Nice to see James Brolin again, great chemistry amongst himself and the regulars. Look for Olivia to emerge from a cab in the final scene (Warning: she WILL take your breath away!). Also, great drinking game--take a shot every time Brolin says Marine. And make sure you're not driving afterwards!
6 Reviews
An astronaut dies in New York
bkoganbing30 November 2014
The death of a woman who happened to be a celebrated astronaut is originally thought to be part of a string of crimes connected to a serial rapist. But when he's caught he's got a very good alibi for not being the perpetrator of her homicide.
The investigation leads to the space program itself and it also leads to Christopher Meloni becoming reacquainted with James Brolin formerly of the US Marineslike Meloni and now a senior astronaut. The squad gives him courtesies that they normally wouldn't allow. Brolin also expresses a real interest in Mariska Hargitay.
Two suspects emerge, a young crystal meth addict played by Dane DeHaan who is found with the deceased's credit card and an astronaut buff/stalker who had a thing for the victim played by Chris Elliott.
The eventual solution is quite the shocker and the motive was pure jealousy on someone's part.
Nice casting all around and an interesting conclusion.
The investigation leads to the space program itself and it also leads to Christopher Meloni becoming reacquainted with James Brolin formerly of the US Marineslike Meloni and now a senior astronaut. The squad gives him courtesies that they normally wouldn't allow. Brolin also expresses a real interest in Mariska Hargitay.
Two suspects emerge, a young crystal meth addict played by Dane DeHaan who is found with the deceased's credit card and an astronaut buff/stalker who had a thing for the victim played by Chris Elliott.
The eventual solution is quite the shocker and the motive was pure jealousy on someone's part.
Nice casting all around and an interesting conclusion.
Space craziness
TheLittleSongbird28 October 2021
There are a number of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episodes that had highly publisised guest stars, many of them more than living up to the hype. When it came to the episodes overall, there were a number that were worthy of the guest star in question but there were also a number where the guest star was a lot better than the episode and deserved better. It is hard to not expect a good deal when a guest star for anything gets a lot of attention, and that can be said for James Brolin.
"Lunacy" is one of those cases where the guest performance was better than the episode itself. While his character is not a subtle one, Brolin's guest turn is great and lives up to the hype. "Lunacy" however as an episode is not so great and doesn't live up so much. It is far from a terrible episode and has a lot of good things, at the same it could have been better and should not have been the uneven episode that it turned out. Season 10 did show improvement with the previous episode "Swing" after starting off rocky but "Lunacy" is a step backwards.
Am going to start listing the good things. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. There is some suitably cotrolled yet tense direction when necessary. There is some intriguing and tight scripting in the middle and enough of the red herrings are interesting and unexpected.
Have no issues with the acting, Brolin is reliably strong though his character could have been less obvious. Chris Elliott is good too as is the steely intensity of Christopher Meloni. Fin and Munch are a joy in their (too) short screen time and we also have the bonus of an amazing looking Olivia.
On the other hand, "Lunacy" could have been a good deal more. Did think that there were too many red herrings and they eventually over-complicated the story a bit. The story does have its moments but it is also pretty predictable in parts later and not an awful lot leaves one floored.
Particularly obvious is the major reveal, which was easily guessable too early (like at the halfway mark). Some of the fight choreography is clumsy.
In conclusion, worth the watch but there was a better episode in there somewhere that doesn't quite come into proper fruition. 6/10.
"Lunacy" is one of those cases where the guest performance was better than the episode itself. While his character is not a subtle one, Brolin's guest turn is great and lives up to the hype. "Lunacy" however as an episode is not so great and doesn't live up so much. It is far from a terrible episode and has a lot of good things, at the same it could have been better and should not have been the uneven episode that it turned out. Season 10 did show improvement with the previous episode "Swing" after starting off rocky but "Lunacy" is a step backwards.
Am going to start listing the good things. The photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. There is some suitably cotrolled yet tense direction when necessary. There is some intriguing and tight scripting in the middle and enough of the red herrings are interesting and unexpected.
Have no issues with the acting, Brolin is reliably strong though his character could have been less obvious. Chris Elliott is good too as is the steely intensity of Christopher Meloni. Fin and Munch are a joy in their (too) short screen time and we also have the bonus of an amazing looking Olivia.
On the other hand, "Lunacy" could have been a good deal more. Did think that there were too many red herrings and they eventually over-complicated the story a bit. The story does have its moments but it is also pretty predictable in parts later and not an awful lot leaves one floored.
Particularly obvious is the major reveal, which was easily guessable too early (like at the halfway mark). Some of the fight choreography is clumsy.
In conclusion, worth the watch but there was a better episode in there somewhere that doesn't quite come into proper fruition. 6/10.
Not bad, but fairly weak for SVU
danmhood7 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
In this episode, a famous astronaut's body is found in the Hudson. During the course of the investigation, Stabler becomes reacquainted with one of his friends/heroes from the Marines (who is also an astronaut), Richard (Dick) Finley. Finley is eager to help in any way he can, and he plays an active role in the investigation. The investigation goes in many different directions, partially due to leads from Finley. As it turns out, Finley was the murderer all along.
In all, I think this was a very formulaic SVU episode - it feels a bit like they phoned it in.
I saw the plot twist coming less than halfway through the episode, first of all. Maybe this is just from seeing so many different SVU episodes, but the writers almost *never* have an episode revolve around a character like this and in this capacity unless he/she has something to with the crime in question.
I think this episode also fails to tell a coherent story, and it consequently fails to evoke any real emotion. The predictability of the plot also means that I spent no time anywhere near the edge of my seat.
Frankly, this episode does illustrate many of the flaws with SVU, and it doesn't really illustrate any of the things I love about the series either. Hell, I think this would be a good episode for a tongue-in-cheek game of SVU bingo. Solving an unrelated case in the beginning of the investigation/episode? Got it. Junkie comes up as a suspect because he found the victim's credit card? Yup. Eccentric dude comes up as a suspect, but turns out to be a fairly harmless weirdo? Got that too. Suspect gets shot and killed in the precinct by someone acquainted with the victim? Yup, and this one was definitely old by the 5th time they did it. Stabler gets into a fist fight with someone? Bingo!
Anyway, I'm definitely not out to rail on the series. I love SVU - and, even when SVU is far below its prime, the result is usually still competent and perfectly watchable. This episode is no exception to that. I'd just advise any SVU newbies that happen to be watching that SVU is normally great television, while this episode is merely better-than-average.
Final Rating: 6/10 (Above Average)
In all, I think this was a very formulaic SVU episode - it feels a bit like they phoned it in.
I saw the plot twist coming less than halfway through the episode, first of all. Maybe this is just from seeing so many different SVU episodes, but the writers almost *never* have an episode revolve around a character like this and in this capacity unless he/she has something to with the crime in question.
I think this episode also fails to tell a coherent story, and it consequently fails to evoke any real emotion. The predictability of the plot also means that I spent no time anywhere near the edge of my seat.
Frankly, this episode does illustrate many of the flaws with SVU, and it doesn't really illustrate any of the things I love about the series either. Hell, I think this would be a good episode for a tongue-in-cheek game of SVU bingo. Solving an unrelated case in the beginning of the investigation/episode? Got it. Junkie comes up as a suspect because he found the victim's credit card? Yup. Eccentric dude comes up as a suspect, but turns out to be a fairly harmless weirdo? Got that too. Suspect gets shot and killed in the precinct by someone acquainted with the victim? Yup, and this one was definitely old by the 5th time they did it. Stabler gets into a fist fight with someone? Bingo!
Anyway, I'm definitely not out to rail on the series. I love SVU - and, even when SVU is far below its prime, the result is usually still competent and perfectly watchable. This episode is no exception to that. I'd just advise any SVU newbies that happen to be watching that SVU is normally great television, while this episode is merely better-than-average.
Final Rating: 6/10 (Above Average)
Incredibly obvious twist is incredibly obvious
wdstarr-122 December 2020
The real twist would have been if the incredibly obvious twist that the story was clearly leading to *hadn't* happened, but it did. Also, I know that James Brolin -- guest starring as an ex-Marine former astronaut friend of Stabler's, the man responsible for Stabler having become a Marine himself -- can turn in acting performances a lot better than this; I can only assume that the director kept telling him "No James, you've gotta give me more. Be *more* of a larger-than-life stereotype!"
Add in one of the clumsiest two-person fight scenes I've ever seen and gods, what a letdown this was after the incredible previous episode, "Swing."
Add in one of the clumsiest two-person fight scenes I've ever seen and gods, what a letdown this was after the incredible previous episode, "Swing."
One of the most obvious plot-twists ever
chris-610-62125417 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Watching this episode, from the moment Elliot's former "mentor" (who I believe was never mentioned before this) was introduced, it was pretty obvious he'd turn out to be the bad guy sooner or later.
The fact that he had a strong relation to Elliot, and that he inserted himself into the investigation were an obvious giveaway. The fact that he fits a very American stereotype of the old guy who's still cool and tough, with the squinty look every few seconds... a plot twist would have been if the old cool guy turned out to be gay or a dragqueen. But the killer? That we could've seen coming from a greater distance than that to the moon.
Other disappointments are that Stabler didn't see through the type of guy this was; it would've been obvious for anyone with a brain this guy was desperately trying to hold on to his long gone dream of being the space-bound-hero. Olivia accepting his invitation to go on something of a date with him is also silly. Sure, she didn't have a father figure, but you'd think the "shero" of this show would be evolved beyond having daddy-issues.
Even Munch falling for it, and slightly letting go of his conspiracy-theory-personality, is perhaps the greatest flaw though. A conspiracy theorist would never buy into what a "representative" for Nasa would say. But he also seems a better judge of character most of the time. Failing so badly this time is an insult to his character.
Want more flaws? Sure. The stereotypical junkie and the stereotypical obsessive fan who convinced himself the pretty space lady was in love with him despite being a lesbian, are also pretty cheap ways to fill the episode.
Honestly, the title of this episode should've been "Stereotypes"; although "Lunacy" is a pretty good reason for coming up with such a bad plot. I'm not a fan of all the "personal" storylines in the show, which regularly link to the main cast members in overly obvious ways, but this was certainly one of the worst ones I've seen, yet.
The fact that he had a strong relation to Elliot, and that he inserted himself into the investigation were an obvious giveaway. The fact that he fits a very American stereotype of the old guy who's still cool and tough, with the squinty look every few seconds... a plot twist would have been if the old cool guy turned out to be gay or a dragqueen. But the killer? That we could've seen coming from a greater distance than that to the moon.
Other disappointments are that Stabler didn't see through the type of guy this was; it would've been obvious for anyone with a brain this guy was desperately trying to hold on to his long gone dream of being the space-bound-hero. Olivia accepting his invitation to go on something of a date with him is also silly. Sure, she didn't have a father figure, but you'd think the "shero" of this show would be evolved beyond having daddy-issues.
Even Munch falling for it, and slightly letting go of his conspiracy-theory-personality, is perhaps the greatest flaw though. A conspiracy theorist would never buy into what a "representative" for Nasa would say. But he also seems a better judge of character most of the time. Failing so badly this time is an insult to his character.
Want more flaws? Sure. The stereotypical junkie and the stereotypical obsessive fan who convinced himself the pretty space lady was in love with him despite being a lesbian, are also pretty cheap ways to fill the episode.
Honestly, the title of this episode should've been "Stereotypes"; although "Lunacy" is a pretty good reason for coming up with such a bad plot. I'm not a fan of all the "personal" storylines in the show, which regularly link to the main cast members in overly obvious ways, but this was certainly one of the worst ones I've seen, yet.
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