Law & Order (TV Series) Wedded Bliss (1992) User Reviews

Off The Backs Of His Fellow Country Men

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 26 March 2008]

One of the early episodes of Law and Order dealt with the problem of sweatshop labor and three homicides that arose in this particular situation. It's a particular favorite of mine.

Two missing Hispanic teens and a Department of Labor Investigator all turn up dead with similar circumstances. Paul Sorvino and Chris Noth catch the case and it leads to a sweatshop involving Mexican immigrants, infidelity, and a chillingly evil man who is living off the misery of his own people.

This loathsome individual is played by Jose Zuniga and he will creep you out. The problem that ADAs Michael Moriarty and Richard Brooks have is that everyone is scared stiff of this man. In the end of the episode we find out they have good reason to be.

Also very good in this episode is Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn who is the co-owner of the sweatshop with her husband who has her own agenda working.

This one's not to be missed when broadcast.

Why Your Clothes Are So Cheap.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 18 December 2010]

Just out of curiosity I once did an inventory of the clothes I was wearing and the few shirts and trousers hanging in the closet. I couldn't find any "Made in the USA," but Singapore, Korea, and China were all well represented. Mexico too. You know, "Hecho en Mexico"? In this episode, two handcuffed bodies are dragged from the river and the clues lead Serreta and Logan to a sweat shop where such items as wedding dresses are made in the good old USA, only by Mexicans, some illegal, who are paid piece work which, if the days have been good, provide a much better living than can be had in Nogales.

The problem, the detectives find, is that sometimes unethical means are used to keep the business's head above water. In addition to the employment of illegals and the use of child labor, these means include what amounts to slavery. Recalcitrants are handcuffed to bed springs and confined to the sweat shops and if they make threats they find themselves sleeping with the fishes.

The "legal" part, in which Stone and Robinet try to get the handful of miscreants convicted, turns on intrigues, jealousy, and fear of abuse. Some nice points are made concerning marital privilege. It's usually assumed that "a wife can't testify against her husband" and the other way round, but, as usual, there are exceptions. In this case the exceptions are important.

It's the kind of story that's usually called "gritty." One dead body dragged from the river after eight weeks is nobody's idea of an obra de arte. And seven dead bodies of indeterminate lengths of mortality, dug up in a Brooklyn back yard, are seven times as bad. Everyone holds a handkerchief to his nose. We also learn that it's the job of the forensic anthropologist to strip the flesh from the skull and reconstruct the facial features, only I already knew that. I'm not only an anthropologist myself but I've had the flesh stripped from my skull and my face reconstructed by my ex wife.

The episode illustrates a couple of things I've always found admirable about the series. With one, maybe two, exceptions, you've never heard of any of the guest actors, yet they're uniformly fine. Especially memorable are Jose Zuniga as the smiler with a knife and his wife, Lisa Vidal. The latter has stunning, dark, liquid eyes and is completely believable as the frightened but ultimately defiant wife. The wardrobe and locations are equally impressive. The street people LOOK as if they belong in those sleazy outfits, probably bought at one of those stores where chintzy clothes hang on racks on the sidewalk and sell for ninety-nine cents. The sweat shots are suitably crappy and the hallways are plastered over with graffiti.

Nice job, as usual.

Sweat

[safenoe · 8/10 · 15 September 2023]

Patti D'Arbanville guest stars in Wedded Bliss, which tackles migrant sweat shop labor, and not just migrant sweat shop labor, but illegal migrant sweat shop labor, all in the gritty streets of New York City. Wedded Bliss isn't shy of the commentary of the cost of clothes we buy, and this was before the shameful era of fast fashion sadly. Anyway, the murders are very gruesome in Wedded Bliss.

I'm enjoying catching up on the early seasons of Law and Order, as it captures the gritty feel of New York City akin to The French Connection and Serpico. I'm also catching up on the early seasons of Father Brown and Magnum, P. I..

Resigned to it

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 28 May 2020]

On paper, the premise of Season 3's fifth episode "Wedded Bliss" sounds interesting but also very disturbing. In terms of premise, it did before first watch and still does on re-watches strike me as one of the most interesting and disturbing of Season 3 and does stand out amongst the rest of the season's concepts. Other than my long-term love for 'Law and Order' and detective/mystery/procedural shows in general, that was the main reason to see the episode.

"Wedded Bliss" wholly lives up to its premise and even exceeds it. Hugely compelling throughout and does not in any way shy away when it comes to the dramatic intensity needed to pull off the premise. It's the first all round outstanding, with no reservations, episode of Season 3 (though "Conspiracy" and "The Corporate Veil" are also extremely good) and for me it is one of its high-points and a standout early seasons episode. It is one of the grittier, most tension-filled and taking no prisoners episodes of the third season too.

The acting is uniformly very good. Michael Moriarty is the regular standout, hardly surprising as he was always one of the consistently great things during his too short time on 'Law and Order'. In support, as excellent as Lisa Vidal and Patti D'Arbanville are, the acting honours without a doubt go to Jose Zuniga who is unforgettably bone-chilling who intimidates the viewer just as much as the characters unsurprisingly afraid of him.

Chemistry between the acting scintillates in the best moments, namely in the most tense parts of an increasingly tense second half. They are benefitted by meaty character writing, Stone and Robinette are juicy characters and Armendariz is a contender for the creepiest villain of the season. As well as intelligent, natural and lean writing, that has plenty of one of the show's strengths at raising interesting questions on difficult and relevant subjects. Especially insightful is what is said about marital privilege.

Story is full of grit and tension and the conflict is never too simple or confused. It is a highly involving case and one that twists and turns more than satisfyingly without trying to do too much in this regard. The episode is well made, scored and directed, the grit and slickness present in the photography, the music not being overdone and the direction keeping the intensity going right up to the thrilling conclusion.

Altogether, outstanding episode and one of the best easily of the third season. 10/10