Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Undaunted Mettle (2003) User Reviews

Moderate Trigamy

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 18 June 2016]

Young Michael Hogan is stabbed and staggers into Grand Central Station where he dies. I'm guessing all the public attention is what brings Major Case into this homicide.

Hogan was a promising architecture student who was on the cusp of landing a big job and making a big name for himself in the field. He was also not above a few extralegal means to accomplish his goals.

The trail leads Goren and Eames to Olek Krupa a world renowned architect who is leading a most compartmentalized life. He's got not one, not two but three wives. Going Clifton Webb in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker one better. This is a man with a lot of secrets including a few that some people are keeping from him.

Another case that needs the eclectic mind of Vincent D'Onofrio to solve. And he will have to solve a few cases without Kathryn Erbe as her real life pregnancy is written into the show. Samantha Buck will come on for a few episodes as Goren's foil. Lucky to be with him though.

A little moderate trigamy highlights this story.

An inspired student

[pepper_f · 8/10 · 28 March 2022]

A young architect is found stabbed in a subway and Goren and Eames soon investigate his "silent partner" which he told his professor about. This is a pretty good season opener albeit it doesn't come to the level of the previous opener "Dead". The plot is pretty interesting and I liked how the episode was centered around architecture. The twist at the end was a bit of a shock and I did like how they characterized the villain especially near the end.

Overall, "Undaunted Mettle" was a pretty good opener for this strong season mainly because of the plot's twists and the characterization.

Nothing to be daunted by

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 27 May 2020]

Season 1 of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent', one of the better shows in the 'Law and Order' franchise along with the original and prime-'Special Victims Unit' (the early seasons, did show a fairly low opinion of the show midway through the run ten years ago but it's grown on me), was consistently good with the best episodes being outstanding. Same with Season 2, though there were a couple of slight dips in quality (though the weakest episodes were still never less than pretty good) that the first season did not have.

"Undaunted Mettle" kicks off Season 3, and the show showed no real signs of declining. While it is not quite a great or classic 'Criminal Intent' episode and there were better episodes in the third season. It's still a very well done season opener with more right than wrong, one that could have done with more punch emotionally perhaps. But Goren and Eames don't disappoint, it has entertaining moments in umistakable 'Criminal Intent' fashion and a very intriguing case.

As said, there are episodes of Season 3 and of the whole show before and since that have more emotional punch, whether in tension or poignancy. Not quite enough of either here, but really actually "Undaunted Mettle" is an example of an episode that doesn't really have anything inherently wrong and instead just needed to be a little bit more.

There is so much to like about "Undaunted Mettle". The production values are slick as usual and the placement and tone of music is always appropriate and not intrusive or melodramatic. The direction allows the episode to have breathing space but doesn't let it wallow that it becomes too draggy, though pace-wise it could have tighter in the first third or so.

Have nothing to complain about with the writing, which is lean and intelligent with some quirkiness in for example Eames' quips. The story is very engaging and is never too simple, with some intricate but not convoluted twists in the plot to keep one guessing. Goren and Eames were always a joy together, for me they were easily the show's best teaming, and still are here, Goren's mannerisms are fascinating and entertaining and the banter between him and Eames likewise.

Olek Krupa's character gets more unsettling the more we learn about him. Krupa plays him very well and Kathryn Erbe contrasts beautifully with Vincent D'Onofrio, but it's D'Onofrio that carries the episode and he as usual doesn't just play Goren but becomes him.

In conclusion, very well done start to Season 3 if not one of my favourites. 8/10