» 20-9: "For The Defense" 2009.11.13 Options

[alynch]

After a key witness for a murder trial is found dead outside her hotel room, Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) become involved in a spiraling case that unravels into an intricate conspiracy, leaving additional witnesses’ lives in danger and Rubirosa in the crossfire. Black market dealings, affairs and drug cartels intertwine to expose the risk of taking the stand as a witness when corrupt officials control the court.

Hurray, another evil lawyer! Will this one also try to murder one of Our Heroes while pissing?

Cutter's cross examination of Evil Lawyer was great. He made the tiniest smirk I've ever seen.

This post has been edited by alynch: Nov 13, 2009 @ 9:10 pm.

[samsnee]

I thought this was a superb ep. The guy who played Wall was excellently smug and loved his voice. The final court scene where Cutter gets him to open the door to the other cases was well played. I'm surprised though they didn't bring up the murder from the Mexican cartel last week. Not really a Cutter and Connie 'shipper, since I thought they were pushing more for Lupo and Connie. So I hope they don't pursue it further. I liked the nod to Kincaid though by Jack.

[mika8]

The Cutter and Connie shipper in me is immensely gleeful right now, to say the least.

since I thought they were pushing more for Lupo and Connie.

They tend to push more for Lupo/every other witness these days, haha. Even the lesbian from tonight couldn't resist!

I also enjoyed another dose of Woll's character, but the actor's British accent was really slipping out tonight.

This post has been edited by mika8: Nov 13, 2009 @ 9:25 pm.

[PI Marlowe]

Seemed as though they cobbled this episode together from bits and pieces of real headlines (the Cash for Clunkers cars getting resold instead of destroyed, the initial murder case in the pre-credits opening) and from previous episodes (the ADA taking the stand from SVU's "Ghost", and the death of a witness through the ADA's mistakes from the Conviction pilot) but it held together really well. Probably one of the best episodes from the Cutter years so far, though it seems like the writers have been using the "let's have something bad happen to Connie" idea a few times too many recently.

Cutter's takedown of Marcus Wall was excellent, almost worthy of standing up and cheering. It made sense that in an episode which highlighted a lot of the differences between Mike and Jack - including McCoy's rare admission of a very private part of his past - we got Cutter using his own style and strengths to beat the defendant. If Jack had prosecuted, he would still have won, but he might have used his righteous indignation to browbeat Wall by showing how the former ADA violated his own oaths and the trust of the people. Mike, however, just stands there, with an even and cold voice, and traps him in his own lies. Also he seems to have picked up a new and very stylish three-piece suit somewhere along the way.

[txhorns79]

I thought this was a superb ep. The guy who played Wall was excellently smug and loved his voice.

Seriously! If they gave an Emmy for being smug, the actor would win hands down.

I did enjoy the episode, even though I think they've had the corrupt ADA do what Wall did before, i.e. say that if he goes down all his convictions go down as well, costing the DA's office months of headaches with all the old cases.

I honestly hope they don't go the Cutter/Connie lovers route. It certainly didn't work out well for Claire Kincaid, and I think the show works better when the characters aren't all sleeping together.

It made sense that in an episode which highlighted a lot of the differences between Mike and Jack - including McCoy's rare admission of a very private part of his past - we got Cutter using his own style and strengths to beat the defendant.

I don't think it was that private, rather it was just not dealt with on screen with only a few exceptions. I remember Jamie Ross calling Jack out on his grief and anger over Claire's death when he was prosecuting a drunk driver, but I always assumed it was common knowledge at the DA's office what Jack and Claire were up to.

[Xantar]

The legal and constitutional issues were basically thrown out the window in this episode, but I didn't care. The second half of this episode was pure fan service, and I mean that in the sense that it was like the writers looked at all the speculation on the internet about the various characters and decided to address them. We find out Connie and Cutter wouldn't even consider sleeping with each other. We learn a little bit about Connie's past. Someone finally acknowledges on screen that Connie is ridiculously hot. And we also have an answer to the question someone asked last episode about how one goes from being an ADA to defense attorney for drug kingpins (it helps if you're a sociopath). And it turns out Alan de la Garza can do subtle acting with something other than her eyebrows. She's pretty good with her eyes, too (given how huge they are, I suppose that should be no surprise).

On another note, does Van Buren's newfound appetite mean her cancer is in remission and she has stopped chemotherapy? If so, I guess that marks the conclusion to a very well done, understated subplot. It was there as a side story but never stole anything from the episode. And her request for key lime pie cracked me up.

[LrLo]

This might have been the best episode of the season for me. That last scene with McCoy asking Connie and Mike if they could handle working day and night together was so tense, I almost felt uncomfortable watching it. Great understated performance. This was all around a well acted episode.

Funniest scene for me: Lupo and Bernard giggling after Lupo commented on the man in the hotel getting room service. Too funny!

[Tripp3235]

I'm so glad to see an excellent episode finally. I have been a fan of Mike Cutter since he came in, but sometimes I feel like they give all the pivotale moments to Connie.

Um, I guess I'm the only one, but I really like Mike and Connie. Now I want to say, I get tired of seeing people who work together coupled up and I loathed Jack/Claire though thankfully we saw very little of it. But what I like of this one is, instead of the woman having the crush it's Mike who has a crush on his assistant. An assistant who tends to show her distaste for him personally (but not in a creepy way).

But I also admit that it was very uncomfortable seeing how Connie and Mike reacted to Jack's last comment. But as a shipper, I liked it. *ducks*

Lupo and Bernard were great too. I've grown tired of them playing inevitable sides to controversial issues and being at odds. I especially liked when Lupo asked Bernard if he was ok after the shooting.

Van Buren eating was hilarious as well.

[ultimategirl]

I really liked this episode. It did as good a job as any episode I remember of injecting the personal while keeping it case-driven and compelling all the way through. Loved Cutter's closing - and Connie's initial WTF reaction to it. Loved Snarky!Connie coming out on the witness stand, and I appreciated it that they didn't turn her into a victim with the Woll thing. Loved Van Buren's eating. I also appreciated that Connie shut Mike down when he started telling her it was dumb to get involved with Woll; she doesn't need lectures on her personal life. And I have to admit...the episode totally turned me into a shipper (God, I hate that term). Cutter acted like he had a trapper keeper at his house full of Mike hearts Connie doodles.

My favorite moment, however, was at the end of Cutter's semi-ramble about how you don't sleep with colleagues, it's different for women, etc., when he just blurts out "We're colleagues, we aren't lovers." Um. Thanks for sharing with the class there, Mike.

I did enjoy the episode, even though I think they've had the corrupt ADA do what Wall did before, i.e. say that if he goes down all his convictions go down as well, costing the DA's office months of headaches with all the old cases.

We have. When Jamie's friend was getting paid to throw cases and killed his bail bondsman partner, he made a similar threat. And I'm a little embarrassed for being able to remember that off the top of my head.

[Irlandesa]

On another note, does Van Buren's newfound appetite mean her cancer is in remission and she has stopped chemotherapy? If so, I guess that marks the conclusion to a very well done, understated subplot. It was there as a side story but never stole anything from the episode. And her request for key lime pie cracked me up.

Not necessarily. She may be on a new formula of chemo whose side effect isn't nausea. I think they'd show if she were in remission.

I thought this was a superb ep. The guy who played Wall was excellently smug and loved his voice.

His voice is even better with his British accent. I did sort of crack up and Mike's disbelief that Connie would sleep with Wall and wondered why she'd do it. I've seen the actor, Jonathan Cake* with his shirt of (sillyHarlequinTVmovieshuddup) and I totally know why she slept with him.

The overtness of Cutter/Connie was sort of uncomfortable. I preferred the less blatant moments of Jack and Claire, but overall it was done with a deft touch that helped shape all of the DA characters tonight.

20 years of L&O viewing has taught me so much that I know I'm starting to question some of the legal decisions judges are making this season and all because of what I learned from past seasons. Go show! So I wish they'd go back to focusing more on legal wrangling but at least I'm not bored this season as I have been in some past seasons.

*Random bit of trivia. He's married to Julianne Nicholson who played Det. Megan Wheeler on L&O: CI.

[alynch]

On another note, does Van Buren's newfound appetite mean her cancer is in remission and she has stopped chemotherapy? If so, I guess that marks the conclusion to a very well done, understated subplot.

Or maybe the pot's really doing the trick. I doubt the story's over yet. While it's being played low key for now, I still suspect it's going to come to head sometime later on. They wouldn't have bothered to hire Ernie Hudson if they were only going to use him for two scenes.

[Quilton]

This is now my favorite episode of the season. So many great scenes; all the players were on their A game. Yay for Van Buren’s return to loving food.

One of the best parts for me was the look Bernard gave Lupo as if to say, “Don’t you even think about sleeping with this witness” when they left the hotel.

Nice dig by Connie at Marcus “Not Memorable” Woll, though I was surprised that she went there with him.

I’m all for Connie/Cutter, but I prefer the understated Jack/Claire route (just you know, without the dying). That being said, I really enjoyed how it was handled (addressing the tension, getting perspective, and leaving it open-ended). Poor Mike seemed like he was trying to convince himself that he felt nothing but professional respect for Connie in his discussion with Jack.

[txhorns79]

Nice dig by Connie at Marcus “Not Memorable” Woll, though I was surprised that she went there with him.

I was surprised she went there too, if only because it played into the defense's version of her as a spurned lover with an axe to grind.

I wouldn't be thrilled if they showed us a Cutter/Connie pairing, but I do think they are a better couple than Jack/Claire. That relationship screamed "daddy issues" to me, and Connie and Cutter seem on a more equal footing, even if he is her superior.

[Prevailing Wind]

This story must have taken place a while after last week's. Anita's gotten the hang of styling that awful wig.

I'm thinking renewed appetite = medical pot = munchies. You go, girl!

[boewyr]

I thought it was solid and a creative way to deal with the "feelings" between Mike and Connie.

Seems unilateral.

Two episodes in a row we've seen Connie leaving her apartment building.

It's nice that on L&O, there's more than two asst. DAs in the DAs office. SVU could learn a lesson from that.

I'm really digging this season.