On first watch, "Grief" was another 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episode, both of Season 4 and of the whole show, that really stuck with me emotionally. Really loved Stabler's role in the episode, his chemistry with Ray and also how the episode handled the moral dilemmas of the case and its consequences. The premise did sound quite conventional and could have been too predictable, but this never bothered me on first watch and other subsequent viewings because the execution was done so powerfully.
To this day, "Grief" is still among the best episodes of Season 4 and of the early seasons. It is also one of the most emotional on both counts and of the whole show too, everything that made it such a great episode on first watch still holds up. Plus any parent going, or has gone, through one of the worst nightmares anybody, let alone a parent, can go through is likely to relate to the moral dilemmas here while seeing the case from all sides.
Photography is slick and subtly gritty as usual and while the locations are limited in number they are still pleasing to look at and the more intimate ones aren't claustrophobic. The editing has also come on a long way since the show first started and it was always good from the very beginning, just that it became smoother and crisper as the production values became more refined. The music is haunting while not going over the top and not being intrusive, too constant and melodramatic music would have ruined the mood and would not have let the dialogue do the talking as effectively.
Love the script too, it really provokes thought and puts the viewer through a number of emotions, including anger, sadness and empathy. Did appreciate its sensitivity without getting mushy while also having a never preachy tough side. The story is not conventional in its execution and is more complex emotionally than it sounds, it was a story that started off great and got better and better. Stabler and Ray's chemistry is beautifully done, the heart of "Grief" actually, and it is not hard to understand Stabler's empathy.
It's another difficult and tragic subject handled tactfully and thoughtfully, how the episode deals with empathy, grief, seeing things from a father's point of view, whether the murderer knew right from wrong when committing their actions and whether one agrees with their actions or find them justified was not done in a biased manner and saw the case from all sides. The murder victim, a reprehensible person, did deserve some form of punishment and did understand the murderer's point of view, but the way that was gone about it was wrong in my view and it was right for them to be tried.
Stabler and Cabot here are both brilliantly written, and the points of view from both are understandable (Stabler as a father figure himself, Cabot doing her job in the eyes of the law). Ray is also a very interesting character with a conflict that resonates. Christopher Meloni gives one of his best performances of the show in a steely but moving performance in a case that was very personal for Stabler. His chemistry with an equally affecting Joe Morton is powerfully written. Stephanie March delivers in her exchanges with Meloni and in a closing argument that sums up the moral dilemmas of the case beautifully, and in a nuanced way.
Concluding, wonderful and difficult to not connect with emotionally. Am not a parent myself, but that didn't stop me from being moved. 10/10
