Season 5 on the most part up to this point has not been bad at all, with the only less than decent episode being the uneven "Manic" (was also a little let down by "Tragedy", actually a very good episode until the big reveal). With "Loss" especially being an absolute gem and quite special as an episode. "Escape" left quite a big impression on me on first watch years back when first getting into the show in my mid teens, especially the hostage scene, Stephen Lang and the revelation of the truth.
"Escape" still is a very memorable episode after a few re-watches since, when the early seasons have been shown which in my view actually is not enough. On top of being an excellent and thrilling one. Will say though that despite being one of the highest rated episodes of Season 5, and it is not hard actually at all to see why, to me there were better episodes in the season, including the previous two episodes "Control" and "Shaken". Everything that was great on first watch still hold up and fare even better and Olivia shines every bit as much as in "Control".
My only real issue with "Escape" is that for my tastes the rest of the SVU are underused, with only Stabler being nearly up to Olivia's level. Munch especially has very little to do, really hate it when a character that brightens up every scene he's in and makes every line of his even better in the way Munch does is near-wasted.
Can say nothing bad however about everything else. The production values are as professional as usual and visually like the original 'Law and Order' and 'Criminal Intent' this aspect has come on quite a bit since the show's inception (and they were good to begin with). The music is haunting while not intrusive or overused. The writing is tight and thoughtful, with tense and entertaining back and forth between Olivia and Eckerson and a tough edge when needed in the latter stages.
The story is compelling and at its best thrilling, the hostage scene is genuinely suspenseful and when the truth is revealed it is a genuine surprise with it not being obvious at first that there is more to the story than it initially seems. What could have been ordinary is made interesting and fresh by the tension that there is. The characters are well written, Olivia is one with an admirable steel while being rootable in the situation too. Baxter could have been a stock character but is interesting.
Have nothing to fault the acting for, am aware of a few viewers elsewhere that didn't like Craig Bierko but personally did not have a problem with him. Mariska Hargitay balances determination and raw emotion expertly and Nancy Allen and Mitch Ventimiglia are more than solid in support. Other than Hargitay the other standout is Lang, bringing a number of surprising layers to a character that easily could have been too stock and seemed so at first.
Bottom line, excellent and one of the better episodes in the first half of the fifth season. 9/10
"Escape" still is a very memorable episode after a few re-watches since, when the early seasons have been shown which in my view actually is not enough. On top of being an excellent and thrilling one. Will say though that despite being one of the highest rated episodes of Season 5, and it is not hard actually at all to see why, to me there were better episodes in the season, including the previous two episodes "Control" and "Shaken". Everything that was great on first watch still hold up and fare even better and Olivia shines every bit as much as in "Control".
My only real issue with "Escape" is that for my tastes the rest of the SVU are underused, with only Stabler being nearly up to Olivia's level. Munch especially has very little to do, really hate it when a character that brightens up every scene he's in and makes every line of his even better in the way Munch does is near-wasted.
Can say nothing bad however about everything else. The production values are as professional as usual and visually like the original 'Law and Order' and 'Criminal Intent' this aspect has come on quite a bit since the show's inception (and they were good to begin with). The music is haunting while not intrusive or overused. The writing is tight and thoughtful, with tense and entertaining back and forth between Olivia and Eckerson and a tough edge when needed in the latter stages.
The story is compelling and at its best thrilling, the hostage scene is genuinely suspenseful and when the truth is revealed it is a genuine surprise with it not being obvious at first that there is more to the story than it initially seems. What could have been ordinary is made interesting and fresh by the tension that there is. The characters are well written, Olivia is one with an admirable steel while being rootable in the situation too. Baxter could have been a stock character but is interesting.
Have nothing to fault the acting for, am aware of a few viewers elsewhere that didn't like Craig Bierko but personally did not have a problem with him. Mariska Hargitay balances determination and raw emotion expertly and Nancy Allen and Mitch Ventimiglia are more than solid in support. Other than Hargitay the other standout is Lang, bringing a number of surprising layers to a character that easily could have been too stock and seemed so at first.
Bottom line, excellent and one of the better episodes in the first half of the fifth season. 9/10
