Green and Cassady investigate the murder of a child molester exposed on a national television news program.Green and Cassady investigate the murder of a child molester exposed on a national television news program.Green and Cassady investigate the murder of a child molester exposed on a national television news program.
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Fred Thompson
- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe "Hard Focus" show is obviously based on Dateline NBC (1992)'s "To Catch a Predator".
- ConnectionsReferences Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Featured review
Judge, jury and executioner
Very like with Season 4's "Sweeps" and even more so with Season 11's "Swept Away: A Very Special Episode", the premise didn't appeal to me really at all. While 'Law and Order' and its spin offs have been binge watched on and off over-time, not every premise has appealed to me and a big part of the problem for me is that the reality/news shows concept those episodes and this centre around is the complete opposite of my idea of heaven. Actually find it sensationalist and little more than human bear baiting.
"Sweeps" and this episode "Public Service Homicide" ("Swept Away: A Very Special Episode" didn't work for me) turned out to be a lot better than expected. It wasn't one of those "loved it" episodes, but actually to me there was a lot recommendable about it. On recent re-watch, my pleasantly surprised thoughts are very much the same and actually appreciated it more. It handles the premise a lot more tastefully than feared and it is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Not one of the show's best, but Season 17 had not put a foot wrong yet when it came to overall episode quality and that doesn't change here.
Cassady and Milena Govich playing her do not work for me, they just lack personality (or at least a strong one).
Also thought that the truth in terms of who did it and the motive could have been revealed a little bit later.
Much is very good though. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. While the story is not extraordinary it is still very interesting and well constructed, not being exploitative and is a lot more intelligent and easy to buy than the premise makes out.
Furthermore, as ever, a great job is done with the interesting questions and dilemmas raised when getting a result. The indifference charge on paper sounded extreme but when watching McCoy's point of view is understandable. Other than Govich, the acting is very good. Jesse L Martin has still got it and Sam Waterston commands the legal scenes effortlessly. Zoe Lister-Jones beautifully plays one of those characters that has uncondonable and hateful actions but when seeing the context and finding out why she turned out to not be the character that is most hated by the end of the episode.
Overall, very good, much more so than expected considering the premise. 8/10.
"Sweeps" and this episode "Public Service Homicide" ("Swept Away: A Very Special Episode" didn't work for me) turned out to be a lot better than expected. It wasn't one of those "loved it" episodes, but actually to me there was a lot recommendable about it. On recent re-watch, my pleasantly surprised thoughts are very much the same and actually appreciated it more. It handles the premise a lot more tastefully than feared and it is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Not one of the show's best, but Season 17 had not put a foot wrong yet when it came to overall episode quality and that doesn't change here.
Cassady and Milena Govich playing her do not work for me, they just lack personality (or at least a strong one).
Also thought that the truth in terms of who did it and the motive could have been revealed a little bit later.
Much is very good though. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. While the story is not extraordinary it is still very interesting and well constructed, not being exploitative and is a lot more intelligent and easy to buy than the premise makes out.
Furthermore, as ever, a great job is done with the interesting questions and dilemmas raised when getting a result. The indifference charge on paper sounded extreme but when watching McCoy's point of view is understandable. Other than Govich, the acting is very good. Jesse L Martin has still got it and Sam Waterston commands the legal scenes effortlessly. Zoe Lister-Jones beautifully plays one of those characters that has uncondonable and hateful actions but when seeing the context and finding out why she turned out to not be the character that is most hated by the end of the episode.
Overall, very good, much more so than expected considering the premise. 8/10.
helpful•81
- TheLittleSongbird
- Sep 4, 2022
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