Here's another episode that I never got to see when it was on during the original run. It was so great to learn something, especially about Alexandra Eames, Bobby Goren's partner, and the second lead in the show after him. She's almost invisible in so many episodes, because Bobby "steals" all the scenes he's in...with her or almost everyone else. Let's face it...the best scenes and writing always involve his character. So it was a real pleasure to see part of her past revealed, with Bobby being the one to uncover part of the mystery of who and why she IS the person that she became... after her husband, Joe, got killed. The reveal, unfortunately, was too slow and too long of a process to make it thrilling... the way some of the best episodes come to a final conclusion. I can't say the same about this one, Sadly... which is part of the reason for my rating of only a "7 out of 10". I always feel cheated when I get an opportunity to see an episode that I missed from the original airings, and then don't feel the thrill or "Rush" of getting the chance to uncover (like the detectives in the show)... an episode that I didn't know about before. But, I think I've said it in other reviews somewhere, that "some episodes are just better than others." It's that simple! I did however learn one more thing by listening to Bobby Goren during a scene when he was speaking to someone and asked if they knew about the famed psychiatrist Carl Jung, who Said that..."Rage is the female side of our nature" which I don't ever recall hearing and was very thought-provoking. Something to leave you with, long after the episode is over and another reason why I think Criminal Intent is so good. Kudos to the writers and as always to Vincent D'Onofrio for bringing it to life... That part was outstanding, unlike the majority of the episode.
4 Reviews
Womaniser
TheLittleSongbird14 July 2021
Anybody who automatically judges a film, television episode etc by their title without reading the plot synopsis may find themselves put off prior to watching, with the worry that the episode could be too sleazy. However, when reading the plot synopsis it actually does interest story-wise. It's not novel certainly but when it works very it works very well. It is also easy to be intrigued in seeing a different side to Raul Esparza some years before he joined 'Special Victims Unit' as ADA Barba.
"Lady's Man" turned out to be a mostly very good, and at its best great, episode that is a lot more diverting and nowhere near as potentially sleazy as it sounds. In fact, it is not the episode that is expected from seeing the title and it is a great showcase for the character of Alexandra Eames. Season 8 was mostly very solid (not as good as the original 'Law and Order's' Season 8 but better than the very uneven one of 'Special Victims Unit'), with nearly all the episodes being good to great, with a few brilliant. Only two or three episodes disappointed and they were still not misfires.
It's not a flawless episode. Do have to agree that the conclusion could have done with a lot more punch, it was surprising but for my tastes it was a little too dragged out and lacked the tension that one kind of expects when reading the synopsis.
Did feel too that the writing started to ramble a little going into the conclusion and did so even more in it.
However, there is so much that "Lady's Man" does brilliantly. 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. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space. Nothing bad can be said about the performances either.
Particularly that from Kathryn Erbe, who is beautifully understated. As said, it was interesting seeing a different side to Esparza and it was a side that he does very well in, he doesn't overplay and he isn't anaemic either. It was really lovely to see more of a focus on Eames and her situation has intensity and is investable emotionally.
Story is diverting and clever, where it is easy to care about getting to the truth. Despite some rambling later on, the script is mostly taut and intelligent. It's a lot of information to take in but it doesn't feel too much, well to me it didn't.
Concluding, very good. 8/10.
"Lady's Man" turned out to be a mostly very good, and at its best great, episode that is a lot more diverting and nowhere near as potentially sleazy as it sounds. In fact, it is not the episode that is expected from seeing the title and it is a great showcase for the character of Alexandra Eames. Season 8 was mostly very solid (not as good as the original 'Law and Order's' Season 8 but better than the very uneven one of 'Special Victims Unit'), with nearly all the episodes being good to great, with a few brilliant. Only two or three episodes disappointed and they were still not misfires.
It's not a flawless episode. Do have to agree that the conclusion could have done with a lot more punch, it was surprising but for my tastes it was a little too dragged out and lacked the tension that one kind of expects when reading the synopsis.
Did feel too that the writing started to ramble a little going into the conclusion and did so even more in it.
However, there is so much that "Lady's Man" does brilliantly. 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. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space. Nothing bad can be said about the performances either.
Particularly that from Kathryn Erbe, who is beautifully understated. As said, it was interesting seeing a different side to Esparza and it was a side that he does very well in, he doesn't overplay and he isn't anaemic either. It was really lovely to see more of a focus on Eames and her situation has intensity and is investable emotionally.
Story is diverting and clever, where it is easy to care about getting to the truth. Despite some rambling later on, the script is mostly taut and intelligent. It's a lot of information to take in but it doesn't feel too much, well to me it didn't.
Concluding, very good. 8/10.
Failed prosecutor
bkoganbing27 March 2016
Raul Esparza managed to appear on the three long running Law And Order franchise shows and maybe had Trial By Jury had a longer run he would have gotten around to it. In this CI episode he plays a former assistant district attorney who was the failed prosecutor in a famous OJ Simpson like case.
Unlike OJ the victim Jack Gwalteney made a career for himself and got a decent celebrity status. As history tells us OJ lost the civil suit after the criminal trial and became quite radioactive. Not Gwalteney, he's got a nice television gig going at the time of his demise.
In fact it was Kathryn Erbe who was the investigating detective on the original murder before she was teamed with Vincent D'Onofrio. She and Esparza were getting involved at the time as well.
Esparza is miles from his current character on SVU. I will say it took the eclectic mind of Robert Goren to sort this one out.
Unlike OJ the victim Jack Gwalteney made a career for himself and got a decent celebrity status. As history tells us OJ lost the civil suit after the criminal trial and became quite radioactive. Not Gwalteney, he's got a nice television gig going at the time of his demise.
In fact it was Kathryn Erbe who was the investigating detective on the original murder before she was teamed with Vincent D'Onofrio. She and Esparza were getting involved at the time as well.
Esparza is miles from his current character on SVU. I will say it took the eclectic mind of Robert Goren to sort this one out.
All About Eames
lor_23 July 2023
Co-star Kathryn Erbe takes center stage in this episode which involves the regulars more than usual as part of the murder mystery rather than their talented experts looking in on complicated crime that they must dispassionately solve. So much so, that her boss Eric Bogosian even wants tot take her off the case at the outset.
A must-see episode for fans of Erbe, who was such a hard-working contributor to the series' success yet overshadowed by D'Onofrio's flashy and quirky approach to crime fighting.
A cute treat is the so-obvious spoof of that famous TV courtroom reporter with the Southern-fried accent, typical of the way Dick Wolf shows constantly riff on real-life personalities while maintaining the pretense of NOT based on anything -it's all "coincidental".
A must-see episode for fans of Erbe, who was such a hard-working contributor to the series' success yet overshadowed by D'Onofrio's flashy and quirky approach to crime fighting.
A cute treat is the so-obvious spoof of that famous TV courtroom reporter with the Southern-fried accent, typical of the way Dick Wolf shows constantly riff on real-life personalities while maintaining the pretense of NOT based on anything -it's all "coincidental".
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