This week I finished the first ten seasons (228 episodes = ~167.2 hours) of “Law & Order” for a commission with Rhizome.org, cataloging computer use through screenshots over the show’s entire 20-year run. Many, many computers:
- Just over 4,500 screenshots so far (at 5 per computer = ~ 900 computers)
- Average of 107 computers per season
- Average of 4 computers per episode
- 16 episodes that feature no computers at all
I have also been keeping notes of the first onscreen appearance of computer devices, for example:
- First laptop: season 2, episode 34
- First inkjet printer: season 6, episode 125
Additionally, I’ve been tracking victim and perpetrator gender to add to the already great Law & Order database. The current tally is rather interesting:
VICTIMS
| Male | 115 | 50.66% |
| Female | 112 | 49.34% |
PERPETRATORS
| Male | 155 | 65.68% |
| Female | 81 | 34.32% |
We can also look at this another way, seeing crime by perpetrator gender and the gender of their respective victims:
| PERP | MALE | FEMALE | BOTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| male | 43 (18.94%) | 43 (18.94%) | 20 (8.81%) |
| female | 12 (5.29%) | 17 (7.94%) | 3 (1.32%) |
| both | 19 (8.37%) | 12 (5.29%) | 17 (7.94%) |
A 2011 United States Department of Justice report provides some interesting comparisons: 90% of all homicides were committed by males; 66% of victims were male. Some interesting conclusions to be drawn, but I have another 226 episodes to watch!
And with that, onward to season 11!