Law & Order Season 24, Episode 12's Defendant Michelle Explained: Where You Know Abigail Spencer From

WARNING! SPOILERS ahead for Law & Order season 24, episode 12, "Duty to Protect."

This article contains references to incest, sexual assault of minors, and suicide.

Law & Order season 24, episode 12, titled "Duty to Protect," features Abigail Spencer, an actress who may be familiar for several reasons. Many of Law & Order's best episodes feature well-known actors playing characters who are very different from the ones they are most well known for. This tradition gives actors the opportunity to take on challenging new roles, especially those who are not currently committed to a long-term project such as a television series.

"Duty to Protect" allows Spencer to interact with many of the series regulars. She plays a defendant in a controversial case that begins with the murder of a 17-year-old girl but ends with tragic revelations about the victim's parents. Spencer's character is first seen as a victim and then as a suspect. This compelling case seems to be designed to help save Law & Order by offering the type of ambiguous legal story that made the procedural popular during its early years.

Abigail Spencer Plays Michelle Burns In Law & Order Season 24, Episode 12

Michelle Is An Abused Wife Who Stands Accused Of Complicity In Her Daughter's Murder

Law & Order Brady sitting across from Michelle at a table in the police station

Spencer's Michelle Burns is introduced near the beginning of the episode. Once Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Riley (Reid Scott) identify a teenage victim's remains, they visit the girl's parents to give them the bad news. At this point, both Michelle and her husband, Ron, seem like shocked, grieving parents. However, the cops soon realize that Ron killed their daughter after she made a video exposing that he had been sexually abusing her for most of her life. Later, after Ron takes his own life rather than face trial, the cops learn that Michelle shielded her husband rather than her daughter.

Chillingly, Michelle confesses to Brady (Maura Tierney) that Michelle told Ron about the video's existence, which led directly to his decision to kill their daughter. Brady expresses her disgust before arresting Michelle. The rest of Spencer's performance includes several intense scenes. Through her attorney, Michelle mounts a defense claiming that she was so traumatized after a lifetime of abuse that she was unable to realize the danger her husband posed to her daughter. Spencer's stellar performance makes it difficult to determine if she's telling the truth or trying to get out of trouble by using her past abuse as an excuse.

Where You Know Abigail Spencer From: Movies & TV Shows

The Actress Appeared In Several Popular Shows

Abigail Spencer most recently starred in NBC's now-canceled comedy Extended Family. Her character, Julia, is a divorced mother living with her new partner while she and her ex-husband take turns living in the house with the kids so that they can minimize the disruption to their children's normal routines. While this series only lasted one season, Spencer has been in several other shows that were more successful.

Abigail Spencer's Best Known Roles
Role	TV Show	Year(s)
Suzanne Farrell	Mad Men	2009
Gena Brune	True Detective	2015
Lucy Preston	Timeless	2016-2018
Dana Scott	Suits	2011-2019
Dr. Misha Nelson	Rebel	2021
Dr. Megan Hunt	Grey's Anatomy	2017-2022
Julia Mariano	Extended Family	2023-2024

For instance, Spencer is best known for her six-episode arc in Mad Men. She played Suzanne Farrell, a teacher of Sally's whom Don develops a romantic interest in, leading to a brief, clandestine affair. Spencer also played Megan Hunt on Grey's Anatomy, who appeared sporadically from 2017-2022. Additionally, she was part of the short-lived Katey Sagal legal drama Rebel and played Dana Scott in Suits. Given her versatility and long resume, it is unsurprising that Spencer was chosen to play the complex role that she did in Law & Order.

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