Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Deadly Ambition (2013) User Reviews

Quintessentially frustrating

[Dorjee_Wang · 8/10 · 30 September 2016]

This was one of those episodes which had me punching the wall due to the anger the characters (Amanda in this case) generated in me. Amanda's sister Kim was introduced some episodes ago and she reeked of trouble. And she proved that in this episodes when she entrapped her sister in an IA investigation which led to her eventual arrest. But do I blame her for the arrest? No. Because Rollin dug her own grave due to her reluctance to have her sister learn a hard lesson, her lack of reliance on her squad mates and very bad decision making. I certifiably screamed when she went to the IAB without a lawyer and then met her sister ignoring her lawyer's warning. At the end I would've been glad if Rollin had rotted in jail for life for her own short sightedness.

Besides the frustration. It was written well. Kim was written well as a manipulative wench, and she'll be back in future seasons. After the mess of an episode the last one was, this one actually generated interest, and was compelling. Lt. Tucker (played by Burke) after 10 episodes throughout the series, and to say the least he is still unpopular as he was back then with the SVU detectives. Anyway, good episode, but will make you mad if you are repulsed by stupidity because there's a whole lot of that in this one.

Didn't think this one out

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 24 December 2014]

Lindsay Pulsipher made the second of two appearances on SVU as Kelli Giddish's very troubled sister. Giddish as we've learned has a bad gambling problem and now she has a sister problem that truly dwarfs the gambling issues.

Whenever you introduce new characters into a series the writers get a chance to introduce whole new stories built around them and the baggage they bring into a series. Both Giddish and Danny Pino relatively new to SVU get the chance to have whole new stories written around them.

Whatever you think of Giddish she's chosen law enforcement as her career whereas Pulsipher has played the other side of the tracks. Her boyfriend and father of her unborn baby Theis Weckesser is a drug dealer and general all around low life and he's knocked up Pulsipher. But she's got a scheme in mind that will involve her sister and make her a rich woman.

Which brings in Robert John Burke who since 2002 as Detective Tucker from Internal Affairs has made it his life's ambition to nail one of cops from SVU. He wanted Christopher Meloni bad, but Meloni put his papers in. Now he thinks Giddish is in on her sister's plans.

I won't go into what happened but clearly as Giddish says her sister is not a deep thinker and really didn't think this one out clearly.

She will be back and she will be trouble.

Good episode, but highlights the stupidity of certain detectives

[stratus_phere · 8/10 · 13 June 2018]

We've always known the character of Amanda Rollins was pretty naive and easily conned, this episode highlighted that. Her sister set her up for murder, and she's so weak-brained she doesn't want to get a lawyer. She goes against all advice by talking to IA without counsel. She goes against all advice by going to speak to her sister after she herself was charged with murder. She does everything exactly wrong and ends up almost going down for murder. She's just silly. I wouldn't want someone that chuckle-headed to help me solve any murders.

Nick is another character who is easily conned - but only by women. Any female criminal can give him a smile and act helpless and he is putty in their hands. It's gotten him in a lot of trouble before, and in this episode we see him yucking it up with the evil sister, acting a fool. At the end (giving away the ending here) he does manage to use that to his (and Amanda's) advantage. But it's still a weakness for him. In the real world, he's another one who should learn to control himself in that area. He acts like a weak-kneed little boy when a pretty girl comes around.

We all hated how (Un)Stabler was a wild bat-out-of-heck, and we're glad they finally replaced him. But we were all hoping for someone with Stabler's experience and expertise, but calmer and mature. Instead we got a couple of rookies posing as experienced detectives.

The best of the current five is Fin. He's tough but in control. They should all be that way.

The writers nailed the manipulative sister

[barbararush-95830 · 10/10 · 15 October 2021]

The facts are much different and more egregious, but I certainly recognize the relationship between Giddish and her sister. It hit very close to home and it rings true to life. Giddish captured perfectly the conflict between trying to "help" the manipulative, lying younger sister and wanting to speak so truthfully and honestly to her that the relationship would instantly end. It's a division between what's right and expected loyalty. Giddish deserves an award of some kind, whatever they give for this type of acting.

Sister trouble

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 13 July 2022]

Really disliked "Deadly Ambition" on first watch. While loving Kelli Giddish and also Fin's role, the over-obviousness, lack of suspense, the character behaviours and especially Kim really spoiled the episode. It was great to see some more development to Rollins, who has just started to get interesting, but her subplots varied wildly since she was introduced. With every episode with Kim being pretty difficult to take. Personal opinion of course.

"Deadly Ambition" did fare better on rewatch, with the good things standing out more which helped make it more watchable. It is still not a particularly good episode though, with the drawbacks still being the same and being even more problematic. Season 14 had some great episodes, especially "Lessons Learned" and "Monster's Legacy" as far as previous episodes go, but also some mediocre ones. "Deadly Ambition" only just about avoids being in the latter category, but it was close.

There are good things. The best thing about it is Giddish, who is fantastic in by far her best performance up to this point of the show (her first knocking it out of the park performance). Really rooted for Rollins and there was real hope that she would get out of her predicament. Also loved Fin's role, he was very underused in far too many of the latter season episodes but when he is used more and well he is great. His chemistry with Rollins is beautifully controlled and sympathetic and Fin once again for the first time in too long shows his softer side.

A few other things were good. Visually it is well made, especially the intimate photography. It looks stylish and slick with a more refined look than when 'Special Victims Unit' first started all the way back in 1999, while maintaining the show's grit. The music doesn't overbear and is not overused. Internal Affairs' role is somewhat interesting.

Unfortunately, it's also one dimensional and has been seen before too many times. While Robert John Burke does a more than serviceable job, Tucker is too panto villain-like (meaning too easy to hate). "Deadly Ambition" is far too predictable, Kim's role was not a surprise at all because of such an over-obvious personality that wouldn't fool the viewer for a minute. There is a complete lack of suspense, to me showing the shooting straightaway was a mistake and it should have happened later and off-screen in my view.

Have always intensely disliked Kim as a character, and not only does "Deadly Ambition" do nothing to change my mind on her it strengthens my dislike of her. Her manipulation is far too overt and overdone to the extent that it is frustrating and insulting that the viewer sees through her well before the rest of the characters do. Have always found her too over the top in the acting department and truly annoying as well. Am aware that a paragraph has been dedicated unintentionally slamming her but that is how much, and so badly, she and her role unbalanced the episode.

It was rather insulting to see the other characters being written too naively and too easily manipulated, especially Rollins (who never learned to not be too naive or be too trusting because it happened again in all the succeeding episodes featuring Kim, who to me should have been disowned by now) and also to a lesser extent Amaro (uncharacteristically so in his case). The writing is too overripe and melodramatic.

Overall, better on rewatch but far too many problems to recommend. 5/10.

Hurricane Kim

[wrenleung · 1/10 · 27 May 2020]

I hate all episodes with Hurricane Kim. It's hard to root for anyone, even Amanda.

Decent writing

[michelle-m94 · 1/10 · 12 May 2021]

This is quite possibly one of the most frustrating episodes. Writing isn't bad but the characters make very flawed decisions so this is pretty awful to watch.

Kim deserves prison. Amanda needs to stop being a mom to her sister and let her fail. Nothing about either sister is good or enjoyable. I'll be happy watching Amanda leave the show. Someone with that poor judgment shouldn't be allowed to be a cop.

Tucker is a 2 dimension enemy. Just a typical IA character who plays the necessary bad guy.

Nick is easily manipulated by women. But he does the right thing in the end.

I hate this storyline

[norareign · 5/10 · 6 November 2019]

I did not watch/have not yet watched all episodes that included Rollins' sister, but I had watched this one prior to viewing any other episodes involving Rollins. I hated Rollins as a character for much of the rest of my viewings prior to starting to watch her timeline from the beginning. Her sister is such a sociopath that it infuriated me that Rollins would cut her even the slightest ounce of slack. I'm all for being loyal to family, etc., but the second she's willing to sacrifice Amanda for her own skin, I lost respect for Amanda.

Rollins is a MORON

[rham-975-644917 · 4/10 · 20 August 2022]

I can't stand Amanda always protecting her narcissistic sister, Kim, even when Kim basically frames her for murder. "She's my sister." NO. ONE. ...would continue to protect such a toxic sibling. This relationship is the worst writing across the entire L&O universe. They need to write an ep where Kim gets hit by a bus and dies a lingering painful death.