Disrobed

'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' as of now is the longest running 'Law and Order' show and although my personal favourite of the franchise is the original it is not hard to see why, with it having grown on me significantly overtime, this has lasted as long as it has. The earlier seasons are quite a lot better in my view but rewatching the latter seasons episodes there is not quite as much of a "jumping the shark" feel on rewatch.

"Disrobed" is another excellent episode of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', with pretty much all the things that the show has when it is at the top of its game or near it. It did hit me hard on an emotional level, with it being a case that is both sad and disturbing, while the moral dilemma that the case has plays a big part in the episode's intrigue. The killer is also one of the season's more interesting ones and in a way that one doesn't expect somewhat.

The detectives' handling of the case was not always professional or sensitive, especially considering the circumstances, the type of case that they usually handle more sensitively.

So much to love though. The episode is not the easiest of watches, with a victim that one really quite detests early on. What one finds out when finding out what he did and why the crime was committed it is enough to make one sick to the stomach. It is an affecting case too, with a killer that is one of Season 1's most sympathetic and one of the small handful of killers from the show where, considering the situation they were in and the reprehensibility of the victim, the viewer is somewhat on their side. The moral dilemma posed not wanting to charge the killer while not condoning what they did is intriguing, unsettles and will spark a debate after watching.

It is not just the case that intrigues though. Equally loved the tension between Cassidy and Olivia (though Cassidy's subplot, while just fine and doesn't take up too much episode time, is not quite as interesting as the case), the sombre final scene between Cassidy and Munch and good old Munch's dry humour.

Visually, it is slick and gritty while the music is unobtrusive and not constant. The main theme is memorable. The writing is thought-provoking. The acting is very strong from all the leads, while Kathryn Meisle is very touching as Gina.

Concluding, excellent. 9/10

Although Richard Belzer and Dean Winters are the assigned detectives it's Mariska Hargitay that puts a cap on this case at the end in a manner of speaking.

Belzer and Winters find a judge shot dead in his car with two bullets in him, one in the head and one as was it was called in one of the Dirty Harry films giving the victim a 38 caliber vasectomy. I'm surprised Major Case didn't grab this one, the deceased being a judge. Still the sexual implications are abundantly clear.

And they become clearer as the investigation goes on. The deceased judge was a real bottom feeder. He had influence with the parole board and for sexual favors he'd either keep them in or let them out according to what women wanted. He even lent his name and money to a battered woman's shelter for a supply of victims.

Look for some good guest performances from Angie Everhart who ran the shelter, Kathryn Meisle as one of the trapped victims and Jack Gwaltney as her crazed husband.

Also Dean Winters left the series to be reassigned to narcotics and returned for several guest appearances over a dozen years. Brian Cassidy was a much more hardened individual by then.

...Detective Cassidy.

I made the decision to start the entire series over from the beginning. It's been over twenty years but I was a lot younger when I first started watching the series.

Now older, I can appreciate how the characters' backgrounds are laid out piece by piece.

For some reason, Cassidy always stuck in my mind. I remembered I loved seeing him on the screen though he was only there every now and then. I thought he was a badass. But seeing how the beginning went. I realized he was such a good guy with a big ass heart. A little dopey which was super cute but always went above and beyond.

This episode gave his character a lot more definition and more importantly HEART. That of course has to be thanks to Dean Winters. It makes sense why his character was reassigned to Narcotics but it won't stop me from being sad not to see him consistently.

Only one bone to pick. I think it was a mistake to put Benson and Cassidy together as lovers. We all know Benson is an amazing woman and detective. But season-one-Benson was not good enough for him and I wanted him to see that. The writers made him out to be lovesick teenager at times and I felt for him.