User Reviews

While an uneven season, with a mix of very good and more episodes, some average ones and plenty in between, not every change settling straightaway and a couple of other things that didn't come off well (especially the exit of Southerlyn), Season 15 also could have been a lot worse. Due to having the worry as to whether the lack of Briscoe would hurt it, luckily that didn't hurt the season too awfully but his absense was deeply felt for the rest of the show's run.

The sixteenth episode "The Sixth Man" is one of the mostly very good episodes, with many great things. It is a case of one half being stronger than the other (which was not unheard of throughout 'Law and Order's' run, actually it was quite common in the early and latter seasons) and really hated one of the crucial characters which did unbalance the episode a bit. But again as said, there is a lot to like here and Borgia has already proven that Southerlyn is not missed at all.

Beginning with the not so good, it did start off a little routinely. Loved the detective work and Fontana and Green have come on a lot as a partnership, as has Fontana as a character, but the first quarter doesn't have much new.

Also thought that "The Sixth Man" overdid it with trying to make the accused as unbearably obnoxious as possible, even for somebody you are supposed to dislike. It is true absolutely that people behave badly when struggling with fame and such (and a vast majority do), but all the accused's character flaws are exaggerated to the point of being an annoying and positive character traits-free cartoon.

Having said all of this, a lot is great. Production values are slick and professional, not ever resorting to cheap or untested gimmicks or anything. The music is haunting in the right places and isn't constant or too loud, and the direction gives the drama urgency and breathing space.

It's a thoughtfully scripted episode and the legal portion is riveting and not too complicated. The acting is very good all round, Sam Waterston particularly, and Annie Parrisse in only her third episode as Borgia is already a vast improvement over Elisabeth Rohm.

Overall, very good. 8/10.

Some too average to be real accountant who had a fanatical interest in basketball is found with his neck broken.in his apartment. Elizabeth Hendrix narrows the field considerably when she says this crime had to have been done by a bi strong man.

Apparently this man was one obnoxious lout when at games. I knew someone just like that and I was embarrassed to go to any kind of event with him.

He made a profession of heckling the wrong man. Star player Poncho Hodges is arresed.

Truly though this victim deserved a beating as opposed to a killing.

A tenant forgot, as usual, his own laundry in the washing machine placed in the condo basement. A neighbor took it to his apartment, realizing he was killed. The cause of death was strangulation and a kitchen knife was found beside his body. The victim had neither friends nor relatives and his boss (he worked in an accountant firm) described him as a hopeless man with no interests apart from basketball. He used to gamble and he recently sued a professional basketball player (Poncho Hodges): there was a footage that showed him throwing beer to the player, receiving a punch as a result. This pro became the target of the man, who harrassed him everytime he took NY soil (he played for Philadelfia); once the fan went even to Philly to insult him. The pro had a bad temper (he beat even his coach in the past) and fingerprints were found at the crime scene. The only thing he could claim at trial was self-defense. Is he going to make it?

This episode reminds me the early nineties movie "The Fan" in which De Niro became obsessed by a ballplayer. There are people whose life is meaningless who had nothing to do apart from taking their frustration out to someone else.

Contrived, unbelievable, not appreciated.. McCoy beating racism with evidence, emotions.. and not feeling guilty

unwatchable