The story for "Unrequited" sounds so great on paper, and seeing it so highly regarded among fans (or at least in the sources read) is lovely to see. Loved it first time and it gets better with each watch, with even more to appreciate each time. Which has been the beauty of re-watching episodes over-time of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' (and the original 'Law and Order' and 'Special Victims Unit'), or at least in most cases. The show is not immune from disappointments, but at its best it is superb.
Which is the case with "Unrequited". To me, it is a high-point of Season 3 and the best of the season easily up to this point (the first superb one). All the previous episodes of the season are still worth watching, but did suffer a little from missing the chemistry between Goren and Eames and Eames' temporary replacement Bishop not being as interesting a character. With "Unrequited", it hugely benefits from having Eames back, seeing the spark back in the character interaction and for having a subject that connected with me from the get go and not feeling iffy about on paper.
All the good things about 'Criminal Intent' in general are here and done to brilliant effect, in a way that didn't fare quite as strongly in the previous Season 3 episodes. Vincent D'Onofrio is delightful, which was hardly a surprise, the hard-boiled intensity and neurotic quirkiness he always brought to this fascinating character never ceased to be riveting and he is exactly that here and more. He didn't just play Goren or just cited the lines correctly, he always completely lived his meaty material.
Kathryn Erbe makes a more than welcome return after her absence was felt deeply (Bishop just wasn't the same in my view), and it was so great to see Eames and Goren back together and see the missed full spark back. On top of them we have three great guest star performances that are all in the better group of performances from Season 3.
Casey Siemaszko succeeds in not making his potentially annoying character annoying and is quite fun. Rebecca Schull is wonderfully crusty and formidable. Claire Bloom (another interest point, have always liked her) has the juiciest role and was clearly having huge fun, the Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead mentions are apt.
"Unrequited" is well made on a visual level, the photography having the right amount of slickness and muted grit. It's not flashy or expansive, but 'Criminal Intent' is not that kind of show. The music is non-constant and doesn't get overwrought. The script is one of the most deliciously entertaining, capturing the spirit of the 40s melodramas perfectly, without falling into the potential traps, while also still being vintage 'Criminal Intent' with Goren's dialogue and the interaction between him and Eames. The story is always absorbing and is darkly fun and with tension.
All in all, a superb episode and one of the best of the season. 10/10
