Am slowly working my way through writing reviews for all the episodes of 'Law and Order, 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent' with a long way to go. Some may know already how much admiration there is from me for anything that tackles difficult and controversial themes and issues. That for "Taboo" is absolutely no exception to this, but could have gone either way of being disturbing and compelling or too weird and sleazy.
For my tastes on the most part, "Taboo" sadly was in the latter category. Didn't hate it as such and it is not quite one of the worst episodes of Season 7, but it is towards the lesser end in my view (another case of my rating conflicting with the rating here) and could have handled its subject a lot more tactfully. Granted it is not an easy subject to make tasteful as the truth really does make one squirm on paper, but the execution not only felt cheap it also made the mistakes of not being very interesting or realistic.
"Taboo" does have good things. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. There is some suitably cotrolled yet tense direction when necessary.
Can't fault the performances all round, with Mariska Hargitay and Schuyler Fisk, both with the lion's share of the material, being particularly good. Zeljko Ivanek also makes one suitably uneasy. Some of the dialogue is thought-provoking. The part where Huang is on the stand was enjoyable, Novak sure was enjoying herself there. Also liked when Olivia was finally called out by another character who isn't a team member, love Olivia as a character but this was a part where she needed to be put in her place by somebody.
It is a shame though that the story has next to no surprises and goes well overboard on the creepiness and sleaziness to an exploitative degree. Also really disliked Fisk's character, the one one should feel some sympathy towards. For somebody meant to be very smart she comes over as pretty idiotic, being for example one of the few supporting characters on 'Special Victims Unit' to shoot themselves in the foot this badly more than once. The story also felt choppy and near incomplete, with wide gaps.
While loving Olivia as a character here, this is not one of her most likeable or relatable appearances. Actually found her almost manipulative, like for example when tricking to get to the truth by lying herself which would have been enough to throw the case out of court if discovered. Other parts of the dialogue doesn't feel as tight and again it could have explored the issue from all sides rather than villifying what felt like half the characters. There is some sloppy continuity here, regarding the relationship between Olivia and her now dead mother which sadly makes her relating to the victim difficult with empathise with as well, when told things different to what was already established.
Summarising, not a bad episode but far from great. 5/10.
