Phantom

This episode has made me understand why people are fans of this series. The plot is about a murder in dicey circumstances, it took me a while to figure it out. Future stars Michael Emerson (from Lost) and Cara Buono (Mad Men, Stranger Things) are excellent as the suspects. Vincent D'Onofrio as Detective Goren displays both cunning and charm as he interrogates various people in the episode. Goren is a cross between Columbo and Sherlock Holmes. Katherine Erbe is very effective as his partner; the way they tag team Buono in an interrogation is very effective. Emerson does a role he would do a few times over (most notably in The Practice), a seemingly nice guy who is capable of much more.

Dr. Jean-Claude Romand, in France, was a renowned doctor or medicine, working for WHO organisation in Switzerland, travelling extensively to attend specialised medical conferences. He had an attractive wife and two lovely young children, 5 and 7. One days, he murdered his wife, then shot his 2 children, went downstairs to watch TV. The next day, he went to have lunch with his elderly parents, shot both of them. In the evening, he tried to strangle a dear female friend while going to a dinner party. He then went home, swallowed some pills, set fire to his house. When the firemen arrived, he was still alive, while his little family was dead and charred. Investigators soon found out that for 20 years, he had lied to his wife, parents, children, friends, and relatives. He never graduated from medical school. He pretended to drive to work each morning, but he was spending his days in libraries and hotels. He paid his bills by using the money his relatives and his parents told him to invest at a high interest rate--- or so he said. But when Pierre Crolet, his father-in-law asked Romand for his money back, he was soon found dead--- fell down the stairs. When his lady friend asked Romand to repay her money, he tried to strangle her. Soon his lies were going to be uncovered, so he decided to murder everybody. This episode of L&O is inspired by Dr. Romand, who is still alive, serving a lifetime jail sentence, and never expressed any regrets or remorse.

Vincent D'Onofrio, the character of Goren and his wonderfully unorthodox methods and way of thinking, his chemistry with Eames, the compelling cases, the thought-provoking and entertaining writing are just some of the reasons as to why 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' is as good as it is and it is sad that it didn't last longer. Especially when the original 'Law and Order' and 'Special Victims Unit' lasted longer and to me its prime period is as good as the prime years of those.

"Phantom" may not be one of the best episodes of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' and is not even one of the best of the first season ("The Faithful", "Jones" and "Homo Homini Lupus" in my view). It is still a very good episode though in a season where there is not a bad episode in the lot and where the weakest "The Third Horseman" is still pretty good. It is just missing the extra something that the show has at its very best.

Some of the story may require some suspension of disbelief, like Rankin keeping that big a secret for so long without anybody, even those closest to him, suspecting a thing.

There is such a lot that "Phantom" has going in its favour though. The production values are not too elaborate and never static, having a slickness without being too simple. The theme tune may be my least favourite of those for the three most popular and longest-lasting 'Law and Order' shows but is memorable, while the music doesn't get melodramatic even in when the truth is revealed.

As with all the previous episodes, there is plenty of momentum and intelligent terseness in the script, how Goren is written is one of the show's greatest pleasures and "Phantom" doesn't change that. Despite the premise not being the easiest to swallow, the story still absorbs and provides plenty of suspense. Particularly in the final act where there is a real sense of urgency and Goren's moment of revelation is one of his best individual moments, thrilling stuff that. Rankin is a very interesting character too. D'Onofrio is on top form as usual and Michael Emerson gives Rankin surprising complexity in a powerful way.

In a nutshell, very well done. 8/10

The murder of a small time hood two days out of prison leads Goren and Eames on the trail of a man who has built a carefully constructed suburban world for his family on complete lies. At first glance you have to wonder how naive they were or how they could never question anything.

When I was with New York State Crime Victims Board in that last year of my employ before retiring I dealt with a lot of wives who were just like Brooke Smith. As long as the family finances were OK, they never questioned anything. The tragedy of 9/11 brought a slew of them in, new widows of well paid executives who hadn't a clue about how the bills were paid and the income their families had lived on. I got an insight into the character that Brooke Smith played from that.

Smith is the wife of Michael Emerson who is the individual that the Major Case squad has zeroed in on. To his wife he's an economist for the UN who travels the world and rubs shoulders with the high and mighty. Actually he supported his family through the estate of his father-in-law which he managed and who died a suspicious death that was never investigated. Then through his girlfriend Cara Buono he got a hold of the take of a huge robbery of an OTB parlor which replenished the family fortune. Buono's brother was part of the robbery and it was he who was killed that brought Major Case in.

Emerson is a frightening individual in that he looks quite ordinary, but has an amazing talent for conning all around him. As his world starts to crumble he's going to do one unspeakable act before he runs rather than have some believe bad of him. As for Buono while she's an executive with Harry Winston jewelers, she's also allegedly street smart and she gets taken worst of all.

This is a really fascinating Criminal Intent episode, don't miss it.