"Justice Denied" really stuck out at me on first watch, and quite a lot of it stuck in my mind vividly some while after. It came over as a powerful watch with a truly harrowing attack and where justice is rooted for whole-heartedly. Bayard Ellis was one of those characters that compelled me from his first appearance in "True Believers" in all my rewatches of his appearances, just love his authority and how easy it is to see where he's coming from.
While not one of my favourite episodes of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', "Justice Denied" has always been to me one of the best episodes of Season 13. Or at least certainly the second half of it, which generally was not as good as the first. Despite it not being perfect by all means, there are plenty of great things and what stuck out as particularly memorable on my first viewing are still particularly memorable. Which is what makes "Justice Denied" a very good and nearly great outing from Season 13.
Beginnig with the very little that was not so good with it, Haden really didn't do it for me here. Never cared for him in any of his appearances, but my indifference towards him had before turned to hatred at the end. Harry Connick Jr is as stiff and charmless as he was in his previous appearances and the chemistry with Mariska Hargitay just isn't there (it never was).
Hargitay though is excellent. As is the ever commanding Andre Braugher, their chemistry together is much more convincing and that was always the case in the episodes he featured in when she was in relationships. The rest of the acting is strong too, with Pena being especially well acted where his pain and anger tore at the heartstrings. It was great to see the team working together with lots to do.
Much preferred Olivia's character writing here than to the previous episode, the initial handling of the case was sloppy and it was easy to be frustrated by her mistakes but it was hard to not feel bad for her at the end (where only the perpetrator and Haden are hateable) and her remorse was believable. The ending is powerful and bittersweet all round, the case's resolution was one of the most satisfying ones of the season in particular. The writing is taut and intelligent and the story does disturb, especially in the opening attack, and keeps one guessing. Did not see the truth regarding the scarf coming.
Furthermore, "Justice Denied's" photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has a lot of nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way.
In summary, very good. 8/10.
While not one of my favourite episodes of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', "Justice Denied" has always been to me one of the best episodes of Season 13. Or at least certainly the second half of it, which generally was not as good as the first. Despite it not being perfect by all means, there are plenty of great things and what stuck out as particularly memorable on my first viewing are still particularly memorable. Which is what makes "Justice Denied" a very good and nearly great outing from Season 13.
Beginnig with the very little that was not so good with it, Haden really didn't do it for me here. Never cared for him in any of his appearances, but my indifference towards him had before turned to hatred at the end. Harry Connick Jr is as stiff and charmless as he was in his previous appearances and the chemistry with Mariska Hargitay just isn't there (it never was).
Hargitay though is excellent. As is the ever commanding Andre Braugher, their chemistry together is much more convincing and that was always the case in the episodes he featured in when she was in relationships. The rest of the acting is strong too, with Pena being especially well acted where his pain and anger tore at the heartstrings. It was great to see the team working together with lots to do.
Much preferred Olivia's character writing here than to the previous episode, the initial handling of the case was sloppy and it was easy to be frustrated by her mistakes but it was hard to not feel bad for her at the end (where only the perpetrator and Haden are hateable) and her remorse was believable. The ending is powerful and bittersweet all round, the case's resolution was one of the most satisfying ones of the season in particular. The writing is taut and intelligent and the story does disturb, especially in the opening attack, and keeps one guessing. Did not see the truth regarding the scarf coming.
Furthermore, "Justice Denied's" photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has a lot of nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way.
In summary, very good. 8/10.
