Absolutely love Goren and Eames' pairing, and Goren especially is the most fascinating of all the 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' leads. Do prefer them over the pairing that they alternated with throughout Season 5 Logan and Barek, and prefer and am more used to them as characters. Their episodes on the whole in Season 5 are better than the Logan and Barek-centric ones, although to me not every episode of theirs in the season was great.
"Cruise to Nowhere" though is one of the great ones, one of the better Goren and Eames episodes of the season, and is also one of the best episodes of Season 5 overall. It doesn't sound like the most exciting of stories reading the plot synopsis, but actually the execution is the complete opposite and the episode is especially worth watching for one exceptionally well written character and a guest star performances for the ages.
Sure story-wise "Cruise to Nowhere" is not one of the most original of 'Criminal Intent' and the final part of the episode is ever so slightly rushed.
But there is so much to love and the other aspects are executed so wonderfully that those not quite as good things aren't so bothersome. "Cruise to Nowhere" is 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.
The script is a taut, constantly thought-probing, emotionally impactful and at times entertaining one. Don't be fooled by the title, the story here hardly goes nowhere. It starts off excitingly and uncompromisingly, raises a lot of interesting and well balanced questions in the middle act and even if the pace is slightly rushed towards the end the climactic moments are very powerful. Especially one of the most heart-wrenching reactions to finding out a truth (one that is enough to shock anyone) on the whole of 'Criminal Intent'.
Vincent D'Onofrio has terrific intensity in his acting while Kathryn Erbe plays off him beautifully and entertainingly. The supporting performances are on their level, but the episode is to be seen for the simply stunning performance of Lou Taylor Pucci. His character is fascinating and a character that actually develops, a character one hates at first but by the end he ends up being the only one worth feeling sorry for. Pucci delivers that with both intensity and nuance.
Overall, excellent. 9/10
"Cruise to Nowhere" though is one of the great ones, one of the better Goren and Eames episodes of the season, and is also one of the best episodes of Season 5 overall. It doesn't sound like the most exciting of stories reading the plot synopsis, but actually the execution is the complete opposite and the episode is especially worth watching for one exceptionally well written character and a guest star performances for the ages.
Sure story-wise "Cruise to Nowhere" is not one of the most original of 'Criminal Intent' and the final part of the episode is ever so slightly rushed.
But there is so much to love and the other aspects are executed so wonderfully that those not quite as good things aren't so bothersome. "Cruise to Nowhere" is 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.
The script is a taut, constantly thought-probing, emotionally impactful and at times entertaining one. Don't be fooled by the title, the story here hardly goes nowhere. It starts off excitingly and uncompromisingly, raises a lot of interesting and well balanced questions in the middle act and even if the pace is slightly rushed towards the end the climactic moments are very powerful. Especially one of the most heart-wrenching reactions to finding out a truth (one that is enough to shock anyone) on the whole of 'Criminal Intent'.
Vincent D'Onofrio has terrific intensity in his acting while Kathryn Erbe plays off him beautifully and entertainingly. The supporting performances are on their level, but the episode is to be seen for the simply stunning performance of Lou Taylor Pucci. His character is fascinating and a character that actually develops, a character one hates at first but by the end he ends up being the only one worth feeling sorry for. Pucci delivers that with both intensity and nuance.
Overall, excellent. 9/10