A real estate broker is accused of being an unlikely hit man for a former mob boss recently released from prison and trying to get his old crew back.A real estate broker is accused of being an unlikely hit man for a former mob boss recently released from prison and trying to get his old crew back.A real estate broker is accused of being an unlikely hit man for a former mob boss recently released from prison and trying to get his old crew back.
Photos
- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJerry Orbach, who plays Detective Lenny Briscoe, was present at the table of Joseph "Crazy" Gallo, the Mafia crime family Boss, when he was murdered at Umberto's Clam House. Orbach refused to cooperate with police, even though he was an eyewitness to the murder of Joseph 'Crazy Joey' Gallo, right up until his death.
- GoofsBoth Dr. Rogers and Detective Briscoe describe a .380 slug as "small caliber". However .38 caliber bullets are known as "medium caliber". Anything below .30 caliber (such as a .22 LR or .223 Remington) is considered small caliber, .30 to .38 is medium caliber and any slug larger than .40 caliber (such as a .40 S&W, .44 Magnum or .45 Auto) are large caliber.
- Quotes
Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers: Your cop at the scene wasn't that far off. Based on core temperature and rigor, I estimate time of death to be around midnight.
Lennie Briscoe: I don't suppose you got a couple of small caliber slugs floating around in there?
Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers: [handing him an evidence baggie] Pair of .380s. Hallmark execution. First shot was close contact. Second, inches away. Both seared his scalp.
Ed Green: Damn, he was right about that, too.
Lennie Briscoe: Now we'll never hear the end of it.
- ConnectionsReferences Have Gun - Will Travel (1957)
As said, the basic concept here in "Payback" has been done better since and especially before. Where there has been more tension, surprises and also more variety, there is enough of two of those in "Payback" but not quite enough of one of them. Is it a great episode? No, not to me it isn't. Is it one of the best episodes out of Season 14? Again no and it is a disappointment compared to the brilliant previous episode "Darwinian". Is it good? Yes.
It could have done with more tension and edge, which is what one expects for a story like this, with it suffering from that it is fairly familiar ground. There are enough surprises certainly, but to me it did get on the over-complicated side later on from trying to throw too much in.
Elisabeth Rohm is very stiff and bland, not surprising as she was more often than not the cast weak link.
However, much is good in "Payback". The production values are still fully professional, the slickness and subtly gritty style still remaining. The music is sparingly used and is haunting and thankfully non-overwrought. The direction shows some nice tension in the legal scenes. The script is taut and intelligent enough and doesn't get too talky, despite a lot of information to take in.
The story generally compels and it never feels predictable or dull, it just needed more variety and didn't need to try and try to make it more complicated than needed. Apart from Rohm, the acting is very good, especially in the second half. It has to be said though that Briscoe and Green's pairing never got old.
Overall, not great but well worth watching. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 6, 2022