The Hurt Man

This needs a trigger warning for sure. The entire show does need a trigger warning card at the start. This is so hard to watch...but you cannot look away. This is going to go down as one of the best single episodes in TV just based on the fact that it's only one shot. 30 minutes.

I dare anyone to sit down and watch this, within the series story or not and force themselves to watch this. This is why film and television can be art. This is why you watch. It's not fun, it's not easy but you take it because it's the craft of the art at hand. And any good actor would kill to get this chance to show their love of acting.

It is about CSA and if you're not in a good headspace DO NOT watch this. That being said, it's a 10/10.

In "Hurt Man," Erik recounts his father's abuses to his lawyer in a gripping single-shot interview. The camera slowly approaches him, transitioning from a wide angle to a close-up over the course of 33 minutes. This technique immerses the audience in a raw, realistic portrayal of a criminal interview. The harrowing stories are almost too much to bear-so disturbing.

Cooper Koch's performance makes you feel as though he has truly lived through these horrific experiences. I believe that this episode will earn a place in TV history. I haven't seen such brilliant acting in a single shot in years. Congratulations!

I really don't have anything to add that most of the other reviews don't already say. I was enthralled by the episode and by Cooper's performance. With such gut-wrenching details, it would have been easy for an actor to take it too far and go over the top emotionally with the performance, but Copper plays it subtly and with restraint, letting it build to the end. When I realized several minutes had gone by and there hadn't been a cut, I became instantly more impressed by the actor than I had been before and I wondered how long it could go on for. When the scene ended, I paused to see how long the single take was and realized it was the entire episode. I've never seen anything like it and I have nothing but kudos for this brilliant performance. I suppose there may be a lot of really great things to see in the coming year, but I fully expect to see Cooper Koch at least nominated.

Just want to add, I didn't quite nail the category; he was nominated for best lead actor in a limited series; I haven't seen any of the other nominated performances, so I am pulling for him!

I didn't know who Cooper Koch was but I sure as heck do now, and will definitely watch his previous work as well as his work in the future.

The episode is one take and he pretty much does a 20 minute monologue (with some remarks/questions here and there from the lawyer), which is a feat in itself...actors in plays that don't have the luxury of multiple takes rarely even get monologues as long as this, yet he did an incredible job.

Then on top of that, he basically has another 6 minute monologue to close the episode.

I felt and believed every word he said, and I can't wait to see what he does in the future.

Then there's the camera work that I didn't even realise was slowly zooming in the whole time, adding to the intensity, which I didn't even realise until about 20 minutes in.

This episode is the definition of a bottle episode done right.

You won't be able to look away from the screen for half an hour at this powerful episode. A single one shot zooming in to this talented young actor Cooper Koch, with no cuts. He plays the youngest Menendez brother and it's incredibly convincing. He is recounting to his attorney at a table, while in prison lock up, the horrendous sexual abuse he suffered under is parents and why he and his brother killed them. The zoom-in is so subtle you will barely notice until it's right in the actors face. It's a masterful performance by an actor with limited experience and the filmmakers nailed the scene with this impressive camera work.