"Bounty" is notable for being the second (of three) appearance of one of those love to hate characters Randy Dworkin. He made such a strong impression in Season 13's "Chosen", one of the best of that season, as did Peter Jacobson playing him. Although he is a character that is easily hateable, oddly enough it was a welcome return in a way in a case that is well suited to him. On first watch, this was a very good episode.
And it still is. Not as good as the brilliant season opener "Bodies" or as good as Dworkin's first episode "Chosen", but has plenty of what is so great about the original 'Law and Order' in its prime. It wasn't in its prime in Season 14 necessarily, but it is far from devoid of what the show often did so well in. "Bounty" executes a tough subject very well, even if there are more sensitively handled episodes, and it shows that the show hadn't lost it.
Sure, the first half isn't quite as good as the second. The latter having more tension and complexity. The first half has great chemistry between the always great Jerry Orbach and Jesse L Martin and Briscoe's one liners but it is not much out of the ordinary.
Have seldom rated Elisabeth Rohm particularly highly on 'Law and Order', with a few exceptions like the previous episode, and she did strike me as on the wooden and one note side.
The rest of the cast are great though, Sam Waterston's authority and ruthlessness shines and Jacobson comes very close to stealing the show. Love the chemistry between the two, the contempt McCoy and Dworkin is very believably done and their final scene is priceless and one of their best scenes of all of Dworkin's appearances.
It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without going too far on that. The music isn't over-scored, manipulative or used too much. The direction is alert but sympathetic in the right places. The script is intelligent and lean with no real signs of fat, with it being far from one dimensional emotionally. It is particularly good with McCoy and Dworkin. The story is uncompromising and has tension in the legal scenes, while the complexity is not convoluted. It is also more tasteful with its theme, which sounds like familiar ground but actually is given a new slant, than it sounds on paper.
All in all, very good. 8/10.
And it still is. Not as good as the brilliant season opener "Bodies" or as good as Dworkin's first episode "Chosen", but has plenty of what is so great about the original 'Law and Order' in its prime. It wasn't in its prime in Season 14 necessarily, but it is far from devoid of what the show often did so well in. "Bounty" executes a tough subject very well, even if there are more sensitively handled episodes, and it shows that the show hadn't lost it.
Sure, the first half isn't quite as good as the second. The latter having more tension and complexity. The first half has great chemistry between the always great Jerry Orbach and Jesse L Martin and Briscoe's one liners but it is not much out of the ordinary.
Have seldom rated Elisabeth Rohm particularly highly on 'Law and Order', with a few exceptions like the previous episode, and she did strike me as on the wooden and one note side.
The rest of the cast are great though, Sam Waterston's authority and ruthlessness shines and Jacobson comes very close to stealing the show. Love the chemistry between the two, the contempt McCoy and Dworkin is very believably done and their final scene is priceless and one of their best scenes of all of Dworkin's appearances.
It is shot with the right amount of intimacy without going too far on that. The music isn't over-scored, manipulative or used too much. The direction is alert but sympathetic in the right places. The script is intelligent and lean with no real signs of fat, with it being far from one dimensional emotionally. It is particularly good with McCoy and Dworkin. The story is uncompromising and has tension in the legal scenes, while the complexity is not convoluted. It is also more tasteful with its theme, which sounds like familiar ground but actually is given a new slant, than it sounds on paper.
All in all, very good. 8/10.