Decided a while back to review all the episodes of the original 'Law and Order', 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent', being someone who really likes all three shows in their prime/early years. Really loved a lot of the early seasons episodes of all three shows, while also finding all three less consistent later on (with the original not feeling the same post-Briscoe and 'Special Victims Unit' has been hit and miss for a while now). With "Night and Fog" it was interesting to see very early Lennie Briscoe.
As well as seeing Nehemiah Persoff in a late role and in a role that saw, from what has been personally seen of his (not enough), a different side to him. That's what intrigues me about all three shows, seeing actors in different types of role and stretching their abilities, it's not just the gritty tackling of challenging and even controversial themes and how they dealt with the moral dilemmas posed by the subjects covered. "Night and Fog" struck me as a very good episode on first viewing and it still does, if not a 'Law and Order' classic.
"Night and Fog" contains great acting for one. Jerry Orbach continues to show how so early on he was born to play one of the 'Law and Order' franchise's most justifiably popular characters. Chris Noth is a reliably solid partner and the two gel really well together, like a red wine and cheese. Michael Moriarty as ever brings great authority to the juicy character of Stone. Persoff was seldom more unnerving than here the more that is revealed about his character. The kind where one's opinion of him takes a dramatic 180 in the second half.
The story throughout is compelling, with a completely unpredictable change of events and a lot of chills later on. Namely in the whole dynamite rapport between Persoff and Moriarty and Persoff. The ending felt more rounded off and less rushed than some of the previous Season 3 episodes. The script is taut and thoughtful, especially in the exchanges between Stone and Schiff and Stone's Anne Frank line is telling. The production values continue to remain high, while the direction lets the dramatic intensity of the second half to blister. The music doesn't sound melodramatic.
Occasionally though the story in "Night and Fog" does get a little too complicated and one feels like they want more time to digest properly what's revealed, in an episode where there is a lot to take in.
Do agree that it is not easy to buy what the victim saw in her husband despite having knowledge of his past. One would run a mile realistically but maybe that's just me.
In summary, very well done. 8/10
As well as seeing Nehemiah Persoff in a late role and in a role that saw, from what has been personally seen of his (not enough), a different side to him. That's what intrigues me about all three shows, seeing actors in different types of role and stretching their abilities, it's not just the gritty tackling of challenging and even controversial themes and how they dealt with the moral dilemmas posed by the subjects covered. "Night and Fog" struck me as a very good episode on first viewing and it still does, if not a 'Law and Order' classic.
"Night and Fog" contains great acting for one. Jerry Orbach continues to show how so early on he was born to play one of the 'Law and Order' franchise's most justifiably popular characters. Chris Noth is a reliably solid partner and the two gel really well together, like a red wine and cheese. Michael Moriarty as ever brings great authority to the juicy character of Stone. Persoff was seldom more unnerving than here the more that is revealed about his character. The kind where one's opinion of him takes a dramatic 180 in the second half.
The story throughout is compelling, with a completely unpredictable change of events and a lot of chills later on. Namely in the whole dynamite rapport between Persoff and Moriarty and Persoff. The ending felt more rounded off and less rushed than some of the previous Season 3 episodes. The script is taut and thoughtful, especially in the exchanges between Stone and Schiff and Stone's Anne Frank line is telling. The production values continue to remain high, while the direction lets the dramatic intensity of the second half to blister. The music doesn't sound melodramatic.
Occasionally though the story in "Night and Fog" does get a little too complicated and one feels like they want more time to digest properly what's revealed, in an episode where there is a lot to take in.
Do agree that it is not easy to buy what the victim saw in her husband despite having knowledge of his past. One would run a mile realistically but maybe that's just me.
In summary, very well done. 8/10