“ | Sometimes I think about hurting little boys... hitting them over the head and making them cry. Killing them and leaving them with no clothes on so they look stupid. | „ |
~ Jenny Brandt describing her violent fantasies. |
Jennifer "Jenny" Brandt is the main antagonist of the Law & Order episode "Killerz". She is a sociopathic little girl who tortures and murders a classmate.
She was portrayed by Hailee Hirsch.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Jenny was raised by her mother Jocelyn and a series of her boyfriends, many of whom were physically abusive and sexually inappropriate with her; Jocelyn was also often inappropriately sexual in front of her daughter.
By the age of ten, Jenny had evolved into a sociopath who tortured animals and harbored violent fantasies about hurting younger boys. She was also an adept liar who effortlessly affected a sweet, innocent façade to mask her true self and manipulate adults into giving her what she wanted.
In "Killerz"[]
Jenny and her friend Tara Padden convince a younger classmate, Aaron Polansky, to come with them to a nearby construction site. After forcing Tara to hold Aaron down, Jenny grabs a rock and bashes Aaron's head in with it, killing him. She then places a battery on his tongue, believing that it would bring him back to life; when it doesn't, she and Tara hide the body and flee the scene.
NYPD Homicide Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green investigate Aaron's murder and talk to his friends and classmates, eventually interviewing Jenny and Tara. Jenny tells a convincing story, but the less intelligent Tara reveals their guilt, and the detectives eventually arrest the girls for Aaron's murder.
Jenny's defense attorney claims that Jenny could not appreciate the consequences of her actions when she killed Aaron, so Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy and Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael, have Jenny examined by consulting psychiatrist Emil Skoda. During the evaluation, Jenny displays flat emotional affect and a complete lack of remorse and empathy - which, along with the animal cruelty she has committed, constitute the hallmark signs of antisocial personality disorder. Skoda says that Jenny will kill again if set free and recommends institutionalizing her.
The defense gets Dr. Elizabeth Olivet, who often consults with the District Attorney's office, to testify on Jenny's behalf. Olivet says that Jenny is still young enough that her personality is not set in stone and can be redeemed with therapy. After emotional testimony from Jocelyn in which she blames herself for Jenny's actions, the jury finds Jenny not guilty, and the judge mandates that she receive intensive psychotherapy. The court releases her to the custody of her mother, and she is last seen leveling a predatory stare at a young boy.
External Links[]
- Jenny Brandt on the Law & Order Wiki