The SVU way. A drugged up white girl accuses a black guy of raping her. There's DNA but does SVU wait until the results are back? Nope. In the meantime the father of said girl threatens the guy into confessing with a nail gun and the guy dies. Then our intrepid detectives find security footage that basically clears the guy. The girl is confronted but as always she's not responsible for making false accusations because it was because she didn't remember it was her uncle.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)
Decaying Morality (2015)
User Reviews
Review this title4 Reviews
One is the best
suenewgreg29 February 2020
Not just morality that is decaying
TheLittleSongbird24 August 2022
Despite giving "Decaying Morality" a negative rating and review, this does not mean that there is a low overall opinion of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', Seasons 1-6 are great and Seasons 7-12 also had wonderful episodes (as well as disappointing ones). All the latter seasons too have at least one very good and more episode in it, despite the higher number of misfires. Season 16 did have some very good and more instalments and was not a bad season.
But somehow "Decaying Morality" just didn't do it for me and can see why it is considered one of the worst episodes of Season 16 and absolutely agree with that sentiment. It has its good things and moments, but they come too far and between in an episode that has far too many major minus points. It just reminded me of the worst episodes of Seasons 10-12 and the bad things in those episodes, and executes pretty much all their bad things every bit as badly.
Am going to start mentioning the good as it is not irredeemably awful. It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments.
Raul Esparza as usual is a delight and really livens up the screen when he appears. Best of all is Paul Adelstein, was shocked to see this side to him and was even more shocked that he did it so wonderfully, this is unsettling stuff we see in his performance.
However, a lot is done badly. A fundamental problem being the less than attention grabbing story. It is excessively predictable, due to too few twists and how over obvious the responsible is well before the conclusion and also due to far too few surprises. There is nothing new in the content and there is nothing new in the execution. It particularly runs out of steam in the second half, which is made watchable by Barba and Adelstein but is also ruined by the lack of sympathetic characters, lack of suspense due to knowing the truth well before the SVU (who easily could have gotten to the truth quicker).
The ending feels like an unjustified cheat and is not realistic. Very few of the characters come off well, Jerome is the one that one feels most sorry for and that is what makes what happened to him even more anger inducing. Am not as hard on Jenna now though, initially dismissed her as too naive and dishonest but am now more aware of what influence can do to you. The dialogue is very trite and the pace never really comes to life. The SVU's handling of the case is a major turn off and on the same level of their handling of cases in Seasons 10-12. Far too much premature conclusion jumping with little certain proof and too much aggression and stubborn-ness. Actually disliked Carisi here for the first time, his actions being reminiscent of Seasons 10-12 Stabler.
Very disappointing episode all in all. 4/10.
But somehow "Decaying Morality" just didn't do it for me and can see why it is considered one of the worst episodes of Season 16 and absolutely agree with that sentiment. It has its good things and moments, but they come too far and between in an episode that has far too many major minus points. It just reminded me of the worst episodes of Seasons 10-12 and the bad things in those episodes, and executes pretty much all their bad things every bit as badly.
Am going to start mentioning the good as it is not irredeemably awful. It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments.
Raul Esparza as usual is a delight and really livens up the screen when he appears. Best of all is Paul Adelstein, was shocked to see this side to him and was even more shocked that he did it so wonderfully, this is unsettling stuff we see in his performance.
However, a lot is done badly. A fundamental problem being the less than attention grabbing story. It is excessively predictable, due to too few twists and how over obvious the responsible is well before the conclusion and also due to far too few surprises. There is nothing new in the content and there is nothing new in the execution. It particularly runs out of steam in the second half, which is made watchable by Barba and Adelstein but is also ruined by the lack of sympathetic characters, lack of suspense due to knowing the truth well before the SVU (who easily could have gotten to the truth quicker).
The ending feels like an unjustified cheat and is not realistic. Very few of the characters come off well, Jerome is the one that one feels most sorry for and that is what makes what happened to him even more anger inducing. Am not as hard on Jenna now though, initially dismissed her as too naive and dishonest but am now more aware of what influence can do to you. The dialogue is very trite and the pace never really comes to life. The SVU's handling of the case is a major turn off and on the same level of their handling of cases in Seasons 10-12. Far too much premature conclusion jumping with little certain proof and too much aggression and stubborn-ness. Actually disliked Carisi here for the first time, his actions being reminiscent of Seasons 10-12 Stabler.
Very disappointing episode all in all. 4/10.
Predictable Episode
wrenleung28 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
If you watch enough SVU, you would spot the perp right away. The writing was predictable. This is the first time in ages that the entire main cast are in the same episode, but we got this. The only good part was Act 3 but that's about it.
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