On first watch, "Confidential" struck me as a good but not great episode. It was compelling and had a wonderful guest appearance, but much of me was very disappointed that the episode left out what was hyped so much in the promos (an appearance from Jack McCoy, who ended up not in it after all). Have never been a fan really of how Stabler was written in Season 11, where he got away with far too much and was too much of a loose cannon.
"Confidential" still is a good but not great outing, is a major improvement over the previous two episodes (it would have been difficult though to be worse) and somewhere in the middle as far as ranking Season 11 episodes goes. My initial thoughts are pretty much the same now, with one thing elevating it to a greater level (the main reason as to why "Confidential" was not worse than it turned out) but also with one major aspect that unbalances the drama.
So much is good. Lena Olin is absolutely riveting and gives one of, perhaps even the, best guest turns of Season 11 and of the mid seasons, playing her role with great class and authority. Richard Burgi is effectively smarmy, despite his role being brief. Christopher Meloni and Stephanie March are also very strong, Meloni has lost none of his intense steel and March brings nuance and ruthlessness. It was great to see Munch back, with Season 11 criminally underusing him, and also Donnelly.
Did like that every SVU regular had screen time and a sufficient amount, instead of focusing on primarily one or two and everyone else getting brief look ins every now and again. The story is a very 'Special Victims Unit' scenario and executed in a way that's twisty, intriguing and with the right degree of tension. The script is tight and thought-provoking. It looks good, with the usual slickness and subtle grit. Really liked too that the photography was simple and close up but doing so without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when used, and luckily it isn't constant, and when it is used it doesn't feel over-scored. The direction allows the drama to breathe while still giving it momentum as well.
Stabler's character writing does unbalance the episode though. Once again he is too much of a loose cannon, in serious need of anger management and self-acknowledgement of his mistakes (the closest the season ever got to that was "Turmoil") and the episode does threaten to fall apart in his arresting of Ingrid. His getting away with things that would be considered sackable offense-worthy and in a few cases criminal really had gotten old by Season 11 and is by now truly tired.
Really hated the way Cabot is treated, getting the amount of flack she got for something that was not her fault (a case of the wrong person being blamed). The ending feels rushed and another one where something happens but shouldn't have realistically.
In summary, good but not great. 7/10.
"Confidential" still is a good but not great outing, is a major improvement over the previous two episodes (it would have been difficult though to be worse) and somewhere in the middle as far as ranking Season 11 episodes goes. My initial thoughts are pretty much the same now, with one thing elevating it to a greater level (the main reason as to why "Confidential" was not worse than it turned out) but also with one major aspect that unbalances the drama.
So much is good. Lena Olin is absolutely riveting and gives one of, perhaps even the, best guest turns of Season 11 and of the mid seasons, playing her role with great class and authority. Richard Burgi is effectively smarmy, despite his role being brief. Christopher Meloni and Stephanie March are also very strong, Meloni has lost none of his intense steel and March brings nuance and ruthlessness. It was great to see Munch back, with Season 11 criminally underusing him, and also Donnelly.
Did like that every SVU regular had screen time and a sufficient amount, instead of focusing on primarily one or two and everyone else getting brief look ins every now and again. The story is a very 'Special Victims Unit' scenario and executed in a way that's twisty, intriguing and with the right degree of tension. The script is tight and thought-provoking. It looks good, with the usual slickness and subtle grit. Really liked too that the photography was simple and close up but doing so without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when used, and luckily it isn't constant, and when it is used it doesn't feel over-scored. The direction allows the drama to breathe while still giving it momentum as well.
Stabler's character writing does unbalance the episode though. Once again he is too much of a loose cannon, in serious need of anger management and self-acknowledgement of his mistakes (the closest the season ever got to that was "Turmoil") and the episode does threaten to fall apart in his arresting of Ingrid. His getting away with things that would be considered sackable offense-worthy and in a few cases criminal really had gotten old by Season 11 and is by now truly tired.
Really hated the way Cabot is treated, getting the amount of flack she got for something that was not her fault (a case of the wrong person being blamed). The ending feels rushed and another one where something happens but shouldn't have realistically.
In summary, good but not great. 7/10.