1x10/2x03 community service - EPISODE REVIEW THREAD

[heliotitans]

- LOUK is back on ITV!
- Also, it would be awesome if you comment this entry with your favourite/s character/s for this episode, and the rating, from 1 (very bad), 5 (ok), 10 (Excellent!).

If you want to talk about the episode, this is your post. Please, don't post other entries to talk about it, use this one

Comments

[persiflage_1]

A fascinating episode. Harry Morgan is an evil, lying git who deserves to be locked up. I thought James was going to explode at the end, when Morgan admitted that he had attack Kirk unprovoked.

I loved it when James commented about Alesha getting the bit between her teeth, and her happy little grin. She's a girl after my own heart.

[zegeekgirl]

So far of the "new" eps, this one is my least favorite for one reason and one reason only... though the story was compelling and Kevin McNally a terrific guest star, there wasn't quite as much suspense. I pegged him early on and I wanted to see him convicted so bad a couple of times I kept thinking "come on, send him down already!" XD Still, not bad.

[persiflage_1]

Oh yes, there was a definite lack of suspense - but the guest cast were very good...

[7tree_hugger]

This one felt like a real L&O episode. And I'm not saying that to either be critical of anything. It's just I feel we've had a lot of "Character establishment" episodes (fair enough, the series is still only just getting going) and this episode was more of a stuff happens-characters are just incidental

[pipsytip]

I've never seen any Law and Order proper so I really can't compare, but I like an episode where there is more interaction between characters we know and characters that we don't.

I know that I come the series with a specific agenda I want to see Jamie Bamber act his little socks off and in this ep there was a dearth of the law side of things.

I've never watched many procedural shows and if they were to take it too far in this direction I might be less inclined to watch.

Characters I care about are key to me getting into a show.

[zegeekgirl]

Well, by their nature procedural shows usually focus more on the backgrounds of the victims/suspects of the week and less on the principles, L&O franchise included. That's par for the course, and with the exception of the occasional episode like "Alesha," I don't see them changing the formula for L&O:UK anytime soon. (This should, by rights, be a ripe opportunity for fanfic writers to fill in the gaps, so I'm surprised there isn't more fic out there.)

I love me a heaping helping of Jamie, too, and do I prefer when he's in the show more? Sure. But do I expect him to have a lot of screen time every week? No. There's going to be episodes that tilt more toward the CPS and others toward CID, depending on the case, that's to be expected. At least with L&O:UK, by the very nature of the show's premise he's guaranteed to be in at least one scene every week. On BSG, he had better character development but there were a few episodes where he didn't turn up at all. ;)

[pipsytip]

I'm not expecting them to become like a 'continuing serial' with more back story but I guess it was a little dry for me this week.

I'm just disappointed that this week felt series regulars light.

[pipsytip]

Okay first off you have to realise, when I'm watching L&O I do for a specific reason: Jamie Bamber. You might not (lol) have been aware of this but it's troofax.

Last night's episode was heavy on the order which meant a scarcity of Matt Devlin and his shirts.

The story was quite compelling a man with mental health issues was beaten and left for dead. But this was all about building the case.

Shirtwatch: the grey one, the dark blue stripey and a white one with thin stripes. Plus possible lilac lurking under the the nommy coat and scarf.

He totally rocks the coat and scarf.

[zegeekgirl]

Blue stripey has been my preferred shirt all along, but I figured out why this week. It's a little bit of a tart. XD

[pipsytip]

mine too and I love the fact he rocks out a St Christopher's.

I wonder if the medallion is Matt's or whether it's Jamie's.

[leeloo86]

I liked it, but didn't love it. I prefer eps with more of Matt and Ronnie being detectives and a little less focus on the courtroom side of things, but different epsodes have different emphasis, that's fine for me.
I also thought there was not a lot of suspense there, it didn't seem as tense and didn't have the twists of the last episodes. And my dear little Matt was a bit judgemental (which is in character) but I wish we could see him develop a little and become more tolerant and understanding. He doesn't have to turn into Ronnie, just a wee bit of character growth.

I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about ratings in this thread, but I just noticed that they're was quite a bit of ratings decline. They still hold the biggest share in their timeslot, but they've been losing viewers since the premiere. I wondered whether someone lving in the UK knows anything about this? I don't know whether I should be worried yet...

[pipsytip]

This. Lot's of this.

I live in the uk and I wouldn't worry too much at this stage. ITV are already filming series two (or three and four) and because of their culling of other dramas I think it's safe for now. It's still performing relatively well and it is doing very well in the timeslot.

[leeloo86]

oh good, I wasn't sure how much to read into this and I thought maybe something big was on another channel, because there was quite a big decline from last week, but if they're filming it already, they'll probably broadcast somewhere for sure.

btw if you love matt and ronnie, I think you'll like the last episode of this series. not to give too much away, but it's got some good character moments from both of them to look forward to.
(also icon*love those eyes!)

[pipsytip]

Put it this way, even with the advent of digital tv and multi channel satellite in the uk ITV1 is still one of the big networks in the uk.

It isn't funded by public money unlike the BBC and it has been struggling recently to attract advertising revenues but despite this it is still a very popular channel, when it puts decent programmes on and Law & Order is a pretty decent drama and has been getting the ratings because of this.