Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Passion (2009) User Reviews

If my kid ever tells me she wants to be a poet, I'll tell her to join the mafia instead

[Mrpalli77 · 7/10 · 7 October 2017]

A poet (Will Chase), who owned a minor magazine, made a poetry reading in an open bar. Shortly before a backer turned up in his office, threatening to cut money out: the magazine survived only on donation made by rich people. The same night, his secretary (as well as his lover) was found dead in the alley near the office. After questioning some suspects, Nichols and Wheeler figured out the poet used to pimp his employee out in order to draw the capital he need. But the murder is not related to money.

Nichols plays the piano to impress and to let the perp talk, saying he had better become a musician rather than a cop. Anyway at the end he shows off unexpected lectured and poetry skills.

Like the bards of old

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 27 March 2016]

I'm sorry that Criminal Intent reached the end of its run before Jeff Goldblum and his character of Detective Zach Nichols. In his own way, the son of a psychiatrist with that kind of training and background he was as quirky as Vincent D'Onofrio in his own way.

Two murders occur in this episode. The first was of Christina Brucato girl friend and girl Friday of Will Chase a poet. Now that's usually not a gig that pays much money unless you get a patron. Chase publishes a poetry anthology magazine and it's described as the kind of a publication that people buy for their coffee tables so they appear intellectual. Like the bards of old Chase needs wealthy patrons and he's not picky about what means he uses to get patrons.

But then he winds up murdered and Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson have to go in a whole different direction.

All I'll say is that the solution lies in Chase's past and a past crime never really dealt with.

If poetry be the food of murder

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 15 July 2021]

The story for "Passion" did sound interesting and did have potential to work. It's not innovative, but one shouldn't always expect uniqueness from 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' or from the 'Law and Order' franchise in general. Did like the idea though and the character of Nichols has really grown on me, didn't like him at first (through no fault of Jeff Goldblum though just to say) but once his episodes got better he did too. Plus the title is quite catchy.

It is one of those titles that does promise a lot but the delivery doesn't quite match. "Passion" is not a bad episode at all and a good deal works very well. It however could have been better considering the title and premise, and is to one of the lesser episodes of a mostly solid season that on the whole was better and more consistent than Seasons 5-7 (which was when 'Criminal Intent' started to become wildly uneven). "Passion" is in the "sort of liked but didn't love it" category.

Goldblum is likeable and suitably quirky, without going over the top on that, as well as a good authority figure. Julianne Nicholson is more subtle and still has an appealing personality, the two work very nicely together as a team and it was interesting to see them not agree as much with one another without being toxic. The supporting cast are fine too.

When it comes to the story, its high point is easily the conclusion, which was very clever and one of the standout ones of the Nichols and Wheeler outings and of Season 8 in general. The production values also are slick and with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear with the theme tune still memorable and the direction is accommodating yet tight enough.

However, the storytelling isn't consistent. Other than the conclusion actually, it is not as diverting or as intricate as it sounded on paper and there is not an awful lot that sticks out as special. The story takes too long to get going, only starting to compel after the second murder.

The case didn't seem twisty enough and actually found it on the simplistic and under-cooked side. While with smart and lean moments, the script could have been a lot tauter and grittier and the pace has dull stretches.

Bottom line, nothing exceptional but worth seeing if a fan of the show and franchise and want to see every episode. 6/10.

An unusual milieu

[lor_ · 5 July 2023]

Here we are on location in Manhattan for a quite different type of episode: victims and suspects in the world of poetry. No, not a stuffy society like one might encounter in Oxford on an episode of "Endeavour" but an oversexed and pretentious subculture I don't recall ever intersetcing with an American police procedural.

The lowdown aspects of this milieu keep the segment flowoing, but it's especially nice to have grace notes, noatbly detective Goldblum playing briefly at the plano to bring out a prime suspect -evidence of Jeff's artistry in real life as a jazz pianist. And Goldblum's doing a stand-up poetry reading at the climax of the episode is a masterful touch. And as always, Julianne Nicholson brings her professionalism as an actress to the mainly functional role of Jeff's cop partner.