"Scheherazade" left a big impression on me on first watch, with the emotional impact, character interaction and Brian Dennehy's performance being particularly note-worthy. It was great too seeing a 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episode containing the themes of redemption and forgiveness. Episodes that do things differently to usual always stand out, and more often or not, or at least in the early seasons, the show did extemely well with its changes of pace.
There are many 'Special Victims Unit' episodes that had a lasting impact on first watch and got even better with each viewing. One of those is "Scheherazade", one of Season 8's best episodes by some way and the best since another Season 8 high point "Infiltrated". As well as one of the best cold case-oriented episodes, which varied on the show. Proof that 'Special Victims Unit' can do smaller scale, intimate and slower episodes extremely well, something that it had already shown and continued to do so, Season 6's "Rage" being another strong example.
Everything is spot on. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The script is intelligent and the large amount of talk is tautly wrapped enough to avoid it rambling. It is especially good in the last act where things really do get meaty, as well as the dialogues between Stabler, Olivia and Tierney.
As can be figured out already, to me the change of pace worked wonders. Loved that the setting was more intimate and that it focused on a smaller group of characters (with only four major characters this time) and the more deliberate pace didn't become overly so. It didn't need to be non-stop action and suspense and not all episodes of the show have to be to be good. As said, 'Special Victims Unit' always varied when it came to tackling cold cases, and "Scheherazade" is one of the few truly outstanding ones in my view.
Plenty of twists and turns are present in the second half and they are all plausible and shocking. Case-wise a lot happens while unfolding deliberately, doing so without being convoluted. Did think that there was tension, though more in a subtle than nail-biting way, and the ending is heart-breaking. A great job is done with the themes of redemption and forgiveness, especially the former, and despite disliking Tierney (a very interesting character here) to begin with my assessment of him did change by the episode's end.
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are excellent as expected and Paget Brewster is touching. Especially when she learns the truth. Dennehy gets top honours though, in a remarkably multi-layered performance, unsettling to begin with but moving by the end.
In conclusion, outstanding. 10/10.
There are many 'Special Victims Unit' episodes that had a lasting impact on first watch and got even better with each viewing. One of those is "Scheherazade", one of Season 8's best episodes by some way and the best since another Season 8 high point "Infiltrated". As well as one of the best cold case-oriented episodes, which varied on the show. Proof that 'Special Victims Unit' can do smaller scale, intimate and slower episodes extremely well, something that it had already shown and continued to do so, Season 6's "Rage" being another strong example.
Everything is spot on. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The script is intelligent and the large amount of talk is tautly wrapped enough to avoid it rambling. It is especially good in the last act where things really do get meaty, as well as the dialogues between Stabler, Olivia and Tierney.
As can be figured out already, to me the change of pace worked wonders. Loved that the setting was more intimate and that it focused on a smaller group of characters (with only four major characters this time) and the more deliberate pace didn't become overly so. It didn't need to be non-stop action and suspense and not all episodes of the show have to be to be good. As said, 'Special Victims Unit' always varied when it came to tackling cold cases, and "Scheherazade" is one of the few truly outstanding ones in my view.
Plenty of twists and turns are present in the second half and they are all plausible and shocking. Case-wise a lot happens while unfolding deliberately, doing so without being convoluted. Did think that there was tension, though more in a subtle than nail-biting way, and the ending is heart-breaking. A great job is done with the themes of redemption and forgiveness, especially the former, and despite disliking Tierney (a very interesting character here) to begin with my assessment of him did change by the episode's end.
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are excellent as expected and Paget Brewster is touching. Especially when she learns the truth. Dennehy gets top honours though, in a remarkably multi-layered performance, unsettling to begin with but moving by the end.
In conclusion, outstanding. 10/10.