This is a good opening to a very good series. Detectives Goren and Eames are a great team who nicely complement one another - he the brilliant and quirky intuitive detective and she the steadfast, bright and more grounded detective. Vance as ADA Carver is outstanding. This episode is about a psychopathic leader of a robbery team who heist 300 million dollars worth of diamonds from a jewelry store. In the saddest scene, the leader coldly kills a young man and woman who were in the wrong place at the wrong time; he also kills one of the robbery team members. While the capture of the criminals involves some good detective work, it is Goren's psychological manipulation of the evil leader's girlfriend that leads to the main culprit's downfall. Goren isn't a particularly likable or warm character but he is a fascinating one. And it's the main reason I'll keep re-watching this series.
7 Reviews
Law & Order:Criminal Intent-One
Scarecrow-8811 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
LAW AND ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT opened its first official season with detectives Eames and Goren(Kathryn Erbe and Vincent D'Onofrio) of the Major Case Squad trying to find the mastermind of an elaborate diamonds heist, which ended in the murder of an innocent couple whose home gave access to the robbed safe(wrong place, wrong time scenario where they stumble upon the criminals as they are leaving the scene of the robbery, the couple considered collateral damage). Early Jake Weber role as the shooter and brilliant narcissistic leader of the group who heisted the safe of diamonds, actually killing one of his crew, leaving him behind at the crime scene..a corpse which will inevitably link back to him. Goren sees a way to possibly get to Weber through his loyal, long-suffering girlfriend, Gia(Michele Hicks). Jamey Sheridan is Captain James Deakins, the one Eames and Goren answer to and keep informed. Courtney B Vance is Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver, the Order in the Law and Order of the show, the attorney Major Case often keep in contact with. Lenny Venito is the forger who helps Weber set up phony licenses and passports, his lamenting machine left in an apartment damning him ultimately.
Diamonds are not one's best friend
TheLittleSongbird12 July 2019
Ever since catching it by chance switching through channels some years ago, 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' left me hooked. Quickly it became one of my most regularly watched late evening shows and it complements the original 'Law and Order' extremely well indeed. Like the first spin off 'Special Victims Unit' though (and the original show, which wasn't to me the same post-Briscoe), there is a personal preference for the early seasons.
"One" was a very good start for 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent'. Will agree that there are better episodes when things had fully settled and other shows have even better first episodes (that's including 'Special Victims Unit'). But 'Criminal Intent' with "One" does in my opinion do a better job than quite a lot of shows in being wholly engaging from the very start, rather than unsure at first and debating whether to continue. Neither of which were the case with either of the aforementioned 'Law and Order' shows.
The identity of the murderer is one that is not that big a surprise, found it a little too obvious for my liking too early, when one likes to be kept guessing up to the finish that can be a disappointment somewhat. But with the show, it's more about how Goren and Eames get to the truth and the psychological approach and that's what intriguing about it. "One" establishes that very well with no signs of being rocky, remarkable for so early on.
Production values are good, with slick photography that may not be extraordinary but it's never cheap or drab. Love it when locations and cities are like characters of their own in film and television, and that's the case with New York here and in the rest of the 'Law and Order' franchise set there. The music is thankfully not intrusive and only used when necessary so it makes the dialogue stand out properly. The main theme, though it's not my favourite main theme of the franchise, and opening voice over stick in the mind a long time after.
Writing in "One" is thought-provoking and neither too simple or complicated, always sounding natural. "One's" story is not an original or complex one, but it's executed with the right amount of twists and turns and the detective methods and psychological way of getting to the truth are intriguing. Goren is already an interesting character, with unique methods (including manipulation) and mannerisms that set him apart from a lot of television detectives. Vincent D'Onofrio brings him to life brilliantly and Kathryn Erbe provides an effective softer contrast, though their chemistry didn't feel completely gelled. Courtney B Vance makes a big impression too, as does a chilling Jake Weber.
In conclusion, very good. 8/10
"One" was a very good start for 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent'. Will agree that there are better episodes when things had fully settled and other shows have even better first episodes (that's including 'Special Victims Unit'). But 'Criminal Intent' with "One" does in my opinion do a better job than quite a lot of shows in being wholly engaging from the very start, rather than unsure at first and debating whether to continue. Neither of which were the case with either of the aforementioned 'Law and Order' shows.
The identity of the murderer is one that is not that big a surprise, found it a little too obvious for my liking too early, when one likes to be kept guessing up to the finish that can be a disappointment somewhat. But with the show, it's more about how Goren and Eames get to the truth and the psychological approach and that's what intriguing about it. "One" establishes that very well with no signs of being rocky, remarkable for so early on.
Production values are good, with slick photography that may not be extraordinary but it's never cheap or drab. Love it when locations and cities are like characters of their own in film and television, and that's the case with New York here and in the rest of the 'Law and Order' franchise set there. The music is thankfully not intrusive and only used when necessary so it makes the dialogue stand out properly. The main theme, though it's not my favourite main theme of the franchise, and opening voice over stick in the mind a long time after.
Writing in "One" is thought-provoking and neither too simple or complicated, always sounding natural. "One's" story is not an original or complex one, but it's executed with the right amount of twists and turns and the detective methods and psychological way of getting to the truth are intriguing. Goren is already an interesting character, with unique methods (including manipulation) and mannerisms that set him apart from a lot of television detectives. Vincent D'Onofrio brings him to life brilliantly and Kathryn Erbe provides an effective softer contrast, though their chemistry didn't feel completely gelled. Courtney B Vance makes a big impression too, as does a chilling Jake Weber.
In conclusion, very good. 8/10
Excellent Debut For This TV Show
ccthemovieman-126 December 2006
Professional thieves, all fairly young and a bit arrogant, cleverly get fake IDs, building plans, etc., drill a hole in the right place, go in and rob a jewelry store of about $300 million in gems. One of the crooks, the high-tech expert in the group, is shot in the head four times by one of his partners. Then, two other young people in the wrong place at the wrong time, are executed as the thieves make their escape out of the vault and adjacent building.
This was an excellent episode, a great debut for what has turned out to be an outstanding program, at least for the three years I've seen it. After watching the first three seasons on DVD and then going back to this one for IMDb reviews, I noticed Kathryn Erbe's hair was longer (and it helped make her look prettier) this first season. Vincent D'Onofrio, as Det. Robert Goren, looked a bit younger, too. This show must have slightly aged him, but I have read that beginning with season four he was slowly being phased out. What a loss for the program. He has been fascinating ever since this first episode.
This was an excellent episode, a great debut for what has turned out to be an outstanding program, at least for the three years I've seen it. After watching the first three seasons on DVD and then going back to this one for IMDb reviews, I noticed Kathryn Erbe's hair was longer (and it helped make her look prettier) this first season. Vincent D'Onofrio, as Det. Robert Goren, looked a bit younger, too. This show must have slightly aged him, but I have read that beginning with season four he was slowly being phased out. What a loss for the program. He has been fascinating ever since this first episode.
D'Onofrio and Erbe the Gold Standard of the Series
tavasiloff11 October 2020
Vince D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe were the gold standard of this series. Their characters were interesting and complex. Christopher Noth and Jeff Goldblum were okay but did not have the same charisma as D'Onofrio and those seasons and episodes were less enjoyable. Fortunately, season 10, although short, was a return to the D'Onofrio and Erbe who made the series outstanding.
F'in great
lorutmc4 September 2021
Why we have a Major Case squad
bkoganbing30 April 2016
Criminal Intent's debut episode showed the reason why there is a Major Case squad in the first place. You want specialists like Robert Goren on cases like this. Something like this that is heinous the public will demand justice.
A middle aged married couple is gotten out of town on the pretext of winning some kind of contest and get a weekend in Atlantic City. Those aren't cheap so you know the haul has to be worth it. The apartment was wanted so that the crooks could tunnel into a jewelry store next door and clean it out. But unexpectedly the daughter of the couple in Atlantic City comes home with her boyfriend and they are executed. So is one of the gang.
The murderer is one coldblooded piece of work. But it occurred to me that if he had not executed the other member of the gang for whatever reasons and they involve the perpetrator's own mindset right at the scene, but had saved that until they were well clear of the robbery, Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe might not have solved it. You understand from the criminal's mind the need to silence witnesses, unexpected ones at that. But the other killing was a most personal matter.
The other thing that occurred to me was that the detectives in the mythical 15th precinct in Law And Order prime have handled some pretty high profile items at that. Makes you question the need for a special unit and what's the criteria to make a crime a Major Case. That issue was forever being explored on The Closer and its successor show Major Crimes.
The perpetrator who did the deeds is a vicious piece of work, that's what saves this episode. It's a good, but not great debut. But better episodes were to come.
A middle aged married couple is gotten out of town on the pretext of winning some kind of contest and get a weekend in Atlantic City. Those aren't cheap so you know the haul has to be worth it. The apartment was wanted so that the crooks could tunnel into a jewelry store next door and clean it out. But unexpectedly the daughter of the couple in Atlantic City comes home with her boyfriend and they are executed. So is one of the gang.
The murderer is one coldblooded piece of work. But it occurred to me that if he had not executed the other member of the gang for whatever reasons and they involve the perpetrator's own mindset right at the scene, but had saved that until they were well clear of the robbery, Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe might not have solved it. You understand from the criminal's mind the need to silence witnesses, unexpected ones at that. But the other killing was a most personal matter.
The other thing that occurred to me was that the detectives in the mythical 15th precinct in Law And Order prime have handled some pretty high profile items at that. Makes you question the need for a special unit and what's the criteria to make a crime a Major Case. That issue was forever being explored on The Closer and its successor show Major Crimes.
The perpetrator who did the deeds is a vicious piece of work, that's what saves this episode. It's a good, but not great debut. But better episodes were to come.
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