"Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" is only the fourth episode of one of my most watched shows and already the quality is very high. Even if it got even higher later, when stronger characters (Lennie Briscoe being one of the prime examples) and chemistry between characters that gelled even more appeared and made a solid, well done show a great one and a personal favourite. Post-Briscoe not quite so much.
Like the previous three episodes, "Prescription for Death", "Subtarranean Homeboy Blues" and "The Reaper's Helper", "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" is still a very good episode with an enormous amount to admire. Even if understandably 'Law and Order' had not yet hit its stride, but am not going to be hard on the episode for that as that isn't really fair. The subject matter this episode covers/addresses is like those for the previous three episodes well worth talking about. It doesn't quite have the emotional impact or is as hard to watch of the others, especially "The Reaper's Helper" with AIDS, but it goes into a little more depth than before with its subject and handles it just as sensitively.
The episode is a strong example of what 'Law and Order' is best at. Being seeing how the detectives work and solve their cases, what work goes into preparing defence and especially prosecution, the tackling of difficult and relevant subjects (so far up to this point 'Law and Order' did well at this) and moral dilemmas. Of the four episodes up to this point, "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" has the most moral dilemmas perhaps. Everything with reputation, hearsay and justice has much conflict with the difficulties in getting a conviction, the episode does so sensitively with no bias and it is a hardly out of date subject now.
Story-wise, "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" is a tricky one. Not because it's hard to follow or anything, there was no problem on that front and it was interesting seeing how the detectives work. Merely on how one feels watching the episode and how hard it is to get justice. One can understand and feel the parents' pain when seeing their scene with Stone. The story is also absorbing and is paced without being rushed or draggy. Of the character writing, the easy standout is still Stone. A very juicy character with some of the episode's best lines, such as the exchange regarding justice with Robinette.
Acting is still fine, George Dzundza and Chris Noth have enough of the hard-boiled edge needed for their roles, even if their chemistry has yet to gel fully, and Michael Moriaty's authority and dryness adds hugely to his juicy part. The grit in the production values still remains, as does the music that avoids over-scoring.
Did think though that there weren't enough suspects and Loomis could have been written with more subtlety perhaps so that one wasn't as convinced as to what side of guilty or innocent he was on.
On the whole, very good. 8/10
Like the previous three episodes, "Prescription for Death", "Subtarranean Homeboy Blues" and "The Reaper's Helper", "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" is still a very good episode with an enormous amount to admire. Even if understandably 'Law and Order' had not yet hit its stride, but am not going to be hard on the episode for that as that isn't really fair. The subject matter this episode covers/addresses is like those for the previous three episodes well worth talking about. It doesn't quite have the emotional impact or is as hard to watch of the others, especially "The Reaper's Helper" with AIDS, but it goes into a little more depth than before with its subject and handles it just as sensitively.
The episode is a strong example of what 'Law and Order' is best at. Being seeing how the detectives work and solve their cases, what work goes into preparing defence and especially prosecution, the tackling of difficult and relevant subjects (so far up to this point 'Law and Order' did well at this) and moral dilemmas. Of the four episodes up to this point, "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" has the most moral dilemmas perhaps. Everything with reputation, hearsay and justice has much conflict with the difficulties in getting a conviction, the episode does so sensitively with no bias and it is a hardly out of date subject now.
Story-wise, "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" is a tricky one. Not because it's hard to follow or anything, there was no problem on that front and it was interesting seeing how the detectives work. Merely on how one feels watching the episode and how hard it is to get justice. One can understand and feel the parents' pain when seeing their scene with Stone. The story is also absorbing and is paced without being rushed or draggy. Of the character writing, the easy standout is still Stone. A very juicy character with some of the episode's best lines, such as the exchange regarding justice with Robinette.
Acting is still fine, George Dzundza and Chris Noth have enough of the hard-boiled edge needed for their roles, even if their chemistry has yet to gel fully, and Michael Moriaty's authority and dryness adds hugely to his juicy part. The grit in the production values still remains, as does the music that avoids over-scoring.
Did think though that there weren't enough suspects and Loomis could have been written with more subtlety perhaps so that one wasn't as convinced as to what side of guilty or innocent he was on.
On the whole, very good. 8/10