MURDER ONE: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE; CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (TV)
Summary
One in this serial drama series focusing, in its first season, on attorney Ted Hoffman's defense of two famous suspects in the murder of Jessica Costello, a fifteen-year-old girl.
In this two-part episode, Avedon is found guilty of Costello's rape and murder and his bail is revoked, though Hoffman firmly assures him that they will appeal the verdict. D.A. Garfield praises Grasso's efforts, while elsewhere Docknovich struggles with his sense of guilt over the grim turn of events. Spivak watches the various post-trial interviews on television until Hoffman stops him, urging his team to regroup and focus on the next steps in securing Avedon's freedom. Appleton then returns to the office and informs Hoffman that Richard Cross is secretly suffering from AIDS-related dementia, meaning that he may have killed Jessica to keep his secret without being fully aware of his actions. Cross, however, has vanished, and his doctor refuses to divulge his whereabouts. Annie visits Hoffman and consoles him over the verdict, offering to let him come home for the night despite their divorce proceedings. Avedon begins to panic about his future when Judge Bornstein refuses Hoffman's request to reconsider his bail. Docknovich suggests that Hoffman should rehire Appleton, in light of her tip about Cross, and Hoffman sits down with Francesca Cross to break the bad news about her ex-husband. She admits that she has long been aware of his HIV status, revealing that Cross now "likes watching" as a form of safe sexual activity.
Hoffman and Grasso appear on Larry King's talk show, where Hoffman fields phone calls from viewers angered that he is steadfastly convinced of Avedon's innocence. Inspired by Francesca's comment, Hoffman then concludes that Cross placed cameras in Costello's apartment for his own voyeuristic reasons, meaning that the murder itself was likely filmed. Hoffman, Velacek, and the others search her home and find the recording equipment, though the telltale tape is nowhere to be found. Later, Appleton gratefully accepts Hoffman's offer of her job back, and Polson, having figured out that Hoffman broke into Costello's apartment, agrees to "look the other way" as he searches for the tape. Hoffman updates a distraught Avedon about the promising lead, though Spivak voices his doubts about the theory. At the sentencing, frustration reigns when Bornstein hands down the harshest possible sentence – life without parole at Folsom Prison. Velacek then reveals that Eduardo Portalegre's car received a ticket outside of Costello's apartment on the night of her death; armed with this new evidence, Hoffman asks for a new trial, though Grasso points out that Hoffman previously pinned the blame on Cross, and Bornstein denies his request.
Spector questions Hoffman about his unusually generous offerings to Annie through their settlement, suggesting that he is seeking some form of "penance" for ruining their marriage; elsewhere, Appleton meets with Julie Costello, who refuses to believe that her dying husband is responsible for her sister's death and won't grant access to him. Hoffman then sits down with Jerry Albanese, who announces that he is a mob hitman and killed Costello on Sal De Genoa's orders, suspecting that Cross hired the mobster to stage a "crime of passion." He asks Hoffman to represent him at his forthcoming trial, pointing out that he is clearly "crazy." Spivak confronts Julie and bluntly tells her that she is leaving the innocent Avedon to a torturous life in prison if she does not do the morally sound thing and help them locate Cross; she protests that her husband deserves to die in peace. Hoffman and Annie commemorate their finalized divorce with a drink, and Hoffman then learns that Avedon has been attacked in prison and vows to have him moved to a protective status.
Julie, having been affected by Spivak's message, visits Appleton and reveals that Cross is returning to Los Angeles from Zurich on the following day. Velacek tells Hoffman that he doubts Albanese's guilt, suggesting that he is lying to exaggerate his own importance as a contract killer; Hoffman asks Bornstein to use her influence to have Avedon moved, sure that his fame and good looks have rendered him a jailhouse "trophy." De Genoa barges into Hoffman's office and informs him that he does not know Albanese and that Cross did not have anyone killed, though Hoffman pointedly turns down his request to take him on as a client. Spivak apologizes to Julie for his harsh comments, and she admits that while she has genuine affection for Cross, she still thinks about "what might have been" between the two of them. Hoffman confronts Albanese about his tall tales and Albanese admits that he is not Costello's true killer; he maintains that they can "pull this thing off" and secure Avedon's release by temporarily pretending that he is the murderer and having him placed in a cushy mental facility.
Polson reveals that Portalegre is currently in New York City, and Hoffman tells Avedon that his current best option is a form of solitary confinement. Upset, Avedon accuses him of losing interest in the case, but Hoffman sternly reminds him that he is working hard to protect him and eventually secure his freedom. Hoffman, Appleton, and the others arrive at the airport as Cross' private plane lands, and Cross, clearly close to death, hazily confirms that there is indeed a tape of the murder hidden in his safe. Fournier voices his disgust with the situation as the lawyers retrieve the videotape; when they gather around to watch it, they are stunned when it reveals the true identity of the killer. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: April 22, 1996 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:23
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:43620
- GENRE: Drama, legal
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, legal; Drama, police/detective; Drama, mystery/suspense; Murder; Trials (murder)
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1995-1997
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Last Dance" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Mulholland Falls" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Waiting to Exhale" home video
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Acura automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Best Foods salad dressings
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Carefree chewing gum
- TV - Commercials - Carnation Good Start baby formula
- TV - Commercials - Carnival cruise lines
- TV - Commercials - Claritin allergy medication
- TV - Commercials - Dreyer's ice cream
- TV - Commercials - Eggo waffles
- TV - Commercials - Florida's Natural orange juice
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Ghost Myst fragrance for women
- TV - Commercials - Glade Plug-In air fresheners
- TV - Commercials - Goodyear tires
- TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal
- TV - Commercials - L'Oréal Fade-Resistant Preference hair coloring
- TV - Commercials - L'Oréal Revitalift Plentitude wrinkle cream
- TV - Commercials - Lifesavers candies
- TV - Commercials - Maalox antacid
- TV - Commercials - Mentadent toothpaste
- TV - Commercials - Mentos breath freshener/gum
- TV - Commercials - Merrill Lynch financial services
- TV - Commercials - Pepcid AC heartburn medication
- TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Pontiac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Riesen chocolate candies
- TV - Commercials - Tagamet HB heartburn medicine
- TV - Commercials - The Home Depot stores
- TV - Commercials - The National Arbor Day Foundation
- TV - Commercials - Thompson's Water Seal paint waterproofing formula
- TV - Commercials - Thrifty car rental service
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Tylenol PM painkillers
- TV - Commercials - UPS shipping services
- TV - Commercials - Visa Gold credit cards
- TV - Promos - "America's Funniest Home Videos"
- TV - Promos - "An Unfinished Affair"
- TV - Promos - "Angel Flight Down"
- TV - Promos - "Coach"
- TV - Promos - "Ellen"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Grace Under Fire"
- TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
- TV - Promos - "Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk"
- TV - Promos - "Lethal Weapon 3"
- TV - Promos - "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"
- TV - Promos - "Murder One"
- TV - Promos - "My Son Is Innocent"
- TV - Promos - "NYPD Blue"
- TV - Promos - "Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "Primetime"
- TV - Promos - "Roseanne"
- TV - Promos - "Scent of a Woman"
- TV - Promos - "She Woke Up Pregnant"
- TV - Promos - "The Dana Carvey Show"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "The Faculty"
- TV - Promos - "The Firm"
CREDITS
- Steven Bochco … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Charles H. Eglee … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- William M. Finkelstein … Executive Producer, Writer
- Michael Fresco … Co-Executive Producer
- Joe Ann Fogle … Supervising Producer, Director
- Ann Donahue … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Geoffrey Neigher … Producer
- Marc Buckland … Producer, Director
- Gigi Coello-Bannon … Supervising Associate Producer
- Chad Savage … Associate Producer
- Channing Gibson … Created by
- Charles D. Holland … Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Daniel Benzali … Cast, Ted Hoffman
- Mary McCormack … Cast, Justine Appleton
- Michael Hayden … Cast, Chris Docknovich
- Grace Phillips … Cast, Lisa Gillespie
- J.C. MacKenzie … Cast, Arnold Spivak
- Stanley Tucci … Cast, Richard Cross
- Dylan Baker … Cast, Detective Arthur Polson
- Vanessa Williams … Cast, Lila Marquette
- John Fleck … Cast, Louis Heinsbergen
- Barbara Bosson … Cast, Miriam Grasso
- Patricia Clarkson … Cast, Annie Hoffman
- Jason Gedrick … Cast, Neil Avedon
- Joe Spano … Cast, Ray Velacek
- Bobbie Phillips … Cast, Julie Costello
- Tobin Bell … Cast, Jerry Albanese
- Donna Murphy … Cast, Francesca Cross
- Linda Carlson … Cast, Judge Beth Bornstein
- Gregory Itzin … Cast, D.A. Roger Garfield
- Stanley Kamel … Cast, Dr. Graham Lester
- John Pleshette … Cast, Gary Blondo
- Natalija Nogulich … Cast, Martina Spector
- Anne Haney … Cast, Melanie Kendall
- Terence Knox … Cast, Douglas Fournier
- Nancy Lee Grahn … Cast, Connie Dahlgren
- Ned Vaughn … Cast, Dean Crowley
- Orlagh Cassidy … Cast, Gigi Fasanella
- Deborah May … Cast, Dana Benson
- Markus Redmond … Cast, Mark Washington
- Robert Gentili … Cast, Sal De Genoa
- Conor O'Farrell … Cast, Dr. Paul Kressel
- Jason Azikiwe … Cast, Eddie Roscoe
- Collette White … Cast, Jessica Costello
- Rosanna Huffman … Cast, Eleanor Iverson
- Alexia Robinson … Cast, Akeesha Wesley
- June Saruwatari … Cast, Karen Ting
- Paul Goodman … Cast, Shel Metzger
- David Fresco … Cast, Albert Wysong
- Gokul … Cast, Pakistani Attendant
- Paul Sandman … Cast, Pizza Delivery Guy
- Donisha Walker … Cast, Clerk
- Susan Merson … Cast, Caller
- Mark Newsom … Cast, Bailiff
- Jesse Henecke … Cast, Waiter
- Valerie Dillman … Cast, Fan #1
- Toni DeRose … Cast, Media #1
- Leslie Ishii … Cast, Media #2
- Bruce Wright … Cast, Media #3
- Tim Hutchinson … Cast, Media #5
- Lisa Dinkins … Cast, Media #6
- Michael Prokopuk … Cast, Media #7
- Constance L. Gomes … Cast, Juror #1
- Anthea Orlando … Cast, Juror #2
- Roberto Martin Marquez … Cast, Juror #7
- Bruce Williams … Cast, Juror #10
- Rachel Escalera … Cast, Juror #11
- Joseph A. Jackson … Cast, Juror #12