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Let me explain.

The crimes exaggerate a real-life beef between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, The White WNBA character, Cameron Adler (Mariana Gailus) gets America’s love while her dominant Black rival, Nia Moore (Chine Ikoro), is villainized for the same energy. The show grabs these themes by the collar and forces viewers to look.

Detectives Jalen Shaw (Mechad Brooks) and Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) have an attention-getting conversation with Nia Moore. Shaw says, “The league was built on the backs of talented Black women like yourself, then White players come along like Cameron Adler and Caitlin Clark—instant superstars—credited with putting the league on the map.” Riley adds, “You can’t deny she (Cameron) is special, right?” Nia, deadpans, “She’s White.” Nia concludes that she and Cameron played up their beef ‘wrestle mania style’ to grab media attention. They were friends.

“Inherent Bias” – LAW & ORDER, Pictured (L-R): Maura Tierney as Lieutenant Jessica Brady, Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As the investigation unfolds, suspects stack up: the bitter ex-boyfriend, Greg Dawson (Christian Shupe), is big mad about being replaced romantically by a Black woman. Dawson tells Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) that he saw Cameron arguing with a man outside her hotel. The police obtain video of the argument, leading them to Cameron’s weed business and her controversial business manager, Bruce Theobald (Charlie Semine) and her physical therapist, Darius Cain (Isaiah Johnson).

Darius Cain, who is Black, used cannabis to help Cameron with her sports injuries, He convinced Cameron to back his idea to start a company called Highest Score. I want to point out how much I dig the name, High Score. Isn’t it clever given it’s a week company owned by a basketball player? But I digress.

Cain secured the company’s business license due to a reparations-type policy that offered licenses to those over prosecuted in the past for marijuana possession. Unfortunately, Theobald convinced Cameron to ice Cain out of his own business.

As the detectives approach Cain, Shaw comments off-handedly to Riley that he hoped Cain, the Black guy wasn’t guilty of killing America’s sweetheart, due to the outsized impact it might have on the Black community.

Cain steps out his front door, and Riley and Shaw split up to chase him. Cain approaches the river and tosses something into the water seconds before Riley puts him in handcuffs. Riley swears Cain dumped the gun in the river. Shaw hesitates—uncertain about what he saw.

The episode’s progression to the Court makes it must-watch TV. The storyline center’s race in a way that refuses to sugarcoat the complex truth. The writers call out the racial double standard with their whole chest. Cain’s defense attorney, Kenneth Lowell (Michael Potts) dissects Executive District Attorney Nolan Price’s (Hugh Dancy) circumstantial case, carving through its weak points like a scalpel.

“Inherent Bias” – LAW & ORDER, Pictured: (L-R) Tony Goldwyn as District Attorney Nicholas Baxter, Hugh Dancy as A.D.A. Nolan Price. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

DA Baxter, asks his perennial question, “Can we win?” Price gives a resounding “Yes.” However, Baxter warns, “Keep the focus on the evidence, not on race.” Unfortunately, Cain’s defense attorney establishes reasonable doubt, the legal standard to determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence.

Lowell discredits testimony about the face recognition software that put Cain at the crime venue with several studies proving that inherent biases in its design can result in wrongful identification and arrests that disproportionately affect Black suspects. Additionally, Riley’s testifies about Cameron’s blood evidence found on Cain’s jeans. Lowell points out that Cain was Cameron’s physical therapist, casting doubt on Riley’s testimony.

Finally, Lowell calls Cain to testify. He describes stealing the hard drive to salvage his initial business idea. Cain testifies that he ran because he was in possession of the stolen item, not a gun. Shaw turns to Riley and says, “I think he’s telling the truth.” ADA Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi), a person of color, kind of thinks Cain could be telling the truth too.

“Inherent Bias” – LAW & ORDER, Pictured (L-R): Michael Potts as Atty. Kenneth Lowell. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The White guys, Riley and Price, are certain that Cain is not telling the truth. Reluctantly, Price deals with the detectives’ rival narratives. Shaw tells his truth—he didn’t see Cain throw a gun, but something that was flat, small, rectangular—more like a hard drive.

On cross, Price treats Shaw like a hostile witness. He asked, “Didn’t you tell your partner that you didn’t want Cain to be guilty?” Shaw admits, “Yes.” Price emphasizes that Shaw knew what he saw only after hearing Cain’s testimony. Shaw tries to refute this idea by parsing the difference between what he initially saw and what he now understands.

“Inherent Bias” – LAW & ORDER, Pictured: Pictured: (L-R) Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley, Hugh Dancy as A.D.A. Nolan Price, Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, Odelya Halevi as A.D.A. Samantha Maroun. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Following his court appearance, Shaw confronts Riley about telling Price about his musings about Cain’s guilt. Riley defends himself, saying “inherent bias goes both ways,” and “I told the truth. It’s up to the jury.” Shaw shakes his head at Riley saying, “You don’t get it.” Riley looks bemused as Shaw continue. “When the jury looks at you, then looks at me, who do you think they will side with?”

Cain is found guilty. He’s dragged from the courtroom pleading his innocence. Price, Mauroun, Shaw and Riley looking on in pained, discomfort– I believe, questioning the ugly realities of inherent bias. “Inherent Bias” makes a compelling case that in the fight between Black and white in America, white bias prevails, even when the evidence is circumstantial at best.

“Inherent Bias” – LAW & ORDER, Pictured (L-R): Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley, Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw. Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Based on reasonable doubt, uncertainty in the minds of jurors after considering all the evidence, Cain should not have been convicted. But as Shaw tries to tell Riley, reasonable doubt is rarely an option when the defendant is Black because in the court of public opinion (and the actual justice system), being Black is the same as a guilty plea.

“Inherent Bias” isn’t just ‘woke’—it’s bordering on subversive given America’s current culture-war climate. Law & Order refuses to offer easy comfort, demanding critical thinking and fearless viewers who aren’t afraid to engage with inconvenient truths rather than erase or ignore them.

It leaves the audience grappling with America’s ongoing burden of belief in the original sin of racism. It acknowledges frustration, sadness, and hopelessness. However, the show ends on a defiant note with the possibility, however distant, of change in policing, prosecution, and culture.

How do you perceive the idea of inherent bias? How did you react to Law & Order’s handling of this topic? I invite you to tell me all about it in the comments below.

Overall Rating

9:10