"Man Down" is a continuation of the harrowing events of the Season 20 premiere "Man Up", a very good episode and pretty darn impressive by the generally disappointing season's standards, following on directly from the ending of that episode. Was also impressed by "Man Down" on first watch when the episode first aired in my country, while finding a few issues with it and finding it a long way from being one of the best 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episodes.
Feelings on rewatch were pretty much the same for the same reasons as on first watch, positive and negative. Positive and negative reasons being fairly similar to "Man Up". Of the two episodes, "Man Down" rates marginally lower, namely down to it being less consistent. Some 'Special Victims Unit' episodes have one half being better than the other, and that is the case with "Man Down" with it starting off so well but the final act brings it down quite significantly.
There are so many good things here. The production values are well done, subtly stylish and intimate without being claustrophobic. The lighting is better here. The music isn't too melodramatic and the direction lets the drama breathe while not dragging the momentum out. The script on the whole is thought provoking and uncompromising, especially when at the school.
As said earlier, "Man Down" starts off incredibly well, with some legitimate nail biting tension in the scene at the school. Did appreciate that the personal lives weren't melodramatic or too heavily focused on, though have always found everything with Olivia and Noah tired and dragged out. All the regulars are very good, especially Peter Scanivino who shines most in his chemistry with Bryce Romero, again knocking it out of the park in a moving performance. Dylan Walsh gives the creeps.
On the other hand, not everything works. The final act does bring the episode down, just found it very rushed and predictable with the truth never being in doubt. The writing in this section can be needlessly heavy handed and it was like being talked at and down about things known and made clear already.
Phillip Winchester is still very bland and stiff, and Stone never really worked as a character. Too little personality and too little development.
In conclusion, good but not great. 7/10.
