Sonya Paxton turned out to be a very polarising character, some loved her and felt she gave 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' an energy and kick that it started to lack in the mid seasons. Others didn't like her and felt that her antagonistic attitude was too much. Was in the latter camp when younger and on first watch when first getting into the show. Ever since though she has grown on me and now she sits in the former category. The subject matter also sounded interesting.
"Hammered" was on the most part well done, with it being at its best showing what drink does to you and affects those around you. It also developed Paxton very well, when it comes to character writing this is the episode that has some of her most memorable and insightful. "Hammered" didn't feel like a consistent episode and some of it felt over the top, including a scene that has always stuck in my mind but even when on first watch not for the right reasons.
A lot is great here. The regulars are all very good, and even better is the headstrong turn of Christine Lahti that shows a more tortured side not seen before. Scott Foley is very good, and Dann Florek shines the most he's done in a while. Did like very much how the whole team was involved and how they were all given some kind of role in the story. Cragen is very interesting here, he has some very funny and gritty lines but his opening up is also very honestly written and movingly delivered by Florek.
Paxton is written in a way that is much more than the stock antagonism-causing character, she does provide a lot of tension but this is also the episode where she does start getting respect from the team in a situation where intervention is needed. Everything centering around the alcohol is not as heavy handed as feared and sees moments of real honesty. The production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is alert but also accomodating.
On the other hand, the case was one of those that starts off very well, with a not for the faint hearted opening scene for example, and is very intriguing, but the second half has too much over-heated melodrama. Paxton's big courtroom scene coming off worst, even when first getting into the show that felt very over the top dramatically and in writing. The policing is quite sloppy, including the perpetrator being able to escape so easily.
It is another Season 11 episode to have a very unsatisfying ending for similar reasons to the endings for the previous three episodes. One of those endings that makes one want to throw the shoe at the screen in anger due to it feeling unwarranted and wrong. The abortion angle added nothing, due to nothing being done with it so could have been left out.
Summing up, great in a lot of areas but not everything succeeds. 7/10.
"Hammered" was on the most part well done, with it being at its best showing what drink does to you and affects those around you. It also developed Paxton very well, when it comes to character writing this is the episode that has some of her most memorable and insightful. "Hammered" didn't feel like a consistent episode and some of it felt over the top, including a scene that has always stuck in my mind but even when on first watch not for the right reasons.
A lot is great here. The regulars are all very good, and even better is the headstrong turn of Christine Lahti that shows a more tortured side not seen before. Scott Foley is very good, and Dann Florek shines the most he's done in a while. Did like very much how the whole team was involved and how they were all given some kind of role in the story. Cragen is very interesting here, he has some very funny and gritty lines but his opening up is also very honestly written and movingly delivered by Florek.
Paxton is written in a way that is much more than the stock antagonism-causing character, she does provide a lot of tension but this is also the episode where she does start getting respect from the team in a situation where intervention is needed. Everything centering around the alcohol is not as heavy handed as feared and sees moments of real honesty. The production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is alert but also accomodating.
On the other hand, the case was one of those that starts off very well, with a not for the faint hearted opening scene for example, and is very intriguing, but the second half has too much over-heated melodrama. Paxton's big courtroom scene coming off worst, even when first getting into the show that felt very over the top dramatically and in writing. The policing is quite sloppy, including the perpetrator being able to escape so easily.
It is another Season 11 episode to have a very unsatisfying ending for similar reasons to the endings for the previous three episodes. One of those endings that makes one want to throw the shoe at the screen in anger due to it feeling unwarranted and wrong. The abortion angle added nothing, due to nothing being done with it so could have been left out.
Summing up, great in a lot of areas but not everything succeeds. 7/10.
