My expectations were a bit mixed on this one on first watch. The story did sound intriguing despite it not being an innovative one. Actually like Logan and while Barek was more mixed for me their chemistry worked generally just about, if no Goren and Eames. Their episodes though in a quite variable Season 5 were rather hit ("Diamond Dogs") and miss ("Dollhouse"), or somewhere firmly in between. Didn't find any of their episodes terrible but only two or three were great.
"Wasichu" is sadly not one of those great episodes. Nor is it their worst. There are though not many 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' episodes that fit in the "difficult to rate and review" category, but "Wasichu" is one of the biggest examples of an episode to fall into that category. While not hating it, it takes a lot for me to hate a 'Criminal Intent' episode or any episode of the whole 'Law and Order' franchise, not enough is quite done with the potential there was.
There are definitely a good deal of things to like about "Wasichu". The production values are slick and professional, not ever resorting to cheap or untested gimmicks or anything, and liked that the photography was intimate without it being claustrophobic. The music is haunting in the right places and isn't constant or too loud. There are thoughtful and intelligent moments in the script, Logan has some great lines and deception is handled in a layered and not overt way.
Although the story to me was flawed, it did intrigue enough, there is an uncompromising seediness, the political intrigue actually intrigues and not rammed down the throat like it was in "Scared Crazy" and it is always interesting when the franchise explores the idea of people in power suspected of being capable of evil. Something that is quite scary to comprehend but it scarily happens. Chris Noth brings his usual grit and dry humour and the support work is fine.
Less so Annabella Sciorra. There were times in her short run that she was fine but there were times where she was too low-key to the point of being lifeless. "Wasichu" saw her at her most lifeless and one would naturally be surprised when finding out this was not Barek's debut episode. Even Barek's perceptions and how she thinks seem fatigued. Actually tend to find the dynamic between Noth and Sciorra interesting, it's more serious than that of Goren and Eames but there is more emphasis on equal roles and more investigation in alternative to playing off. Here though it seems rather disconnected and with not much passion.
For me, the story was a good deal more interesting on paper than it was in execution, there are parts where the atmosphere is on point but the case felt rather dull and the latter stages while not incoherent were more complicated than necessary. There is a general lack of suspense and the ending gets the job done but has no spark otherwise, more time could have been given to explain it in more explain.
On the whole, not an easy episode to rate or review but not bad. 6/10 (being in a generous mood)
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