Law & Order (TV Series) Angel (1995) User Reviews

"Deny evil, you deny responsibility"

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 3 February 2021]

With the episodes from 'Law and Order's' middle period and from its later seasons airing so often, it is very easy perhaps to overlook the early seasons. Meaning in my view pre-Season 7. That is a shame, because 'Law and Order' in its early years was more often than not good to fantastic with some truly fine episodes in each of the seasons in question. Wasn't blown away by every episode but when the show was at its best it was brilliant, and there were obvious good things in lesser episodes too.

Season 6 was not a consistent season up to this early stage of it, with some episodes being better than others, but none of the previous episodes are bad and a lot of them are even brilliant. "Angel" has a very interesting, if not exactly novel, idea for a story that sounds incredibly shocking and hard hitting when hearing of it. And that was exactly how the execution of the story was. While not one of my very favourite episodes of 'Law and Order', it is among Season 6's better episodes in my view.

The production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden. The script is beautifully balanced tonally, tight and clever, that has some hard-boiled yet also entertaining exchanges between Briscoe and Curtis, thought-probing insight into the moral dilemmas that come with the case (prime 'Law and Order' was always very good at this) and the perpetrator's state of mind and some deliciously outrageous irony.

"Angel's" story is a fine example of what 'Law and Order' and the whole franchise at their best were so good at doing (and better than most shows before, during and since), tackling heavy and controversial topics and doing so in a way that hits hard. The story drew me right in and never let go, with a lot of emotional impact of genuine shock and poignancy. The truth is truly disturbing and utterly unthinkable in normal circumstances. The policing is some of the most intriguing and entertaining of the season.

Curtis is the most interesting and likeable here he was up to this early stage of his stint, especially in his pivotal scene with Leah where he is fiercely firm yet also empathetic. The legal scenes leaves one pondering afterwards and did like how the approach to the topic was not too one-sided, even with the pretty laughable defense argument (it was also though entertainingly ironic). The characters are interesting, especially the perpetrator. All the regulars are great, while Fisher Stevens has fun in his somewhat annoying role and Elizabeth Connors does unnerving and occasionally pathos with ease.

Overall, great. 9/10

"Sandbagged by a rookie."

[rmax304823 · 14 July 2011]

This is an exceptional episode of a generally good series. It stands out for a couple of reasons. It involves a terrible act of murder but has some of the funniest moments I've seen.

Probably based on the Susan Smith case, a religious young woman smothers her eight-month old daughter and consigns the body to the basement furnace. Then she claims the child was stolen by a Puerto Rican while she, the mother was in confession. Detective Curtis smooth-talks her into telling the horrifying truth.

The woman and her husband are not the kind of couple that "have lawyers," just as I myself don't "have a lawyer" and for the same reason. At the trial, the couple are represented by the fresh-faced Fisher Stevens from the Public Defenders Office. He has the features of a debauched teen-ager and he cheerfully admits that he has no legal experience beyond a handful of misdemeanors and that he's way over his head on this one. And, indeed, he seems to be. Dr. Olivet will testify that the young woman is sane. They have her confession. And they have physical evidence from the furnace. Open and shut.

When McCoy is finished with his opening statement, Stevens asks that he be permitted to present his statement later because, frankly, he's unprepared. He objects to nothing McCoy says. McCoy presents his case in chief and Stevens makes his opening statement. He blames God.

The logic goes something like, "Heaven is a better place than earth; therefore the mother was doing her child a favor by sending her there." The judge calls everyone to her chambers and explains that you can't make claims in an opening statement that can't be proved later. "Well, I didn't KNOW that!", exclaims Stevens. "In that case, I move that the charge be changed to guilty by reason of mental defect." It's pointed out to him that the prosecution needs a three-month lead if such a defense is offered. Fisher didn't know THAT either, but why should his client be punished for his own stupidity? I should emphasize that this incident, though thoroughly comic, isn't treated as a joke. McCoy and the judge are aghast at Stevens' effrontery. Nobody laughs. It all works out in the end.

Outrageous irony aside, the episode is distinguished by especially good performances from the young couple (Elizabeth Connors and Michael Dolan). One of the elements of this series that's so appealing is its absence of glamor, and that's evident here. Connors and Dolan look like two ordinary people from the streets of New York. Connors looks a little like Frances McDormand and expertly conveys conflicting emotions. Dolan does a good job with the not-overly-bright husband.

And the episode also "beats up on a priest." The priest is a nice, well-intentioned guy but he doesn't LOOK the way we think a priest should look. He's a fatty with thick glasses. And McCoy crucifies him on the stand for suggesting earlier to the mother that a baby's death is the result of God's will. It's a perennial and unanswerable question, of course. I mean -- if God is so cosmic why is all this crap going on in the world? When McCoy challenges him on the stand, the priest is stumped, just like the rest of us.

This is certainly one of the better episodes.

Infanticide

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 22 September 2020]

One unthinkable crime happens here. The initial report is that of a baby kidnapped from the stroller while mom was inside a church confessional. Then later the charge is upped to murder.

This episode belongs to Benjamin Bratt. As devoted family man Rey Curtis he reaches mom Elizabeth Connors. As part of the investigation he walks Connors through her day and out of nowhere she blurts out a confession of murder. This was some of Bratt's best moments on Law And Order.

At trial Sam Waterston is anoyed by defense attorney Fisher Stevens for trying to make his own incompetence a rationale for acquitting his client.

You'll have to watch the episode to see how successful Stevens is.

Not a fan of religious crime drama stories

[CrimeDrama1 · 3/10 · 20 August 2022]

I am very familiar with the Catholic faith but I realized in my early 20s that I believe in facts more than faith. I have been Agnostic ever since. I don't understand in this story how a seemingly devout Catholic woman could kill and cremate her baby...and be OK with it. A complete mental breakdown would make sense if a murder-suicide didn't happen. Both are considered sins. It's easy for me to tell when crime drama writers have sacrificed believability for more conflict/drama. This episode is a great example. I actually mute the sound on my TV when the dialogue is religious. I don't want to hear any of it. I didn't see any chance of a not guilty verdict other than insanity.