Season 12 was another very up and down season. It started off pretty brilliantly, with two of the four consecutive winners that began the season being two of the show's best in some time. So it was a real shame that it ended nowhere near as strongly as it started, the complete opposite in fact. On my first watch of "Locum", it was one of those that left quite a large impression on me. Namely down to the ending, the tension and Joan Cusack's performance.
My positive opinion of "Locum" still very much stands and it is an episode that has gotten better with each viewing. Everything that was so good about it on first watch still comes over wonderfully and even more so. "Locum" is a brilliant start to such a frustratingly inconsistent season and by far one of the best episodes from it, "Behave" and "Totem" also being major winners. Those three being three of not enough Seasons 8-12 episodes to have a classic early 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' feel.
"Locum" succeeds in every way. First and foremost, 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 is taut in the early stretches but suitably more accomodating in the calmer in comparison final act.
The script is lean with no fat and always thought provoking and complex emotionally. The story is a very powerful one, one that starts off with a lot of racing against time tension before taking an unexpected gut wrenching turn that will be a hard watch for any parent. The ending is both moving and heart-warming, as well as a masterpiece of character interaction and understated expression. Really appreciated too that there was no personal life drama that began to dominate too much around Season 7 and that it was all about the case and the supporting characters, like what much of early seasons 'Special Victims Unit' was like.
It is not just non stop tension or seriousness. There is some amusing humour that doesn't become juvenile or too jokey, primarily some nice adroit one liners. Loved that everybody played some sort of role in solving the case, with the characters that were starting to become underused (Munch) not being underused, and nobody comes over as wasted.
Mariska Hargitay stands out when it comes to the uniformly great acting of the regulars, especially at the end. Joan Cusack is absolutely tremendous in one of the best guest turns of Season 12 (along with Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Elizabeth Mitchell and especially Jeremy Irons), she is deranged but also heart-wrenching. Bailee Maddison is both cute and affecting in a way that is subtle.
Brilliant episode all in all. 10/10.
My positive opinion of "Locum" still very much stands and it is an episode that has gotten better with each viewing. Everything that was so good about it on first watch still comes over wonderfully and even more so. "Locum" is a brilliant start to such a frustratingly inconsistent season and by far one of the best episodes from it, "Behave" and "Totem" also being major winners. Those three being three of not enough Seasons 8-12 episodes to have a classic early 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' feel.
"Locum" succeeds in every way. First and foremost, 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 is taut in the early stretches but suitably more accomodating in the calmer in comparison final act.
The script is lean with no fat and always thought provoking and complex emotionally. The story is a very powerful one, one that starts off with a lot of racing against time tension before taking an unexpected gut wrenching turn that will be a hard watch for any parent. The ending is both moving and heart-warming, as well as a masterpiece of character interaction and understated expression. Really appreciated too that there was no personal life drama that began to dominate too much around Season 7 and that it was all about the case and the supporting characters, like what much of early seasons 'Special Victims Unit' was like.
It is not just non stop tension or seriousness. There is some amusing humour that doesn't become juvenile or too jokey, primarily some nice adroit one liners. Loved that everybody played some sort of role in solving the case, with the characters that were starting to become underused (Munch) not being underused, and nobody comes over as wasted.
Mariska Hargitay stands out when it comes to the uniformly great acting of the regulars, especially at the end. Joan Cusack is absolutely tremendous in one of the best guest turns of Season 12 (along with Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Elizabeth Mitchell and especially Jeremy Irons), she is deranged but also heart-wrenching. Bailee Maddison is both cute and affecting in a way that is subtle.
Brilliant episode all in all. 10/10.