Gunplay

 

By Hank 74

 

Joe-10/10

Ed-10/10

Van Buren-10/10

Jack-10/10

Serena-9/10

Arthur-9/10

Supporting Cast-10/10

Plot-10/10

Performance-10/10

Value-9/10

 

Total Grade-97/100

 

 

Notes:

 

I like it when L&O decides to go to the grit and not into the more uppity sounding RFTH themes.  To me, when they head back to the backbone, the bread and butter issues, and do it with no sugar coating or artificial flavors, that is when they are at their best.  For we get to see their real emotions come up for display and we have a clear choice to either empathize or reject what they are going through.

 

Joe and Ed are a great team together.  They display their emotions on their sleeves and are not afraid to rumble when it is called upon.  This was one of those instances and certainly serves as a good example of the grit that I'm talking about from the glory years.  I'm glad TPTB bring this out from time to time to help serve the new viewers and treat us loyalists once again.  I'd only wish this be done more often in the "teenage" years of the original.  I might add that Van Buren is a certainly wonderful in her 11th year as lieutenant and all three in their formal uniforms looked great. 

 

From start to finish, this was a well scripted plot reminiscent of the good old days of Greevey, Ceretta, and early Briscoe.  This one kind of reminded me a bit of Confession, Manhood and Poison Ivy.  But there were certainly tones of Savages as well with a well to do, well educated person responsible, albeit in this case indirectly, of murdering two undercover cops.  As it was in that classic, 3rd best ep in my book, we saw the raw emotions pour out from both the good guys and bad guys.  That's why this right now is perhaps the best ep of S15 and certainly qualifies for consideration for at least the top 100 eps of all time, out of the 300+ that's been produced.