"I Can't Watch This!": L&O: CI's Most Disturbing Episodes!

[WendyCR72]

Because Eolivet thought it should be a topic...so I have waved my Magic Mod Wand, and...voila!  Be suitably grossed out, disturbed, and/or repulsed here!

[GHScorpiosRule]

I dunno.  I think some of the most disturbing episodes in this franchise tend to be the best.

 

"Homo Homini Lupis" anyone? Or "In the Wee Hours"?

 

I find the ones I tend NOT to rewatch are the ones that make me roll my eyes, and which make no sense or the ones near the end of season 7, I think? Where it got waaay over the top and retconning Bobby's history and that whole serial killer maybe, maybe not was his bio-father, or Bobby putting himself in that mental facility to find out what happened to his nephew, all because D'Onofrio wanted to do that type of thing. Look, he's a great actor, but that kind of episode, that had NOTHING to do with the franchise, and so far off the path, that it should have been a movie of the night played by the same actor. Know what I mean?

 

But that's just me.

[WendyCR72]

Oh, as I said, I was no fan of "Purgatory" and the Donnie stuff. (How the hell did no one know of his existence all this time?! Let's face it: Frank wasn't that smart!) And I freely admit that the Mark Ford Brady stuff bordered on - if not crossed the line completely into - soap, but I forgave that arc because, well...Roy Scheider (in one of his final performances) and VDO rocked it.

 

I'm a sucker for talent, and soapy or not, there was some great irony in Bobby, great profiler extraordinaire, having his entire foundation shaken so intensely. Although, yeah, I would have been fine with it being a mistake...but "Frame" pretty much solidified that Brady was Bobby's sperm donor.

 

At least after all was said and done, it seemed to be put away (with the exception of a passing mention in therapy with Gyson).

[Eolivet]

Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't contribute to this topic...

 

I judge episodes based on the ick factor of their cases (i.e., I'd be much more likely to rewatch one with subpar performances as long as the case wasn't too vile), so I will actively turn off "Family Values" (incest + massive serial killing = no thank you), and I have a very difficult time with "The Posthumous Collection" (so senseless and awful -- I get upset both about the boy's mistreatment by his relatives and how he takes it out on completely innocent women). Similarly, I have a hard time stomaching "Want" (even though NPH is very effective, but hot water into her skull, no no nooooo).

 

I also won't watch "Shrink-Wrapped," but for completely different reasons. For some reason, that episode seemed to be rerun every time I used to turn on the TV. I think I've seen it five or six times, so I can basically recite the whole thing. "Now you can't ignore me! I'm your daughter! I'm yours!"

[WendyCR72]

"Shrink Wrapped" was a piece of work: Urinating on desks, daughter trying to seduce her mom's lover, the "parents" as warm as porcupines. Yuck.

 

"Want" was the Dahmer-clone episode, for the most part, and it delivered in that regard, but yeah...I cannot stomach that one either, even if NPH did play sheltered creepster quite effectively.

 

I can watch "The Posthumous Collection", but I do admit the whole case was mega disturbing, using murdered dead women as models. Ick. (I did like the scene outdoors with G/E and Spencer, only because Goren had such fun rattling Spencer's cage and making him snippy. And I thought it was funny how Eames managed to change the pitch of her voice, a bit, as the new out of towner. (And, okay, Bobby in casual wear is always a nice treat.))

[Eolivet]

I can watch "The Posthumous Collection", but I do admit the whole case was mega disturbing, using murdered dead women as models. Ick. (I did like the scene outdoors with G/E and Spender, only because Goren had such fun rattling Spencer's cage and making him snippy. And I thought it was funny how Eames managed to change the pitch of her voice, a bit, as the new out of towner. (And, okay, Bobby in casual wear is always a nice treat.)

 

I actually like the resolution of "The Posthumous Collection:" the photographer who wanted to make the women beautiful in death, because he loved women. Unlike Spencer, who hated women. But it's the torture Spencer suffered as a boy that took that episode to another, stomach-churning level for me: feeding him bad meat, throwing him in a scalding hot shower, smashing his marbles (and the sister who had no regret about it). I think that's almost the most disturbing scene in the whole episode: when G/E interview the sister, and she's so matter-of-fact about it, even years later -- like Spencer deserved all that meticulous, disgusting torture. And then to have Spencer turn around and inflict that on innocent women who had the misfortune of looking like his relatives...it was a revolting statement about how the abused become the abusers.

 

Maybe that's the reason it bothers me so much -- most criminals with a bad past, I'm like "Oh, get over yourselves" (case in point: the creep in "Yesterday" with his "Wahhh, I just have to rape, torture and kill women, my life is sooooo haaaaaard"). But with Spencer, I was simultaneously sickened by what he did, and in complete understanding as to how it could happen.

 

It's actually the mark of very good television, but it's part of the reason I have a hard time watching it.

[WendyCR72]

Maybe that's the reason it bothers me so much -- most criminals with a bad past, I'm like "Oh, get over yourselves" (case in point: the creep in "Yesterday" with his "Wahhh, I just have to rape, torture and kill women, my life is sooooo haaaaaard"). But with Spencer, I was simultaneously sickened by what he did, and in complete understanding as to how it could happen.

 

Oh, yeah. Spencer's family was a piece of work. And it was so disturbing how Doris rattled that list of horrors off to G/E so matter of factly. Like a grocery list. Then she actually tells G/E to say hi to her brother. Clearly, that whole family was a lost cause, so I get why that was so disturbing and agree about Spencer taking it out on innocent women was majorly warped.

[Maherjunkie]

You have to admit, Doris was kinda funny.

[WendyCR72]

You have to admit, Doris was kinda funny.

 

In that sadistic sociopathic way.  :-P

[Maherjunkie]

She was hard to believe as a rookie cop in Masquerade because of it.

[WendyCR72]

She was hard to believe as a rookie cop in Masquerade because of it.

 

I thought that cop looked a bit familiar. That explains it!

[WendyCR72]

There is an episode I do find disturbing but can watch it because it was constructed so well: "Phantom" in S1, the one where the perp pretended to be some big finance guy who dated a Harry Winston exec, Charlotte Fielding (and who was the sister of the murder victim, the victim a criminal from a robbery), formerly Cookie Caspari (whom G/E had some fun needling). The perp ended up killing her brother, leaving her in a possibly permanent coma, and the piece de resistance, was about to off his own kids before Goren got to him.

 

As an aside, it was also one of the few episodes where Bobby got physical as well as psychological, elbowing the perp into the wall and blocking the gun.

 

But yeah, way disturbing episode there. As an aside, this one and the equally disturbing but good "Homo Homini Lupus" were on a For Your Consideration DVD Emmy for S1, both strong episodes.

[Eolivet]

Ugh, I have a hard time with that one, WendyCR72. I watched it once a few months ago when it was on, then purposely avoided it after that. Michael Emerson does creepy like nobody's business (you can see why he's won two Emmys!). This was I think their first attempt at family annihilators, and it's certainly less graphic than S8's offering, but the idea that Gerry Rankin (thank you, IMdB!) was systematically stealing from his wife's relatives, and then killing them when they asked for their money back (or at least his father-in-law) was so chilling.

 

That's actually one of the episodes I feel like is slightly spoiled on repeat viewings because the twist is so shocking: I remember my jaw dropping when we found out the guy didn't work for the U.N.

 

The scene of Gerry's wife (Dr. Hahn from "Grey's Anatomy!") on the phone asking about the kids is painful to watch. And Eames' disgust when she realized Gerry's gun only had two bullets.

 

Good, creepy choice!

[SFoster21]

Brooke Adams.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Brooke Adams.

 

Yep, and she can be added to the list that she's a repeat offender, appearing on all three shows: she was on the mothership, representing the father who was thought to be a family annihilator, but it was Pompeo's character, his daughter who had her boyfriend kill her mother and younger brother and sister. She was also a friend of Claire's from law school; and most recently, she was a Madam on SVU, in that horrid, horrid two parter, setting up Cragen as sleeping with prostitutes.

[WendyCR72]

She was also a friend of Claire's from law school; and most recently, she was a Madam on SVU, in that horrid, horrid two parter, setting up Cragen as sleeping with prostitutes.

 

UGH. That is all.

 

And, how ironic. Speaking of disturbing episodes, "Senseless" is now airing on Ion's usual Saturday marathon. I do appreciate Logan's vested interest and his railing on Ross, all that said.

[Maherjunkie]

I appreciate "Ok, darlin'."

[SFoster21]

The father who tied his daughter to a tree was pretty bad. Can't watch that ep.

[WendyCR72]

The father who tied his daughter to a tree was pretty bad. Can't watch that ep.

 

Think that was "Family Values" which Eolivet and I dissected. Yeah, that one was extra skeevy/creepy!

[Eolivet]

Well, that was my first and last time watching "Endgame." Ugh, Mark Ford Brady made my skin crawl. And bringing in Bobby's mother's death (and tying him to Bobby's mother, ewww) made it even worse. When Brady was describing the murder of that poor woman with her baby...ugh. No, sorry -- if I wanted serial killers, I'd watch "Criminal Minds," thank you. I was uncomfortable for Bobby and disturbed by that psychopath. Rot in hell, fictional character -- I'm glad Bobby was grieving his mother and probably missed your execution.

 

And that was the season finale? What a downer of an ending.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Eolivet

[Maherjunkie]

Screw the ending, Roy Scheider is an upper.  Look ahead to Season 7.  "We're gonna need a bigger boat..."

[WendyCR72]

Well, that was my first and last time watching "Endgame." Ugh, Mark Ford Brady made my skin crawl. And bringing in Bobby's mother's death (and tying him to Bobby's mother, ewww) made it even worse. When Brady was describing the murder of that poor woman with her baby...ugh. No, sorry -- if I wanted serial killers, I'd watch "Criminal Minds," thank you. I was uncomfortable for Bobby and disturbed by that psychopath. Rot in hell, fictional character -- I'm glad Bobby was grieving his mother and probably missed your execution.

 

And that was the season finale? What a downer of an ending.

 

Eolivet, you'd never seen "Endgame" before? I admit, it WAS creepy, but I think Roy Scheider pulled off the creepy vibe flawlessly. And even if it crossed to soap, it was so ironic that Bobby the profiler cop extraordinaire was played so well by his...biological sperm donor.

 

(But the fact that douche Ross would use that against Bobby a season later? Yeah, hate.)

[Eolivet]

Eolivet, you'd never seen "Endgame" before? I admit, it WAS creepy, but I think Roy Scheider pulled off the creepy vibe flawlessly. And even if it crossed to soap, it was so ironic that Bobby the profiler cop extraordinaire was played so well by his...biological sperm donor.

 

(But the fact that douche Ross would use that against Bobby a season later? Yeah, hate.)

 

No -- I thought I did, but it turns out what I saw was the end of "Frame." I mixed the details of the cases together and somehow thought Bobby's biological father was his mentor. I kept waiting for Roy Scheider to admit he killed Nicole Wallace.

 

Mark Ford Brady is lucky he never crossed paths with Nicole, or he'd be the one embalmed and mummified in a house for 20 years.

[WendyCR72]

Mark Ford Brady is lucky he never crossed paths with Nicole, or he'd be the one embalmed and mummified in a house for 20 years.

 

No doubt Nicole was dangerous, but...I think Ford was expert and creepy enough to match wits with her own psychotic self...and maybe even emerge victorious.

 

But poor Bobby, having THAT creepster guy as his "father". He was better off with the serial philandering, emotionally absent guy who "raised" him. And, sadly, it kind of made Frances' preference for druggie older brother Frank make sense, knowing what she knew about Brady, but it made me feel even sorrier for Bobby.

[WendyCR72]

It's not disturbing or anything, but I rarely watch "Loyalty". It's depressing all around - and it's the end of G/E (for a season, although no one knew that then). I CAN watch it, I'd just...rather not.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I don't know if I mentioned it upthread or not, but it doesn't matter to me who is appearing on the episode, actor-wise, if I hate the plot or think it's beyond ridonkulous, or shitting on canon, retconning just to generate draaaaammmmmmaaaaaaaa, nothing will make me rewatch and that's how I feel about "Frame" and "Endgame."

[WendyCR72]

Also not disturbing, but yeah...besides the aforementioned "Loyalty" which I prefer to rarely watch (but can and do once in a GREAT while), the rest of S9 with Jeff Goldblum solo (i.e. not alternating with Goren) is one hard season to work through. <Waves to Chattygal out there. She knows!>

 

Which means NEXT Saturday's marathon, a week from tomorrow, will likely be skipped; I'll catch up on holiday movies.

[WendyCR72]

*thinks about the prospect of watching the all-Zach Nichols season again*

 

 

The perfect GIF for every occasion. LOL!

[Spartan Girl]

So many episodes on this show were creepy, but I agree with "Phantom" and "Family Values" (the bastard even killed his own dog!)

 

"Playing Dead" is creepy in the fact that the councilman guy was molesting his stepdaughter.  The way he came at her when she was in the bath and how she tried to kill herself afterwards...God.  Even worse was how when she and Goren confronted him and he tried to scare her off by telling her how she "teased" him and got him excited by running around with her clothes off when she was little.  SHE WAS A CHILD, YOU SICK PERVERT!  But I did like how Goren comforted her and assured her that the shame would be all on him.

[Maherjunkie]

I feel I've been unfair to Zach Nichols, but I can't stop myself.

[WendyCR72]

Even worse was how when she and Goren confronted him and he tried to scare her off by telling her how she "teased" him and got him excited by running around with her clothes off when she was little.  SHE WAS A CHILD, YOU SICK PERVERT!

 

Yes! But unfortunately, that seems to be the excuse so many of the sickos use, that the victim "seduced" them. It's just vile.

 

I feel I've been unfair to Zach Nichols, but I can't stop myself.

 

In my eyes, that's never unfair.

[kacesq]

I have to throw my vote behind Senseless. That was based on a murder in Newark, NJ, near where I live, and I just found the perp to be so cold and vicious at the end. It really gets to me, as does Logan's completely haunted demeanor throughout.

 

Others I can't watch - Want - because despite NPH's stellar performance, it's just uniformly vile, depraved and depressed, right down to the end, with Eames telling Carver and Goren they both got what they wanted (purposely vague in case someone here hasn't seen the episode).

[WendyCR72]

It's not disturbing or anything, but as of now, per TV Guide, part 2 of "Loyalty" (and, thus, the start of S9 with that arc and the end of G/E...for now) is airing. That 2-parter is such a downer, so I don't watch it much.

[Maherjunkie]

You and the rest of mankind.

[WendyCR72]

You and the rest of mankind.

 

Well...there must be a lone fan out there somewhere. Law of averages, and all that.  :-)

[Maherjunkie]

She's at the back of the bus with all the other Nichols fans.

[rujasu]

It wasn't just Nichols.  S8 Nichols episodes were a lot more tolerable than S9.  S9 was a team failure.  Bad ideas, bad writing, bad supporting cast (I wouldn't say they're all bad actors, but bad in the roles they were playing).  Jeff Goldblum didn't make those S9 episodes bad, but he didn't really elevate them either.

[WendyCR72]

It wasn't just Nichols.  S8 Nichols episodes were a lot more tolerable than S9.  S9 was a team failure.  Bad ideas, bad writing, bad supporting cast (I wouldn't say they're all bad actors, but bad in the roles they were playing).  Jeff Goldblum didn't make those S9 episodes bad, but he didn't really elevate them either.

 

As has been said here, @rujasu, I think the captain, Zoe Callas, could have actually been decent with some better writing. It was pondered here why Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio wasn't persuaded to stay for S10. I think it would have been interesting to see her dynamic with Goren and Eames.

 

Still, yeah, Nichols was...Nichols and Serena Stevens was just dull. Add in bad writing, logic-defying cases (in terms of the number that season that likely wouldn't even be a case for MCS), and just a bland tone mixed with quirk, and...it's no wonder USA scrapped the retooling and went back to VDO/KE. And got yet another EP in the process.

[rujasu]

(in terms of the number that season that likely wouldn't even be a case for MCS)

 

This never really gets to me, since in real life none of these cases would go to MCS.  They'd go to the homicide division.

[WendyCR72]

This never really gets to me, since in real life none of these cases would go to MCS.  They'd go to the homicide division.

 

Maybe not, since the Major Case Squad is, in fact, a real unit. Which leads me back to my original point: A lot of the later stuff would probably belong to the "regular" homicide division, a la 90% of the S9 cases.

[rujasu]

Yes, and as the Wiki mentions:

 

 

The series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, depicts a fictionalized version of the NYPD Major Case Squad, one that investigates murders, which the real Major Case Squad does not do.

 

So yeah, none of the cases depicted on any season of LO:CI would actually be handled by MCS (unless there were some non-homicide cases I've forgotten about).  Real-life MCS handles things like high-profile robberies.

[WendyCR72]

Yes, and as the Wiki mentions:

 

 

So yeah, none of the cases depicted on any season of LO:CI would actually be handled by MCS (unless there were some non-homicide cases I've forgotten about).  Real-life MCS handles things like high-profile robberies.

 

Missed that, but in the end then, I'm glad it expanded - even if fictitious - to high-profile murders as simple robberies would be boring! I guess that seems to be the consensus since TNT's Major Case also investigates murders, too.  :-)