Law & Order (TV Series) Bottomless (2008) User Reviews

You almost make it sound okay. Almost. Not quite.

[Mrpalli77 · 6/10 · 26 February 2018]

A Chinese girl, daughter of a dry cleaner businessman, was found dead in her office where she used to work late (she was an attorney). There was a dispute about a pair of pants, a black guy and a white guy argued with her parents, but they couldn't be blamed. A female purchase manager who loved jogging was the one who delivered the item to the dry cleaner: she had an affair with her boss and she left lipstick traces on the fly, that's why she took the pants to clean them up. But what the Asian girl had to do with the lovers? A toothpaste cargo recently purchased from China was found not appropriate with health laws due to an anti-freeze used as raw material, but it could be still useful for Third World Countries (such as Belize or Dominican Republic) as well as in some retirement homes. Watch the episode carefully till the end.

Lupo and Green seemed to be both attached to Lupo's sister-in-law. We make acquaintance of Van Buren's former boss (Ron Canada), a SOB liar. Anyway, even in this episode, we figure out writers are not the same we appreciated in the previous seasons.

Quality is sinking

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 11 October 2022]

"Bottomless" is another 'Law and Order' episode where the concept isn't anything original but still has enough to make one interested in seeing it. Personally do prefer the episodes that tackle more difficult and controversial topics that are still to this day hardly outdated, or at least ones that are more so, but again if a fan of 'Law and Order' (show and overall franchise) or wanting to see all the episodes there is no reason really to avoid "Bottomless".

Sadly, this is the second disappointing episode in a row after "Misbegotten". Of the two, this is marginally better but only just. Season 18 had a somewhat unsettled and patchy first half to it (with "Quit Claim" being the first sign of greatness), the second is far better and more consistent, and "Bottomless" is one of the weakest of the half. As well as of the unusually short (for the 'Law and Order' franchise, only the last three seasons of 'Criminal Intent' were shorter) season.

There are good things here. Production values have the usual slickness and grit and the music is unobtrusive and gives big revelations even more impact without over-emphasising. The acting is very good in lead and supporting (despite the supporting characters being sketchy) with no exception, no stick out like a sore thumb acting here.

Lupo and Green's chemistry still works well, again no real fireworks yet but no disconnect. Lupo is much more competent in this episode compared to "Misbegotten". Ron Canada very effectively makes for a worthy opponent.

However, the story didn't grab me enough. The policing is on the formulaic side and the legal scenes so far of the season have not been too great, the complexity and tautness are not there yet and neither is the tension, which are all big issues considering the subject. Not much new here either and the ending needed longer to explain everything, a lot in a short space of time.

A vast majority of the characters are underwritten, the only real interesting or well used ones once the case comes to trial are Cutter (who is settling well and pretty much the main reason for the legal scenes being watchable enough still) and Canada's. The script has intrigue to begin with but could have been tighter later on, especially in the talkier parts.

In summary, worth a one or two time watch, if primarily trying to see all the episodes in the franchise, but not much more. 5/10.

Compound with a coverup

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 28 December 2017]

On the flimsiest of pretexts this particular Law And Order episode starts with Jesse Martin and Jeremy Sisto investigating the murder of a young attorney who was representing her parents and their dry cleaning business when some over litigious nitwit decided to sue them for several thousands of dollars when the pants of a suit got misplaced. You have to see how this poor man suffered so.

But it's the pants they were misplaced lead this case into an investigation of a giant retail store chain that's rich enough to have its own police force. Ron Canada formerly of the NYPD and a mentor of S. Eptha Merkersson has quite the crisis of conscience as she waits for Canada to do the right thing that she knows he's capable of.

Will Chase is the retail store executive who's a bottom feeding skunk who thought of profit and loss and the balance sheet when he made an honest mistake and then tried to compound it with a coverup. And the image conscious business will do all to protect said image.

Business people can be loathsome.