Even for 'Law and Order', "Blood Libel's" topic is incredibly bold and makes one feel a mix of emotions between anger and upset. Anti-semitism has been such a major problem for decades, especially so in the Second World War but sadly it is little better now. It takes guts for any show or film to tackle it and do so sensitively, any show or film that tries to do so deserves some kind of credit. 'Law and Order', no stranger to controversial subjects, is no exception.
The show however did much better before and since with exploring heavy and controversial subjects, doing so with more tact and balance elsewhere with "Blood Libel". It is not at all bad, but by early season 'Law and Order' standards it is somewhat disappointing. More those appreciated it for what it tried to do sort of episodes than one of the love it ones. As far as Season 6 goes, "Blood Libel" is one of those well intended efforts but a lesser outing. A lot of good things here, but falls short.
"Blood Libel" has more good things than not so good. As always, it's a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole. The script is literate and tight with some interesting questions and handles the subject boldly enough. The story succeeds in having a suitably uncompromising tone with the tension being almost frightening.
Much is it is down to the perpetrator being a truly reprehensible character, one of the most chilling bigoted perpetrators perhaps of the show. Briscoe and Curtis work really well together, some of their banter lightens the mood without jarring and intrigues. Curtis has an aforementioned line that sums up the puzzlement of the case very well. The policing intrigues and doesn't become predictable too early. Curtis is becoming more interesting. All the regulars are excellent.
However, the episode had drawbacks despite appreciating its good intentions. There were too many times in the second half where the subject could have been handled with more tact and nuance, it was like at times the writers were trying too hard to make its points and it was like being beaten around the head. Anti-semitism absolutely is beyond the pale wrong, but that didn't need to be emphasised quite that heavily.
It did at times feel over the top and could have done better at exploring it from all sides. Chris Cooper for my tastes overdoes it in his role and his character is too much of a too dominant caricature with a truly bizarre and not particularly realistic defense argument.
Concluding, has a lot of good things and well intended but didn't completely click with me. 6/10
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