Probability

This series is really extraordinary, and this is an excellent episode. The logic is sometimes hard to follow (things move quickly from one step to another), but one assumes there is a logic: great deal of intellectual complexity.

But the "kicker"--what holds everything together--is the ending: the emotional conclusion. One may think that the character is "over the top:" to extreme; unbelievable. However, the ending makes sense, emotionally. A lonely man, trying to fill his empty house.

"Law & Order, Criminal Intent" is heads and shoulders above anything I've seen on television: so compelling. But then, I miss Manhattan (where I lived for 30 years) and love the street scenes.

Mark Baker was brilliant ! A complex episode And his portrayal of the character was spot on. If you remember him from his comedy series this was more than A360 watching the episode just for his performance is worth it

"Leo Gergis," a homeless shelter resident, is shown finishing up his physical and giving blood at a hotel room. It turns out he is getting paid for this but is going to pay with his life for it. He's a victim of an insurance scam in which a man "Jack Berard" (Lance Reddick)" finds healthy homeless people, Caucaisons in their 40s, and then bashes their skulls in. He makes each killing look like a freak accident. Each one of the victims had been insured a million dollars each with phony French company connections.

This has happened 14 times all around New York City and has been done well enough, obviously, to avoid detection. That is, until now when Det. Goren, with the help of a nerdy insurance expert (who provides Eames with more of her humorous sarcastic comments) track down the culprits. The problem is there are several people involved, not just the killer, as they find out when the killer is killed.

Mark Linn-Baker gives one of the more memorable performances as the oddball insurance expert "Wally Stevens." In what I thought might be a boring episode about insurance claims turned out to be a fascinating episode, one of the better ones.

While Season 2 was not what one calls a consistent season, did marginally prefer the first one, with some episodes being better than others, the overall quality was never less than solid and the best episodes were absolutely outstanding. "Probability" had one of the more interesting premises of the season, and even more interesting to me was that it had a character that had Aspergers Syndrome (one of many conditions that affects me on a daily basis). As well as liking the show very much, there were high hopes here.

High expectations that were met and exceeded. "Probability" is a brilliant episode and a Season 2, and early season for that matter, high point. It is intense and emotionally powerful stuff, with a climax that left me floored and actually speechless from getting emotional and one of the early seasons' and show's finest ever guest star turns, one that makes one feel both disgust and sympathy for their character (see for yourself, it is not as oxymoronic as it sounds). Have heard criticisms elsewhere about "Probability" "demonising" Aspergers and take issue with that being a long-time sufferer myself. The perpetrator's crimes are truly despicable and nobody could ever condone them, but he actually shows a vulnerable side to him in the climax and he is a more complex character than what it initially seems. There is hardly any lumping sufferers of this difficult and long misunderstood conditions in the same group and stereotyping them, it is actually a pretty balanced portrayal of one extremely flawed but with vulnerability person.

This tidbit aside, and sorry for the irrelevance (did feel it had to be said before it is possibly criticised again for it), there is so much to love about "Probability". Once again, the episode is well made, appropriately scored and directed at a good pace. The writing is taut, sympathetic, sometimes quirky and very intelligent. Really liked Eames' quips regarding her reservations of the chemistry between Goren and Wally, but it is in the climax where "Probability" shines the most. Intense but also very poignant.

Story is hugely absorbing and very complex without being convoluted, some may find it jumpy but to me it was fine. The case is hard-hitting and the procedural elements and how Goren's mind works as usual intrigue. The highlight though is the climax, that really frightened me but also left me in tears and to me actually it did make sense. Superbly written and acted scene. Goren continues to fascinate as a character, but it's the character writing for Wally that really stands out here. He is a very chilling character, one is chilled by some of his dialogue, but part of me felt for him in the climax. Being somebody too who is very flawed (not to this extent though) but also vulnerable, which people have most likely seen in my review writing here.

Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are superb as ever, especially D'Onofrio with the meatier material, but it's Mark Linn-Baker's episode in the acting department, managing to be frightening but also incredibly affecting. One of the show's best ever guest supporting turns in my opinion. The direction is alert and accomodating.

Overall, brilliant episode. 10/10

This is one Criminal Intent episode that will draw the viewer in and leave you emotionally drained. Mark-Linn Baker should have rated Emmy consideration for what he did. As for what he did in the episode only the eclectic mind of Detective Robert Goren could figure this one out.

Someone is killing the homeless of New York. But before doing that they are insuring them for some big bucks. That portion is found out almost by accident, but it sets Detectives Goren and Eames on a whole new line of investigation.

It all traces back to Baker who is a person with Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. When the CI detectives meet up with Baker, the scenes with the quirky Goren and the quirky Wally Stephens, Baker's character are some of the best ever acted in the show's history. Kathryn Erbe's comments about the relationship that is seeming to develop between Vincent D'Onofrio and Baker are some of her best lines in the history of the show.

Baker's breakdown at the climax is at once frightening and saddening. There are very few murderers you feel sorry for, but Baker is definitely one of them.

A must for fans of CI.