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stunt_muppet at 11:28pm on 09/02/2007 under l&o
stunt_muppet at 11:28pm on 09/02/2007 under l&oYeah, yeah, updates from Muppet-life-land coming soon. Although I'm hoping to go to bed early tonight, so depending on how long this takes, life may have to wait till tomorrow.
Eh. Who am I kidding. Update right after this one will be life.
Missed Monk (damnit!). Caught Law & Order. C'est la vie.
Eh. This was an okay episode. Not my favorite by a long shot, but not a waste of time, either. It definetly could have been worse - for the most part, the priest and his wife didn't lapse into the kind of sanctimonious self-parody that characterizes TV priests. Well, okay, they did once or twice. The wife's protests at Green and Cassady, where she yells "Is it because we have the courage to believe in Jesus? Because we respect family values?" etc., did kind of make me roll my eyes, but then again, I try to avoid the kind of televangelists that the Sterlings were supposed to represent. So maybe they really do talk that way. I don't know.
Also not sure how I feel about Sterling quoting the Bible as Green reads him his Mirandas. I liked it - it's a nice contrast between Sterling's bellowing and Green's firm but calm delivery, and between the dramatic Bible passages and the businesslike Miranda rights - but I'm trying to figure out if it was just a touch campy or not. I didn't think so, but then I'm not a TV critic.
I wasn't too thrilled with the case, mainly because it was so straightforward. I have to admit that as soon as the teaser finished, I suspected Sterling, if for no reason than a priest on a crime drama is *never* up to any good (not like I'm bitter). Granted, it became abruptly less straightforward near the tail end - I was honestly kind of surprised when it turned out that Mrs. Sterling comitted the murder. But I wish she had shown up as a more viable suspect during the detective's investigation. I'm not asking the L&O folk to give anything away at the beginning, just...complicate the case a little more. I'm of the opinion that the best cases are the ones with few leads and lots of suspects. Every episode can't be like that, though, so I suppose that's more my taste than anything.
Anita's still awesome. Still love Ed. This is my second or third episode with Cassedy (most of the L&O I watch is of the Briscoe era), and so far I've found no reason to dislike her. Also, one of my favorite moments of the episode might have been Ed's reaction to the male escort site. It was a very good "ooookay" look. I found it entertaining.
On to the trial, where my personal taste in episodes enters in again. See, my favorite L&O episodes inevitably involve Jack a)baiting, mocking, or flat-out yelling at a defendant, or b)giving a defendant his "bitch please" face. Neither occured here, which was a shame. The plea bargain made sense in the context of the episode, and honestly the episode probably would have suffered if Mrs. Sterling had refused the plea bargain (not to mention it would have been far too long). But come on. A Few Good Men wasn't such an awesome movie because Tom Cruise offered Jack Nicholson a plea bargain. I was sort of hoping that Jack would get an opportunity to utterly demolish this woman on cross-examination, if only because she was getting on my nerves (as well as his, I'm sure). But he didn't, and I get that. So, decent trial. Just not to my taste.
However, as I said above, the twist in the case, when Sterling killed himself, did come as an actual surprise, although I figured it out as soon as the upset-looking lawyer came into the office and the "suspense violin" started playing. There are certain cues you just can't miss.
Another thing I'm not sure I like was Connie and Branch's remarks about Jack's personal connection to the case. Honestly, I didn't see one there. He didn't seem particularly mad about Sterling - no more than usual, anyway. I know that Connie noted that Jack wouldn't refer to Sterling as "Reverend", but I didn't think there was anything to that. I mean, I noticed it too, but I assumed that was because Jack thought he was a hypocrite and a liar and didn't afford him that kind of respect. I didn't think his being Irish Catholic had anything to do with it, and really I think that's reading too much into it.
Is he even Catholic anymore? I thought he was in the same "lapsed altar boy" status as Bobby.
Digression: Have you noticed that when someone has a religion at all on L&O, they're usually Catholic or lapsed Catholic? The only exception that comes to mind is John.
The trial itself was pretty good, although I thought it was a little convenient that the defense found a way to get rid of almost *every* witness for the prosecution. But again, I suppose that too was in service of the episode. The only one that I could really find reason to complain about was the discrediting of Sterling's lover. His robbery prior seemed kind of random. Sterling's actor conveyed his charisma very well, and although he was playing an objectionable character he wasn't as obnoxious as he could have been. The wife was another story - I know she's probably that irritating on purpose, but that didn't make it easier to sit through her tearful platitudes about how she'd do anything, anything for her congregation and her church.
Oh, and Connie? Please don't try to analyze Jack. He has no reason to suddenly reveal a block of character development to you yet. Hang about for a bit longer and then try your luck.
I don't know. It was a good enough episode, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling the energy as much in this one. It all seemed strangely...not urgent. I didn't get the vibe of tension from this that a good episode normally gives me, even during said good episode's calmer moments. Hmm. I don't know if this is a tone shift that I've missed during my period of being raised on reruns or if it's specific to this episode.
Or, as I said, it could be just me.
Topic switch time: next week's SVU? I'm excited. I know I whine and bitch all the time about how Elliot and Olivia have been getting the spotlight recently, but hey, I wouldn't have started watching the show if I didn't like them. And Elliot being accused of murder? I spy a tantalizing storyline coming up. And further angst amongst Elliot and the Stablerlings. And maybe some E/O that isn't beating me over the head with it's obviousness (yes, "Burned", I'm talking to you). I can only hope.
Eh. Who am I kidding. Update right after this one will be life.
Missed Monk (damnit!). Caught Law & Order. C'est la vie.
Eh. This was an okay episode. Not my favorite by a long shot, but not a waste of time, either. It definetly could have been worse - for the most part, the priest and his wife didn't lapse into the kind of sanctimonious self-parody that characterizes TV priests. Well, okay, they did once or twice. The wife's protests at Green and Cassady, where she yells "Is it because we have the courage to believe in Jesus? Because we respect family values?" etc., did kind of make me roll my eyes, but then again, I try to avoid the kind of televangelists that the Sterlings were supposed to represent. So maybe they really do talk that way. I don't know.
Also not sure how I feel about Sterling quoting the Bible as Green reads him his Mirandas. I liked it - it's a nice contrast between Sterling's bellowing and Green's firm but calm delivery, and between the dramatic Bible passages and the businesslike Miranda rights - but I'm trying to figure out if it was just a touch campy or not. I didn't think so, but then I'm not a TV critic.
I wasn't too thrilled with the case, mainly because it was so straightforward. I have to admit that as soon as the teaser finished, I suspected Sterling, if for no reason than a priest on a crime drama is *never* up to any good (not like I'm bitter). Granted, it became abruptly less straightforward near the tail end - I was honestly kind of surprised when it turned out that Mrs. Sterling comitted the murder. But I wish she had shown up as a more viable suspect during the detective's investigation. I'm not asking the L&O folk to give anything away at the beginning, just...complicate the case a little more. I'm of the opinion that the best cases are the ones with few leads and lots of suspects. Every episode can't be like that, though, so I suppose that's more my taste than anything.
Anita's still awesome. Still love Ed. This is my second or third episode with Cassedy (most of the L&O I watch is of the Briscoe era), and so far I've found no reason to dislike her. Also, one of my favorite moments of the episode might have been Ed's reaction to the male escort site. It was a very good "ooookay" look. I found it entertaining.
On to the trial, where my personal taste in episodes enters in again. See, my favorite L&O episodes inevitably involve Jack a)baiting, mocking, or flat-out yelling at a defendant, or b)giving a defendant his "bitch please" face. Neither occured here, which was a shame. The plea bargain made sense in the context of the episode, and honestly the episode probably would have suffered if Mrs. Sterling had refused the plea bargain (not to mention it would have been far too long). But come on. A Few Good Men wasn't such an awesome movie because Tom Cruise offered Jack Nicholson a plea bargain. I was sort of hoping that Jack would get an opportunity to utterly demolish this woman on cross-examination, if only because she was getting on my nerves (as well as his, I'm sure). But he didn't, and I get that. So, decent trial. Just not to my taste.
However, as I said above, the twist in the case, when Sterling killed himself, did come as an actual surprise, although I figured it out as soon as the upset-looking lawyer came into the office and the "suspense violin" started playing. There are certain cues you just can't miss.
Another thing I'm not sure I like was Connie and Branch's remarks about Jack's personal connection to the case. Honestly, I didn't see one there. He didn't seem particularly mad about Sterling - no more than usual, anyway. I know that Connie noted that Jack wouldn't refer to Sterling as "Reverend", but I didn't think there was anything to that. I mean, I noticed it too, but I assumed that was because Jack thought he was a hypocrite and a liar and didn't afford him that kind of respect. I didn't think his being Irish Catholic had anything to do with it, and really I think that's reading too much into it.
Is he even Catholic anymore? I thought he was in the same "lapsed altar boy" status as Bobby.
Digression: Have you noticed that when someone has a religion at all on L&O, they're usually Catholic or lapsed Catholic? The only exception that comes to mind is John.
The trial itself was pretty good, although I thought it was a little convenient that the defense found a way to get rid of almost *every* witness for the prosecution. But again, I suppose that too was in service of the episode. The only one that I could really find reason to complain about was the discrediting of Sterling's lover. His robbery prior seemed kind of random. Sterling's actor conveyed his charisma very well, and although he was playing an objectionable character he wasn't as obnoxious as he could have been. The wife was another story - I know she's probably that irritating on purpose, but that didn't make it easier to sit through her tearful platitudes about how she'd do anything, anything for her congregation and her church.
Oh, and Connie? Please don't try to analyze Jack. He has no reason to suddenly reveal a block of character development to you yet. Hang about for a bit longer and then try your luck.
I don't know. It was a good enough episode, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling the energy as much in this one. It all seemed strangely...not urgent. I didn't get the vibe of tension from this that a good episode normally gives me, even during said good episode's calmer moments. Hmm. I don't know if this is a tone shift that I've missed during my period of being raised on reruns or if it's specific to this episode.
Or, as I said, it could be just me.
Topic switch time: next week's SVU? I'm excited. I know I whine and bitch all the time about how Elliot and Olivia have been getting the spotlight recently, but hey, I wouldn't have started watching the show if I didn't like them. And Elliot being accused of murder? I spy a tantalizing storyline coming up. And further angst amongst Elliot and the Stablerlings. And maybe some E/O that isn't beating me over the head with it's obviousness (yes, "Burned", I'm talking to you). I can only hope.