Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Masquerade (2006) User Reviews

A prestige cold case

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 5 December 2016]

Liza Minnelli tops the bill of guest players on this Criminal Intent episode. She plays the mother of a young beauty queen like Jon Benet Ramsey who was killed and her murder never solved.

I'm not sure what Detective Robert Goren thought of getting a simple extradition assignment. He's got the job of bringing back Matt McGrath a known pedophile who was in Southeast Asia, but who confessed to the murder that occurred on Halloween.

McGrath knows a lot, but certain things in his statement confession that Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe leave his confession suspect.

Still he knows a lot about the crime details so where is his knowledge coming from?

A prestige cold case is what Goren and Eames now have. Would that Jon Benet's murder be solved the way they solve this one.

There are a couple of nice performances from Bill Irwin who plays the next door neighbor best selling novelist who since the murder and his book on the case has become a cottage industry for him, his son Dashiell Eaves who was a kid himself when the murder happened and Kristin Rohde as the first officer on the scene.

I guess this one just needed the eclectic mind of Robert Goren to get it solved.

John Mark Karr Revisited

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 23 August 2008]

Its pretty obvious what real-life story inspired this episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

John Mark Karr was arrested in August of 2006. Supposedly, he was the confessed killer of child pageant queen Jon Benet Ramsey. As you all remember, it turned out to be a fraud. Karr knew a lot about the crime but he didn't do it. To this day, this famous Boulder, Colorado, case is unsolved.

This Law & Order program aired later in 2006, not too long after the Karr debacle. They even have the man here - "Simon Fife" (Matt McGrath) - being arrested in an Asian country and brought to the United States, where "Det. Goren" and "Det. Eames" meet him at a West Coast airport and then fly together across country back to New York. "Fife" is pictured as prissy and weird as Carr appeared.

From that point, after Goren, naturally, figures he's not the man. (Eames did think so, as did others) further questioning leads to other suspects and eventually to the real killer. Unlike Jon Benet's murder, this case is solved.

Liza Minelli guest stars as the mother of the murdered child. She acts strange and.....well, if I were Mrs. Ramsey (who died of cancer in June of 2006) I would be considering defamation charges against Law & Order, although I'm sure the TV program's lawyers were careful. Still, it's not a flattering picture of the mom, although they don't paint her as guilty....just odd. Minelli does a fine job in the role.

As much as I usually enjoy "Criminal Intent," I almost laugh at the way most programs end, with the guilty party suddenly confessing. In the case, the killer had kept quiet and hushed things up perfectly for 14 years.....until Goren questions him, and then he slowly confesses? This happens all the time! No, I don't think that would happen....but they have to wrap up the episodes, so you just go along with it.

Putting on a facade

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 4 February 2021]

As has been said by others already, the case for "Masquerade" is a "ripped from the headlines" type of case. Being eerily reminiscent of that of JonBenet Ramsey, a very shocking story and one where feelings were still very strong at the time "Masquerade" was produced and aired with it still being investigated at the time. Personally think that 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' and especially the original 'Law and Order' in general do a lot better at this type of story than 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent'.

"Masquerade" is neither one of the best or worst Season 6 episodes, somewhat firmly in the middle. It is a well above average, intriguing episode with a terrific guest turn, but had potential to be a good deal more. Goren's way of thinking when investigating has been a lot more interesting and better explored in other episodes, and there could have been more 'Criminal Intent' and less of a crime strongly influenced by real life case approach to the storytelling.

It's well made, intimately photographed and slick with no signs of under-budget or anything. The music didn't sound melodramatic or too constant and the direction is accomodating while still having pulse. Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are typically excellent, am really enjoying Season 6 showing more development to Eames and Goren is always fascinating even when he is not at his best. They interact with and play off each other beautifully.

Liza Minnelli (a big interest point here) excels against type, was not expecting this side to her and she pitches it beautifully. Bill Irwin is also fine. The script is fun and intriguing and the structure and balance of the dialogue is just about right. The story is compelling enough and is not too predictable.

Would have on the other hand liked to have seen more of Goren's perceptions and his mind games, that's what makes him a great character and other episodes before and since have done this aspect. Did feel that there was too much of a "ripped from the headlines" feel to the story which will have felt like it was too soon for some, with such a horrific case that influenced the one here and one where emotions were still raw.

For my tastes, Matt McGrath could have brought more subtlety to a character that was too overdone.

Summing up, not great but well done on the whole. 7/10

Liza meets Jonbenet

[johngmurray-57968 · 10/10 · 19 April 2022]

This case is of course based on the infamous Jonbenet Ramsey. Law and Order CI was always good with guest stars and with this one and the previous episode Bedfellows they cast back to back legends. First the great Rip Torn,and here the incomparable Liza Minnelli. Liza plays Mrs Harner. Years ago her pretty little daughter Amberleigh was brutally murdered and the case remains unsolved. She has all but lost faith in the police by this point and leans on her author neighbor for support. There is a John Mark Kart like pedophile who tries to claim on responsibility but didn't really do it. I love the scene on the plane where Goren pours the creep champagne. There are plenty of twists and turns before we get to the real killer whose identity is a shocker. D'onofrio and Erbe are rock solid as usual as Goren and Eames as they unravel the cold case mystery. Eric Bogosian is good as Ross and Leslie Hendrix is always a welcome presence as Dr Rogers. The centerpiece,though,are the two main guest stars. Liza is incredibly powerful as the shattered grieving mother and Bill Irwin is riveting as the neighbor who holds secrets. A stellar outing.

Wasn't Liza phenomenal?

[beachiac-2 · 10/10 · 23 July 2007]

Yes, like her mom,(and me) maybe a bit too much partying, but look at that actress. She's a legacy Judy and Vincent would be proud of today, truly a legend in her own time! Her appearance on 'Criminal Intent' (here on New Zealand television- 23rd July 2007) headlined the previews of the week's coming shows! More Liza More!!!!!!!!!!!!Just found out from IMDb I need to write more for this to be accepted. OK. I became a huge Judy Garland fan after finding out my dad proposed to my mom at a Judy Garland concert on September 4th 1958, Chicago. Judy is a Goddess, and after all of the reading and research I've done;... Liza, from her appearances with Judy in concert and on television, as well as her own career, has matched her mom's charisma!!! Thanks Liza. Hope to see a lot more!!!