User Reviews

A mother tries to awaken her little daughter and finds she's in a coma. Before this episode is over three people are seriously injured and another is on his way to jail for beating up on one of those. This little girl has some family life.

The mother is Jennifer Dundas and she and her family provide an extensive list of suspects. She's the privileged daughter of the widow of a US Ambassador played by Jean DeBoer and this woman is to the manor born. Dundas however was a wild child and while in rehab met and married Yancey Arias who is a Cuban refugee, a short order cook and he's the little girl's father. Arias has quite the temper.

Her current husband Paul Michael Valley is closer to her social standing and he has a son Adam Zolotin from a previous marriage. Dundas also has a son with Valley who is a little too young to make the suspect list. He does have a sullen countenance when we first meet him. This episode is one of the better packed SVU shows with red herrings.

J.K. Simmons the eminent Dr. Emil Skoda provides us the key and it is Richard Belzer who opens up the perpetrator with it. I agree with the previous reviewer, this one is Belzer's episode.

This one made me cry. The poor children. Those in the storyline and the one mentioned from the past. Munch is my favorite on the show and this episode allowed us to get to know him better.

For much of his run on 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' was the source of a lot of very amusing dry humour, with a lot of his lines bringing a smile to the face and his hunches are always entertaining. A strong example as far as previous episodes go being the Season 2 opener "Wrong is Right". His screen time was not always massive but when he appeared he was a scene stealer. When he played a major role in an episode, the writers often did a great job with him.

Which they certainly do do here in "Legacy". For me it is one of Season 2's best and most emotionally powerful episodes and definitely one of Munch's best and most interestng episodes. Boasting too one of Richard Belzer's best performances, always liked Belzer as the character but he is outstanding here. Especially in the touchingly written and acted scene with Olivia. It was great to see a different and softer side to Munch and it was heart-breaking seeing him as vulnerable as he is here when telling the story of the little girl, he did show a softer side in Season 1's "Remorse" (this was not the first time) but not like this.

"Legacy's" case itself doesn't stand out quite as much, but that is in no way a criticism. With it still being a hard watch and a very emotional one, it gets to the viewer every bit as much as it gets to Munch. Will admit to having always been in tears watching the episode, with it being so easy to connect to the story and being sad seeing how it affects Munch, but this is coming from a notoriously sensitive person being autistic and disabled. There is not a dull moment with lots of turns in the plot (some genuinely shocking and was kept guessing all the way up to the end), a lot of surprises with no real predictability and no shortage of suspects.

Maybe there could have been a few less twists (my only real complaint of "Legacy"), which would have given the storytelling more clarity. Full attention is needed and will admit on first viewing, less so thankfully on re-watches, a few parts got lost on me. As said, less so now but just mentioned that as a possible warning. For me, Olivia being the one Munch opening up to did make sense with her being the show's most sympathetic character.

The slick grit and the sharper and tighter visual look is still maintained, and equally had no problems with the generally understated music and thoughtful and poignant script. All the acting is on the money, but this is Belzer's episode.

Overall, excellent episode and one of Munch's best and most interesting. 9/10

With Richard Belzer's sudden passing on February 19, 2023, USA network ran a tribute of episodes highlighting Munch. Like Belzer himself, his character Munch is a conspiracy theorist and cynical at every turn. "Legacy" was one of the best of these episodes, showing Munch in a different light as a sensitive human being while dealing with a difficult case concerning a child. The moment I liked best was when he was interviewing the victim's best friend. He introduced himelf as "Munch," and the girl laughed, "That's a funny name." Belzer responded, "If I had children, I'd have to call them 'munchkins'." That moment was priceless. R. I. P., John Munch.

She looks a lot like Haley Joel and Emily Osment . I tried googling it but nothing..