February 6, 2007: Albatross
Welcome back, new episodes of
Law & Order: Criminal Intent - we missed you so. A marked improvement over the Goren/Eames episode of last month (because monthly is about how often they're running now), this was actually one of my favorites so far this season.
The acting was almost universally strong, from the detectives to the suspects - though I did pick up on some of that Captain Danny/
Eric Bogosian woodenness others have complained of. When he "rushed" over to the dying judge's aid at the duel and declared, "I'm a police officer" - well, there was just nothing there. No urgency, no shock at a murder taking place right in front of his kids. Heck, he even put the little scamps to work collecting video cameras from the crowd. Your fictional tax dollars fictionally at work, people.
Speaking of that duel, the whole opening sequence really threw me for a loop. Guys in powdered wigs, MTV-style quick-cutting and a
Bowie/
Queen accompaniment - I felt like I was watching a Falco video ("Rock Me Goren/Eames"?) with a better soundtrack. It's a shame this was botched, because aside from those self-conscious opening shots and the way-out-of-place soundtrack, the montage of the duel being set up and the sniper taking aim was slick and effective. And timing the shot to match the duelists' pistols firing
was a nice touch - hey, if you're gonna kill someone for money, at least do it with style.
After all that craziness, things calmed down and slipped back into their familiar investigational pattern. But tonight, they made it way too easy to pick out the killer - or at least the killing-arranger. Detectives interview limo driver. Limo driver acts suspicious. Because he did it. Case closed - a half hour later. While red herrings can be annoying when you've already figured out whodunit, a couple more might have drawn out this mystery a little longer.
But there was some interpersonal stuff to keep it interesting. I particularly enjoyed the twisted relationship between Lady Politician and Slimeball Construction Mogul (knew both of their faces, but I wish I'd caught their names). Their determination to make a marriage work despite cheating, spying and even murder was truly inspiring.
Also nice was a blink-and-you-missed-it exchange between Goren and Eames at a restaurant bar (he takes his Glen Livet straight, while she prefers a vodka martini):
Goren: "Are we all right?"
Eames: "I hope so."
It wasn't much, but that tantalizing tidbit keeps my hope alive that these gently simmering tensions will eventually come back to a boiling point. Fingers crossed.
So all told, this was a good outing, though I'm not sure I'll feel the same about...
Next Week: I'll now go on the record for being officially sick of the
L&O franchise detectives being forced to investigate rapper's murders. A decade after
Biggie and
Tupac were killed, it's not a hot topic, and it doesn't make you look hip, guys - just a little desperate. What's next? A cameo from
50 Cent as 25 Dollar in a ripped-from-
The Source's-headlines story?
*Note to NBC executives who are surely reading this blog: That's just a joke, not a suggestion.
However, if you have the bad taste to proceed, I want 20 percent. It's only fair.
