd been in previous seasons. As always, Law & Order kept abreast of the times with stories based on actual events and persons. The aftermath of 9/11, the saga of "American Jihad" John Walker Lindh, the shoplifting trial of actress Winona Ryder, the Lacy Peterson murder case, the Martha Stewart inside-trading imbroglio, pop star Michael Jackson's display of parental recklessness from a balcony, the criminal charges against the NBA's Jayson Williams, and the "D.C. Snipers" case were all grist for the writers' mill. The 13th-season finale of Law & Order was lavishly publicized as the series' 300th episode. Technically, however, it was the 301st, but NBC seldom acknowledged the series' pilot episode because it had been financed by CBS. Ironically, that selfsame pilot show was rebroadcast by NBC May 21, 2003, the same night as the "300th" installment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cordy (Charisma Carpenter) and the boys proudly cure a client of a demonic third eye that has sprouted in the back of her head, but the girl's mother refuses to pay on the grounds that since demons don't exist, the team must have scammed her. Later, Virginia (Brigid Brannagh) breaks up with Wesley (Alexis Denisof), unable to cope with his dangerous lifestyle. Elsewhere, Detective Kate Lockley (Elisabeth Rohm) gets fired from the LAPD for her obsession with the occult. Meanwhile, Angel (David Boreanaz) learns that one of the senior partners of Wolfram & Hart, a fearsome Kleynack demon, will be arriving on earth soon for the firm's violent 75-year review. Angel decides to take his battle with the firm all the way to the bottom -- to hell, where he will confront the senior partners on their home turf. After basically stealing a book from Wes and Cordy and further alienating his former comrades, he turns to Denver (Brett Rickaby), the same bookstore proprietor who helped him 50 years earlier (see "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?"). Denver gives him a mystic gauntlet that will allow him to kill the visiting Kleynack demon and steal the magical ring with which it travels between dimensions. Unfortunately, Darla (Julie Benz), who has been recovering from her burns at the apartment of smitten lawyer Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane), has also learned of the impending review. She arrives at the bookstore, kills Denver, steals the glove and runs Angel through with a sword. Later, both Darla and Angel crash the Wolfram & Hart review, and Angel manages to get his hands on both the gauntlet and the ring. When he puts it on, the deceased Holland Manners (Sam Anderson) arrives to take him in an elevator to hell. As it turns out, though, the elevator leads not to hell, but back to earth -- for, as Holland explains, evil is everywhere and inside everyone. As the bitter Kate lies near death, having washed down a bottle of pills with liquor, a demoralized Angel returns home to find Darla waiting for him. He falls nihilistically into bed with her and awakens in what appears to be the same agony that beset him after making love to Buffy and losing his soul (see Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Innocence"). Originally broadcast February 20, 2001, on the WB network, "Reprise" marked season two, episode 15 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

With the departure of series regular Angie Harmon at the close of season eleven (it was explained that her character, Assistant DA Abbie Carmichael, had accepted a job with the U.S. Attorney's Federal Major Crimes Task Force), season twelve of Law & Order was ushered in with a new face in the DA's office. Elisabeth Rohm was added to the cast as ADA Serena Southerlyn, who had requested the appointment because she wanted to tackle grittier cases than the "white-collar crimes" which had been her forte. The scriptwriters wasted little time in providing Serena with a baptism by fire: in the episode "DR 1-102," she courageously defused a dangerous hostage situation -- only to face the loss of her license to practice law because she failed to follow accepted legal procedure. The rest of the cast remained the same as in season eleven, though it was already established that Dianne Wiest's character, interim DA Nora Lewin, would be written out as soon as a permanent district attorney could be elected. (It was not that Wiest was unhappy with her role, nor that the producers were dissatisfied with the character; she just didn't want to be artistically confined to series television.) Likewise maintaining the Law & Order status quo was the series' predilection for stories based on current headlines, beginning with the season opener "Who Let the Dogs Out?," which was transparently inspired by a real-life California case involving a killer pit bull. The arrests of actor Robert Blake and rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs and the disappearance of congressional intern Chandra Levy, likewise provided grist for the series' story mill. In addition, the terrible events of September 11 loomed large over the proceedings, notably in the season-closing episode "Patriot." Finally, by 2001, Law & Order had become something of franchise. The series' first spin-off, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, was entering its second successful season. Both this show and its parent series were joined in the fall of 2001 by Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which chronicled crime and punishment from the perpetrators' point-of-view. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As flashbacks document the tangled history between Angel (David Boreanaz) and Darla (Julie Benz), Angel tries to save his newly resurrected, now-human sire from Wolfram & Hart -- and from her own desire to become a vampire again. The vague stirrings of her newborn soul lead Darla to seek Angel's help, but lawyer Holland Manners (Sam Anderson) keeps her a virtual prisoner. With assistance from reluctant ally Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane), Angel rescues Darla but refuses to turn her into a vampire, so she flees. In flashbacks, Darla is seen as a mortal in Virginia in 1609 -- a syphilitic prostitute turned into a vampire by ancient and powerful bloodsucker The Master (Mark Metcalf). Other scenes depict the first meeting between Angel and The Master; the bloody antics of Angel and Darla with Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (James Marsters); Darla murdering the gypsies who cursed Angel with a soul; and the soul-stricken Angel trying and failing to reunite with Darla during the Boxer Rebellion in China. Back in the present, the lawyers of Wolfram & Hart manipulate Darla into returning to Angel, with whom she engages in a long philosophical debate about pain, suffering, and redemption. Frightened and weak, she flees again, ordering Angel not to follow. Originally broadcast November 14, 2000, on the WB network, "Darla" marked season two, episode seven of the supernatural comedy drama. Spike is a regular character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while The Master has served as villain for several episodes of that series, most notably the entire first season. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

After the build-up of the past several episodes, Angel (David Boreanaz) finally comes face to face with Darla (Julie Benz), his vampire sire, who was recently resurrected by evil law firm Wolfram & Hart. As it turns out, however, she's been brought back as a human in an attempt to manipulate him into turning evil again. The entire reunion is staged by Darla and lawyer Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) as a cruel trap in which Angel is duped into thinking Darla may actually be someone else entirely -- a normal human woman named Diedra Cramer. The ruse even convinces Detective Kate Lockley (Elisabeth Rohm), who tries to protect "Diedra" from Angel. Eventually, Angel kidnaps Darla and she confesses all, attempting to seduce him and destroy his soul in the process. He warns her that as a human she has a soul now, too, and will experience endless regret for her 400 years of bloodshed as a vampire. Unconvinced, Darla declares, "God doesn't want you, but I still do," then escapes into the sunlight, leaving Angel despondent. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew learns about Darla's resurrection, and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) must bring Gunn (J. August Richards) up to speed on Angel's propensity for reverting to the evil Angelus whenever he experiences a moment of true happiness (see Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Innocence"). Flashbacks also chronicle Angelus and Darla's reign of terror in Victorian England and their corruption and vampirification of the delicate Drusilla (Juliet Landau). Originally broadcast October 24, 2000, on the WB network, "Dear Boy" marked season two, episode five of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

When a rich software mogul (David Herman) hires Angel (David Boreanaz) to find out who's blackmailing him with pictures of his visit to a demon brothel, Angel's investigation takes him to the vampire-infested inner city. There, he comes into contact with a group of homeless vampire hunters who refuse to believe that a creature like Angel could be anything but evil. He escapes their clutches only by momentarily kidnapping Alonna (Michelle Kelly), the sister of the hunters' leader, Charles Gunn (J. August Richards). When war erupts between the hunters and a particularly nasty vampire nest, Alonna is turned into a vampire -- and she almost turns her brother, too. Angel, Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) help defeat the vampires, but Gunn and his gang remain squatting in their digs, vowing to continue their fight. Originally broadcast May 9, 2000, on the WB network, "War Zone" marked season one, episode 20 of the supernatural comedy drama. This episode includes the first appearance of J. August Richards as Gunn, who would become a regular character in season two. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Wesley (Alexis Denisof) attempts to translate the Scrolls of Obearsain after Angel (David Boreanaz) stole them from Wolfram & Hart (see "Blind Date"). Eventually, he learns that a key word, "shanshu," means "to die" and interprets the passage as a prophesy that Angel, the "vampire with a soul," will die. When Angel acts nonplussed at the news, his friends worry that he has become callous after so many years among the undead. Meanwhile, Wolfram & Hart enlist a powerful demon named Vocah (Todd Stashwick) to sever Angel's ties to the Powers That Be. It kills the oracles, drives Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) mad with a continuous, painful vision, and blows up the headquarters of Angel Investigations while stealing back the ancient scrolls. Angel once again turns to Gunn (J. August Richards) for help, this time to watch over Cordy and the injured Wesley. The spirit of one of the oracles helps Angel track down Vocah, who is using the scrolls to preside over a mystical ceremony with the Wolfram & Hart lawyers. Angel interrupts the ceremony and kills Vocah, then severs the hand of Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) when he attempts to burn the scrolls. Later, with everyone recovered from their tribulations, Wesley takes another crack at translation and learns that "shanshu" actually means "to live." It seems that Angel may one day become mortal again. Back at Wolfram & Hart, a snarling creature lurks in a cage -- Darla (Julie Benz), Angel's slain vampire sire, brought back from the dead as an instrument of vengeance. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) experiences yet another vision, this one involving danger to a young family. Angel (David Boreanaz) rushes to the scene and barely saves a sleepwalking boy named Ryan (Jesse James) from getting run over. Wesley (Alexis Denisof) realizes that an Ethros demon (Anthony Cistaro) has possessed a member of the boy's family -- mother Paige (Katy Boyer), father Seth (Will Kempe), or daughter Stephanie (Ashley Edner). With the help of some magic brownies, the team roots out the demon, who is hiding inside little Ryan himself. With no priest available, Angel himself must undertake the exorcism. But when the magic box procured by Cordelia to contain the expelled demon proves insufficient, Wes and Angel must hunt the thing down and kill it. Its dying pronouncement is that it had been trying to escape Ryan's body all along -- because the boy himself was pure evil, more monstrous than any demon. Angel and Wes rush back to the family's home just in time to save little Stephanie from Ryan's pyromania. Originally broadcast February 15, 2000, on the WB network, "I've Got You Under My Skin" marked season one, episode 14 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

When a man named Darin Macnamara (Douglas Roberts) comes to Angel Investigations for help in rescuing his brother from the demons who kidnapped him, Angel (David Boreanaz) investigates and soon learns that Darin's story was a ruse. The organizer of a Wolfram & Hart-sponsored fight club, Darin enslaves Angel and forces him to battle a demon in a gladiatorial deathmatch. Angel wins but learns that he'll have to keep fighting each night or die; the bracelet that's been placed on his arm will kill him if he removes it or escapes. Angel holds Darin's brother, Jack (Scott William Winters), hostage in an attempt to rouse the other slaves to rebellion and force Darin to release him; rather than comply, Darin simply kills his own brother. Wesley (Alexis Denisof) and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) eventually help Angel break up the gladiator ring, but not before Angel encounters Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov), a Wolfram & Hart lawyer who will become one of his major nemeses. Originally broadcast February 29, 2000, on the WB network, "The Ring" marked season one, episode 16 of the supernatural comedy drama. In the episode's opening sequence, Cordelia tries out a new online demon database, the illustrations on which come from actual Angel creature production sketches. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Christian Kane, who appeared as an unnamed Wolfram & Hart attorney in "City of Angels," makes the first of several return appearances here; his character's name is revealed to be Lindsey McDonald. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Doyle (Glenn Quinn) finally gets up the nerve to ask out Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), albeit halfheartedly, but her reply is a typically sarcastic "no." She tries to call, him, however, when she discovers roaches invading her dumpy apartment. Unfortunately, Doyle is busy being harassed by a demon in regards to some gambling debts, so he's unavailable. Cordelia therefore invites herself to move into Angel's plush digs. Unable to cope with Cordelia's nonexistent roommate skills, Angel (David Boreanaz) strikes a deal with Doyle: If Doyle will help Cordelia find a new flat, Angel will get the debt-collector demon off Doyle's back. Doyle does end up finding Cordelia a dream apartment, unfortunately, it's haunted by two separate ghosts. Cordelia and company eventually befriend one of the spooks and drive out the other one, leaving Cordy free to enjoy her new apartment. Originally broadcast November 2, 1999, on the WB network, "Rm w/a Vu" marked season one, episode five of the supernatural comedy drama. Aura, one of Cordelia's Heathers-style minions from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, appears in voice only, leaving a gossipy message on the Angel Investigations answering machine. The friendly ghost, Dennis, becomes a recurring character, though an invisible one. B.J. Porter, who portrays him in this episode, does not reappear. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide