As a standalone episode it makes a great vignette but by breaking the format completely it is a novelty episode like "Mayhem" (the 5-in-1 investigation only episode.) Two great episodes, great writing, great twists, but not two great examples of why the series is captivating: It's a combined police and courtroom procedural. Being the most restrictive an episode like "Dissonance" s11e3 is an excellent example of the series with good humor, guest roles that contrast each other, reeling plot twists. Dismounting my most restrictive canonical high horse, the producers saved some of the best shows or roles for stars like Candace Bergen, Chevy Chase or Julia Roberts, among many others. Only a strong example for now, I'm not titling any title 'best' in this comment.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Some good lines but overall not memorable
19 April 2021
I've spent (not invested*) many many days for the last 11+ years binging on Law & Order. It started out during some major life events and took on a life of its own. Today, early-mid 2021, I'm DVR'ing seasons and methodically watching the setup and denouement of them all while on the lookout for episodes I may have missed or don't remember. With 13 complete seasons reviewed there have been two "pretty darn sure I never saw" episodes, along with several very memorable episodes and some I'm glad to have revisited but was also glad to skip to the end after watching anywhere from when the opening music began to just skipping the closing arguments before watching the denouement.
This one, Corpus Delecti? I remembered Briscoe and Curtis at the firing range and "We're not the horse police." But even now, just a few days after definitely watching it I read the blurb and it took a moment to place the episode, Lenny's wisecrack and a sp**ler being helpful. So yeah, a couple of distinctive moments in a not distinctive episode.
*Invested vs spent: I recommend to someone who recognizes early on they are addicted to this excellent series to buy or rent the series DVD collection and work their way through the series as one form of therapy. It can get in the way of resolving whatever you are experiencing when the TV is off and avoiding when it's on. I saw what I was doing years ago and thought of buying the box set and years later I recognize it was a good idea. It's interesting binging this on DVR because it's on my cable 6 days a week. The first month or so there were so many episodes it was an effort to stay ahead and keep from filling up the DVR, even though I definitely skipped generous portions of most episodes. Now, for me it is no longer "on six days a week," and suddenly "being free" of the task some days emphasizes how valuable the time is.
This one, Corpus Delecti? I remembered Briscoe and Curtis at the firing range and "We're not the horse police." But even now, just a few days after definitely watching it I read the blurb and it took a moment to place the episode, Lenny's wisecrack and a sp**ler being helpful. So yeah, a couple of distinctive moments in a not distinctive episode.
*Invested vs spent: I recommend to someone who recognizes early on they are addicted to this excellent series to buy or rent the series DVD collection and work their way through the series as one form of therapy. It can get in the way of resolving whatever you are experiencing when the TV is off and avoiding when it's on. I saw what I was doing years ago and thought of buying the box set and years later I recognize it was a good idea. It's interesting binging this on DVR because it's on my cable 6 days a week. The first month or so there were so many episodes it was an effort to stay ahead and keep from filling up the DVR, even though I definitely skipped generous portions of most episodes. Now, for me it is no longer "on six days a week," and suddenly "being free" of the task some days emphasizes how valuable the time is.
Tell Your Friends