I've been watching SVU episodes from all the seasons in the last few months--basically whichever ones the cable channels (USA, ION, WE, BBC) throw up on the screen. I've noticed that the quality of the writing has gone downhill in the past couple of years. This episode was no exception.
At this point, beloved characters such as Stabler, Rollins, Munch, Stone and Barba are gone. In this episode I really only knew Benson that well; Fin and Carisi are still in the credits but did not appear. Benson seemed out of her depth in trying to deal with this cast of relative unknowns; as one reviewer said, she treated them like school children.
I've seen Bruno (who looks a little like Sean Penn to me), Velasco and Muncy before; it was the first time, however, that I had encountered Churlish. I couldn't believe this character's name. Do people know what the adjective "churlish" means? It means "rude in a mean-spirited and surly way." Every time somebody said her name it set my ear off. Why would anyone name a character that unless you want them to be disliked?
As far as the story goes, I found it ho-hum and fairly predictable. Like other reviewers, I was annoyed that the detectives failed to notice that the drug could have come from not just the drink but the salt or the lime, too.
But oh well. It was a way to spend an hour. I know much better SVU eps are out there. I only hope that in the new ones they find a way to make these characters more likable. Perhaps Fin could give them a good talking-to, Army-Ranger style!
At this point, beloved characters such as Stabler, Rollins, Munch, Stone and Barba are gone. In this episode I really only knew Benson that well; Fin and Carisi are still in the credits but did not appear. Benson seemed out of her depth in trying to deal with this cast of relative unknowns; as one reviewer said, she treated them like school children.
I've seen Bruno (who looks a little like Sean Penn to me), Velasco and Muncy before; it was the first time, however, that I had encountered Churlish. I couldn't believe this character's name. Do people know what the adjective "churlish" means? It means "rude in a mean-spirited and surly way." Every time somebody said her name it set my ear off. Why would anyone name a character that unless you want them to be disliked?
As far as the story goes, I found it ho-hum and fairly predictable. Like other reviewers, I was annoyed that the detectives failed to notice that the drug could have come from not just the drink but the salt or the lime, too.
But oh well. It was a way to spend an hour. I know much better SVU eps are out there. I only hope that in the new ones they find a way to make these characters more likable. Perhaps Fin could give them a good talking-to, Army-Ranger style!