From Chicago Justice to Law and Order: SVU, Peter Stone is not to be messed with. Here are 5 reasons why Philip Winchester’s character is tops in our book.
Peter Stone is a badass. There’s no denying that Philip Winchester‘s character has earned that title since we were introduced to him almost two years ago in the Chicago PD season 3 episode “Justice.” From the moment he appeared on our screens, he was someone we knew was going to shake things up.
Whether appearing on that series, as the main character in Chicago Justice, or now as the current Assistant District Attorney on Law & Order: SVU, Peter is just a different kind of hero. Whether he is the protagonist or a supporting player, whether he’s prosecuting in Chicago or New York, he’s a man who pulls no punches and lands them with authority.
Both inside and out of the courtroom he sets a standard that everyone else has to live up to, while trying to reach a very high bar of his own. And it really doesn’t matter what you throw at him; he’s going to find a way to see justice done. He’s a modern-day crusader and deserves some attention for everything he’s brought to the table, especially because we know he’s just getting started.
Click through this slideshow for the five reasons why we love Peter Stone, and why we wouldn’t want to make an enemy of him either, because he’s on a whole other level.
5) He’s not afraid of anyone
Peter Stone does not care who you are. Whether you’re an ordinary citizen or the most powerful person in Chicago, if you’ve broken the law, he’s going to take you down. And if you’ve been hurt by someone else, he’s going to do everything in his power to get you justice.
We saw numerous times over Chicago Justice season 1 how the size or shape of the opponent had absolutely no effect on Peter. Having to cross the Intelligence Unit when he thought Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) was responsible for the death of a suspect? That didn’t faze him one bit, when most people run away from anything that might tick off Hank Voight.
Having to take on the federal government to effectively prosecute his case? He was willing to do it in “Friendly Fire” even though his boss Mark Jefferies (Carl Weathers) explicitly told him that his job was on the line.
And last but certainly not least, Chicago Justice ended with Peter Stone going head to head with perhaps the city’s most powerful man, real estate developer Frank Linden (Richard Schiff), in “Tycoon.” Not only did Stone destroy Linden on cross-examination, but he convicted him, too. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the aisle, Peter Stone is only concerned with justice and that’s what makes him so good at getting it.
4) He challenges the status quo
The best thing about Chicago Justice, as represented through the character of Peter Stone, was that it didn’t settle. Peter’s world wasn’t just about “good guys win and bad guys lose.” There were so many questions to be asked, and he never shied away from asking them. No matter who that made angry.
It’s almost a running joke at this point how many people Peter has ticked off. Over the course of Chicago Justice, he upset every other main character. Particularly Mark Jefferies, as it seemed like the two were arguing with each other every week over one thing or another, and you could see in Jefferies’ expressions how Peter was giving him a literal headache.
Then when he was brought over to Law & Order: SVU last month, what was the first thing he did? He infuriated Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) when he agreed to prosecute her friend and their current Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba (Raul Esparza) for murder. Not a great impression there either.
But that’s who Peter Stone is. He’s unafraid to stand up and ask why, or to voice the unpopular opinion, or to just push a little harder to do what must be done. He goes where nobody else dares, and we’ll follow him there. Even if sometimes he makes us a little crazy, too.
3) He plays by the rules
Despite Peter Stone’s willingness to pick fights, once the battle is on, he’s always fighting fair. We don’t have to worry about him looking for a legal loophole, or “accidentally” forgetting to disclose something, or being a jerk for the sake of being one. Even when it’d be completely understandable for him to hit someone upside the head with a law book, he holds it together.
We don’t see characters like that as much anymore. Heck, in Chicago PD we have an entire series where the fundamental premise is breaking the rules to uphold the law. And especially in lawyer shows and cop shows, the new normal seems to be characters who do the right thing but color outside the lines for whatever reason. Not to say those characters are completely in the wrong, but it’s refreshing to see someone who’s doing things right.
Peter is a character who has his integrity. He’ll take risks with his own career and reputation, but he won’t mess around with anyone else, as in “Judge Not” when he kicked Anna Valdez out when the case involved her. He respects his opposing counsel, even if they’re on the other side, like his interactions with Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks) and even Billy O’Boyle (Gary Basaraba). And we can always respect him, no matter what.
2) He’s a great coworker
Even though Peter Stone is a hard-charging prosecutor, and an often infuriating employee and depending on the day (or if you talk to Antonio Dawson) maybe not the best boss, he’s always seemed like someone we’d want to work with, and even grab a drink with afterward.
He pushes everyone around him to give their absolute best, but that’s only because he wants the best for the people they represent. Even when he’s having to come down hard on someone like Anna Valdez (Monica Barbaro), it’s because he’s looking out for her and making sure he doesn’t endanger the opportunity to get justice for her friend.
Let’s remember that it was Peter who brought Anna to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office because he liked what he saw in her work. Let’s just look at the Chicago Justice episode “Double Helix” where he comforted Laura Nagel (Joelle Carter) in the bar when she thought she’d screwed up her career. He might frustrate people occasionally, but it’s because he cares, and he definitely cares about his colleagues and friends.
Plus, he can be hilarious in a dryly witty kind of way. Just watch some of his cross-examinations where he finds ways to needle people while being perfectly diplomatic. Peter is definitely a hero we’d want to be friends with.
1) He reaches for the brass ring
What makes Peter Stone so special as a character is what he stands for, and what he represents. He’s an unabashed idealist. For him, this is about more than wins and losses; it’s about fighting for something bigger than himself, about making a difference in the only way he knows how, and that in turn inspires us to be better as well.
Particularly now that Philip Winchester has shifted the character from Chicago Justice into the world of Law & Order: SVU, we’re getting to see Peter Stone as the TV lawyer we didn’t know we needed. As a character, he embodies and honors more than 20 years of history, because he’s been able to connect the entire universe.
He’s the son of Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty), he’s been in the courtroom with Paul Robinette, and now he works for Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). Through all of his experiences, Peter really is the sum total of all that history, and we can see it come together in him and how he moves forward from here. He’s creating the next chapter in that history.
And though he may never quite believe it, Peter has done well by his legendary surname. Philip Winchester’s performance would make Michael Moriarty proud. Peter, like Ben, is a character who has a calling and through whom the audience can find their own belief. He’s a good man doing good things for the best possible reasons, and we know that as his story goes on now, he’s only going to get better.
Next: Philip Winchester on Peter Stone's move to SVU
You can watch Philip Winchester as Peter Stone in new episodes of Law & Order: SVU, airing at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on NBC. For more SVU coverage, visit the Dick Wolf category at One Chicago Center.