"Menace" sounded very twisty and unpredictable, just the way a 'Law and Order' episode should be. On first watch, way back when beginning to watch the earlier seasons (having gotten into the show via the late Briscoe and Green period), it struck me as one that had a lot of tension and something that kept me guessing all the way through. Of this still early stage of Season 7, it stood out at the time as one of the best episodes in a period that was mostly good to brilliant.
A couple of rewatches later, my feelings on "Menace" are very much the same. Not quite in the top 5 best Season 7 episodes and not quite as brilliant as the previous outing "Legacy", but definitely in the better half overall of a not always consistent but often very impressive season and with similar reasons (plus others) to that episode. "Menace" as an episode of 'Law and Order' is truly great, fits the twisty and unpredictable adjectives very well and is very highly recommended.
Did feel on first watch that the truth could have been revealed earlier than it was, because it did feel rushed and cluttered at the end. Still feel that way today, "Legacy" also revealed the truth in the final stages but worked well with the whole searching for the truth feeling of the episode and the truth wasn't as complicated.
Otherwise, "Menace" is great. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way.
The script is rich and intelligent, with nothing feeling like extraneous fat and it never comes over as too simple or too complicated. The story is full of clever and unexpected twists and turns without them cluttering or confusing the case, and the case is suspenseful and consistently intriguing. While the policing is far from routine, "Menace" shines more in the legal scenes and the ever richly drawn character of McCoy, his shrewdnes and resourcefulness shine brilliantly here.
Expectedly the acting is great, Sam Waterston faring best of the regulars and a truly menacing Rusty De Wees being another standout, being very memorable despite short screen time, in a supporting cast with no weak link. John Ellison Conlee impresses as well as the most interesting supporting character.
Summing up, excellent. 9/10.
A couple of rewatches later, my feelings on "Menace" are very much the same. Not quite in the top 5 best Season 7 episodes and not quite as brilliant as the previous outing "Legacy", but definitely in the better half overall of a not always consistent but often very impressive season and with similar reasons (plus others) to that episode. "Menace" as an episode of 'Law and Order' is truly great, fits the twisty and unpredictable adjectives very well and is very highly recommended.
Did feel on first watch that the truth could have been revealed earlier than it was, because it did feel rushed and cluttered at the end. Still feel that way today, "Legacy" also revealed the truth in the final stages but worked well with the whole searching for the truth feeling of the episode and the truth wasn't as complicated.
Otherwise, "Menace" is great. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way.
The script is rich and intelligent, with nothing feeling like extraneous fat and it never comes over as too simple or too complicated. The story is full of clever and unexpected twists and turns without them cluttering or confusing the case, and the case is suspenseful and consistently intriguing. While the policing is far from routine, "Menace" shines more in the legal scenes and the ever richly drawn character of McCoy, his shrewdnes and resourcefulness shine brilliantly here.
Expectedly the acting is great, Sam Waterston faring best of the regulars and a truly menacing Rusty De Wees being another standout, being very memorable despite short screen time, in a supporting cast with no weak link. John Ellison Conlee impresses as well as the most interesting supporting character.
Summing up, excellent. 9/10.