Law & Order’s Samantha Maroun and Nolan Price Will Never Be the Same

Almost every lawyer or cop on a police procedural has over-identified with a case and toed the line.

Samantha Maroun crossed that line on the Law & Order Season 24 finale, and it was hard to blame her. A violent man killed yet another woman. Even worse, it was the same man who murdered her sister years ago.

It looked like he might walk while relishing in taunting Samantha. It was one of those cases that challenged the team to follow the rules or look the other way.

Since Law & Order returned to the air, Samantha has often been in the background, unless the cases dealt with her backstory.

She hated seeing rich, white men get away with violent crimes and often empathized with women who killed their attackers.

With that in mind, could Samantha have snapped when her sister’s killer was acquitted, and if she did, would things ever be the same?

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The Law & Order Season 24 premiere and finale paralleled each other since Sam almost risked her career in both episodes.

Law & Order Excels on Many Fronts

While the series prides itself on including cases ripped from the headlines, incorporating these character arcs touches audiences more.

Law & Order Season 24 Episode 1 highlighted a domestic violence case where the husband abused and murdered his wife. 

He got off, and they suspected his lawyer covered for him, which triggered Sam because of her sister’s violent murder years ago.

It was one of the few episodes showcasing how well Nolan and Sam played off of each other and that their relationship wasn’t just professional.

He tried to support and defend her outburst, but he also wanted to stop her from confronting a suspect and ruining her career.

Those moments were poignant because Sam often seems stoic and strong, and she only lets Nolan in.

However, it’s challenging for her to listen to reason when her sister’s killer taunted her, and then most of the evidence got thrown out.

Sam’s world got turned upside down in a matter of seconds, thinking her sister’s killer might actually serve time.

That brought some closure until the DA threw the DNA and the blood evidence linking Carter Mills to the current crime and Sam’s sister.

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It’s challenging to fault Sam. She was desperate and convinced a hotel doorman to testify that he remembered Carter, but then it appeared she had a part in it.

Nolan and Sam Have Different Ways of Working

If she only tainted the evidence, she and Nolan may be able to get past this down the line.

While Nolan has a strict moral code, he understands that she was motivated by finding justice for her family.

She probably felt betrayed because she assumed he would have her back since they were partners. We all know being partners in the Law & Order universe means something.

Nolan and Sam are among the main reasons to watch the flagship, whether you enjoy their supportive platonic bond or hope they will eventually take the plunge.

They have not had many intimate and angsty moments between them, but there are undertones.

It will destroy their relationship if Sam did murder Carter. I think many would understand the gut reaction to kill the person who murdered your sister, but I’m hoping she didn’t go that far.

She brings a different perspective to the district attorney’s office, and I would hate to lose her.

We’ve seen enough stories of dirty cops and lawyers and their consequences lately, so hopefully, the series will focus on the aftermath of Nolan’s accusation and how that affects them.

We will not learn Sam’s part until the fall, but I hope for more emotional stories and that she will not be sitting in jail when the series returns.

Over to you, Law & Order Fanatics. Will Sam and Nolan’s friendship survive this? Do you think she killed Carter?

Agree? Disagree? Have a theory?
Let us know in the comments, or share this article with someone who will want to argue about it with you. That’s what makes it fun.

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