Ed Green

For 19th-century baseball player, see Ed Green (baseball).

Det. Ed Green
Law & Order character
First appearance	"Gunshow"
Last appearance	"Burn Card"
Portrayed by	Jesse L. Martin
Time on show	1999–2008
Preceded by	Rey Curtis (junior partner) Joe Fontana (senior partner)
Succeeded by	Nick Falco (junior partner; temporary) Nina Cassady (junior partner) Cyrus Lupo (senior partner)
Partner	Lennie Briscoe Joe Fontana Nina Cassady Cyrus Lupo

Edward "Ed" Green is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order, created by René Balcer and portrayed by Jesse L. Martin. He Appeared in 154 Episodes (151 Episodes of Law & Order, 1 Episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 1 Episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and 1 Episode of Law & Order: Trial by Jury)

Character overview

Ed Green was introduced as senior detective Lennie Briscoe's (Jerry Orbach) new junior partner, succeeding Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt). Green's willingness to bend legal rules to arrest a suspect did little to endear him to his superiors, and he initially thinks Briscoe is too old to investigate crimes effectively. Green and Briscoe have several heated disagreements about the latter's capabilities. Later, however, Green grows to trust, respect, and form a solid friendship with his partner, as well as tone down his unorthodox investigative methods. He and Briscoe often joke about the age difference between them, as well as Green's Rolex watches and Briscoe's three failed marriages.

After they work together for five years, Briscoe retires, and Green is more affected by his retirement than he expected. It takes him a while to warm up to his next partner, Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), whose style is very different from Briscoe's. However, Green eventually deflates some of the tension between Fontana and their lieutenant, Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson).

Near the end of Season 15, Green is shot in the line of duty, and hospitalized for several weeks. During his absence, he is replaced by Nick Falco (Michael Imperioli). The absence was occasioned by Martin's sabbatical to reprise his former Broadway depiction of Tom Collins in the motion picture version of Rent.

Green is promoted to senior detective after Fontana retires. He is partnered with Nina Cassady (Milena Govich), over the objections of Van Buren, who thinks Cassady is too inexperienced to be a homicide detective. Although he grows to tolerate her, Green seems to have a similar opinion.

After Cassady's departure (no reason is given), Green is partnered with Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto). Green's reaction to Lupo is somewhat reserved at first, especially since the first case they work together is the suicide of Lupo's brother. Green is opposed to Lupo working the case at all, but Van Buren overrules him. However, after a short period of time, Green seems to become more comfortable with Lupo. Around mid-season, Green even takes to affectionately dubbing Lupo as "Lupes".

Mid-way through Season 18, Green is involved in a shooting that led to his being indicted and tried, though all charges are subsequently dropped. Even though Van Buren assures him that he is welcome back on the force, Green, unhappy with having "broken every rule in the book", decides to leave the squad. Lupo is given Green's position of senior partner, and Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) of Internal Affairs, who investigated Green, becomes Lupo's new partner.

Personality

Green represents the L&O franchise's return to the wild, "Dirty Harry" type of character once popularized by Mike Logan (Chris Noth). Among the few personal touches made to the character was his affinity for punk rock and gambling, making trips to Atlantic City often enough that Briscoe teases him about it. Subsequent episodes reveal that Green had stopped gambling but then falls back into it briefly after Briscoe's death.

Green has occasionally mentioned that his family traveled around the world due to his father's work as an oil engineer, and that he had lived in the Middle East at some point. He has also mentioned that he grew up in a religious family. He revealed that his father has Alzheimer's disease. He has at least some family living in New York; in the episode "Deadlock", Van Buren recommends that Green's family be protected from an escaped convict, and he responds, "Way ahead of you. They're already upstate."

He has revealed that he at one time had experience with "screwing around with someone who's married." He sometimes receives calls from girlfriends or mentions "his girl"; he took a girl named Keisha Lockwood to the prom. He wears expensive Rolex watches.

Green is often a source of varied information in investigations. He speaks Spanish, some Russian — "Enough to pick up a date," — and a little French, and is up to date on popular culture, and appears to have a strong classical education. Frequently, he uses informal slang, addressing men as "bro" and referring to other men as "dudes." He often uses bad grammar when talking to suspects or people he does not respect.

He is a vegetarian, for which Briscoe often mocks him. In "Slaughter", Green asks if Briscoe picked him up a sandwich, to which Briscoe replies "They didn't have any tofu." He then offers Green half of his sandwich (which contains some kind of deli meat), and Green makes a disgusted face.

Although Green generally stands by other police officers, he occasionally makes enemies of detectives and officers who are suspected of being corrupt. He refuses to feel remorse for investigating them even if they are innocent, believing that following a lead is never reprehensible. He is more tolerant and willing to give his new partner, Nina Cassady, a fair chance to prove herself after she is promoted after being hailed a local hero. He knows she is inexperienced, but never seems to lose his temper with her and remains honest with her.

Character highlights

Racial issues have been connected to Green in some episodes. He and Briscoe investigate the shooting of a cop; they trace it to Stevie Thomas, a black boy whose brother Eric's murder was dismissed and effectively covered up by the police because he was black. Green interrogates Stevie solo at one point, speaking to him both as a cop and as a black man. He is called to testify in court, and at the end of the episode is seen reminding Van Buren that, while Eric Thomas' death creates guilt for those responsible, Eric is still dead.

Another instance of racial issues connected to Green is the episode "Prejudice", wherein a black man is killed by a racist over a taxi. When Briscoe and Green search the suspect's apartment, Green attempts to arrest him. However, the suspect throws him off and says he will comply for Briscoe ("Not for you; for him!").

Green was the first junior partner to be promoted to senior partner in the Law & Order universe. His last junior partner, Lupo, became the second and last detective to also be promoted.

Green is reprimanded by Van Buren for getting personal while interviewing a suspect about the abortion of a fetus thought to have Down's syndrome. After Van Buren leaves, Green reveals to Lupo that he was once engaged to a girl who became pregnant; they ordered an amniotic test and "couldn't decide what to do". They eventually terminated the pregnancy.