User Reviews

Actually started watching 'Law and Order' from the later episodes of the Briscoe and Green period. Seeing the whole Briscoe and Green period overtime, it came to me that some of the earlier episodes were among the best from it. The previous episodes were mostly of an incredibly high standard and most of the season's episodes in general ranged between very good and fantastic, with "Killerz" and "Justice" being exceptional and "Merger" being the only disappointment.

While not one of the best episodes of Season 10 or 'Law and Order', "Blood Money" is another great episode of a solid season (which wasn't as good as the consistently high quality Season 10 of 'Criminal Intent', but leagues better than the disappointing one of 'Special Victims Unit'). The subject is a difficult one and not easy to explore, but "Blood Money" actually does a great job with it and handles it insightfully and uncompromisingly. Which was often the case when 'Law and Order' approached difficult subjects.

The production values are suitably slick and gritty, with photography that is reliant on close ups that have an intimacy without being too claustrophobic. The music is didn't come over as too melodramatic or like it was emphasising the emotion too much. The direction is sympathetic while still giving momentum.

The writing is intelligent and although, like the show in general, there is a lot of talk (as always for the 'Law and Order' franchise) it doesn't feel like there is too much or too loose. The moral dilemmas of how to approach the case being sensitively but not in a sugar-coated way handled. What it has to say is insightful and having seen a number of 'Special Victims Unit' for example episodes where the writers' stance on a certain stance is presented heavy-handedly from one side, it was great to see a firm but not preachy argument that leans towards one viewpoint in particular but in a way where it is completely understand. The story sounds ordinary at first but actually very quickly becomes quite twisty and intricate. The main court case is a complicated one and was occasionally on the convoluted side, but was tense and fascinating while not holding back so it becomes an appropriately uneasy watch.

Briscoe and Green (the latter of whom seems completely at home and the former is on strong form as always) work very well together, but the legal stuff is where "Blood Money" is even more successful. Where it is particularly twisty and unflinching, especially the holocaust survivor's testimony which shocked and moved me. The acting is extremely good all round, regulars and supporting.

Overall, just great. 9/10.

An old man who was a former insurance salesman from Italy is both stabbed and shot on the streets of midtown Manhattan. The crimes (they were separate incidents) were the least of what should have been done to the deceased.

From thinking this was a street robbery gone bad the thinking on this crime takes us back to World War II and before in Europe. Back then the deceased was an enterprising insurance salesman for an Italian firm who sold insurance policies Eastern Europe specifically to Jewish family. What insight this man had, foreseeing the coming holocaust selling to Jewish families knowing that the Nazis were going to make sure no one was around to collect. At least not for lack of trying.

The Hitchcockian McGuffin here is The Book, a hand written ledger of names and policy numbers that the deceased sold. Turns out that the Nazis still left survivors, but no proof. That book is the proof they need. It was what the man was killed for.

George Grizzard made an appearance as high price defense attorney Arthur Gold, attorney to Henderson Forsythe chairman of the board of the deceased's former company. Highlight of the episode is the testimony of Felix Fiebich, holocaust survivor. His words truly show how low some people can sink and I'm not talking about the Nazis.

An arab cabbie figured out his passenger was stabbed to death on the back seat: some black guy got him into the car before the lift. The victim was a old man of Italian origin whose wife died years before, retired from an insurance company but he probably still did some business on the side; he left a bank with his briefcase (full of money?) shortly before the accident. "Think so" related to the only witness was not enough for an indictment, so the only suspect was set free. Back in the WWII the salesman set up an insurance scam (life insurance involving Jews with no hope of collecting) in Eastern Europe and his son (Matt Servitto) hated him for that. Then it became a political matter with italian consulate that could be behind the murder. Things gone bad when police figured out he was shot before the stabbing by a Beretta gun. Insurance company chief was arrested for the "book" owned by the victim....

At first, I think this episode was a little out of time, because more than 50 years has gone by since the second world war. Anyway McCoy wants the truth, against all plea bargains and all start being interesting. The trial leaves to the audience all kind of surprises, please don't miss it. Best episode of the season, for sure.

The elderly Mr. Grimaldi sold thousands of life insurance policies to Jews and other Europeans beginning in the early 1930s, knowing that a purge was on its way, that minorities would be devastated, and that the policies would never be paid off.

He was working at the time for an American Insurance Company, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Insurance Company, or something like that. His bosses knew what he was doing.

What they seem not to have realized is that Grimaldi kept a book of all the policies sold and now, retired, wants to sell the incriminating book back to the corporation. An agreement is maid. The extortion will take place. Except that, after Mr. Grimaldi retrieves the book from its safe deposit box, in the fifteen minutes between leaving the bank and entering a cab, he is shot once and then stabbed by an independent party.

The subject is certainly pregnant with social and moral implications but I found it confusing and clotted. The insurance company may have acted unethically but of what crime, exactly, are they guilty? Of selling life insurance to people who will die in the holocaust ten years later? Of knowing ahead of time that no one is likely to show up claiming to be the beneficiary and holding a death certificate? It's an indictment of big business, and of America's policy towards the Jews and other refugees from Hitler.

Okay, it's immoral. But in what way was it a scam? Mr. Grimaldi's crystal ball told him he could take the money and run because all the policy holders would die without records, and yet the people buying the life insurance had no crystal ball? So far, this has impressed me as a relatively crummy season; relative, that is, to the earlier years. Perhaps the show was using new writers.

The rest of the elements are up to par -- the locations and most of the performances. But these plot are beyond thick and into high viscosity numbers. Also, some of the casting, for the lesser parts, is getting reckless and expedient. But it must be said that we've been exposed to a lot of horrible testimony in films that deal with the Nazi's genocidal program, yet Felix Fiebich gives a moving performance in his few minutes on the stand.