All the previous 'Law and Order' episodes ranged from pretty good ("Everybody's Favourite Bagman") to brilliant ("Indifference"), with most being very good. Which is a good position to be in for so early on, even with an understandable finding feet feel. It is very easy to overlook the very early seasons of the show, with the Briscoe and post-Briscoe episodes being aired much more, but they are well worth the watch and should be seen more.
"Prisoner of Love" is one of the pretty good episodes of the first season, though far from being amongst the season's best episodes. It has a lot of great things, which is true for all the early seasons episode and for a vast majority of 'Law and Order', but it feels a little on the bland side as well, with the previous covering more challenging subjects and with more depth. It is also a bit of a let down after the brilliant previous episode "Indifference", a season high-point. Again, this is not disparaging it, just in comparison to before.
Do prefer 'Law and Order' episodes where there is more of characters having conflicts and moral dilemmas. Also ones that tackle difficult themes, subjects and social issues and the "taking influence from a real life case" ones, those kinds of episodes provoked more thought and connected with me more emotionally.
The case here is interesting and twisty enough, with both the procedural and law aspects being well handled (even if other episodes balanced them a little more equally), but fairly standard. If you've seen the later 'Law and Order' before seeing, it may feel a little on the familiar side.
However, it has always been of great fascination seeing how the detectives work and solve their cases and what work goes into preparing defence and especially prosecution. The script entertains and provokes thought, with some nice hard-boiled dialogue for both Greevey and Logan. Stone's dryness has not lost its juice.
Production values are suitably slick and gritty and the music is a good fit tonally and in placement. The acting is good, though it did get much better later when everybody became more comfortable. George Dzundza and Chris Noth are solid leads, with their chemistry gelling enough, and Michael Moriarty again makes the most out of Stone.
Overall, pretty good but not great. 7/10
"Prisoner of Love" is one of the pretty good episodes of the first season, though far from being amongst the season's best episodes. It has a lot of great things, which is true for all the early seasons episode and for a vast majority of 'Law and Order', but it feels a little on the bland side as well, with the previous covering more challenging subjects and with more depth. It is also a bit of a let down after the brilliant previous episode "Indifference", a season high-point. Again, this is not disparaging it, just in comparison to before.
Do prefer 'Law and Order' episodes where there is more of characters having conflicts and moral dilemmas. Also ones that tackle difficult themes, subjects and social issues and the "taking influence from a real life case" ones, those kinds of episodes provoked more thought and connected with me more emotionally.
The case here is interesting and twisty enough, with both the procedural and law aspects being well handled (even if other episodes balanced them a little more equally), but fairly standard. If you've seen the later 'Law and Order' before seeing, it may feel a little on the familiar side.
However, it has always been of great fascination seeing how the detectives work and solve their cases and what work goes into preparing defence and especially prosecution. The script entertains and provokes thought, with some nice hard-boiled dialogue for both Greevey and Logan. Stone's dryness has not lost its juice.
Production values are suitably slick and gritty and the music is a good fit tonally and in placement. The acting is good, though it did get much better later when everybody became more comfortable. George Dzundza and Chris Noth are solid leads, with their chemistry gelling enough, and Michael Moriarty again makes the most out of Stone.
Overall, pretty good but not great. 7/10
