randomtuesday.livejournal.com/2505.htmlNot my best review, but hey I got it done.
General thoughts:
I feel like we've seen the whole episode already and they just threw in that last line for variation. Really, the whole thing was stuff we've already seen mashed into one transitionless, irrelevant time block. I personally noted several areas where they could have done something alternative and have provided a little more background for the case at the same time.
It was a very tension-is-building, tension-is-building (INSERT EXTREME MOMENT HERE) format minus the extreme moment. They built it up and then what the preview implied to be shocking and extreme was more lik "...that was it?"
This show should no longer be called Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A more appropriate name would be something like Special Irrelevant Cases Unit. There is rarely an episode these days involving sexual assault that doesn't throw in super-spy M.E.s, hostage situations, mass kidnappings, anthrax, Nazis, or super-hero perpetrators.
The review:
That sequence in the intro was the most overdramatic sequence involving a parrot EVER. I actually laughed.
Also in the intro, regarding the missing children: "No blood, no bodies..." Well isn't that how it always is on SVU? And then they'll find something later indicating the kids were there and they just missed them? Oh wait, that's how it happened again this time! I'm really sick of this layout for kidnappings.
Did anyone else think that in the two school pictures of the children that they looked nothing alike? I mean, I didn't see a resemblance in the pictures at all! However, in the very end when they pulled her out of the crate I thought she looked a lot like the boy. Hm. I'm not sure.
I don't even want to THINK about how many times we've had the angle of "The perp had a perfect view of the window." So many episodes, so many perps, and so many windows!
We have Munch and Fin early in the episode! This season, that's usally a pretty good sign. However, the fact that the guy has a Nazi/Hitler tatoo really rings a bell...oh yeah: the episode RAW, which also just happens to be from this season.
The camping gear sounds familiar too, just maybe not camping specifically.
The over-dramatic voice over where they're busting into the perp's house? I love it. Absolutely. I can't figure out why, but I love it in all its played-up drama.
By the commercials beginning at 10:12 p.m., the whole episode is still entirely too familiar.
However, at 10:17 p.m., WE HAVE GEORGE HUANG! That means we have seen the whole team, minus our dearly beloved Casey Novak who will sadly not be making an appearance tonight.
My my my Paula Greenfield, what a conveniently placed box of files you have on your floor! All ready to go and everything!
Back to the familiarity concept, even Terrified Counter Man at Station looks familiar.
Unless I heard wrong, I think Olivia said "Go Honey" to Elliot. *Sniff sniff* I smell an E/O shippers field day...
Well aren't you Little Miss Superhero Olivia, you just stood up and walked quite a ways with a cut throat!
Considering this is what the preview implied to be the event that would shock the nation, they really could've played this up more. I mean, she just stood up and walked off. But isn't being total idiots to the whole country what the producers do best? No, I must have that mixed up with with their skill of putting too much drama on everything. Anyway, they just did that whole thing WRONG.
What's with the arguing Elliot and Olivia? That goes back to my point about nothing in this episode having any sort of explaination.
I love seeing techie guy crawl on the ground. That made me smile with humor.
Elliot knocks on shrinks door.
Shrink opens door.
Shrink says "Come in."
WHOA WHOA WHOA BACK UP.
I don't even to start with this one. We all know that we've seen this one before. I don't even want to start. So I won't.
A MUNCH CONSPIRACY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Benson and Stabler made up pretty quickly. Again, completely out of order and spontaneous. Idiot producers.
Munch should've gone up to the military base. I mean it was his conspiracy that led them up there!
I like the gunshot sequence right before Stabler is held at gunpoint. Not too overdone. Good job.
As overdramatic as it was, I absolutely loved the acting on Mariska and Chris's parts. It was SO GOOD. That's lots of points for an episode that normally would've sucked. It was very very very very very very good when they were like in tears and she said "I'm sorry," right before she was going to pull the trigger. That actuallty stirred up emotions in me. BUT I didn't cry ;}.
10:53 p.m.: Here comes the E/O shippers' field day.
After that really good emotional sequence at the military base, the hospital lobby scene was REALLY unneeded. It was too much.
Since I missed the spoiler for the last line: GASP. However, I don't see how this makes her go byebye for maternity leave. I just don't. But whatever. It was still good.
Score: 8.7/10. The emotional scene is what did it for me.