Xeliou66

No Benson never had an alcohol problem, we’ve seen her drink over the years but she was never an alcoholic - her mother was an alcoholic though.

SVU finally had a clunker tonight after 3 decent episodes to start the season. This was just an uninteresting slog from start to finish, felt like the episode took forever. Benson had her usual annoying playing the hero moments, and while normally I would like more Carisi, tonight they had him acting as more cop than investigator and had him way too hotheaded - an ADA needs to be less emotional. I like that they’ve given Carisi a big role this season but he was too emotionally involved and acting too much like St Olivia tonight. Velasco finally got something and Fin was solid as usual, Silva was just kind of there. No Bruno for the second week in a row sucked, he adds a real spark to the show that’s missing when he’s absent. Overall the case was just dull and boring and it was very predictable the dad would be the bad guy and his wife turned on him very quickly I thought. Not as bad as several of the episodes last season but boring to the max.

Interesting concept and premise but it was kind of bogged down by personal crap - I wish they would ditch the personal stuff, original L&O is best when it’s very minimal, and Price’s judgment being compromised because of his dad’s condition as revealed at the end was just too melodramatic. And once again we have Maroun behaving like more of an activist than an ADA - shades of St Olivia Benson there, and I don’t like it even if she made valid points. I was glad the husband decided to have his wife taken off of life support, it’s what she wanted and what I imagine most people would want - I for one certainly wouldn’t want to linger in that condition. And then the whole idea that Price/Maroun were shocked that the defense brought in an expert to testify to their theory was weird, what the hell did they expect? Baxter’s scenes were once again the highlight of the legal side, the rest was too filled with Price/Maroun melodrama. And the revelation about Riley’s wife having a miscarriage was weird and tacked on, again it felt too melodramatic, and there’s a big difference between having a miscarriage and the IVF/embryo stuff so it was weird. On the positive side at least they didn’t have anyone be an obnoxious prick or make anti abortion arguments the way Greevey did in Life Choice or Bernard did in the season 20 episode about abortion, and Riley’s knowledge of religion helping the case worked okay even if this was the first mention of him having a religious upbringing, I was worried they would have Riley sympathize with the perp like Greevey did in Life Choice and I was relieved they didn’t go there - I take it Riley is sort of a lapsed Catholic like several other characters on the franchise. The detective side flows much better than the legal side still, maybe because I like Shaw/Riley much better than Price/Maroun and maybe because it’s just better written and more compelling. It was obvious the girl’s boyfriend would be the perp the minute they lingered on his picture. I liked the investigation and I really liked seeing them go to the forensics lab. The LT didn’t annoy me this time but she didn’t have much of a role. This episode could’ve been much better if they hadn’t infused personal melodrama and if the legal side had been more compelling somehow - I found myself zoning out at times during the legal portion because it just felt boring. I still greatly enjoy L&O but they are infusing way too much personal melodrama into this season - episode 1 had Maroun’s melodrama, episode 3 had Riley’s loser brother, and this episode had the stuff I referenced above. I wish they would cut this out and get back to focusing almost exclusively on the cases - L&O is feeling too much like SVU at times now with the personal crap.

I saw Deakins final episode last night and it will always irritate me how poorly they did Deakins exit, they sent him out under a cloud and made him look like a quitter. I didn’t buy that Deakins would just roll over and give up his job because of Adair’s smears, he easily could’ve been exonerated. They really did a lousy job with his exit. I really wish they had just had him retire to spend more time with his family or something. And it pisses me off how Goren/Eames weren’t in the final scene with Deakins when he exited the squad room, that was pathetic, he had worked with Goren/Eames for years and didn’t get a strong goodbye scene with them. Both pairs of detectives should’ve been present in the squad room when Deakins left. I did like his warm goodbye with Carver (in what would be Carver’s final scene as well) and his giving Logan the new desk, and it was nice to see more of Deakins in his final couple of episodes - I liked seeing him get out in the field in the finale and get more scenes, but it was really disappointing how they sent him out under a cloud. Exits on the L&O franchise have always been such a mixed bag and Deakins exit was just not well done.

Episode description - A romantic date ends with a teenager fighting for her life in the hospital; Carisi can’t help bringing the case home with him as he envisions the dangers ahead for his growing daughters.

Episode description- When a bomb goes off in a brownstone, Shaw and Riley must determine which of its inhabitants - an author or fertility doctor - was the target; Price and Maroun try to bring murder charges against the suspect, even though the victim is still alive.

Another good episode - a bit different from most cases here in that it was more of a tragedy of kids being stupid than anyone being truly evil or unhinged, but a compelling story nonetheless. In the end I didn’t feel sorry for any of them, Will was a bully who drove a girl to suicide, and so was Zach, but Zach didn’t deserve to die for it and the girls were old enough to know better than to commit kidnapping and murder and the one girl seemed to have a mean streak. And Will’s dad was a prick. I liked Remy’s disgust with all of them and at the whole situation, all of those kids deserved a lengthy jail sentence. The AI stuff is scary, not the first time a Dick Wolf show has dealt with this, it is a relevant issue. I thought the deepfake of Remy was odd in that it was shoehorned in kind of and didn’t really get resolved other than Isobel saying she would try to clear it up. Instead of the personal stuff with Ray, I would’ve preferred some resolution to the deepfake of Remy situation, that bit felt tacked on. I did laugh at Remy eating the food from the fridge, that was random, maybe a comic relief moment in a serious and tragic episode? But I like Remy and the charisma he brings to the show. Another good episode and this is my favorite of the 3 FBI shows.

This episode had a decent case but was way too heavy on action hero Wes - 3 separate fight scenes with Wes vs bad guys. They went overboard on trying to make Wes a super agent. I would’ve liked more of a teamwork effort instead of just Wes. And they are shoving a lot of Wes down our throats with his whole backstory about being in foster care and all. For some reason I’m just not sold on Wes and it seems like they are trying really hard to show how awesome he is. I really liked seeing Tank the dog again. Nice to get a cameo from Jubal as well.

Good episode - compelling case and a good investigation/manhunt, I liked how they pieced it together. I did think it was a bit odd that the prison didn’t notice the escape until after the FBI realized it - maybe the prison employee helping with the escape played a part in that, that was a good twist. It was interesting how the bullpen at 26 Fed was empty at the start, usually its bustling with people, I wondered what was going on and why it was just Jubal, Kelly and Elise there to begin with. It was weird that Scola’s partner is leaving after this episode, I’m not sure what the point in having an agent join for 1 case and then leave was, and I wasn’t sure why she was leaving either, just because she didn’t want to follow Tiffany? I didn’t really care for this agent but it was an odd storyline. I liked Jubal’s scenes as usual but I wondered what happened to his ex’s new boyfriend, I remember his ex was seeing a new guy but he hasn’t been shown in a while so I guess they broke up. They are continuing the plot with the team being under a microscope because of the clash with the CIA, it was interesting to see some tension between Isobel/Maggie because of that. I wonder when that will come up again. I already have a bad feeling about OA’s army buddy, I think he’s going to cause some trouble for OA soon. Overall a solid episode that sets up some interesting storylines as well.

It makes me laugh how Carisi and Rollins still call each other by their last names although they’re married - it’s pretty funny to me. Occasionally they use each other’s first names, but usually they’re still “Carisi” and “Rollins” - I noticed how he called her “Rollins” instead of “Amanda” as well. Maybe they don’t want to make a big deal of their relationship at work, but it is funny.

It was kind of funny, it was at the crime scene and Remy and Hana were discussing why the girlfriend was sleeping in a different room than the detective, and Hana said to Remy “did I ever tell you about my old roommate Crosby?” and mentioned that Crosby had trouble sleeping and snored in his sleep and that their victim the detective wore something to help with his sleeping as well, as did Crosby, and that’s why the girlfriend wasn’t sleeping with the cop. Like you I’m skeptical of Hana’s friend Ethan, something about that dude seems off. I for one don’t miss Kristin at all, she was cold and standoffish and didn’t gel very well with everyone else. In fact, Kristin is the only character on this show I wasn’t a fan of. Nina is much more likable and has better chemistry with the others IMO. I really like this current team and their chemistry and I hope they are together for a while.

I agree that I wish Brian Lange had become the new leader of the Fly Team, he was very likable in his 2 episodes at the end of last season and it was weird how they gave him such a prominent role then didn’t bring him back - maybe the actor didn’t want to go overseas to film or wasn’t available. Regardless I’m not sold on Wes - he was too much of a hothead and something about him kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Also his girlfriend was a psycho and seemed unstable, so glad they broke up and hopefully she’s never heard from again, dating someone like her made me question Wes’ judgment already. I’ll give Wes a chance, Forrester wasn’t my favorite either at the start and he grew on me a lot, and other characters have grown on me as well, so hopefully Wes will, but so far I’m not sold on him. International is my least favorite of the 3 FBIs, both because it’s too much spy drama and not enough crime drama at times and because I don’t find the characters as compelling, but it’s still pretty good.

This wasn’t as good as the first 2 episodes, it wasn’t horrible but I just wasn’t that interested in it. Way too much Benson and Rollins and not enough of anyone else, Fin got a solid role which was nice but Bruno, Velasco and the new detective got the week off. The Benson worship seemed to return this week with the scenes of St O counseling victims and making it all better. And I just don’t buy Rollins as a sergeant - after all of the crap she’s pulled I have a hard time believing she would get promoted. The case wasn’t that interesting and felt very routine. But mainly it just felt like the Benson and Rollins hour and that just doesn’t interest me given I’m not a fan of either. Carisi was solid with what he had but it wasn’t much. Just kind of a bland episode.

This was a good episode but Riley’s loser brother was one of the most irritating characters in L&O history - what a spineless douche. He was beyond pathetic and I was glad he was in trouble at the end and that Vince wasn’t going to help him anymore - he blew every chance he had and hopefully Vince cuts him off for good. He drove me nuts. I was kind of surprised the jury convicted but I guess the evidence of the watch plus Costa being where the weapon was dumped plus the motive evidence of bad blood was enough to nail him, and I guess the jury saw through Matt covering for Costa. Shaw and Riley had some nice scenes and I really like their partnership. The new LT is still too abrasive though, she has potential but she kind of gets on my nerves. Not enough of Baxter in this episode, I liked what we got but it wasn’t much. Not much of Maroun either but I don’t care about her. Price was good again. This week was much heavier on the police than DAs. I also laughed at the Hudson U stuff and once again having a criminal investigation involving them. Overall a solid episode and case, Riley’s brother was beyond irritating though.

Episode description Riley’s personal and professional lives clash when his brother is connected to a murder investigation; Price takes a chance on a witness who can testify to a hidden motive.

Strong start to the season, another good case with a creepy villain. I liked the case and investigation and how they got to the bottom of it. I did wonder why the villain targeted the college at the end - was he angry because he didn’t go to college and he saw people from college as thinking they were better than him? That was my best guess. The rest of it made sense, at least from the perp’s twisted viewpoint, he was clearly unbalanced and had a screwed up past and finally snapped. Interesting that Barnes was MIA, figured everyone would be around to start the season, at least they referenced her. I liked the reference to Crosby as well. I really like this current team and I think they gel well together. Nice to have the FBI shows back!

Interesting premiere, I liked the case but I’m not sold on Wes - he could be good but he seems a bit too rogue and abrasive and cocky. I was glad Vo told him he needed to work well with the others and keep them in the loop. Hopefully Wes grows on me, Forrester grew on me a lot during him time, hopefully Wes will do the same, but it was a bumpy start, and the episode was too centered around him. The case of the robbery crew was good and I liked the investigation.

Strong season premiere - enjoyable case from start to finish. I wonder if there will be any future repercussions for going against the CIAs wishes - regardless it was the right thing to do and I loved seeing Maggie and Isobel stand up to the CIA. It seemed like there would be more low key ways for the Iranian operatives to take out the victims, but maybe they wanted a bigger bang to get back at America for the general’s killing. I’m disappointed to see Tiffany go, I liked her a lot and will miss her, but I’m not surprised she felt burned out after what happened last season. Hopefully the new agent will be good as well. Nice to see all of the other characters back - I enjoy Jubal and his command room of agents a lot, that’s my favorite part of the show. Nice to have FBI back - this is a consistently entertaining show with good main characters and solid cases.

I doubt it will come back to bite Price given that Maroun didn’t actually do anything improper. I doubt there will be any more lines going forward about it, and I’m glad of that, episode 1 was just too soapy for me. And Maroun wasn’t off this case, she was second chair on it she just didn’t have many lines.

The defendant frequently attends motion hearings in chambers with their lawyer, it makes sense since they are the person on trial and sometimes the judge wants to hear from them directly about certain matters such as interactions with police. The defendant is usually in chambers with their lawyer when the judge goes over stuff so that wasn’t really unusual. St Olivia drove me nuts here as usual, and it’s another example of how unfit she is to lead a police squad, she doesn’t care about following the law and she’s ridiculously biased. And yes she believes any woman who has been the victim of a sex crime has the right to break the law, this has been shown over and over on SVU. She’s just too biased to be an effective police officer, and no one calls her out on this. I agree this was a good episode for Price, he did a good job and it was refreshing to see him stand up to St O. I like Price more than many viewers do, he can be hit or miss but he’s not a bad character IMO and he was good here, I like how he laid out the facts for the jury in his closing argument. I’m glad no reference was made to Maroun’s behavior in the previous episode, that was too melodramatic, and Maroun just doesn’t add much. I enjoy Baxter and his scenes a lot. As for a couple of other points, I think the victim was hanging around in areas the defendant frequented hoping to run into her. His app was weird I agree but it tied into the victim’s character - he seemed to get obsessed with women he liked and didn’t know how to move on if rejected, and he was using his real life experiences to build his app about how to be the “perfect boyfriend” to try to figure out what women wanted from him instead of just moving on. I didn’t really feel sorry for him, he was creepy and should’ve just moved on instead of being persistent with women, but the killing wasn’t justified, killing is a last resort and the perp had many other ways of dealing with the situation other than shooting him in the head. Overall I think this was actually one of the best and most compelling episodes of the revival.

I agree Benson was way out of line, but that’s nothing new for her - she repeatedly interferes with cases to push an agenda, and sometimes makes up charges just to send a message - like the time she bullied Barba into prosecuting something that wasn’t even a crime when the guy was lying about who he was to get women to sleep with him, and when she arrested the ICE agent just for doing his job. Benson should’ve been removed from command so many times now it’s not even funny, but MH’s ego is huge and the showrunners have their heads so far up her ass they can’t see, so Benson is portrayed as a perfect beacon of light and hope. I was pleasantly surprised here that things didn’t go 100% Benson’s way. I’ve come to absolutely despise Olivia Benson over the last few years and she was just as irritating in this episode as she always is. Minus Benson this episode was really good though.

The actress who plays Maroun is the weakest of the main cast IMO, and Maroun just doesn’t do much for me, she’s bland and not that compelling. I’m usually fine with Price, and I don’t think Hugh Dancy is a bad actor, he just comes off as too low key sometimes but I don’t dislike Nolan Price the way some do. I think in some ways the role of the lead prosecutor is the hardest and whoever does it will always be compared to Sam Waterston/Jack McCoy and it’s impossible to live up to that level of excellence. Ben Stone was an awesome lead prosecutor as well, and L&O really hit the jackpot when they brought in Sam/Jack to replace Moriarty/Stone. Both of the post Jack McCoy lead prosecutors, Cutter and Price, just don’t compare to how awesome Jack and Ben were. But I don’t mind Nolan Price usually, that might be an unpopular opinion but he doesn’t irritate me the way he does others. Riley, Shaw and Baxter are my favorites, they are very strong. Jury is still out on the new LT but she’s okay so far and I think she’ll settle in. Price is okay most of the time for me. Maroun just doesn't add much IMO.

Wow, great call it’s the same actress, I just looked it up! I didn’t even notice that! Different character, but it’s the same actress who played Bonnie/Amanda in Steel Eyed Death - the girl who assisted her psychopath boyfriend in the murder of the family but said she had no idea who she was or where she came from. It was kind of left open ended whether she was telling the truth about that - Skoda was skeptical but she did have head trauma that could’ve caused it, and they let her go to a mental hospital for an indefinite period of time. I didn’t piece it together that the perp here was played by the same actress!

Agrees I miss some of the dark humor and wisecracks but no one can deliver it like Lennie Briscoe or Adam Schiff could. L&O in the final years of its original run didn’t have as many witty one liners or humorous moments as it did when Lennie and Adam were on.

The defense attorney was Rita Calhoun, played by Elizabeth Marvel. The character has been in several SVU episodes, this was her first appearance on the Mothership though. The actress has played several roles throughout the franchise.