Law & Order (TV Series) Kingmaker (2006) User Reviews

It doesn't have to just be fair, Mr. McCoy. It has to look fair, too.

[Mrpalli77 · 8/10 · 15 January 2018]

Somebody threw a dead body from a vacant apartment after shooting her at close range. The victim hit the windshield of a police car much to the policemen surprise; she was an undercover police officer and recently she tried to put an albanian drug lord out of the business. Actually, the dealer who held a grudge against her was a slavic man named Petrovich: he saw her picture on the newspaper wearing police uniform, so a reporter should have held responsable for this accident, but she claimed freedom of press with no intent to harm anyone. Anyway the real target was her father, a writer who wanted to discredited a congressman. His right-hand man (Garret Dillahunt), a government employee, was arrested as a result, but he had an e-mail as smoking gun for his innocence. McCoy reputation was put at stake during the trial.

The matter in this episode is more political than jurisdictional. Is it more powerful a political figure or a district attorney prosecutor? It's a war between state powers that make you think about the hardship a democracy has to face sometimes.

Not so fair politics

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 18 August 2022]

Have always found a lot to like about all three of the three best known and popular 'Law and Order' shows (the original 'Law and Order', 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent', the others are more variable). Although 'Special Victims Unit', great in the earlier seasons but less consistent in the latter ones, has topped the original as the longest-running of the franchise in terms of seasons, my personal favourite is the original, if more the Briscoe years and before.

"Kingmaker" is a very good episode, if not quite great. Though it does have a lot of great things, most of which being the usual ones. It's not one of the best episodes of a remarkably very good Season 16, not a 'Law and Order' high point, but it contains a very memorable guest star and manages to make something complex out of a scenario that sounds predictable. A 'Law and Order' high point it might not be, but "Kingmaker" for a post-Briscoe episode where the show felt very different really doesn't come off too shabbily, not at all.

For my tastes, the first quarter was on the slightly bland and unoriginal side.

The conclusion was a little on the crammed side too, again personal opinion.

However, it is as ever shot with the right amount of intimacy without feeling too up close, even with a reliance of close up camerawork. That the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time is great too. The music isn't over-scored, manipulative or used too much. There is intimacy and tautness in the direction. The acting is very good all round, with a chilling turn from Garrett Dillahunt being particularly note worthy.

Writing is tight and thoughtful, with nothing being laid on too heavily. It is easy to make this subject heavy handed, but it managed to not be while managing also to be really quite scary and a painful reminder of what authority figures who think they're invincible are capable of. Evident in the tensions that arise with McCoy and Branch's jobs being jeopardised. The story is basic to start with, but is suitably intricate, very compelling and tense with the legal portions.

Summing up, very well done. 8/10.

Dirty tricks specialist

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 10 February 2016]

A young undercover detective is murdered by a hit-man from the Albanian mob. The arrest is comparatively easy for Dennis Farina and Jesse Martin, but as to who fingered her which is the someone they really want to get, of all things the Albanian trigger guy says he read it in the newspaper.

Turns out the young detective was the daughter of a political figure who was a rival of a rising political star and member of the House Of Representatives. The guy who was doing the dirty work is Garret Dillahunt who is a dirty tricks specialist. But his job is also to anticipate these things and feed his boss just enough information to give him deniability. Something that Nixon's Watergate plumbers failed to do.

Dillahunt is a nasty, but very clever customer. A little bit of evidence tampering almost puts Sam Waterston's case in the toilet. His career and Fred Dalton Thompson's as well could have gone there.

Politics attracts some nasty people to it and Dillahunt is a great example of the type.