Obsession

After a public speech in which he had presented his new book, a successful writer was shot dead in the street. He had old-fashioned views about women: they had to stay at home to raise properly their own children, protecting them from drugs and lust. Anyway, as it sometimes happened in case like this, he hid something: he paid a 3.5 million settlement to prevent an employee from exposing him to the public about a harrassment. The girl molested had tapes and despite the sum granted to her she wanted to expose him as well because he put an end to her career. Anyway she had an alibi and detectives tried to follow a different pattern. His wife, just got out from a rehab, may have had a relationship with another girl (Dana Eskelson) and they both owned a red ski cap worn by the shooter. Then the trial begin and it's all about money.

Great episode, in my point of view the better of this season, I like very much the "order" part. Great performance for the wife: by looking in her eyes, you can't trust anything she said, she's too greedy.

I probably would not have liked the opinions of the victim in this Law And Order episode. Sounds a lot like Rush Limbaugh. But his wife Paula Devicq wanted out of the marriage so bad that she seduced a lesbian woman with a promise of a couple's bliss if only Dana Eskelson would rid her of hubby.

This is the case Sam Waterston has to win. A lot depends on Devicq's preppie and naive son Joseph Cross. He can't believe this about mom, who could?

Guest stars really take this episode from the regulars.

"Obsession" was one of those 'Law and Order' episodes on first watch that had a number of good things but did feel on the ordinary side and didn't stick in the mind long after. There are episodes of the show and the 'Law and Order' franchise in general that felt like this, but there are many on both counts where that type of episode on first watch fared better on rewatch and were better than remembered seeing it through older eyes.

Rewatching "Obsession" as part of my rewatch of Season 15 (which was part of my overtime 'Law and Order' franchise rewatching), it still is a very good episode. While not quite one of the best of the season, it is much closer to being in that group than being in the worst category. It's not a perfect episode perhaps, with one half being slightly better than the other, but the good things are numerous and the best of them are great (among the best being the guest cast).

Will get the not so good out of the way. It is another case of one half being better than the other, where the first is interesting and well done if nothing unique and not as ceaselessly compelling as the second.

It did feel a little running out of time like towards the end, with the truth perhaps needing a little longer to unfold.

However, the production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it), the location work intimate but not overly so. The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The direction is accomodating yet with momentum. All the regulars are very good, especially in the second half (Sam Waterston faring best but Annie Parrisse is already proving herself to be leagues better than Elisabeth Rohm), but this is a case of the main guest star stealing the show. Paula Devicq does manipulative so well, with her eyes being especially telling.

Script is thought provoking, taut and tonally well balanced, while the story engrosses and surprises throughout the tense second half. The character writing for Devicq's character truly fascinates.

Overall, very good. 8/10.