S20:02 "Just A Girl In The World" 2009-October-02

[DonnaJo]

Wilmingtonfan posted an excellent review at the thread for this episode under General Discussion, but I thought I should start an episode thread.

I eventually loved this episode. When they first started the Lupo/Emma hook up, I started getting nervous - that we were heading for too much personal storyline. As the plot progressed, and I saw where things were going, I started to relax. As Lupo (and the viewers) began to realize what Emma was ( a bona fide psycho), the story became riveting, tense & oh so exciting! ;D

The actress who played Emma was excellent. A nut job posing as a sweet, vulnerable young woman. Especially fun were the scenes in the courtroom at the end.. like Wow! I couldn't believe it when she started gyrating on the witness stand. I feared that her "I'm so innocent - all men try to take advantage of me" act was winning the jury over until Cutter (a supreme liar himself) bested her. Heehee.

Poor Lupo. Anita's snarky "You sure know how to pick them" comment...all of the sideways glances directed at him by everyone...the guy really screwed up. Hope he doesn't go back to the SIL.

There was only one scene regarding VanBuren's cancer, but it was heartbreaking. She mentions that she's met a wonderful man, so he will be showing up in an episode soon, I suppose.

[mimi]

Ratings :
(6.6 million, 4.5/8)

[DonnaJo]

Thanks mimi.

I guess 6.6 is low for network television. Such a shame, since the episode was excellent. I hope it does better when it repeats Saturday.

[annabelleleigh]

Written by Richard Sweren and Christopher Ambrose.

With all due respect to other members' comments, I have another view:

A funny thing happened when I brought up the TiVO of L&O this past week: There was a SVU episode on my hard drive. It was all there: The prurience, the two-note performances, the creepy perp's confession. Wha?!!!

Then the characters came into focus: Why that wasn't Chris Meloni 's all-rage-and-guilt Detective Stabler. It was Jeremy Sisto's dreamy-eyed Cyrus Lupo, emoting his two notes: longing and gullibility.

Mariska Hargitay's tough-but-tearful Benson was (whew!) nowhere in sight -- though Anthony Anderson, in the spirit of the storyline, managed to pare down his character to two dimensions too. He was peeved, simply peeved, at his partner.

What a letdown after the season premiere. What a waste of air time.

With the audience numbers the mothership is getting in its 8 PM Friday ghetto, Season 20 is likely to be its last. This is no time for the L&O writers to entertain themselves with trivialities -- especially when its daughter show, SVU, continues to pump out this kind of sensationalist, comic book realism every week.

To Balcer and the boys: Play date's over, okay? Time to come home and assume your responsibilities to your characters, to the issues, and to the shrinking but hopeful TV nation you usually inspire with your stories.

AL

P.S. The only credible -- indeed, fine -- dramatic moment in this episode was S. Epatha Merkerson's scene in the doctor's office. There wasn't a scintilla of truth in the rest of it.

[dragonsback]

Wooomph, Annabelle! That's a lotta tough love for the Mothership guys. ;D

They Who Will Not Be Ignored will not ignore you, either. Sources close to my houseplant say that Dr Balcer is coming over to personally deconstruct this episode for you, and to smash all your windows.

[DonnaJo]

You certainly have a valid point, Annabelle. Yet, I enjoyed it for the personal storyline that surprisingly weaved into the crime story. I thought how that was handled was superbly done.

When Lupo finds the incriminating red teddy neatly tucked away in Emma's bathroom closet, my jaw dropped. I didn't expect that, and usually I can see ahead where the plot line it going.

It is a dilemma for the show - balancing quality with a need for higher ratings. I thought this episode did a good job of both. I must be easy to please. ;D