Sugar

Only the second episode. Is the rest of the season going to be this dark? I'm really enjoying the tension between Stabler and the new ADA Paxton.

The SVU squad has a hot potato in this episode as Eric McCormack guest stars as a multi-millionaire who runs a Facebook like social network for those who want to hook up with someone special. McCormack has hooked up with a young on line call girl and when her naked body is found stuffed in a suitcase and thrown off an AMTRAK train into a tunnel, the investigation by Benson, Stabler, and Tutuola leads to McCormack.

McCormack does a wonderful job playing a totally self absorbed creep who now that he has the money of a Midas is going to indulge all his hedonistic pleasures. He's completely abandoned his wife Leann Hunley and daughter Melissa Farman in pursuit of his carnal needs.

The portrait of the late victim is nothing flattering either. She's looking for a rich sugar daddy and she'll gladly trade McCormack in for something better.

Christine Lahti is in this one and her issue with Christopher Meloni just get worse and worse. They fight bitterly in this and every other episode she was in. Not that she doesn't fight with Mariska Hargitay, but something about Meloni just presses her buttons.

The climax which adds an entirely different ending to what you thought might be going on is brought about by some additional police investigation after the arraignment. Believe me, no one looks good in this episode, not even the series regulars.

A strong episode, a strong article... except for the last 30 seconds.

The confession scene in the second half is amazing.

The mangy prosecutor Paxton is also very good at her role... a real bombshell. It was obvious that one of the svu squad was going to explode That situation is happening. Who blows up, I guess it's not a hard question

Just why so much blood was spilled in the final twist scene.. In the final scene, a shocker is aimed as the murderer and the last person he hits. But that shed liters of blood also washed away the bending scenes.

The last blood scene; it could be adjusted so as not to overshadow the scenes that managed to impress the audience.

I guess when violence and blood prevailed on the screen... the saw, criminal minds etc.

But Svu shouldn't look like them!

SVU; It should carry the tension of "Shawshank Redemption", the drama of "Green Mile", the tragedy of "Shape of My Heart", the horror of Hitchkock, the unity of "Lord of the Rings" and the reckoning of "Twelve Angry Men".

This was a pretty good, if somewhat workman-like, episode, despite the fact that the writers are getting way too much in love with having super-unexpected twists at the ends of their stories. The story hangs together well, with the possible exception of how a certain character managed to throw a suitcase full of dead body out the window of a moving Amtrak train (do their windows even open?). Eric McCormack is excellent as a suspect who, for all of his other faults, is undeniably a truly loving father, and Christine Lahti is doing nicely on building her tougher-than-nails Assistant District Attorney character up as being wound just a tiny bit too tightly for the safety of herself or those around her; I'm expecting this side storyline to come to a head in two or three more episodes, preferably without her killing anybody.

But: I'm currently binge-watching L&O:SVU from the start, and after watching ten seasons in about three weeks I'm starting to get a subconscious feel, from the story or even just from the physical placement of the actors in a scene, for when they're about to pull something sudden and dramatic. In this episode I smelled the super-twist at the end about a minute before it happened; the only thing I got wrong was that I was expecting a letter-opener rather than a pair of scissors. Guys, you're starting to get predictable here.

Was very surprised and impressed by the previous episode, the Season 11 opener "Unstable". My initial thoughts on "Sugar" (we are talking five plus years ago though mind) were mixed, loved the animosity between Paxton and Stabler and Eric McCormack impressed me a lot. But the ending struck me as unrealistic and Paxton at that time annoyed me. There are 'Special Victims Unit' episodes that didn't do much for me on first watch but improved a lot on re-watches.

"Sugar" is one of those episodes. Likewise my opinion of Paxton is much higher now than it was on first watch, due to getting more out of her. Like "Unstable", "Sugar" is not perfect and one scene in particular underwhelms so the episode could have done with more spice. It is though well done on the whole and to me while not amazing Season 11 at this stage was leagues better than Season 10, which was very rocky for a vast majority of its first half.

It is not a perfect episode, with the biggest issue (like with "Unstable") being the rather ridiculous and rather melodramatic ending that makes the SVU look like incompetent idiots. We are talking "Trade" level here. It has to be said though that the consequences for the show up to this point are unusually graphic.

Also didn't like the master baiter schtick, which came over as tired and immature. Snarkiness doesn't fit Benson in my view too, it needs a less serious character like Munch or Fin for it to work. The physics in regard to the crime do requires some disbelief suspension and actually the truth was pretty predictable some time before it was revealed.

However, a lot is good. All the regulars are great, while Christine Lahti proves herself to be a good and refreshing addition. McCormack is excellent in his guest turn and seeing this side to him after growing up with seeing him on 'Will and Grace' (was very fond of that show for a long time) was an eye opener. Melissa Farman is very good too, especially in her chemistry with McCormack in the final quarter. Loved the tension between Stabler and Paxton, and Paxton despite criticisms of her meanness now strikes me as a breath of fresh air. While not agreeing with some of her actions, she is one of those people that says things that can be agreed with or understood.

The production values as ever are slick and with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear and the direction is accomodating yet tight enough. The script is generally tight and intriguing and the story is suitably disturbing and diverting, even if not having enough twists.

Overall, another good but not great episode. 7/10.