Season 2 started off brilliantly and had a consistently great streak up until "Malignant", between "Tomorrow" and "Con-Text" the quality dipped a little bit. "Baggage" saw the season starting to properly return to form and "See Me" and "Probability" were season high points. Post-"Monster", the season dipped slightly again while still being very good viewing, just not top-form standard like the season and show proved that they were more than capable of being frequently.
"Cherry Red" continues the season's high quality, the overall standard of the second season was actually very high indeed if not consistent all the way through, though it doesn't quite see it on return to peak form. Not one of the best Season 2 or 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' episodes, but a very good one still elevated by the leads, two great supporting turns and a couple of particularly great scenes. Making up for some of the storytelling being flawed.
It is a little confusing in the early portions.
Will admit too to not being surprised at all by the revelation of who was the killer, there is something about the way they were written in an episode with relatively few suspects to begin with that made them strongly suspectable as responisible, complicit or knowing more than they let on.
Despite its flaws, "Cherry Red" is very good and actually nearly great. The case despite being very twisty became clearer later on, didn't fall too much into over-obviousness (only with one character) and was very intriguing throughout. The connection between the crimes is very well handled and is not given short shrift. Goren and Eames are as delightful as ever as are their playful and well gelled chemistry and Vincent D'Onofrio's charismatic acting. The dialogue is hard-boiled, intelligently written and at times affecting, more consistent than the occasionally patchy writing seen in the previous episode "Legion".
Furthermore benefits are two very well written supporting characters, one especially being one of the most repellent supporting characters of Season 2. A very well developed and unnerving father-son dynamic, how it's written is tense and sad and it's a long way from being superficially executed. Two terrific guest star performances, Dennis Christopher successfully allows one to feel for his character and Paul Dooley does repellent quite frighteningly. There are a couple of fine scenes here, namely the tense interrogation and my favourite the scene with Goren and the cherry red car (his dialogue here is priceless). The production values are solid as is how the music is scored and used.
All in all, very well done. 8/10
"Cherry Red" continues the season's high quality, the overall standard of the second season was actually very high indeed if not consistent all the way through, though it doesn't quite see it on return to peak form. Not one of the best Season 2 or 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' episodes, but a very good one still elevated by the leads, two great supporting turns and a couple of particularly great scenes. Making up for some of the storytelling being flawed.
It is a little confusing in the early portions.
Will admit too to not being surprised at all by the revelation of who was the killer, there is something about the way they were written in an episode with relatively few suspects to begin with that made them strongly suspectable as responisible, complicit or knowing more than they let on.
Despite its flaws, "Cherry Red" is very good and actually nearly great. The case despite being very twisty became clearer later on, didn't fall too much into over-obviousness (only with one character) and was very intriguing throughout. The connection between the crimes is very well handled and is not given short shrift. Goren and Eames are as delightful as ever as are their playful and well gelled chemistry and Vincent D'Onofrio's charismatic acting. The dialogue is hard-boiled, intelligently written and at times affecting, more consistent than the occasionally patchy writing seen in the previous episode "Legion".
Furthermore benefits are two very well written supporting characters, one especially being one of the most repellent supporting characters of Season 2. A very well developed and unnerving father-son dynamic, how it's written is tense and sad and it's a long way from being superficially executed. Two terrific guest star performances, Dennis Christopher successfully allows one to feel for his character and Paul Dooley does repellent quite frighteningly. There are a couple of fine scenes here, namely the tense interrogation and my favourite the scene with Goren and the cherry red car (his dialogue here is priceless). The production values are solid as is how the music is scored and used.
All in all, very well done. 8/10