Ep 15. Inhumane Society

During Season 9, Episode 15 of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, entitled "Inhumane Society", viewers get to see the detectives tackle a case that involves a prestigious research institute and a group of animal rights activists. The episode opens with the murder of Dr. Dwight Varick, a scientist working at the research institute Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research. It is clear that someone has broken into his lab and injected him with a lethal poison.

The detectives of the Major Case Squad quickly realize that this is not the first time that the institute and the animal rights activists have clashed. A few months earlier, the activists had organized a protest outside the institute, accusing it of performing experiments on animals that were cruel and inhumane. Although the protest was peaceful, the institute's management had been angered by the activists' accusations, and the tension had been brewing ever since.

As the investigation continues, the detectives uncover a number of suspicious events that seem to be connected to the case. For example, they discover that Dr. Varick had been involved in a controversial experiment that involved the cloning of human organs in pigs. Although the experiment was not illegal, it had raised a lot of ethical questions, and some people had been outraged by it.

The detectives also find evidence that suggests that one of the animal rights activists, a young woman named Tara Dupont, had been in contact with Dr. Varick prior to his death. When they question her, she denies any involvement in the murder, but admits that she had been trying to get Dr. Varick to reconsider his work at the institute. She reveals that she had stumbled upon some disturbing information about the institute's practices, including video footage of the experiments being conducted on animals.

As the detectives delve deeper into the case, they begin to suspect that Dr. Varick's murder was not just a random act of violence, but was instead part of a larger conspiracy. They get a break in the case when they trace the origins of the poison used to kill Dr. Varick to a lab owned by a pharmaceutical company that has a financial stake in the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research.

With this new information, the detectives start to piece together a complex web of corruption that involves not only the institute and the pharmaceutical company, but also some of the animal rights activists. They discover that the activists were not only protesting against the institute, but were also working on the inside to gather evidence of animal abuse, in order to use it as leverage against the institute's management.

As the detectives close in on the conspirators, they are faced with a moral dilemma: should they bring the animal rights activists to justice for their involvement in the conspiracy, or should they turn a blind eye, knowing that the activists were fighting for a good cause? The episode ends with the detectives making a decision that reflects their own personal values, but leaves some loose ends that will undoubtedly be picked up in future episodes.

Overall, "Inhumane Society" is a thought-provoking episode that raises important questions about the ethics of animal experimentation and the role of activism in promoting change. The plot is engaging and complex, with plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The performances are strong, particularly from Vincent D'Onofrio as Detective Goren, who brings his usual intensity and intelligence to the role. Recommended for fans of crime dramas and anyone interested in exploring ethical dilemmas in a realistic and compelling way.