Of all the various hard-hitting and controversial topics covered throughout Season 5 (including mastectomy, battered woman syndrome, suspicious infant deaths, abortion, pro-choice, autism, drugs, racism and fertility), the topic here is likely to be one of the most harrowing. While Logan was already a great character beforehand with great chemistry with Briscoe, he had not had up to this point of the show had this much development since the Season 2 opener "Confession".
"Bad Faith" is, in terms of character writing and development, is one of Logan's finest episodes. Not just of the original 'Law and Order' but also of the whole franchise (he went on to being a regular on 'Criminal Intent' mid-run). There is more though to "Bad Faith" than Logan's character development, with it being an episode that shocked, disturbed and touched me. It is a brilliant episode and one of Season 5's clear high points in a for more less consistent season compared to the previous four.
As usual for 'Law and Order' and its spin offs, 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. The direction is accomodating yet also alert.
The script is very intelligently crafted and has intensity and gritty edge while handling the topic sensitively too, didn't find anything ham-handed or one-sided about how the topic was dealt with. The story has still not lost the ability to shock and its uncompromising approach to quite hard-hitting material is quite scary, yet it is all done with class at the same time. Logan's character development is most revealing.
It was great to see Dann Florek again, in full sympathetic mode, and the same goes for Carolyn McCormack. Bill Raymond is truly creepy, but Chris Noth shines brightest. It's the first time since "Confession" that he has shown vulnerability to this extent and where a case is so personal to Logan, and he matches that with his usual tough steel beautifully.
Summing up, brilliant. 10/10
"Bad Faith" is, in terms of character writing and development, is one of Logan's finest episodes. Not just of the original 'Law and Order' but also of the whole franchise (he went on to being a regular on 'Criminal Intent' mid-run). There is more though to "Bad Faith" than Logan's character development, with it being an episode that shocked, disturbed and touched me. It is a brilliant episode and one of Season 5's clear high points in a for more less consistent season compared to the previous four.
As usual for 'Law and Order' and its spin offs, 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. The direction is accomodating yet also alert.
The script is very intelligently crafted and has intensity and gritty edge while handling the topic sensitively too, didn't find anything ham-handed or one-sided about how the topic was dealt with. The story has still not lost the ability to shock and its uncompromising approach to quite hard-hitting material is quite scary, yet it is all done with class at the same time. Logan's character development is most revealing.
It was great to see Dann Florek again, in full sympathetic mode, and the same goes for Carolyn McCormack. Bill Raymond is truly creepy, but Chris Noth shines brightest. It's the first time since "Confession" that he has shown vulnerability to this extent and where a case is so personal to Logan, and he matches that with his usual tough steel beautifully.
Summing up, brilliant. 10/10