(S08E20) Usually I would say that if Elliot Stabler gets naked, it's gonna be a great episode. I wouldn't call it "great", but it was "good". It's surprising, really, because the topic was incredibly emotional. A man killed his wife and children because his lies were getting out of hand. It's a believable premise because we've seen it played out too many times in the news media (even though L&O didn't promote this one as "ripped from the headlines").The episode was Elliot-centric, which usually means his family is somehow involved. It was. He saw a man who was bored with his life in Staten Island, so he started making up a new life for himself complete with a fiance who thought he was a CIA agent. Of course, it imploded and, as Dr. Wong said, family killers are so narcissistic that they can't live with the shame of being caught in their lies.
Maybe I was just tired, but I had a hard time understanding what Elliot's connection to this case was. Obviously, the family is the same size and Catholic. But it has to be more than that. I think he saw himself in Malcolm-- he wanted the perfect family and the excitement of being an SVU detective. I wonder if he'll ever give one of those up or find a balance that finally works.
I also found this statement from Elliot to be intriguing: "Then you meet another woman who makes you feel so alive. She doesn't nag you. It's just easy." Is he talking about an actual woman (Olivia), or just his demanding job?
Stabler's questioning of Malcolm was pretty intense, though. I was surprised that he kept his cool as long as he did with the guy. He patiently allowed Malcolm to tell lie after lie and contradict himself-- but he desperately wanted that confession, so when the evidence came through to convict the guy, Elliot didn't want it. He wanted to break this guy. Why? And, why did Elliot walk straight out of the squad room after he got the confession? Was he going home? Was he walking off his own demonic feelings toward his family? I'm not clear on how much of what Elliot said was truth and how much was just to get a confession from the perp.
One thing I can't figure out: if Malcolm really did drive to Manhattan and kill his girlfriend, Cynthia, why did his wife claim to have used the minivan to go to the city that night? Why would she cover for him?
On a lighter note, I laughed out loud at the convenience store stoner who didn't know where Malcolm lived, but did know where his dog lived. He said, "I know where Muffin lives. Does that help?"
I'm giving this episode a rating of 6 out of 7 because I found the episode to be intriguing, but not riveting like last week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-09-2007 @ 1:32PM
dnusair said...
The wife did go into the city, remember? She went to get a few drinks at a Manhattan nightclub...
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5-09-2007 @ 1:58PM
TomB said...
I really loved this episode. I thought Chris Meloni and Dylan Walsh (from Nip/Tuck) turned in great performances.
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5-09-2007 @ 2:13PM
SHELL said...
I have to disagree and say I REALLY liked this one. OMG...and Elliot can take his clothes off for me anytime! My teenagers 19,16, and 15 were all on the couch with me and I was like "oh no he is not" and he did. Even they said he was sexy!I was pissed because the election results were taking up the bottom half of the screen.
I do have to agree that I would like a explanation for the end of the show. I was not sure where his head was and I have to admit it was a little scary seeing Elliott like that as well.
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5-09-2007 @ 2:23PM
Chester said...
He may of been talking about the detective that filled in for Olivia that he became involved with for a spell.
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5-09-2007 @ 2:55PM
Trace said...
For an Elliot-centric ep, I thought it was a good one. He was *so* talking about Olivia (you meet a woman...etc) in that scene in the interrogation room. (To Chester - I don't think he was talking about Dani Beck, only because I think the producers have said that she's not coming back to SVU and that she served her purposed while Mariska was on maternity leave.) I, too, would like an explanation for the ending of the ep - I was so sad that he passed every by without saying anything. It was kinda creepy, especially him ignoring Liv's soft, "Hey El, are you okay?" (or whatever she said). I wanted her to turn around, get into the elevator with him, and find out if he's really okay! I thought Dylan Walsh did an awesome job as a really cold villian. All in all, great ep - a solid 6 works for me!
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5-09-2007 @ 3:22PM
Amy said...
Ok, let me just say that I loved this episode too, and I don't even find Elliot remotely attractive, but MY GOD! Naked-Elliot is HOT!!! WHEW!!!!
Shell - that sucks!! You should call your local affiliate & rip 'em a new one for depriving you!!
And I agree with a lot of you about the ending... if that was MY partner or MY friend or MY co-worker, I NEVER would have let him get into the elevator by himself! But it is just television, and it was dramatic... weird, but dramatic.
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5-09-2007 @ 3:35PM
anna said...
Have none of you seen Christopher Meloni on Oz before?
(naked from all angles...)
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5-13-2007 @ 1:00AM
Judy said...
They did the same thing in Jacksonville, Florida--covered Elliott's buns with the coming news. I couldn't believe my eyes! I've lived in the Northeast USA most of my life and sometimes the conservative attitude of the Southeast really gets on my nerves. I'll bet the rest of you who saw the whole television screen live in the north. Lucky you! All I can do is imagine. :-)
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5-15-2007 @ 1:26AM
trachein said...
All of you who liked Elliot's rear end need to start watching Oz repeats on HBO (and maybe HBO On Demand). Full on, fully lit rear (and other)views of many of the characters were a regular feature of the program. The downside that instead of playing a heroic cop, Meloni played a bisexual serial killer who, in the end, committed suicide in such a way that his jailhouse boyfriend would take the rap for killing him. If you can look beyond that, good eye candy.
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6-10-2007 @ 1:56PM
Shawn Collins said...
Chris Meloni as Chris Keller on Oz was beyond scorching hot. I tend to ignore the way the character ended because the entire sixth season of Oz sucked hard core. Seasons 1-4 are what mattered. 5 and 6 don't exist. My God, did Keller burn down the prison walls in those seasons. Hot, hot, hot, HOT.......smoldering hot.
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6-12-2007 @ 10:00AM
carrie said...
Chris Meloni is the sexiest man on TV!
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8-02-2007 @ 11:59AM
Robyn ZamRam said...
This man is beyond sexy! The look in his eyes when he gets upset, that smile, ooohhh and those partialy nude scenes......"is it getting hot in here?"
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