Now this is the sort of premise that appeals to me much more, after being underwhelmed, the second 'Law and Order: Special Vctims Unit' episode to underwhelm in a row, somewhat by the previous episode "Tortured" (an episode that didn't have the most interesting of concepts and had very uneven execution of it). The premise here sounded very intriguing and unpredictable, even if there was a danger of it being sleazy if executed the wrong way.
Which it thankfully wasn't. Although it is not one of the best episodes of Season 4, or on the same level of most of the episodes in the first half of the season (for examples "Chameleon", "Dolls", "Damaged" and "Risk", another high point being "Mercy" at the season's halfway mark), "Privilege" is a marked improvement over "Pandora" and "Tortured". To me too, with the exception of one glaring problem "Privilege" is very good on the whole.
My only real complaint is the implausible part where crucial evidence is deemed inadmissable on no grounds whatsoever, something that always did infuriate me on all viewings of "Privilege" and really sticks out like a sore thumb here, in the season and of the early seasons of 'Special Victims Unit'.
The production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it). The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The script is taut, not too talky or flowery and makes one think. It has grit too and it doesn't feel trivialised or too heavy. The direction has breathing space but is never too deliberate.
Really liked the story overall, apart from that part. It intrigues from the get go, and while the truth is never obvious and suitably perplexing from the get go it gets more unpredictable and twisty as the it progresses without being convoluted or strange. Always do admire it when episodes follow the theme of the wealthy and powerful thinking that they're invinsible and what lengths they'd go through to maintain what they stand for, which the franchise often did very well and "Privilege" is no exception. The truth is a surprise and done believably.
All the regulars are very good as is Erik von Detten, who does arrogance and brattiness so unsettlingly.
Overall, very good. 8/10
