User Reviews

Law & Order: SVU is a hit and miss show in my opinion. This episode is one of the better hits of the series. It is very emotionally charged and quite a debatable topic. Marlee Matlin (Dr. Amy Solwey) has a great performance in this show. Her performance is mostly based on body language and facial expression, considering the fact that she is deaf. Richard Belzer gives a lot to this episode also. Its full of drama, touching moments and intense scenes that will keep you glued to the screen, as well as the story at hand.

All around, it is a great installment. Whether you enjoy the show on a regular basis, catch it time to time or have never seen it, i would suggest checking out this particular episode.

Assisted suicide is a very difficult topic to deal with no easy answer or resolve. Our culture does not support anyone taking their life and has little tolerance when someone assists someone to do the same.Marlee Matlin and Richard Belzer do superb work in their respective roles. The story movies at a good pace keeping your attention to the very end.

Suicide is one of the most difficult subjects to tackle in television, and film or even anywhere, full-stop. And very difficult to do so in a sensitive way that passes no judgement. A large part of me however had no doubt that "Painless" would explore the topic very well at the least, given 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's' great reputation for its handling of a diverse range of tough subjects and not sugar-coating them. As has been said more than once by me in previous reviews, but as it is such a big part of the show's appeal it is worth reiterating more than once.

After a little dip in quality with "Criminal", Season 5 and 'Special Victims Unit' overall is back on form with "Painless". It is a wonderful episode and one of the season's most intense and moving. As well as up there with one of the best. While the quality of the episodes varied between just above average to outstanding, 'Special Victims Unit's' Season 5 is quite a bit more consistent than those for the original 'Law and Order' and 'Criminal Intent' with a higher number of great episodes. "Painless" handles the suicide topic with sensitivity, intensity and complexity and it was great to see Munch spotlighted.

"Painless" is highly successful in every way when it comes to execution. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space.

The script raises a lot of very interesting questions, especially on the legal side of the case, that are emotionally resonant and are ones that will spark and has sparked much debate. Really appreciated that it explores the topic from several different points of view instead of just taking one side or being just agree vs disagree, it is so easy to make a judgement without knowing of the reasons behind the action but "Painless" doesn't do that. The exchanges between Amy and Munch and Novak and Amy are particularly good and Munch's speech is powerful.

Loved the development to Munch, found myself admiring and feeling for him, completely understanding every part of his conflict. After seeing him underused for most of the season, it was great to see another glimpse of the softer and more conflicted side to him that has been present in other previous episodes but not in a while. The story is compelling and intensely moving, with a perpetrator that one is not sure at all whether to hate or feel for (both sides in my view here can be understood). Will openly admit to being in tears at the end.

All the acting is great, with top honours going to a nuanced Richard Belzer, expertly bringing out Munch's pain and conflict in a moving way, and Marlee Matlee on dynamite form as an interesting character that can be both hated but also understood.

Overall, outstanding. 10/10

Marlee Matlin guest stars in this SVU episode where she plays a doctor who has a website to assist potential suicides. Sometime this woman makes house calls which gets the SVU squad involved.

Richard Belzer takes center stage in this episode, we learn here that Detective Munch's own father took his life which might account for some of the issues that Belzer has. The squad comes to the aid of a woman who was trying to take her own life as they determined. When she's successful a second time the investigation leads to Matlin who has a terminal illness involving kidney failure which has a side symptom of deafness.

Matlin's performance overwhelms the story plot which does have a few holes in it. Here she is a successful doctor overcoming her handicaps even her short term life span which might be prolonged with a kidney transplant, but instead she helps people die. It really doesn't compute all that well.

Still for both Matlin and Belzer you might check this episode out.