Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) 30 (2007) User Reviews

'D.O.A.' Updated With Twists

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 4 September 2008]

The second half of this story is impossible to follow, and maybe that's the point: international espionage is so complicated and we live in a world today of animosities and terrorists that nobody knows who to believe. So, in this story, one minute the Russians are the bad guys, then the Israelis, then the Palestines or Syrians or Americans or you name it. So-and-so is a spy or a spy-wannabe; so-and-so was set up to be killed or was it so-and-so? Yikes, all of this stuff will give you headache trying to figure it out.

The story starts out simply enough, especially for those classic film buffs who are familiar with the 1950 movie "D.O.A.." That's where a guy who is poisoned and knows he's dying and runs to the police, the rest of the story trying to find out who killed him.....because he'll be dead for sure within a week. That happens here, too, thanks to a deadly poison called polonium. The mystery is who killed him and why.....or, as we find out, whether he was the target in the first place. Other people also get poisoned along the way and all die a horrible death. The makeup department worked overtime on this episode, showing how the poison made these people look worse and worse.

The main guy who is poisoned turns out to be an old journalist friend of Logan's, a man "who covered by back" according to the detective, so he's happy to do whatever he can to help the victim.

By the way, the title for this episode: "30," is a reference to reporters who used to type that number at the end of their stories, signifying "the end."

Are you a Jew-first and cop-second?

[Mrpalli77 · 7/10 · 27 September 2017]

A family man reporter (Lee Tergesen) had a bad cough and he figured out he could be poisoned. A radiation poisoning like the one caused Litvinenko's death: polonium. But he was not the target, the real one was a fellow international female reporter whom he had an affair with. It's a spy story, with reference to Chechnya, Mossad and other topics that let this episode looks like a 007 movie. NYPD is in competition with FBI and it's not easy to find the real perpetrator. Other dead bodies and contaminated ones are found and the case is too hard to be solved.

Logan owes something to the reporter, because he helped him a long time before when the detective took a swing to a counselor outside the courtroom, losing his job as a result. So he stayed before him in his deathbed, trying to figure out something more about this complex case.

The end

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 March 2021]

"30" is something of a brave episode. 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' was no stranger to difficult topics and the pull no punches approach exploring them, though for me the original 'Law and Order' and 'Special Victims Unit' (namely in the early seasons though) did this aspect better. For 'Criminal Intent' though, the subject is one of the show's toughest and most sensitive. With echoes of a real life case that was still relatively raw at the time. Was slightly concerned at whether it would be a case of tackling something very sensitive too soon.

Although "30" is somewhat an uneven episode and a case of the first half being a lot better than the second, it is a truly admirable one as well and really appreciated that it even attempted this subject and what it did with it. Also did appreciate seeing more development to one character that had not done much for me beforehand (practically nothing actually despite some glimpses), but this aspect doesn't quite come off completely.

There are a lot of good things in "30". It is well made, intimately photographed and slick with no signs of under-budget or anything. The music didn't sound melodramatic or too constant and the direction is accomodating while still having pulse. Also have no complaints about Chris Noth, have always liked Logan ever since he was a lead character for the first five seasons of the original 'Law and Order' and Noth never disappointed. He doesn't here and Logan shines brightly. Also appreciated that Wheeler was more assertive than usual and also showed more loyalty, and that more development to Ross was seen (though that was less successful).

Script is intelligent and tight that doesn't come over as over-serious, despite the subject, or as a joke. It has always made me think long and hard afterwards and mostly did a good sensitive job with a difficult, potentially heavy-handed issue. Due to having echoes of a real life story that was still raaw, the execution isn't simplistic or dumbed down and there is complexity and sensitivity in an episode that does start off very disturbingly. The acting is excellent, Noth carrying the episode with effortless authoritative ease.

Have always felt however that some of the second half is too over-complicated and only slightly avoids incoherence. Actually didn't like too that the ending was too abrupt and inconclusive in an episode that did need a resolution in my view.

While there is some development to Ross, he still comes over as too one-dimensional and aggressive and it is too clear annoyingly who he likes and who he doesn't.

In conclusion, a valiant and mostly well done effort that doesn't completely succeed. 7/10

Sweeping it clean

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 16 May 2016]

This one gets good and personal for Chris Noth. The victim here is Lee Tergesen who has been given radiation poisoning similar to what killed a Russian dissident in real life. Tergesen is a reporter who took Detective Mike Logan's part way back when on Law And Order prime Logan punched out a city councilman and got exiled to Staten Island.

Poor Tergesen. They find out that he was collateral damage that the real target was another reporter played by Rebecca Shor whom he had a long relationship with that was pretty romantically intense for a while.

All I can say on that end is two things. First the NYPD is running into all kinds of interference from the Feds who are invoking national security all over the place. Captain Eric Bogosian gets into the investigation with some personal contact of his own with Ned Eisenberg departing from his usual role on SVU as an oily defense attorney.

Secondly though it leads to nothing in the end because the folks behind it really know how to sweep clean.

Victim is a creep and a moron

[mgl-92037 · 7/10 · 17 February 2024]

This is a taut, interesting episode but they wrote a very unsympathetic victim. He's a failed journalist who lives with the fantasy of writing a last big story, who misreads every one he meets, and is less honest than a used car salesman. You can't believe anyone would notice this guy, let alone want to kill him. The story does have many interesting turns, and the solution to the crime will stupefy you.

I consider this an above average Criminal Intent episode. The acting is good, the writing tight with some offbeat humor. I'm watching this episode for at least the third time. What makes it so memorable is that this guy, whose life will end in agony in a few days, goes to his grave with no self understanding at all. It's tragic and very depressing.