User Reviews

Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows catch a case involving the death of a former major league baseball star who is found in the Staten Island landfill beaten to death. He was a former athlete who obviously must have had his career end before free agency because he should have been a lot better off financially than he was.

The man was tight with a trio of friends from Catholic High School all of whom made out better than he did in the end. But they all share a terrible secret from high school. One of them in fact is a latent gay who has never acted on his orientation. That can certainly twist you inside and out.

But if you think you know how this one ends, Fuhgeddaboutit. The episode leads you in one direction and then switches gears, you won't see this one coming.

Members of a high school clique are bound together over the shared guilt of a classmate's death. We're shown the circumstances in the opening sequence, but only slowly do we understand exactly how it happened, and only near the end do we find out why. Now in their late 30s, the friends find themselves again ensnared in the murder of a friend, this time washed-up baseball star and failed restauranteur Bailey O'Doyle. The remaining three all claim innocence, both to police and each other, but it's just a matter of time before the divide-and-conquer strategy of Detectives Nichols and Stevens splits them apart.

William Mapother, cousin to Tom Cruise, plays the alpha male of the group. Josh Stamberg is a heart surgeon and as such functions as its conscience. Karl Bury is the auto dealer who proves the weak link, and Mapother decides he will be the sacrificial lamb to the detectives. Finally the heart surgeon explains exactly what happened back in the 80s, but the detectives are no closer to solving the O'Doyle murder.

The guest actors are all very effective in their roles, which are somewhat fuller than in the typical CI episode. Jeff Goldblum is in top form, which is to say, um, he plays, um, Jeff Goldblum better ... than ... anyone. Saffron Burrows, once you get past the eye-candy aspect, is a fine actress who, like Kathryn Erbe before her, serves mostly as foil to the male lead. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, best known as Tony Montana's sister in "Scarface" and holds the record for longest name ever for an Oscar-winning actor, only lasted one season on CI. Which is a shame because the captain role, like the DA role, became almost superfluous.

In all, a very good episode with a major plot twist at the end.

The story for "Love on Ice" did sound interesting and did have potential to work. It's not innovative, but one shouldn't always expect uniqueness from 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' or from the 'Law and Order' franchise in general. Did like the idea though, not so much the slightly cheesy title, and the character of Nichols has really grown on me, didn't like him at first (through no fault of Jeff Goldblum though just to say) but once his episodes got better he did too.

"Love on Ice" is not only a strong contender for the best Nichols and Stevens episode but also one of Nichols' overall best. Not to mention easily the best 'Criminal Intent' outing since the "Loyalty" two parter and easily one of Season 9's best. There were not many great Season 9 (which was very uneven) episodes, but "Love on Ice" is one of them definitely.

It is a touch over-complicated in spots, especially when things become more complex and more revealed in a shorter time frame.

Otherwise, there are no further issues. It is an episode that draws one right in and finishes spectacularly with an ending that was not foreseeable at all. The only ending of the season to leave me floored actually. The case is suitably intricate, with plenty of surprising turns that are also plausible and tension. Nothing feels convoluted or melodramatic.

Script is taut and smart, with no signs of rambling, confusion or overdone emotion. Nichols is still fun without being too quirky while not losing any spark. Stevens seems more settled now and the chemistry is starting to gel.

Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows carry "Love on Ice" very nicely and the supporting cast are fine. 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.

In conclusion, terrific. 9/10.

February 1988: four classmates were chasing a naked peer because he had to swim in a frozen pod as a celebratory ritual to join their hard guy's club; something easy to presume happened right away. Twenty- two years after the accident three fellas manages to succeed (working as surgeon, dean and car salesman) while the fourth, once a renowned pro ballplayer, is in ruin after losing his steak house partly due to gambling addiction; as a result he started drinking heavily. His wife, a former model so upset about the situation, run from dawn to dusk everyday in order to get over her angry. After an argument with his old time friends, he was murdered by a baseball bat. Fellas had difficulties in stick together to avoid someone talks about the truth; anyway the real perp is outside their club.

Funny description of the five NYC borough made by Nichols: Manhattan has empire state building, Bronx the Yankee stadium, Queens the US Open courts, Brooklyn the bridge and Staten Island? The dump