"Delicate" is the second episode to have Nichols and Stevens partnered, following on from the big amount of change seen in the previous episode "Broad Channel". Nichols didn't do it for me in his first two appearances in Season 8 but quickly grew on me, whereas Stevens and the chemistry between them were a bit on and off. While really liking 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' in its early seasons, it did start becoming hit and miss halfway through and stayed that until the end of the run.
While not a bad episode at all, "Delicate" is not too great (or even particularly good) either and does little if anything to improve upon the unsettled nature seen in "Broad Channel". Or at least the individual components that were not settled in that episode. While feeling a little more like 'Criminal Intent', the chemistry and changes still aren't there and the case is weaker. Not one of the best episodes of Season 9 definitely, a lesser episode really.
There are good things. 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 and there is some nice direction. Jeff Goldblum plays Nichols with ease without overdoing the quirkiness.
It is also redeemed by the well staged and clever ending and Lorenzo Pisoni playing a colourful character that one loves to hate.
However, "Delicate" has a lot of drawbacks. It has a dull and over-stretched plot that has too few surprises and it is very thin and unoriginal. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio phones in her standard boss role and the chemistry between Goldblum and Saffron Burrows is too much of a mismatch.
Partly because of it being too soon to judge and also because Burrows' personality, which came over as underplayed, is not as strong as Goldblum's. The supporting characters are very forgettable on the whole, with the sole exception of Pisoni. The writing could have been a lot tighter.
Overall, disappointing but still not bad. 5/10.