User Reviews

This is one of the few episodes in the Law And Order franchise where we actually see the deed done. At a midtown restaurant our victim is sitting having oysters when he just keels over with a cry. The oysters weren't spiked, the special hot sauce the victim was known to bring with him was.

It turns out our victim was some piece of work. Currently he was working a spiritual medium con where he would talk to recently departed cancer patients. The person he was meeting with, Ann Dowd is a pediatric oncologist who was interested in his work for its possible therapeutic value.

But that was only the latest scam this victim was working. Turns out by not so sheer coincidence this man also did real estate scams under a different name and Ann Dowd's family was one of the victims.

Dowd is one compelling and appealing defendant and the victim was an all around rat. In her line of work you have to have a huge reservoir of compassion and seeing all that death among the youngest of us would strain anyone's mental health.

An interesting Law And Order story and Sam Waterston does something very unusual for him in the end. You have to see to find out.

When a con artist posing of psychic is poisoned in a restaurant, Detectives Briscoe and Green investigate the case. Soon they find that the famous pediatric oncologist Dr. Beth Allison might be the killer since she lost a great part of her savings to the swindler. Jack McCoy and Serena assume the case and discover the real reason for the murder.

"Compassion" is a strange episode of "Law & Order", where a dedicated doctor is prosecuted for killing a swindler. The reason for the murder is unbelievable. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Compassion"

This was a difficult subject to tackle and is always worthy of much debate. It is also one that is going to hit home with anybody in oncology or/and anybody works for and with the terminally ill in particular. Will always admire any visual media that explores it and the dilemma the defendant was in, and it is an issue not talked about enough, and 'Law and Order', regardless of the execution, has always been admirable in tackling heavy and controversial topics.

"Compassion" has one of the more difficult and controversial topics of Season 14, and holds nothing back in its handling of it while also doing so tactfully. Not an easy balance to get right. It is a very good episode and nearly great, that is not one of the very best of Season 14 but in the better half generally. A long way from one of the worst in a season that didn't really have any real misfires. The very interesting character that is the defendant is what "Compassion" is worth seeing for.

Like quite a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes, the second half is better than the first. The investigative portion does intrigue and is well acted, but doesn't have the tension and complexity of the legal portion and not much is innovative.

With the exceptions of like four or five appearances or so, Southerlyn very rarely did anything for me as a character and Elisabeth Rohm is very flat and robotic in personality.

However, so much is good. It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments. The direction doesn't try to do too much and is understated but never flat or unsure.

As said, the subject matter is handled with uncompromising force but also tact without taking sides. It was hard to not feel for the defendant despite their actions due to their point of view being understandable. The victim is one of the most hateful ones in a long time. Nothing felt heavy handed or confused here. The story is compelling, with a good deal of emotion felt in the legal portion. The acting is very good on the whole, with the best performance coming from a quite affecting Ann Dowd.

Concluding, very good with many excellent things. 8/10.

A man died in what seemed to be at first a heart attack while eating oysters at a restaurant. Anyway soon forensics realized the man was poisoned by cyanide blended in the spicy sauce. He claimed to be a psychic able to speak with deceased people in seance sessions: the classic con artist who takes advantage of poor people in order to steal money over false hopes. Detectives at first questioned people who attended his meetings including a brat and an old widow. What let them suspicious anyway was an oncologist pediatric doctor (Ann Dowd) who deal with sick children: the victim set her up years before in a real estate scam, causing a 500 grand lost, almost all her belongings. She claimed to speak to dead people as well, so mental insanity was put on the table. What we figured out at trial was that she didn't kill him for money, but for the greater good....

I found this episode a little dumb: how can a renowned doctor (other than a successful writer on the side) believe in such things. I agree with her just for one thing, that the con man deserved to die.