![]() ![]() Is it hard to deal with crimes involving women and children when you’re a father? Is it hard on your wife when you’re the angriest man in New York City? Should someone absolutely not allow this man near any more suspects? For 12 years Elliot Stabler was on our screens to answer these questions and more while dealing with a collection of guest stars and plot twists. Along for the ride was the extended Stabler family: wife Kathy (Isabel Gillies), eldest Maureen (Erin Broderick), whose conception led to Elliot and Kathy’s marriage, Kathleen (Allison Siko), twins Dickie (Jeffrey Scaperrotta) and Elizabeth (Patricia Cook), and Elliot Jr., whose conception the audience gets to see on screen in Season 8 (more on that later). Stabler got to carry any number of weighty character tropes upon his broad shoulders: the Angry Cop, the Catholic, the Family Man, each one getting its moment to shine as the weekly case decreed. Stabler became as well known for his simmering-to-boiling rage as he was for his crime-solving prowess punching suspects, shaking suspects, putting suspects into headlocks. For the first 12 seasons of SVU Stabler and Olivia Benson ( Mariska Hargitay) were the SVU team, the perfect partners. 5/10.The Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime crossover event on April 1st will mark not only the premiere of a new Law & Order spinoff, but also the return of one Elliot Stabler ( Christopher Meloni). Other than Davis, Murphy and Mull, the support doesn't stand out that much. Micaela McManus was always stiff and robotic in the role and she is here while also over-acting in the cross examination scene. Her pomposity and aloofness are taken to wild extremes and we can now add bullying and unprofessionalism to the list. Greylek was always one of my least favourite 'Special Victims Unit' regular cast characters in her thankfully short time on the show, this is one of her worst appearances. There is some truly sloppy and unprofessional police work, including yet another confidentiality breach from Olivia. Furthermore, the script is dumbed down, heavy handed and overwrought, especially Greylek's when in the courtroom. There is also too much emphasis on shoe-horned and too convient using of technology and science to solve the case and make a solid argument, technology and science that has not aged well but oddly interesting. The cringe-worthy examination scene (one of the worst in 'Special Victims Unit', and the franchise's history) being a prime example. The writers try to hide this with throwing in an overload of forced melodrama. Mostly the story is very dull and thin on the ground, some of it is uneventful-feeling and there is a general lack of tension and surprises. The AIDS denial portrayal is effectively scary and even more so is the delusion that comes with it. As said though, some of the supporting/guest cast make a stronger impression, while Viola Davis and Donna Murphy are excellent, as is Paula Malcolmson when she is not made to go overwrought, it's the genuinely frightening Martin Mull that makes the biggest impression and dominates. Most of the regulars are very good, in fact all the SVU squad are finely characterised. The direction has moments where it is at ease with the material and in control of it. ![]() The music is haunting while not spelling out the emotions too much. The production values are slick, gritty and professional. ![]() Greylek also in in one of her worst appearances and it is one of the episodes that shows why she is one of my least favourite characters of the entire franchise. "Retro" against all that also has one of the worst scenes of the season and of the show up to this point, the case could have been better. Guest performances that were even better than the regulars and were deserving of a better episode. The actual denial element of the story is done well and the episode is made better by its guest performances. "Retro" could have done a lot better with it however. AIDS and attitudes towards it (especially denial) is definitely up there with the toughest and most controversial, as far as Season 10 goes this and "Transitions" have the most difficult subjects. Some may know already how much admiration there is from me for anything that tackles difficult and controversial themes and issues. Am slowly working my way through writing reviews for all the episodes of 'Law and Order, 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent' with a long way to go. ![]()
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