Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Bedfellows (2006) User Reviews

Carrie Preston, And Paying For Parents Playing Favorites

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 18 August 2008]

As soon as "Lena" showed up on screen, I knew I had seen her on a recent Criminal Intent, but I couldn't place the episode. I just knew her face was familiar and that she had played an intense role. When I just now looked it up here at IMDb, I find out it was the episode called "Magnifcat," in which she - Carrie Preston - played a very disturbed person and gave a riveting performance. I also have discovered this was her third guest appearance on this Law and Order spin off series.

Preston and Missy Crider are both very good in this story, playing sister-in-laws and, eventually, prime suspects in the killings of their husbands. About three-quarters of the way through this story, I was thinking about the movie, "Strangers On A Train," and don't they mention that movie near the end!

Meanwhile, a well-known name in acting plays the women's father-in-law: Rip Torn. All of the above actors play members of the Copeland family.

In addition to the normal twists-and-turns of the crime story, a theme running throughout is how parents - in this case Torn's character - can play favorites with one member of the family and how much damage that can do. This isn't the first time this subject has been part of a Criminal Intent story, but it's a good reminder that it's a very bad thing to do and causes untold damage to the neglected child - or adult.

I'm the good daughter! I held this family together!

[Mrpalli77 · 9/10 · 24 September 2017]

Two sisters in law are married to trust-fund brothers. They are sons of a prominent magnate (Rip Torn, a recurring character in "Men in Black") who cares just for one of them, a well-known historian who traveled a lot and used to write book about his memories. Instead, the black sheep son set up a Ponzi's scheme in real estates, embezzling a lot of money that needed to be payed back. Anyway the historian was a distant husband and father, so the wife cheated on him with the gardener, a lady's man who didn't give a damn about her. The uptown boys are killed one after the other and the murderer has to be found inside the family.

This plot is about payback, something that sometimes occurred between relatives, mostly inside marriages. But the scheme rarely managed to succeed.

Close connections

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 4 February 2021]

Love the early seasons of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent', but the show became more hit and miss around Season 5 (with some great episodes, most in between and some disappointments) and stayed that way up to the end of the run. "Bedfellows" is one of those episodes with a premise that would have been easy to overplay and/or not do in good taste. Carrie Preston (who was so fantastic in her previous 'Criminal Intent' appearance "Magnificat") and the great Rip Torn are interest points though.

While "Bedfellows" is a long way from being one of my favourite episodes and it is a long way from perfect, it was not a bad episode at all (the opposite). It also handled its premise more tastefully than expected, as on paper it to me doesn't sound the most appealing, though suffers a bit from one character unbalancing the episode somewhat. Ranking it among the rest of the episodes of Season 6, "Bedfellows" is neither among the best or worst and is in the high in between category.

Starting with what "Bedfellows" does well, and there are a great many things done really well, it is always a delight seeing Goren hard-boiled and hugely entertaining. Can't get enough of how his mind works. Eames is a great contrast as usual, more understated while not losing her sass. Do like that she has a little more of a serious side since her trauma. The two work so well together and play off each other equally so well, easily the best of the 'Criminal Intent' duos. Carrie Preston is powerful and affecting, just as much so as she was in "Magnificat". While not liking his character, which the writers do go overboard with, Torn gives it one hundred committment.

"Bedfellows" story is from start to finish compelling, keeping one guessing and has much to say about the dark side of favouritism. Something that may not be entirely insightful, but still intrigues and shocks. The script is not too rambling and never confused, exploring the subject thoughtfully. 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.

For me though the character of Jules was overwritten, Torn's performance is very committed but the character was rather too strange and over the top too often even for the story. Ross is still too much of the stock aggressive bias boss type of character.

In conclusion, very good. 8/10

Rip Torn always "Steals the show"

[rbkjr · 9/10 · 28 February 2018]

The ending tells the whole story as Goren and Eames stare at each other as one little boy is picked up by his grandfather, Rip Torn, and the other one is left standing there, staring at the two detectives. Rip Torn is a wealthy man, with two sons, each of whom is treated differently by their father. One who is responsible, and the other is not...Each of whom is married and has a son with each of the two wives. Those two little boys, are a perfect reflection of the whole relationship of how Rip treats the two sons, and eventually his grandsons. One day, Rip takes the two little boys to an amusement park, and each one is given money at the beginning of their day...at the end of which they come back, asking if their grandfather will buy them popcorn. Rip asks both of them if they still have the money they were given earlier, and the one grandson, who is from the more responsible of Rip's two sons, takes out a dollar from his pocket while the other grandson already spent his money, at which point Rip tells him he'll have to do without the popcorn. The whole episode comes full circle as a result of how those two grandsons represent a mirror image of Rip's two sons, and his relationship with both of them. Everything is done so brilliantly! That's without even going into detail about how Rip's two daughters-in-law are part of both Rip's sons being killed...and the obvious suspect is the daughter-in-law of Rip's son who is not looked kindly upon, only to find out that it's the other daughter in law, from Rip's well treated son, who was an author and financially responsible...who becomes the killer and does all of the dastardly deeds committed during the episode. That daughter-in-law is the one who is handcuffed and walked away by the police, waiting in the hallway...as Rip's favorite grandson runs to him and jumps into his arms, while the other boy is standing there alone, staring at our heroes, Goren and Eames. The whole episode Is written, acted, and executed so brilliantly...that it leaves you amazed at how real the episode reflects life! My only complaint is the cheap-looking, bad toupee' on Rip Torn's head. Otherwise, excellent!

Law & Order CI: Bedfellows

[tessa-alleyne · 10/10 · 26 October 2006]

I thought the episode was excellent. The opening scene with the two EMS attendants was well framed and gave the actors a "bigger-than-life" look. It was fast paced and well-acted. I jumped out of my skin when I saw that the women in the bed was alive. I think though that there should have been some dialogue at that point between the wife and the attendants. Although the intent was to show the attachment initially to the dead husband, the scene where the attendants removed her from the bed only seemed like a frustrated struggle to get her out of the bed rather than a sympathetic, gentle coaxing and understanding of the situation. There should have been some form of dialogue. All-in-all, I thought it was a good plot. The acting, as always, was top notch and I enjoyed the show. Bring back the African-American EMS attendant. Although he was only in the opening scenes, he exuded strength, power and a certain star-like quality. He reminds me of Omar Epps! Love the show!

Would have been a 10 but...

[ClassicsJunkie · 7/10 · 15 September 2020]

I hate the father. I hate his character. And I dislike the actor. "Ohhh no not my Adelaide!" Like why couldn't he be the one that went bye bye?

But Carrie Preston is brilliant as usual. This episode is always the first in my mind whenever this show is mentioned. Partially because of Carrie and partially because the old crusty man and his disgusting tendency to "always has a scapegoat".