» 16-22: "Invaders" 2006.05.17 Options

[vampdeath]

Was this because she was a heterosexual?

If ever there was something to discourage people from becoming ADAs, this episode would top the list.

[Wallyhorse]

My thoughts on the episode:

That was a shock they actually went as far as they did and actually killed off Lexi! We knew one way or the other, she was going to be gone after this episode, but I thought what they would have done was have her alive, but so badly traumatized that she was forced to quit the DA's Office and go on disability.

Anyway, these killers (Victor and Ricky) were sick, and the way they killed Lexi was gory to say the least (though we did find out Lexi's parents lived in Connecticuit). Although I'm sure Jack would have loved to take Kevin Almonte (Richie Coster) to trial, I'm sure at the least he was killed by the men who killed Lexi so they would have that murder charge in addition to the other charges that came about.

It was fitting to have the state Attorney General's Office then take the case away from Jack at the end, especially given Jack nor anyone else in the DA's Office would have been able to properly prosecute this case, at least in the eyes of many. The way Jack managed to bend the rules to get the killers of Lexi on the stand was great as well.

This was a great, yet at the same time very sad way to close out the season given the way Lexi was killed off.

Speaking of Lexi being killed, I'm suspecting given that in the past Dick Wolf has said the biggest regret he had was killing off the Claire Kincaid character 10 years ago (actually seven and a half since Claire's death was not officially revealed until "Sideshow" two and a half years later), I'm suspecting further that Annie Parisse only quit because she could tell she'd otherwise have been forced off the show, and I don't think if that was the case it was Dick Wolf's decision, but rather that of NBC-Universal President Jeff Zucker and/or NBC Entertainment Head Kevin Reilly, who in either case may have wanted a bigger "name" who has a built-in fan base of 18-34 year olds taking over the role to try and reduce the average age of the "L & O" viewer since going into this season, that was 52.1 years of age and ad buyers have an extremely unhealthy obsession with those 18-49.

[North]

I really liked this ep. Really, well written and acted. Is it just me or did the leave open the possibility that Jack might not be back? We could come back next year with a new DA and they can cite this case as the reason why. That would suck.

[phoenixphaerie]

That was probably the best episode of original L&O I've seen in a long time. I new that AP was leaving, but other than that, I was totally unspoiled. I did NOT see her death coming. I was kinda saddened even though I wasn't at all attached to Borgia. No one deserves to die choking on their own blood.

It was nice to see Jack get really passionate about a case again. Sam Waterston is a phenomenal actor, but they've had Jack phoning it in for a while now. It was good to see him putting the Furrowed Brow of Justice to good use again.

Btw, hasn't that DEA agent appeared in the L&O universe before? I think he was a killer on SVU??? He's kind of got a Kevin Spacey in Seven thing going on. He creeped me the hell out.

ETA:

Is it just me or did the leave open the possibility that Jack might not be back?

I don't think so. The only way I could see Jack not coming back is if Sam Waterston decided to leave the show, and I haven't heard anything like that. If Dick Wolf stuck us a new Executive ADA for any other reason the fans would revolt en masse, I think.

This post has been edited by phoenixphaerie: May 18, 2006 @ 3:16 am.

[iliketowatchtv]

Great episode. Add to the leasons learned from L&O - make sure to look through your peephole BEFORE you open your door.

In fact, that was probably the only detractor from an otherwise excellent episode. I can't imagine anyone - in NYC no less - not checking who was behind the door before opening it.

While I was a bit spoiled - I knew Annie was leaving - I thought her death still had a great impact. I believe that the dramatic manner of her death lit a fire under McCoy that we haven't seen in a while. And unlike Carver of LOCI, who looks for excuses not to help the detectives, Jack bends the rules to the near snapping point, and that's what I like about him.

edited to fix a spelling error

This post has been edited by iliketowatchtv: May 18, 2006 @ 1:39 pm.

[KeyOui]

In fact, that was probably the only ditractor from an otherwise excellent episode. I can't imagine anyone - in NYC no less - not checking who was behind the door before opening it.

Or in any other city. This bugged me big time. It was late at night, there was no peep hole on the door and she didn't put the chain on when opening it, even though she's a DA and therefore a prime target for any number of ex-cons?

[Kris223]

Btw, hasn't that DEA agent appeared in the L&O universe before? I think he was a killer on SVU???

I don't know about SVU, but he's played a creepy killer on CI and TBJ. I was also unspoiled but I figured Borgia was toast the minute we saw her in her apartment - they almost never show the characters at home.

My favorite moment of the ep. was the scene with Van Buren and McCoy where they're sitting in her office and she says "I"m sorry Jack." It's like she was thinking of Claire as well - just a feeling I got.

[Character Zero]

Great episode. Add to the leasons learned from L&O - make sure to look through your peephole BEFORE you open your door.

I have to say I was fooled. I thought they were already in the apartment. Position of the shot and her distraction from being on the phone. I was like "They are in your apartment!". And then the knock on the door, well done!

[Cheynem]

A good episode--kind of melodramatic, but I spot L&O one melodramatic episode a year. Waterston, as usual, rocked the house. "I used to have an assistant who did that." "Don't screw it up." Man, I think I would run under the bed if Jack said stuff like that to me.

About a quarter of a way through, I thought they were going to kill of AP...but wow, not at the halfway mark and not in such a visceral manner. As someone already said, the one episode where one might tolerate Fontana going bonkers on suspects...and he's a prize pussycat.

I liked Jack and Van Buren having scenes together. That doesn't happen much anymore.

For a second, at the end, I thought Branch was going to fire Jack. And since when does Branch care about bending the law to nab bad guys?

[RacerX]

SW and SEM were the highlights for me. I really liked when he was sitting in her office just mulling things over in his head. Kris223 it reminded me of Claire sitting in Anita's office before she met up with that drunk driver, so perhaps it reminded VanBuren of it as well.

I made the mistake of looking at the Borgia thread yesterday so that AP was leaving was spoiled for me. I think the whole thing would have had a lot more impact if I had just stayed out of that thread. Still, I'm not happy with the way they disposed of the character. It was if they focused all the hatred fans built up for her predecessor and leveled it all on AP. Everything about it from opening the door without knowing who was on the other side to the pain and the eventual suffocation in the trunk of a car. Who came up with that? Then they had to show us the body. I think some of the graphic nature of it maybe because of how Alex Cabot rose from a bullet splattered sidewalk and so maybe they wanted to make sure no one would spend the summer wondering if she were really dead, but geez!

Loved McCoy doing the arraignment. That was a classic moment.

I missed the precredit opening because the crazy Lost people think I can't figure out how to change the channel and will be duped into watching their version of Invaders (Invasion). It was very odd to see the DA's so early on. Almost never happens and twice when it has, da's end up dead. Did we know before that the Borgias are wealthy? Oh well, no matter.

As for the underlying case - huh?

[mommabee]

I missed most of this episode, and walked into the room to have Poppa tell me that "Alex someone, Borgia, maybe, was killed. She was DA or something."

AHhhhhhh

Anyhow, did they mention Claire at all? It just seems to me that the loss of another person who worked under McCoy would have invited a comment or two.

Since it would IRL, I doubt it was in the show.

[SueinFl]

Count me amongst those that think that episode definitely left me wondering if Jack will be back in the Fall

Does Dick Wolf have a thing for the names Alexandra? What with Eames on CI, Borgia on Orignal and Cabot on SVU?

This post has been edited by SueinFl: May 18, 2006 @ 11:41 am.

[FiftyNinth]

I have to say, even if we do see lots of "win at all costs" eps, the fictitious indictment was one of the rare original twists that I can remember seeing lately. That rocked!

[Phonzie20]

I didn't see this coming.

Was AP fired or did she decide to walk away? Was this a DW decision? Was AP not 'sexy' enough?

Many questions....

[bsur]

Does anyone else think Ritchie Coster (dirty DEA agent) looks a lot like a younger, sleezier Robert DeNiro.

I kept thinking he was Mandy Patinkin.

I found it a violent, unpleasant episode. Love Sam Waterston, though. And S. Epatha.