As the DA's office tries to prosecute a teenage sniper who killed four people, prosecutors discover that he was abducted from his real family as a child and emotionally abused by the man he ... Read allAs the DA's office tries to prosecute a teenage sniper who killed four people, prosecutors discover that he was abducted from his real family as a child and emotionally abused by the man he was living with.As the DA's office tries to prosecute a teenage sniper who killed four people, prosecutors discover that he was abducted from his real family as a child and emotionally abused by the man he was living with.
- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
- Dr. Harlan Diamond
- (as Lawrence David Kopp)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode appears to be based on three separate cases:
- The 2002 Beltway Washington, D.C. sniper attacks committed by John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo.The Peter Sylvester (a.k.a. "The Suffolk County Sniper") case.
- The 1995 Peter Sylvester (a.k.a. "The Suffolk County Sniper") case.
- The 1972 kidnapping of Steven Stayner by Kenneth Parnell.
- GoofsAs Lennie, Ed, and an officer cross the street at the first shooting, a heavy cable is visible running across the street to a distribution box of some kind in front of the left front tire of the patrol car.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Jack McCoy: There's always a chance Justin could be rehabilitated, Arthur.
D.A. Arthur Branch: Four dead? I don't think he's earned that chance. And I also think my senior prosecutor should agree with it.
Jack McCoy: I do.
A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn: But...?
Jack McCoy: I'm a father.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004)
Those adjectives are perfect ways to describe the execution of "Sheltered". Was generally impressed by the overall standard of Season 13, and this is one of the best episodes and one of the most shocking. Remember very vividly how the episode moved and shocked me on first watch, and not only does it still do both those things they do so even more so now, partly because of being more aware and understanding of the subject and understanding more of what is being argued.
Everything works here. The truly powerful performance of Sebastian Stan is the main reason to see "Sheltered", his character's actions are truly awful but his circumstances are truly tragic too. It is hard to not hate him at first because of such dreadful crimes, but once more is revealed about him it is even harder to not feel sympathy for him without being manipulated in doing so because of how he was treated. The regulars are every bit as top notch, especially in the legal scenes.
Moreover, the production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction is sympathetic but also alert.
It is a brilliantly written episode, thought provoking, tightly structured, tough as nails and also sensitive. The story is intense in the second half the more the tension of the legal scenes builds, but also heart-breakingly tragic. The outcome haunted me and Stan's character is very richly drawn and complex.
Concluding, brilliant. 10/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 16, 2022