Law and Order US vs. UK round 18 (Bad Faith vs Confession)

Here we have probably the most legally challenging adaptation yet. Most of the Law and Order UK episodes are all based off murder episodes, but this is one where the small differences between the US and UK legal system affects how the UK episode is adapted.

• Both episodes are about a a police officer commiting suicide after a former priest who abused him as a child returned to New York/London. Both Logan and Devlin (Logan's UK counterpart) were great friends with this cop, so are both desparate to put the former priest to justice.
• I love the emotional breakdown of the UK cop's wife after she was told the bad news, as well as her horrified reaction when she realises she's going to have to tell her son what has happened.
• Both investigation scenes play out almost identically, though I think throughout the episode, Devlin does a better job at showing his anger towards the priest. Logan is shockingly calmer by comparison, only telling Cregan about his experiences in an anti corruption interview.
• On that note, Cregan makes a small appearance in the US version, that's nice.
• The main drama for both episodes come with the Order part of Law and Order. In the US version, the problem lies with statutes of limitations. More than twenty years have passed since the priest abused his victims, so in order to prosecute him, they use the fact that he bribed the police officer with ten thousand dollars as proof of an ongoing conspiracy, extending the statutes of limitations.
• The UK legal system doesn't have statutes of limitations for serious offences, so the problem becomes the fact that none of the known victims will come forward to testify about their abuse. I personally prefer this, as it better sells the horror of the crime, and the lifelong toll it has on the victims.
• The UK prosecutors decide to charge the priest with manslaughter, as his abuse led to the cop to develop mental issues that led to his suicide. I'm not convinced this is in any way realistic, and the judge dropped the charges after the ten thousand pound bribe was found in the cop's son's account (something that neither the family nor the cops actually knew).
• The US version also has a ten thousand dollar bribe, however the bribe this time is a lot more important, as the cop was accused of supplying the priest with victims, and the money was used to pay for his services, which makes the bribe not one of conspiracy, therefore the statutes of limitations stay put.
• The UK prosecutors are eventually given a list of names and statements from the church. When asked why the church did this without being asked, the representative said "we're all going to be hel accountable to God one day Mr. Steel".
• The US priest was defeated after McCoy is told by a family therapist that the cop was investigating his sons' abuse, proving the priest's supposed alliance with him to be a lie.
• Both versions have a meeting between the prosecutors and the priest. Both prosecutors state that nothing the priest can say will make them feel sorry for them, but I prefer Steel's version of the scene. It has a lot more fury and anger in it, and another great line that isn't in the US scene. "You'll be held countable to your victims before you're held accountable to God, Mr. Nugent."
• The US priest agrees to a plee deal. In the UK version, the slimeball lawyer Mr. Ridley tries to negotiate a plea deal, but Steel refuses, wanting Nugent sent down for the abuse of all 42 victims.
• The UK ending is a lot more satisfying to me. Devlin takes the stand to testify against Nugent, who in turn gives of a very bitter and ugly scowl, revealing his true colours that were supressed in the nicey nice voice he had previously.
• The UK episode ends with Nugent being found guilty of all 42 abuses, with the verdicts being read out one by one. Devlin then confides with Ronnie Brooks (UK version of Briscoe) and confesses that he doesn't even remember whether he was a victim or not.

I think the US one wins the realism category (I don't see how the UK priest could ever be tried for manslaughter) but the UK version is better overall because of the raw emotion of the episode.

Preferred UK: 10

Preferred US: 8