During the investigation into a wealthy publisher's death, the victim's daughter claims to be having a relationship with her mother's new husband.During the investigation into a wealthy publisher's death, the victim's daughter claims to be having a relationship with her mother's new husband.During the investigation into a wealthy publisher's death, the victim's daughter claims to be having a relationship with her mother's new husband.
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- TriviaWhile a guest on "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" in 2016, Sarah Paulson talked about how inexperienced she was when filming this Law & Order episode: "It was my first on-camera role, and it was back when I didn't know anything about what it was like to be on camera. I'd only ever done only a little bit of theater in New York. I'd just graduated from high school in 1993. And, yeah, it was back in the days when I didn't know you could move your body, your head on camera, so I moved a little bit like I had been in a car accident and I was wearing a neck brace. So it's very humiliating to me that you [Terry Gross] have seen this, and I hope for my $2.93 residual check and all the humiliation that goes with knowing that it's out there for people to see."
- GoofsMrs. Conner's doctor says that she accidentally took 24 mg of hydromorphone (Dilaudid) once, that she was taking the standard therapeutic dose and then forgot she had taken a dose already and took the second pill. Which means her prescribed dose was 12 mg, which is quite a bit higher than the standard dose that would be given to someone with no tolerance to opioids, unlike Mrs. Conner who appeared to be a long time user which explains why she was taking such a large amount but it certainly isn't a "standard therapeutic dose". Hydromorphone is about four times more potent than morphine, the usual oral dose is 2-4 mg every four to six hours, 24 mg would actually be a dangerous dose for someone with no opioid tolerance to take all at once, it probably wouldn't be fatal to most people but it would certainly cause respiratory issues and severe disorientation and sedation.
- Quotes
Mike Logan: [speaking of a possible suicide] East River? I'd rather eat a gun.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Shadow (2010)
Featured review
Values in the family
The premise sounds quite basic, well all the stories in the previous three Season 5 episodes were conceptually quite simple and predictable-sounding. There have been quite a number of examples of episodes in the 'Law and Order' franchise that have episodes that sound simple and obvious but are anything but in the execution, of the previous three episodes "Coma" actually managed to do that (the other two not so much). The premise also sounds basic in "Family Values" on first glance.
Like "Coma" though, the execution is anything but. Personally do not agree wih "Family Values" being the joint lowest rated of the four episodes up to this point of Season 5, to me it is actually the best, most surprising and the first great Season 5 episode. The first episode where McCoy's character writing didn't actually bother me anywhere near as much and the one that is closest to the "keeps one guessing all the way through to the end" quality a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes have.
Very little to criticise here, but the list of suspects to me was narrowed down a little too early.
However, the suspects are well written and interesting with their motives clear and plausible. Maggie especially. All the cast deliver with no exception, the best performance coming from Sarah Paulson who manages to give nuance and feeling to the spoiled daughter role that could easily have been too bratty, instead we see how she came to be the way she became and understand. Anna Holbrook also brings surprising complexity to her scenes (three that play a critical role to the story and beautifully written and acted). The character interaction never looks stiff or disengaged, lead and supporting.
After not caring all that much for him in his previous three episodes, McCoy is more professional here and isn't too much of a jerk. The story starts off a little too on the simple side, but actually quite quickly become quite twisty without being too full of turns and they don't feel confusing. Was expecting the ending to be obvious in all honesty, but actually it was one of the most didn't see it coming endings of Season 5. The procedural elements are intriguing and make sense and the legal scenes aren't too rambling and provoke thought.
It's an intelligently and tautly written script throughout, especially in the latter stages, and sympathetically directed. 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.
Concluding, great episode and the first great Season 5 episode. 9/10
Like "Coma" though, the execution is anything but. Personally do not agree wih "Family Values" being the joint lowest rated of the four episodes up to this point of Season 5, to me it is actually the best, most surprising and the first great Season 5 episode. The first episode where McCoy's character writing didn't actually bother me anywhere near as much and the one that is closest to the "keeps one guessing all the way through to the end" quality a lot of 'Law and Order' episodes have.
Very little to criticise here, but the list of suspects to me was narrowed down a little too early.
However, the suspects are well written and interesting with their motives clear and plausible. Maggie especially. All the cast deliver with no exception, the best performance coming from Sarah Paulson who manages to give nuance and feeling to the spoiled daughter role that could easily have been too bratty, instead we see how she came to be the way she became and understand. Anna Holbrook also brings surprising complexity to her scenes (three that play a critical role to the story and beautifully written and acted). The character interaction never looks stiff or disengaged, lead and supporting.
After not caring all that much for him in his previous three episodes, McCoy is more professional here and isn't too much of a jerk. The story starts off a little too on the simple side, but actually quite quickly become quite twisty without being too full of turns and they don't feel confusing. Was expecting the ending to be obvious in all honesty, but actually it was one of the most didn't see it coming endings of Season 5. The procedural elements are intriguing and make sense and the legal scenes aren't too rambling and provoke thought.
It's an intelligently and tautly written script throughout, especially in the latter stages, and sympathetically directed. 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.
Concluding, great episode and the first great Season 5 episode. 9/10
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- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 12, 2020
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