Season 15 was a very inconsistent season, with very few great episodes. Only "Surrender Benson", "Imprisoned Lives", "Internal Affairs" and "Gambler's Fallacy" were great, while most of the rest of the episodes ranging between average and good. A few though were below average and they were "American Tragedy", "Dissonant Voices" and "Comic Perversion", "Reasonable Doubt" was also very close. It is always inevitable to expect a lot from season finales.
For me though, Season 15's finale "Spring Awakening" didn't deliver enough on its potential. 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' did vary when it came to its season finales, with great ones such as "Scourge", "Screwed", "Rhodium Nights", "Her Negotiation" and "Heartfelt Passages" but also some very disappointing ones such as "Cold", "Zebras", "Shattered", "Smoked" and "Remember Me Too". "Spring Awakening" is neither one of the best or worst of the show's season finales, one of the middling mixed bag ones.
Beginning with the good, the acting all round is great. From lead and supporting, it is hard to not relate to Olivia in her subplot and Murphy once again proves himself to be a great addition. Have no issues with Raul Esparza. Did like the creepiness of the perpetrator and seeing Munch make an appearance was a delight.
Moreover, the production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting.
However, there are a lot of major shortcomings. The personal drama not only gets in the way of the case it completely overshadows it. The case felt contrived, lacking in suspense, thin and not particularly memorable other than the pepetrator, complete with a too neat ending. In a way Olivia's subplot was heart warming for those that want to see Olivia happy, but realistically in my view it was too convenient and too much too soon considering her job and that she was not yet stable emotionally.
Amaros subplot is more frustrating than interesting and doesn't progress amaros character, instead distorting him. He is too one dimensional loose cannon and the subplot is very stale, like seeing late Stabler but close to being even worse. Most of the team are either unprofessional (Rollins) or underused ( Fin is completely wasted). The chemistry doesn't ever quite connect and too much of the dialogue is soapy and lacks tautness. Didn't buy the excessive naivety of the wife too.
Overall, rather mixed here. Watchable season finale but an inconsistent season does not go out on a bang. 5/10.
