This episode continues L&O Season 6's commitment to more action, apparently, with what I think is the first of several "ticking clock" episodes from this time period. The plot involves a male-female team of desperadoes (both white of course, making the season 5-for-5 now in documenting the Caucasian menace) robbing night clubs and stores in Manhattan. They are out of control, have apparently abducted a woman from one of their robberies, and the police mobilize big time.
The detective portion of the show is fast-paced and concludes with a dramatic scene at the arrest of the duo. All of this fast-paced action was designed to be crowd pleasing, and it sure was. What makes this episode memorable is that it's all done in a realistic (for television) way, with no real absurdities to distract you from the compelling police pursuit.
In the legal portion of the show, we learn that the female member of the pair was abducted from her family's estate and claims to have been forced into the crimes by her violent abductor. This was actually done very well too, mixing an interesting story with some vintage L&O courtroom drama. It's basically believable and shows why L&O was pretty darned good, at least compared to nearly any other courtroom show like Mattlock where the bad guy will probably make a spontaneous confession on the stand or something absurd. This L&O episode has a particularly good example of the series general commitment to pretty darned good and realistic enough courtroom drama.
Really, I'd forgotten how solid this episode was. This is not just a "ripped from the headlines", L&O-does-Patty-Hurst... it's a fine, original drama from beginning to end.
The detective portion of the show is fast-paced and concludes with a dramatic scene at the arrest of the duo. All of this fast-paced action was designed to be crowd pleasing, and it sure was. What makes this episode memorable is that it's all done in a realistic (for television) way, with no real absurdities to distract you from the compelling police pursuit.
In the legal portion of the show, we learn that the female member of the pair was abducted from her family's estate and claims to have been forced into the crimes by her violent abductor. This was actually done very well too, mixing an interesting story with some vintage L&O courtroom drama. It's basically believable and shows why L&O was pretty darned good, at least compared to nearly any other courtroom show like Mattlock where the bad guy will probably make a spontaneous confession on the stand or something absurd. This L&O episode has a particularly good example of the series general commitment to pretty darned good and realistic enough courtroom drama.
Really, I'd forgotten how solid this episode was. This is not just a "ripped from the headlines", L&O-does-Patty-Hurst... it's a fine, original drama from beginning to end.