The Undiscovered Country

Anybody who has read any of my other reviews for for example individual episodes of the 'Law and Order' shows, am slowly working my way through writing reviews for all the episodes of 'Law and Order and 'Special Victims Unit' with a long way to go, will know already how much admiration there is from me for anything that tackles difficult and controversial themes and issues. The topic here did sound interesting and quite brave.

"The Undiscovered Country" was a good episode on first watch and one rewatch on it is still good. Not quite one of Season 19's very best, but nowhere near close to being one of the worst. Of the first half of the season it's to me one of the better episodes, with more good things than not so good. With the good things being many and at best really quite excellent. Was really worried about how the topic in "The Undiscovered Country" would be handled, luckily it's handled very well here. As a farewell to one of the show's best characters in a long time, it is a little wanting. As an episode on its own terms, it fared well.

Not everything worked. Was not a fan of how Barba's exit was handled, though there have been worse regular exits in the franchise (Serena Southerlyn, Chester Lake) where he does something that goes against what he stands for and something he would never contemplate let alone do.

Didn't buy that the father was treated far too leniently. Phillip Winchester makes a pretty bland first impression and generally Stone didn't do it for me as a character.

However, a lot is good. Raul Esparza is amazing and proof that Barba will be sorely missed as a character. The rest of the acting is also great (Winchester being the one exception), it was great to see Peter Jacobson again playing the sort of role he did so well. Abigail Hawk's guest turn is very moving. The trial scenes are very absorbing, where there is intrigue and tension. Never does it feel rushed or dull.

Really appreciated that the handling of one of the season's toughest topics was tactful yet pull no punches in a way reminiscent of old school 'Special Victims Unit'. The episode is intelligently written throughout, but especially in the trial scenes. The production values as ever have slickness and grit, with an intimacy without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when it's used but does so without being intrusive, some of it is quite haunting too. The direction is also understated but the tension never slips.

Overall, would have liked a better exit to Barba himself but as an episode overall there is a lot to recommend. 7/10.

The last curtain of the legend of Barba comes down.

The main issue is the right to die. Is it murder to defend the right to die? Is it selfish to put an end to someone's suffering? We are watching one of the darkest gray stories befitting Barba.

The suffering little baby Drew represents all the helpless sufferers. The people who love him most, namely his parents, will decide his fate. Barba represents the law of mercy and morality.

The law, which does not recognize the right to die, represents the reasonable man.

Barba ceases to be the reasonable man. He chooses the law of morality and mercy. But the Reasonable mans sees it as a crime. It makes Barba a defendant instead of A.d.a.

Reasonable forgiveness should be given the chance as well as reasonable doubt in the law.

The subject of the story is pain. And Barba's departure is painful. That's why it's a crying episode.

I thought Barba would always go with a story that screams loudly that moves the stones. This story also shakes the stones.

However, he sings in a more emotional and sad style. So the story goes like a Broadway song. Sometimes moving, sometimes dramatic, sometimes tragic. We are watching an episode close to Raul Esperza's Broadway song.

The farewell to Raphael Barba made itself felt more in the info wars, the previous episode, with the episode in which he was questioned in the 18th season.

The writing and story are amazing. The guest actors playing the mother and father give great performances. Especially the actor who plays the father is very good.

We watch the cult scenes and cult words of the Liv and Barba story in the last scene.

Barba is putting on a great performance...

It is amazing that in Olivia's initial persuasion scene, her father's realization that there is no gun threat... and that he approaches her.

I love Carisi as a force of law. Good thing there is. However, Barba is such a big stone in the Law field that it is irreplaceable.

Conclusion, Barbara is the best. Loves

Rafael Barba (Raúl E. Esperza) is the best prosecutor in Law and Order Svu history and one of the best actors.

If only, the law and justice were like Law and Order svu, the representatives of the law were like Olivia Benson and Rafael Barba.

P.s. The character of Lawyer Dworkin is funny and charismatic... wish it was continued.

This episode marks the farewell appearance of Raul Esparza as the sex crimes ADA and he leaves with quite a sendoff. As Esparza himself remarks that when he came to sex crimes he was at a moral certainty. Years on the job in sex crimes have certainly blunted his moral certainty.

The episode here concerns a baby who has a degenerative disease. The baby is that of Abigail Hawk's and she and her husband are deeply divided over what to do. What Esparza does is remove the bone of contention and put himself in one real jackpot.

Also returning to the series is Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy and one of his favorite adversaries from the Law And Order prime series Peter Jacobson as Randolph Dworkin. Jacobson is Esparza's defense attorney.

And some more Law And Order history is revisited with the debut of Philip Winchester as the son of ADA Ben Stone from back in the neolithic days of the franchise. I doubt however you will see Michael Moriarty making a return as he left on a sour note. But one never knows.

I can't say any more about this one, but it is a harrowing gut wrenching episode and all the people involved go through one ordeal.

One of the most beautiful and compassionate moments I have ever watched in TV. Very moving and expertly executed by a team capable of handling such a subject in the right way.

You just need to watch it. Suspend your beliefs and judgement, and watch a moving, passionate episode that will challenge you in all the right ways.

One of the most beautiful and compassionate moments I have ever watched in TV. Very moving and expertly executed by a team capable of handling such a subject in the right way.

You just need to watch it. Suspend your beliefs and judgement, and watch a moving, passionate episode that will challenge you in all the right ways.

Such a complicated case. There was no right or wrong. No good or bad guy. Just a lot of people in terrible pain with no clear, correct solution. No matter what, they would all lose. The only thing to do was what was kindest to end everyone's suffering.

That meant losing the very talented Raúl Esparza as Rafael Barba, my favorite character on the show. He will be sorely missed. I am glad that he went out in style. In a way that showed his compassion and true nature. He cared so much that he gave up everything.