'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' "Remember Me in Quarantine" (2020)
Opening thoughts: It is still very early on in Season 22, but so far it had not made a particularly good impression. While really liking the ideas and finding the tackling of good relevant themes admirable, the execution in the previous episodes and this are very flawed and it was true for too much of Season 22 in general. Namely because of the cases being too bland or trying too hard and in some cases being too heavy handed. It does have to be said that the season did improve quite a lot with the next handful of episodes, but the show's glory days are quite long gone.
"Remember Me in Quarantine" is another underwhelming episode and continues the less than promising first impressions that Season 22 had made with the previous episodes. Is it terrible? No it isn't, it does have good things with the mental health aspect being handled remarkably well. Is it good? Again, it is a long way from that, with the case and character interactions bringing "Remember Me in Quarantine" down significantly. Those and that it felt rather out of place within 'Special Victims Unit'.
Good things: There are good things here as said. Generally, the production values are fine, with the slickness and grit still present. The music has the right amount of the haunting and melancholic without being overdone in sound and placement. Most of the acting, with one exception, is solid.
Also did feel that "Remember Me in Quarantine" did very well at showing how the pandemic has affected the mental health of people, as somebody whose mental health has suffered massively how it's done here resonated with me hugely and made me feel emotional and angry. Really appreciated at how it even addressed the topic, when very few shows recently have. Lexi is a very interesting case.
Bad things: Sadly, that cannot be said for the case. It came over as too derivative, some of the truth was easily guessable very early on (the actual perpetrator surprised me though) and the ripped from the headlines aspect felt too sensationalist. Just hated the media's distorted and judgmental portrayal of Lexi, which represents everything that is wrong with it today. The case felt like too second fiddle to the addressing of what the pandemic has done mentally and how Lexi is portrayed, the character is interesting but the episode didn't seem to make its mind up about whether to be sympathetic or vilify her.
Will admit to not being sure sometimes what the episode was meant to be about and that is not a good sign. Also didn't how Tamin and Rollins' very understandable and spot on irritation with this and the double standards immediately cast them in a negative light. Actually did lose respect for Carisi when he shut Tamin down for vocally addressing and voicing opposition for the double standards, really don't like Tamin (and the episode generally didn't do anything to change my mind) but she was right here. Tamin is a flat and too pushy character and Jamie Gray Hyder's limitations continue to show. There is some very unsteady camera work and somehow it didn't feel like a 'Special Victims Unit' case, instead like a TV drama on the pandemic with the characters inserted and it felt out of place.
Closing thoughts: Overall, didn't come together unfortunately.
5/10.
