Did a pediatric oncologist kill a con artist over a failed investment, or did she actually crack mentally over the stress of dealing with terminally-ill children?Did a pediatric oncologist kill a con artist over a failed investment, or did she actually crack mentally over the stress of dealing with terminally-ill children?Did a pediatric oncologist kill a con artist over a failed investment, or did she actually crack mentally over the stress of dealing with terminally-ill children?
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- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAnn Dowd and Lawrence Arancio, who play married doctors, Beth and Mathew Allison, in this episode, are married in real life.
- GoofsWhen Briscoe and Green are questioning Dr. Matthew Allison about his wife, they ask if she was troubled by the loss of $500,000, to which he responds, "she could care less." The correct expression is she couldn't care less. If she could care less, that would mean she does care a little bit, which is the opposite of what her husband is trying to convey to the detectives.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Jack McCoy: What can I say? Nobody's made of steel. Not even someone with a 160 IQ.
Serena Southerlyn: Turns out neither are you.
Jack McCoy: What?
Serena Southerlyn: It's called compassion, Jack.
Arthur Branch: Don't make it a habit, my friend. Sometimes the good you do doesn't do you any good.
- ConnectionsReferences Casablanca (1942)
"Compassion" has one of the more difficult and controversial topics of Season 14, and holds nothing back in its handling of it while also doing so tactfully. Not an easy balance to get right. It is a very good episode and nearly great, that is not one of the very best of Season 14 but in the better half generally. A long way from one of the worst in a season that didn't really have any real misfires. The very interesting character that is the defendant is what "Compassion" is worth seeing for.
Like quite a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes, the second half is better than the first. The investigative portion does intrigue and is well acted, but doesn't have the tension and complexity of the legal portion and not much is innovative.
With the exceptions of like four or five appearances or so, Southerlyn very rarely did anything for me as a character and Elisabeth Rohm is very flat and robotic in personality.
However, so much is good. It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments. The direction doesn't try to do too much and is understated but never flat or unsure.
As said, the subject matter is handled with uncompromising force but also tact without taking sides. It was hard to not feel for the defendant despite their actions due to their point of view being understandable. The victim is one of the most hateful ones in a long time. Nothing felt heavy handed or confused here. The story is compelling, with a good deal of emotion felt in the legal portion. The acting is very good on the whole, with the best performance coming from a quite affecting Ann Dowd.
Concluding, very good with many excellent things. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 5, 2022