LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT

THE THIRD YEAR

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: sexual content, language, violence

Rated:

There have been a handful of memorable, eccentric television sleuths. Columbo won over audiences with his laid-back approach to playing mental games with his unfortunate suspects. TNT recently cashed in on a female version with their introduction of Brenda Johnson in the smash-hit The Closer. But few surpass the brilliance of Criminal Intent's Bobby Goren.

It has taken two years for Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) to become accustomed to her eccentric and brilliant partner, Bobby Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) but they make a formidable team. In a moment of compassion for her sister, who cannot have children, Eames decides to be a surrogate mother and carry a child. This threatens her life at the precinct and as time races on toward her maternity leave, Goren is forced to team up with a new partner. Lynn Bishop (Samantha Buck) is not used to Goren's unusual tactics. She wants to get in there, get the details, and run with her instinct, whereas Goren wants to take a more roundabout approach and engage in mental dynamics with his suspects. The crimes are never the same and all of them are ghastly. The murder of a church congregation by a cult. A doctor with a desire to play God. Each of them are playing to win, but have underestimated the talents of the force's most elite and unorthodox detective.

One of the finest things about the show is its approach as a wholly interesting and distinct character-driven drama. It's not so much about the cases as how the detectives respond to the crimes, which run the gamut from the unusual and misleading to the truly horrific. It has taken me a little while to leap onto the bandwagon, since it focuses more on police investigation and less on the attorney aspect of the series, but these are characters that are both likable and interesting. Bobby has the qualities of Sherlock Holmes when it comes to intelligence, eccentricities, and noticing little details. Everyone will smile at his offbeat comments, such as when he suggests they take a taxi because he notices his partner curling her toes inside her shoes, indicating that her feet hurt. But when it comes to playing mind games, he's also Columbo. He knows a little something about everything and if he doesn't, he goes to the library to find out!

The acting is very, very good and seeing the characters come up with cunning ways to trick their suspects into revealing the truth involves a lot of psychology and cleverness that most audiences can appreciate. The downside of this method is that it often involves emotional cruelty and mockery. Some of the suspects look so mournful during these interrogations that it's hard not to feel sorry for them! Most of the cases involve violence and occasional profanity. Language is not so much an issue that it distracts from the overall flow, but slang does come into play. Sexual dialogue is present surrounding more risqu cases. Criminals are often involved in adulterous affairs (rarely depicted but hinted at through conversation) and some victims are promiscuous. More than one case involves a rape aspect and its discussion, and two episodes contain briefly graphic sexual content in the opening segment. An investigation unearths a sex ring among the teenagers on a small island, and a cultist manipulates them into committing religious murders.

None of the cases take a particularly offensive twist, but audiences might be disconcerted that "Sound Bodies" has Church-raised teenagers sleeping around and experimenting with drugs. Another case revolves around sexually aggressive psychologists, and another indicates that a woman gave her husband drugs to purposefully impregnate the woman he was involved with. Violence is often depicted semi-graphically. Victims are shot, bludgeoned, strangled, and knifed. The worst involves a woman, foaming at the mouth, hit and run over multiple times by a car. Blood spatters walls, floors, and murder weapons. Autopsies reveal bruises and indications of rape. One episode focuses briefly on the murder of several champion horses, mentioning that they were dispatched with a nail gun.

The series has its marvelous moments, such as Bobby taking a brief stint in dancing class and showing off his moves, and the arrival of Eames' child. He receives notification on his cell phone and is beside himself with excitement. Some of the cases are a little difficult to watch due to their themes but the nature of the sleuths and the brilliance of Dick Wolf's approach to the "common criminal drama" make it a must for any fan.