It is understandable as to why anybody would expect a lot from the penultimate episode of the very short Season 8 (16 episodes instead of the usual early 20s). Especially if the idea of the story fascinates as much as the one here, a familiar scenario but always tense when done well. It certainly grabbed my attention, the premise does not sound that complex but 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' did make complex cases out of stories that sound simple.
"Alpha Dog" is a good episode if not a great one and a slight disappointment after the brilliant previous episode "Major Case". It actually would have been better if it didn't try to pack in too much which would have made the story clearer than it turned out. Despite how that sounds, "Alpha Dog" has so many good things that are major in quality and of a higher number quantity-wise compared to the not so good things. While it could have been better, nothing is executed too disastrously.
Shall start with what could have been done better. There were for my liking too many characters, a couple being fairly similar too so there was occasional confusion as to who was who.
On top of that, it is a tangled web of a plot with a lot going on, meaning that it did get over-complicated at times.
Despite how that sounds, "Alpha Dog" is a long way from a bad episode as has been reiterated already. Actually thought it was quite good. The case is never dull and it always keeps one guessing without fail, nothing here is predictable and while it does get over-complicated at times it does come together at the end. In a well staged and not dramatically forced climax. The case is still diverting and constructed cleverly.
Can say nothing bad about the performances, with Roger Rees in particular showing how truly frightening excessive vanity can be. The 'Law and Order' franchise always excelled when it came to the "think they are above the law" characters, and "Alpha Dog" does wonderfully in this aspect too. The script is tight and smart. The production values are slick and professional, not ever resorting to cheap or untested gimmicks or anything, and liked that the photography was intimate without it being claustrophobic. The music is haunting in the right places and isn't constant or too loud. The direction is strong.
In summation, not great but definitely worth watching. 7/10.
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