It was with Season 5 in my view where 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' became less consistent. Having really liked on the most part the previous four seasons, with a few episodes disappointing of course, the quality of Season 5 onwards pretty much all the partnerships (including Goren and Eames) been disappointingly variable. Never unwatchable, but the number of great episodes for every season decreased increasingly.
There are 'Criminal Intent' fans out there that didn't like the character writing for Goren Season 6 onwards, finding that his personal life dominated too much and that Goren was too different from the Goren of the earlier seasons. Personally loved seeing him developed more, though Season 6 did it a lot better than Season 7, and had no problem with how he was written. Anybody who has wanted for a while to see the old Goren back will be absolutely delighted with "Vanishing Act". Was myself delighted by how he was written and loved "Vanishing Act" as an episode, of a very variable Season 7 it's one of the best.
"Vanishing Act" 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.
Script is funny in a quirky way and gritty, shining in the interactions between Goren and Eames that are reminiscent of how they were in the early seasons and the character writing for Carmine. The story is always riveting, having an unsettling atmosphere, a very clever and unique murder method and circumstance and its showing of the dark side of the world of magic and magician rivalry is far from sugar-coating. Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are terrific as usual and Christopher Lloyd's wildly entertaining and enigmatic Carmine is one of my favourite guest turns of the later seasons.
Goren is back to the Goren we know and love from the early seasons, to some that may sound like character regression when they like it when a character goes on a journey and grows as a character. While appreciating the development of Goren and thinking it was done extremely well, for the first time in a while one sees what it was that made Goren so fascinating before. We are also back to seeing his perceptions and his uniquely neurotic way of thinking, not the premature conclusion jumping that started to happen around Season 5. We are also back to the sassy, playing off each other chemistry between Goren and Eames, where they also support each other in their investigations and getting a result, that all made their chemistry so great to watch and that was so refreshing after seeing a more intense side to it.
Occasionally, like towards the end, the storytelling got on the over-complicated side with so much being revealed and with the murder circumstances having more to it than meets the eye.
Concluding though, a great episode and one of the best of a very variable season. 9/10.
8 out of 9 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink