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The Best Episodes of Law & Order Season 9

Every episode of Law & Order Season 9 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Law & Order Season 9!

Binge this in 18h 18m•Peaking at 8.5/10

In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Law & Order Season 9 Episode 1 - Cherished
    7.9/10(411 votes)

    #1 - Cherished

    S9:E1

    The investigation into a girl's death reveals secrets the adoptive family was desperately trying to hide.

    Director:Edwin Sherin
    Writer:Kathy McCormick

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  2. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 2 - DWB
    8.1/10(372 votes)

    #2 - DWB

    S9:E2

    Detectives discover a shocking twist involving unlikely suspects when they investigate the brutal beating of a black man dumped near the highway.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Kathy McCormick

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  3. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 3 - Bait
    7.5/10(344 votes)

    #3 - Bait

    S9:E3

    The investigation into how a teen got wounded leads to a case involving a young woman's murder and a drug operation.

    Director:David Shore
    Writer:David Shore

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  4. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 4 - Flight
    7.7/10(355 votes)

    #4 - Flight

    S9:E4

    After a child in a day-care center dies of a virus, Briscoe and Curtis try to find the source of the infection, leading to a case involving an extramarital affair, embezzlement and a drug manufacturer.

    Director:David Platt
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 5 - Agony
    8.2/10(413 votes)

    #5 - Agony

    S9:E5

    After the detectives find a murdered postman and a woman who was left for dead in her apartment, the investigation leads to a serial killer and a surprise.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Kathy McCormick

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  6. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 6 - Scrambled
    7.5/10(367 votes)

    #6 - Scrambled

    S9:E6

    The murder of an employee at a fertility clinic leads to a case involving a dead man's first and second wives.

    Director:Martha Mitchell
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 7 - Venom
    7.7/10(386 votes)

    #7 - Venom

    S9:E7

    The killing of a professional escort leads to a case involving the relationships between a young man and two older women.

    Director:Jace Alexander
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 8 - Punk
    8.1/10(419 votes)

    #8 - Punk

    S9:E8

    The murder of a corrections officer leads detectives to a women's prison where a guard was linked to an inmate Carmichael put away on drug charges and a confrontation with defense attorney Danielle Melnick.

    Director:Matthew Penn
    Writer:Matt Witten

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  9. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 9 - True North
    7.8/10(394 votes)

    #9 - True North

    S9:E9

    The double murder of a wealthy man and his daughter leads the detectives to the wife and stepmother of the deceased. However, Canada's objection to the death penalty hampers McCoy and Carmichael in seeking crucial evidence for obtaining a conviction.

    Director:Arthur W. Forney
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 10 - Hate
    7.9/10(407 votes)

    #10 - Hate

    S9:E10

    Evidence points the detectives in the direction of a fascist youth gathering after the brutal beating and murder of a high school girl.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 11 - Ramparts
    8.0/10(378 votes)

    #11 - Ramparts

    S9:E11

    Briscoe and Curtis reopen a case that was closed in the '60s when a vehicle is dredged from the Hudson River containing the remains of a murdered man.

    Director:Matthew Penn
    Writers:Kathy McCormick, Lynne E. Litt

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  12. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 12 - Haven
    7.3/10(330 votes)

    #12 - Haven

    S9:E12

    Briscoe and Curtis probe the murder of a popular Harlem community leader while McCoy and Carmichael struggle to prevent a chaotic situation.

    Director:David Platt
    Writer:David Shore

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  13. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 13 - Hunters
    7.5/10(344 votes)

    #13 - Hunters

    S9:E13

    Briscoe and Curtis race against time to find the killer of a parolee before two bounty hunters find the suspected murderer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Gerry Conway

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  14. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 14 - Sideshow (I)
    8.0/10(378 votes)

    #14 - Sideshow (I)

    S9:E14

    When Briscoe and Curtis discover that a high-level federal official found murdered was recently transferred from Baltimore, they re-team with Baltimore homicide detectives. The joint investigation reveals that the victim was involved in an affair with a high-level government official whose career will be destroyed if it becomes public. The independent counsel summons McCoy and Ed Danvers to Washington to demand McCoy reveal his source or be jailed for contempt. This crossover continues on Homicide: Life on the Street S07E15 Sideshow (II).

    Director:Edwin Sherin
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 15 - Disciple
    7.4/10(368 votes)

    #15 - Disciple

    S9:E15

    After a teen is found dead in the emergency room, the investigation leads to a case involving a religious ritual and a defendant who claims that the action taken was dictated by a saint's voice.

    Director:Martha Mitchell
    Writer:Lynne E. Litt

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  16. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 16 - Harm
    7.7/10(339 votes)

    #16 - Harm

    S9:E16

    Briscoe and Curtis investigate a possible homicide while probing the assault of a retired divorce attorney.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 17 - Shield
    7.5/10(338 votes)

    #17 - Shield

    S9:E17

    Briscoe and Curtis investigate the murder of a police officer who was shot while on an undercover stakeout.

    Director:David Shore
    Writer:David Shore

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  18. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 18 - Juvenile
    7.6/10(348 votes)

    #18 - Juvenile

    S9:E18

    The investigation into the shooting of a newspaper columnist leads to a murder case from two decades earlier and involves a suspect who at that time had been a juvenile.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Lynne E. Litt

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  19. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 19 - Tabula Rasa
    8.1/10(401 votes)

    #19 - Tabula Rasa

    S9:E19

    After a philosophy professor is pushed in front of a subway and killed, the investigation leads to a suspect who, following a divorce, changed his identity and disappeared with his daughters.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Kathy McCormick

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  20. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 20 - Empire
    7.6/10(433 votes)

    #20 - Empire

    S9:E20

    The death of a corporate mogul caused by an overdose of a sexual performance-enhancing drug leads to a case with a witness that puts Curtis in a compromising position.

    Director:Matthew Penn
    Writer:Robert Palm

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  21. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 21 - Ambitious
    7.6/10(332 votes)

    #21 - Ambitious

    S9:E21

    The murder of an audio installation salesman leads the detectives to a case with connections to the mafia.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 22 - Admissions
    7.5/10(334 votes)

    #22 - Admissions

    S9:E22

    A coed's killing leads to a case involving the deceased's relationship with a professor and two male students who vouch for each other's whereabouts on the night of the murder.

    Director:Jace Alexander
    Writers:Kathy McCormick, Lynne E. Litt

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  23. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 23 - Refuge (1)
    8.5/10(425 votes)

    #23 - Refuge (1)

    S9:E23

    A shootout between a motorist and the police leads to the discovery of a gruesome Russian mob killing --- and a traumatized boy who was an eyewitness to the murder.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Law & Order Season 9 Episode 24 - Refuge (2)
    8.5/10(432 votes)

    #24 - Refuge (2)

    S9:E24

    McCoy and Carmichael risk violating the civil liberties of witnesses when they are forced to jail them in order to safely continue their investigation.

    Director:Constantine Makris
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 9 Ratings Summary

"Cherished" is the best rated episode of "Law & Order" season 9. It scored 7.9/10 based on 411 votes. Directed by Edwin Sherin and written by Kathy McCormick, it aired on 9/23/1998. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "DWB".