Detectives Goren and Eames are investigating the murders of several homeless people.Detectives Goren and Eames are investigating the murders of several homeless people.Detectives Goren and Eames are investigating the murders of several homeless people.
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe name of Wally Stevens, the Mark Linn-Baker insurance-fraud investigator character, is taken from Wallace Stevens, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who also worked as vice president of the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company.
- GoofsWally Stevens (Mark Linn Baker) is a short, mousy individual who demonstrated as being far along Asperger's scale. How he is able to incapacitate and kill Lance Reddick's much larger and more athletic Jack Barnard is never explained.
- Quotes
Detective Robert Goren: We arrested his girlfriend.
Wally Stevens: She probably has the money. Women like money.
Detective Robert Goren: So do men.
Wally Stevens: That's because women like men with money.
- ConnectionsReferences Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)
Featured review
"I didn't know you had an older, geekier brother"
While Season 2 was not what one calls a consistent season, did marginally prefer the first one, with some episodes being better than others, the overall quality was never less than solid and the best episodes were absolutely outstanding. "Probability" had one of the more interesting premises of the season, and even more interesting to me was that it had a character that had Aspergers Syndrome (one of many conditions that affects me on a daily basis). As well as liking the show very much, there were high hopes here.
High expectations that were met and exceeded. "Probability" is a brilliant episode and a Season 2, and early season for that matter, high point. It is intense and emotionally powerful stuff, with a climax that left me floored and actually speechless from getting emotional and one of the early seasons' and show's finest ever guest star turns, one that makes one feel both disgust and sympathy for their character (see for yourself, it is not as oxymoronic as it sounds). Have heard criticisms elsewhere about "Probability" "demonising" Aspergers and take issue with that being a long-time sufferer myself. The perpetrator's crimes are truly despicable and nobody could ever condone them, but he actually shows a vulnerable side to him in the climax and he is a more complex character than what it initially seems. There is hardly any lumping sufferers of this difficult and long misunderstood conditions in the same group and stereotyping them, it is actually a pretty balanced portrayal of one extremely flawed but with vulnerability person.
This tidbit aside, and sorry for the irrelevance (did feel it had to be said before it is possibly criticised again for it), there is so much to love about "Probability". Once again, the episode is well made, appropriately scored and directed at a good pace. The writing is taut, sympathetic, sometimes quirky and very intelligent. Really liked Eames' quips regarding her reservations of the chemistry between Goren and Wally, but it is in the climax where "Probability" shines the most. Intense but also very poignant.
Story is hugely absorbing and very complex without being convoluted, some may find it jumpy but to me it was fine. The case is hard-hitting and the procedural elements and how Goren's mind works as usual intrigue. The highlight though is the climax, that really frightened me but also left me in tears and to me actually it did make sense. Superbly written and acted scene. Goren continues to fascinate as a character, but it's the character writing for Wally that really stands out here. He is a very chilling character, one is chilled by some of his dialogue, but part of me felt for him in the climax. Being somebody too who is very flawed (not to this extent though) but also vulnerable, which people have most likely seen in my review writing here.
Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are superb as ever, especially D'Onofrio with the meatier material, but it's Mark Linn-Baker's episode in the acting department, managing to be frightening but also incredibly affecting. One of the show's best ever guest supporting turns in my opinion. The direction is alert and accomodating.
Overall, brilliant episode. 10/10
High expectations that were met and exceeded. "Probability" is a brilliant episode and a Season 2, and early season for that matter, high point. It is intense and emotionally powerful stuff, with a climax that left me floored and actually speechless from getting emotional and one of the early seasons' and show's finest ever guest star turns, one that makes one feel both disgust and sympathy for their character (see for yourself, it is not as oxymoronic as it sounds). Have heard criticisms elsewhere about "Probability" "demonising" Aspergers and take issue with that being a long-time sufferer myself. The perpetrator's crimes are truly despicable and nobody could ever condone them, but he actually shows a vulnerable side to him in the climax and he is a more complex character than what it initially seems. There is hardly any lumping sufferers of this difficult and long misunderstood conditions in the same group and stereotyping them, it is actually a pretty balanced portrayal of one extremely flawed but with vulnerability person.
This tidbit aside, and sorry for the irrelevance (did feel it had to be said before it is possibly criticised again for it), there is so much to love about "Probability". Once again, the episode is well made, appropriately scored and directed at a good pace. The writing is taut, sympathetic, sometimes quirky and very intelligent. Really liked Eames' quips regarding her reservations of the chemistry between Goren and Wally, but it is in the climax where "Probability" shines the most. Intense but also very poignant.
Story is hugely absorbing and very complex without being convoluted, some may find it jumpy but to me it was fine. The case is hard-hitting and the procedural elements and how Goren's mind works as usual intrigue. The highlight though is the climax, that really frightened me but also left me in tears and to me actually it did make sense. Superbly written and acted scene. Goren continues to fascinate as a character, but it's the character writing for Wally that really stands out here. He is a very chilling character, one is chilled by some of his dialogue, but part of me felt for him in the climax. Being somebody too who is very flawed (not to this extent though) but also vulnerable, which people have most likely seen in my review writing here.
Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are superb as ever, especially D'Onofrio with the meatier material, but it's Mark Linn-Baker's episode in the acting department, managing to be frightening but also incredibly affecting. One of the show's best ever guest supporting turns in my opinion. The direction is alert and accomodating.
Overall, brilliant episode. 10/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 15, 2020
- Permalink
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