A millionaire ex-con's wife is murdered the night of his release, and as the detectives piece together a complex case they must somehow devise a way to use his extreme paranoia against him.A millionaire ex-con's wife is murdered the night of his release, and as the detectives piece together a complex case they must somehow devise a way to use his extreme paranoia against him.A millionaire ex-con's wife is murdered the night of his release, and as the detectives piece together a complex case they must somehow devise a way to use his extreme paranoia against him.
Malcolm Barrett
- Ahmal
- (as Malcolm I. Barrett)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEven without stealing the first victim's earring, the person hired to carry out these murders would be looking at the death penalty. In addition to a murder committed during a first-degree robbery, the penalty would increase from a homicide to a murder in the first degree because it was a murder for hire and because the suspect killed multiple people as part of the same ongoing criminal transaction.
- GoofsWhile interrogating the hit-man Detective Goren takes out his sidearm to demonstrate how the killer held his weapon in an amateurish and unprofessional manner. Police officers are not allowed to carry a weapon when they are in an interrogation room with a suspect, it was a huge violation of NYPD regulations for Goren to have his sidearm with him, especially considering that it was clearly loaded.
- Quotes
Dempsey Powers: You're a devil.
Detective Alexandra Eames: You should see me in a blue dress.
Dempsey Powers: Yeah, well I ain't afraid of the devil.
Featured review
Murderous paranoia
As well as liking 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' very much, its best episodes being as good as the 'Law and Order' franchise got, "Cuba Libre's" story sounds so interesting. Also interesting is seeing a different side to Joel Grey, well from what has been personally seen of his. On first watch, "Cuba Libre" struck me as a very solidly done episode with many great things, but also not being one of my favourites with other episodes leaving bigger impressions on me.
On re-watches, "Cuba Libre" is one of the 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' episodes that got better over-time with each watch. It's still not one of my favourite episodes of the show, but the good things about it still hold up and even better and with each watch there was more to appreciate. It has always given me a lot of joy seeing films, episodes and cartoons etc. being better on re-watches and being able to appreciate them even more with more things to take note of.
Maybe the connection between Winters' past and what happens with him in the present day could have gone into a little more detail and been focused on more. That would have made the character even meatier than he already was, and just felt that the episode could have done more with it.
Especially considering that it does otherwise do so well with the rest of the subjects it explores. Its dealing of subjects of how people think when institutionalized, paranoia and being loyal in a well intentioned but misguided way could have been superficial and cliffs notes, but actually to me it was much more than that. Which helped making Winters and Powers such well drawn characters, almost a character study when it came to the former and the character is more complex than one thinks. Powers is a formidable character. These are all things that were more obvious on re-watches, and why the episode got better over-time.
Really liked the case overall as well. Other episodes may have had a little more suspense and emotion, but "Cuba Libre" still delivered on those thanks to Winters and Powers being so interesting. As well as some nail-biting intensity. It is an intricate case with nothing being obvious, but generally it doesn't get muddled. Goren and Eames are great, Goren is one of the most charismatic and entertaining characters of the franchise and doesn't dominate too much over Eames, who has some nice wit in her dialogue. Their chemistry is tense yet playful. It's a tautly and perceptively scripted episode, and the it looks and sounds great as usual.
Have no issues with the acting, Vincent D'Onofrio is a joy and seeing Clifton Powell so formidable and particularly Grey (for me his performance makes the episode) being so marvellously chilling and even somewhat affecting adds so much to the episode's appeal.
Overall, very good. 8/10
On re-watches, "Cuba Libre" is one of the 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' episodes that got better over-time with each watch. It's still not one of my favourite episodes of the show, but the good things about it still hold up and even better and with each watch there was more to appreciate. It has always given me a lot of joy seeing films, episodes and cartoons etc. being better on re-watches and being able to appreciate them even more with more things to take note of.
Maybe the connection between Winters' past and what happens with him in the present day could have gone into a little more detail and been focused on more. That would have made the character even meatier than he already was, and just felt that the episode could have done more with it.
Especially considering that it does otherwise do so well with the rest of the subjects it explores. Its dealing of subjects of how people think when institutionalized, paranoia and being loyal in a well intentioned but misguided way could have been superficial and cliffs notes, but actually to me it was much more than that. Which helped making Winters and Powers such well drawn characters, almost a character study when it came to the former and the character is more complex than one thinks. Powers is a formidable character. These are all things that were more obvious on re-watches, and why the episode got better over-time.
Really liked the case overall as well. Other episodes may have had a little more suspense and emotion, but "Cuba Libre" still delivered on those thanks to Winters and Powers being so interesting. As well as some nail-biting intensity. It is an intricate case with nothing being obvious, but generally it doesn't get muddled. Goren and Eames are great, Goren is one of the most charismatic and entertaining characters of the franchise and doesn't dominate too much over Eames, who has some nice wit in her dialogue. Their chemistry is tense yet playful. It's a tautly and perceptively scripted episode, and the it looks and sounds great as usual.
Have no issues with the acting, Vincent D'Onofrio is a joy and seeing Clifton Powell so formidable and particularly Grey (for me his performance makes the episode) being so marvellously chilling and even somewhat affecting adds so much to the episode's appeal.
Overall, very good. 8/10
helpful•83
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 29, 2020
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