Almost all the previous episodes of 'Law and Order's' Season 5 are very good to fantastic, the best being "Virtue" and especially "White Rabbit". The previous episode "Scoundrels" to me was the only disappointment, mostly due to the truly improbable second half. Despite anything to do with the mob is quite familiar territory for mystery/procedural/legal shows, the concept actually didn't seem too old hat and it was great to see some development to McCoy and his motivations.
"House Counsel" did all of that wonderfully. It doesn't waste any of its potential and even exceeds it and proof that the early seasons should in no way be overlooked, as they are as good as the seasons often shown (as of now the late Briscoe seasons onwards). It's one of the best episodes of Season 5, nearly "White Rabbit" level, and leagues better than "Scoundrels". If not quite one of the best episodes of the whole of 'Law and Order', a brilliant show at its best with many great and more episodes throughout its run.
My only complaint of "House Counsel" is the character of Dosso being for my tastes underwritten and underused.
That didn't prove to be too much of a detriment as the rest of the supporting characters are very interesting. Especially Kopell, namely from a psychological standpoint where one sees how he came to be the way he is and how his mind works. It's fascinating to watch as is the tension between him and McCoy. Furini is also a character one doesn't want to mess with.
Loved the character writing for McCoy here, after really disliking his sackable offense-worthy conduct in "Scoundrels" it was great to see more development to him, see him more conflicted in his motivations and see how he came to be the person he is. The chemistry between him and Kincaid is great, the tension between him and the, in this episode, more by the book Kincaid scintillates. Schiff has a couple of great lines and the procedural parts while not as complex are intriguing and not too safe. The script is taut and smart and the story is thoroughly absorbing, especially the second half.
Cannot fault the performances. Sam Waterston shines most of the regulars in one of his best performances of the fifth season. Ron Leibman also excels, bringing a lot of complexity to Kopell and the less than amicable relationship between him and McCoy is brought out with tension and gusto. Vincent Pastore is suitably menacing as Furini. As usual for 'Law and Order' and its spin offs, the production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough while also taut.
Overall, great. 9/10