ABC MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: FINAL JEOPARDY (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television mystery drama film, based on the first book in the Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein, tells the story of a lawyer's attempts to identify a murderer – before she becomes the next victim. The story begins as a woman is gunned down outside of a Martha's Vineyard home, and the newspapers report that the victim is New York District Attorney Alexandra Cooper, who specialized in prosecuting sex crimes. Back in the city, Detective Mike Chapman searches her apartment and meets her neighbor David Mitchell as he searches for clues. Elsewhere, however, Alexandra is revealed to be alive and well, and she hurriedly postpones a profile interview with reporter Ellen Goldman and tells her assistant Laura that there has been a mistake and the victim is likely Isabella Lascar, a famous actress to whom she lent her home. Learning that her fiancé Jed is stuck in Paris, she tells her boss Paul Battaglia that Isabella was previously stalked by an obsessed fan, Arthur Piggot, though Battaglia wonders if Alexandra herself was the intended target. Alexandra then learns that Mike has been assigned to protect her "24/7," and Mike suggests that one of the many criminals whom she has imprisoned over the years is the culprit. Mike accompanies her when she sits down with a rape victim, Katherine Freyer, and gently questions her about the incident and her unseen attacker. Back at home, Mike notes that Mitchell is "a little familiar" for a neighbor, and he departs after a bit of banter over "Jeopardy!". Once alone, however, Alexandra receives a phone call from a silent stranger.
In the morning, Mike asks Alexandra about Harold McCoy, an accused rapist who attacked her during his interrogation and swore revenge before getting off on a technicality. They head to a hospital, where one Herman Miller was assaulted by his latest victim's brother, and Alexandra praises the police officer who made the arrest and assures him that he will not be prosecuted for allowing the incident. Mike admits his dislike of flying as they journey up to Martha's Vineyard, and the local cops explain that Isabella arrived at the house with groceries and then was shot twice with a high-powered rifle, rendering her face unrecognizable. Mike spots a bottle of bourbon and quickly discerns that another person was in the house with Isabella, and Alexandra confides to him that she purchased the house with her former fiancé, Adam, who died in a car accident shortly before their wedding. Alexandra sits down with Ellen and explains that her "motive" for choosing her career was the satisfaction of helping those who have been wronged, though she dodges her questions about Isabella's ongoing case and about Jed, saying only that he is "a friend." Jed misses his flight from Paris and Alexandra receives more strange phone calls, while elsewhere Mike tracks down McCoy and learns that he has an alibi for time of Isabella's murder: he was in Rikers on a different charge.
Alexandra tells Ellen about her experiences with rapists, noting that many of them feel that they are "righting a wrong" done to them by hurting others. Jed finally arrives from Paris and Alexandra happily reunites with him at his home, where he surprises her with French perfume. She grows annoyed when he asks probing questions about Isabella's death, however, and when she leaves his apartment, she finds Mike waiting for her outside. He drives her home and shows her several photos from Isabella's last days, and when she spots a familiar wristwatch in one of them, she is heartbroken to realize that Jed was at the Vineyard with Isabella. Over several drinks, Alexandra complains that she actually introduced her fiancé to his mistress, and Mike suggests that he may have killed Isabella himself, creating the so-called Paris trip as an alibi. Later, the police track down Piggot, who maintains that he and Isabella were "secretly" married, though Alexandra is not convinced of his guilt. Mike wonders if she will take Jed back once his name is cleared, and Battaglia tells her that the charges against Miller have been dropped. Alexandra confronts Jed about the affair, though he refuses to admit the truth, and Mike tells Alexandra about his own bad breakup as he cooks for her at his home, though she slips out before sitting down to dinner and takes a cab when she again senses that she is being followed.
In court, Alexandra is frustrated when an insensitive judge downplays a victim's traumatic experience, and when Miller again begins to tail her on the street, Mike suddenly arrives and arrests him, though Miller denies any wrongdoing. Alexandra then learns that Piggot's gun is not the murder weapon, and Deputy Chief McKinley scolds her for not mentioning that Jed was present at the crime scene and had an affair with the victim. He reveals that Jed too was once stalked by an ex and "bonded" with Isabella over the experience, and Alexandra agrees to wear a wire for her next chat with Jed. He apologizes for the brief affair, but swears that he did not kill her, admitting that he fled in panic after witnessing her death from inside the house. Mitchell keeps an eye on Alexandra as she returns home, and she then learns that Katherine's rapist, having left fingerprints at the scene of another attack, has been identified as one William Montvale. Katherine finds herself unable to go through with the lineup and Montvale blames an unknown "Carlos" for the crimes, but Alexandra manages to get a confession out of him by tricking him into mentioning a detail not released to the press. Elsewhere, Jed calls Mike and reveals that his ex-girlfriend and stalker, Sandra Bonventre, has contacted him with a veiled threat, and when Mike receives her file from his colleagues, he recognizes her photo as none other than Ellen Goldman.
"Ellen" picks up an unsuspecting Alexandra and drives her to the isolated railyards, using Alexandra's stories of other criminals' behavior as inspiration. Mike quickly pursues them as Ellen/Sandra pulls a gun on Alexandra and reveals that she "has to" kill her, just as she killed Isabella, in order to be with her beloved Jed. She orders Alexandra to remove her clothes, intending to imitate McCoy's M.O. and frame him for the crime, but Mike arrives just in time and, after a brief chase, shoots Ellen/Sandra dead. With the case closed, Mike bids Alexandra a somewhat flirtatious farewell as she returns to work, reflecting that she hopes to continue "empowering" other victims by catching and punishing their attackers. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: April 9, 2001 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:00:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:64671
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Crime and criminals
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 2001
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - Aquafresh Whitening toothpaste
- TV - Commercials - Breyers ice cream
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Burlington Coat Factory stores
- TV - Commercials - Cadillac Escalade automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Chrysler automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Claritin allergy medication
- TV - Commercials - Dasani bottled water
- TV - Commercials - DeBeers diamonds
- TV - Commercials - Degree anti-perspirant
- TV - Commercials - Dentyne Ice chewing gum
- TV - Commercials - Dove Nutrium body wash
- TV - Commercials - Downy Wrinkle Releaser spray
- TV - Commercials - Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Clear wart remover
- TV - Commercials - Energizer batteries
- TV - Commercials - Farmers insurance
- TV - Commercials - FedEx shipping services
- TV - Commercials - Flovent asthma medication
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Gateway computers
- TV - Commercials - General Mills Harmony cereal
- TV - Commercials - Glade Plug-In Extra Outlet air fresheners
- TV - Commercials - Got Milk? campaign
- TV - Commercials - Honda automobiles
- TV - Commercials - JCPenney stores
- TV - Commercials - Jaguar automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Jim Hahn for Mayor political ad
- TV - Commercials - Kia automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Kleenex tissues
- TV - Commercials - MasterCard credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Mervyn's department stores
- TV - Commercials - Metabolife 356 weight-loss pills
- TV - Commercials - Microsoft software
- TV - Commercials - Mike Feuer for City Attotney political ad
- TV - Commercials - Nescafé coffee
- TV - Commercials - Nissan automobiles
- TV - Commercials - OnStar automobile services and Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Ortho Weed-B-Gon weed killer
- TV - Commercials - Pacific Bell telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - Pantene Pro-V hair care products
- TV - Commercials - Partnership For a Drug-Free America program
- TV - Commercials - Pepcid Complete heartburn relief
- TV - Commercials - Pepsi One soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury Ready to Bake! cookies
- TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Pledge household cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Roc anti-wrinkle cream
- TV - Commercials - Roche weight loss information
- TV - Commercials - Sprint wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - Subway restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Target stores
- TV - Commercials - The Home Depot stores
- TV - Commercials - Tums Calcium for Life PMS supplements
- TV - Commercials - Tylenol PM painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Tylenol painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Victoria's Secret stores
- TV - Promos - "David Blaine: Frozen in Time"
- TV - Promos - "Eyewitness News"
- TV - Promos - "Gideon's Crossing"
- TV - Promos - "Making the Band"
- TV - Promos - "My Wife & Kids"
- TV - Promos - "NYPD Blue"
- TV - Promos - "Primetime Thursday"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "The Job"
- TV - Promos - "What About Joan"
- TV - Promos - "When Billie Beat Bobby"
- TV - Promos - "Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Mega Millionaire"
- TV - Promos - "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet"
CREDITS
- Larry Sanitsky … Executive Producer
- Dana Delany … Co-Executive Producer
- Adam Greenman … Co-Producer, Writer
- Sherri Saito … Line Producer
- Nick Gomez … Director
- Roger Bellon … Music by
- Linda Fairstein … Based on the novel by
- Dana Delany … Cast, Alexandra Cooper
- Billy Burke … Cast, Mike Chapman
- Joelle Carter … Cast, Ellen Goldman / Sandra Bonventre
- Chris Potter … Cast, Jed Seigel
- Sherman Augustus … Cast, Mercer Wallace
- Michael Rhoades … Cast, David Mitchell
- Jeff Clarke … Cast, William Montvale
- Colm Feore … Cast, Paul Battaglia
- Fulvio Cecere … Cast, Luther Waldron
- Karen Robinson … Cast, Laura Wilkie
- Jonathan Higgins … Cast, Pat McKinney
- Arnold Pinnock … Cast, Herman Miller
- Elyssa Livergant … Cast, Katherine Freyer
- Ron Kennell … Cast, Arthur Piggot
- Joe Pingue … Cast, Harold McCoy
- Bill Lake … Cast, Chief Flanders
- Richard Davidson … Cast, Judge Hadleigh
- Victor Ertmanis … Cast, Doorman
- Chris Gillett … Cast, Newscaster
- Brad Borbridge … Cast, Security Guard
- Vince Corazza … Cast, Officer Cordero
- Edgar George … Cast, Isiah Frankel
- Judah Katz … Cast, Lew Oslansky
- Paulino Nunes … Cast, 1st Interrogator
- Lisa Baylin … Cast, Milander Coler
- Billy Otis … Cast, Ernesto Cerone