Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Detective Goren infiltrates the psychiatric ward of a New York jail, posing as a patient to pursue a covert inquiry. He does so after his nephew, an inmate, alleges that the sadistic guards are torturing prisoners and even killing them.

Untethered is a programme presented as an episode, forming part of a larger series. It follows a conventional format for television drama, focusing on a self‑contained storyline that unfolds within a single instalment. The show is structured around a central investigation, delivering a concise narrative that fits neatly into the episode framework. In this instalment, the character Goren goes undercover inside the psychiatric ward of a New York jail. He does so after his nephew, who’s serving time there, tells him that inmates are being subjected to severe abuse. According to the nephew’s claims, the ward’s guards act with cruelty, torturing prisoners and, in some cases, causing their deaths. Goren’s mission is to verify those accusations from within the facility. The focus of the episode rests on the alleged misconduct of the ward’s staff, described as sadistic. Goren’s personal link to the informant – his nephew – adds urgency to the inquiry, pushing him to infiltrate a highly controlled environment. By entering the psychiatric unit, he hopes to uncover whether the reported torture and killings are real, and to expose any wrongdoing by the guards. The narrative centres on his attempt to bring the truth to light from inside the jail.