Season 15's "Fixed" is a follow up from Season 1's "Indifference", where we see the return fourteen years later of the supporting characters it centered around. That episode is an outstanding one and one of the best of that season. On first watch, "Fixed" was one of those nothing special episodes with a couple too many things that didn't ring true. While Season 15 was an uneven season, it did have plenty of good and more episodes.
"Fixed" isn't one of them. Actually found it one of the season's weakest episodes and one of the most frustrating, as this was one of the episodes that should have worked. As a 'Law and Order' episode, it is pretty wanting with the things that were not buyable on first watch still being there and more irksome this time round. As a follow up to "Indifference", it had pointless and why did they even bother written all over it. Watchable but nothing special as an overall episode, but pretty much a mess as a follow up.
There are good things about "Fixed". It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole.
Very little to fault with the performances, almost all the regulars doing everything they can with what they're given which they are above. The supporting actors make a bigger impression, despite having issues with the way Lowenstein is written this time round Dave Groh is suitably reptilian. Marcia Jean Kurtz and Tracy Thorne are affecting in their roles and this is a case of despite not condoning the defendant's actions their viewpoint is understood in a way.
However, there is too much wrong here. And it is not just that it not only doesn't feel like the writers remembered what made the show so great at its best and remembered what made "Indifference" the outstanding episode that it was, but it was like they forgot it even existed. That's how vastly inferior it is, continuity is practically non-existent and it was like the events of that episode had been re-written. Not just the events but the characters as well, Lowenstein for example is too neurotic this time. But there is more to the problem than that it fails as a sequel.
Also found it a very bland episode on its own terms too. Tension and suspense is pretty much nil, both in the routine policing and the rather thin and less than taut legal scenes, and the emotion isn't there either. There is nothing surprising going on in the story and some of the story felt implausible even, for a mother to be that clueless about a convicted felon's past and be so trusting of him was one major credibility stretch too far and that did bring the episode down a lot. The dialogue lacks edge and tightness and it is really amazing at how Southerlyn lasted as long as she did in this show because she added absolutely nothing to it.
Summing up, disappointing and pointless. See "Indifference" instead to see how classic 'Law and Order' is done. 5/10.
"Fixed" isn't one of them. Actually found it one of the season's weakest episodes and one of the most frustrating, as this was one of the episodes that should have worked. As a 'Law and Order' episode, it is pretty wanting with the things that were not buyable on first watch still being there and more irksome this time round. As a follow up to "Indifference", it had pointless and why did they even bother written all over it. Watchable but nothing special as an overall episode, but pretty much a mess as a follow up.
There are good things about "Fixed". It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole.
Very little to fault with the performances, almost all the regulars doing everything they can with what they're given which they are above. The supporting actors make a bigger impression, despite having issues with the way Lowenstein is written this time round Dave Groh is suitably reptilian. Marcia Jean Kurtz and Tracy Thorne are affecting in their roles and this is a case of despite not condoning the defendant's actions their viewpoint is understood in a way.
However, there is too much wrong here. And it is not just that it not only doesn't feel like the writers remembered what made the show so great at its best and remembered what made "Indifference" the outstanding episode that it was, but it was like they forgot it even existed. That's how vastly inferior it is, continuity is practically non-existent and it was like the events of that episode had been re-written. Not just the events but the characters as well, Lowenstein for example is too neurotic this time. But there is more to the problem than that it fails as a sequel.
Also found it a very bland episode on its own terms too. Tension and suspense is pretty much nil, both in the routine policing and the rather thin and less than taut legal scenes, and the emotion isn't there either. There is nothing surprising going on in the story and some of the story felt implausible even, for a mother to be that clueless about a convicted felon's past and be so trusting of him was one major credibility stretch too far and that did bring the episode down a lot. The dialogue lacks edge and tightness and it is really amazing at how Southerlyn lasted as long as she did in this show because she added absolutely nothing to it.
Summing up, disappointing and pointless. See "Indifference" instead to see how classic 'Law and Order' is done. 5/10.