"Life Line" has a very gutsy topic, 'Law and Order' and the entire 'Law and Order' franchise were no strangers to challenging and controversial subjects but not many at this point had topics that took a lot of guts to tackle at this time. Have said many times about having a lot of admiration for how 'Law and Order' and franchise approached the subjects they tackled, back in times where it would have been easy to shy away in fear of offending but that's actually not the case a lot of the time.
To me, "Life Line" was a great episode and one of the better episodes of Season 16's first half. Also personally felt that it was close to being among the better episodes of the season overall. Fortunately is in the former category of unsettling and thought probing and managing not to be too derivative. And this is a kind of story that could have been derivative and been problematically executed, but turned out not to be.
It is great in almost every area. The production values are suitably slick and gritty, with photography that is reliant on close ups that have an intimacy without being too claustrophobic. The music is didn't come over as too melodramatic or like it was emphasising the emotion too much. The direction is sympathetic while still giving momentum. The acting is without issue.
Furthermore, the script is very sharp, thoughtful and punchy, especially in the dramatically scorching final third. The subject is handled tactfully but at the same time also unflinchingly, leaving me both shocked and angry at how anybody could even contemplate let alone do what is done. The story keeps one glued to the edge of the seat and keeps one guessing all the way through to the episode's not predictable end. The legal portion being even better than the still enormously entertaining and grippingly gritty policing.
Did think though that it was a little bit of a slow starter where there was an indication that the episode would be a predictable one.
Summing up, great. 9/10.
To me, "Life Line" was a great episode and one of the better episodes of Season 16's first half. Also personally felt that it was close to being among the better episodes of the season overall. Fortunately is in the former category of unsettling and thought probing and managing not to be too derivative. And this is a kind of story that could have been derivative and been problematically executed, but turned out not to be.
It is great in almost every area. The production values are suitably slick and gritty, with photography that is reliant on close ups that have an intimacy without being too claustrophobic. The music is didn't come over as too melodramatic or like it was emphasising the emotion too much. The direction is sympathetic while still giving momentum. The acting is without issue.
Furthermore, the script is very sharp, thoughtful and punchy, especially in the dramatically scorching final third. The subject is handled tactfully but at the same time also unflinchingly, leaving me both shocked and angry at how anybody could even contemplate let alone do what is done. The story keeps one glued to the edge of the seat and keeps one guessing all the way through to the episode's not predictable end. The legal portion being even better than the still enormously entertaining and grippingly gritty policing.
Did think though that it was a little bit of a slow starter where there was an indication that the episode would be a predictable one.
Summing up, great. 9/10.
