Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) The Extra Man (2001) User Reviews

Deep psychological roots

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 May 2016]

One of the more complex murder cases that Detectives Goren and Eames ever caught was this one where the victim is a foreigner, a charming fellow who goes by the name of Dennis Dupont. He's played here by Eric Thal.

This one is some piece of work. He's a lying confidence man who swindled a whole bunch of the rich and powerful, even bedding a few of their wives.

But solving the mystery is not quite the end for Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe. There's quite a coda to this story and it once again takes the eclectic mind of Robert Goren to read the thoughts and motives of Thal. His personality as shaped in the present has some deep psychological roots.

You'll love how this one turns out.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent-The Extra Man

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 11 November 2010]

A man found badly beaten in a hotel room is said to be a Frenchman named Denis Dupont(Eric Thal), who had swindled several wealthy people. These wealthy people actually paid a "collector" to get what was stolen from them, the money given Denis for what they thought was a sure fire profitable investment. Goren believes Denis is a crackpot who grew up in an orphanage and through his rough childhood forged an illusion in his mind that he could outsmart and con anyone, no matter how rich or powerful, affluent or impenetrable in regards to strata or status in high society. That is what Goren will attempt to penetrate, to bruise his ego to the point that Denis will have to address the detective's treatment of him in the papers. This is definitely one of the more complex episodes showing what L&A:CI would be known for: elaborate, intricate plots which produce twists and turns, revealing surprises about characters and their ultimate motivations. In this episode, you think someone(a specific person, a face and name which both turn out to be false) is viciously murdered by a hired thug, the result not exactly as you would be led to believe, identities are skewed, married women with designs for their precious conman and his French accent despite the fact that he snookered their husbands, with Goren and his skills as a profiler on display.

Interesting story

[kjc-32205 · 8/10 · 9 September 2021]

Good story; Eric Thal's accent is abysmal. Other than that, the performances are top notch.

Very Good Twist In Here Elevates Show

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 22 August 2007]

A French stud, with the famous Dupont name, is founded murdered by woman who was to meet him in this hotel room for a, let's say, a night out. Instead she finds the guy lying on the floor covered in blood. He turns out to be a big con man from Europe with a real history of pretending to be "old money" when he was far from that.

An air of sleaze to this episode when showing the high-society women (Liberals in the entertainment business like to show the ultra-rich as bad guys, even though they are among the financial elites themselves.) That's what this story is all about, rich people ticked off because they were taken by some con man, so they hire a guy to teach this bum a severe lesson.

The best thing about this story is that twist after about 25 minutes of the show when the police and us find out the victim is not who we all thought he was. "Dupont" knew someone was setting him and up and sent someone else up to the room, where the hit-man (so to speak) beat up the wrong man. Also, the thug didn't kill him, only beat him up. Someone came along and finished the job! The question is "who?" (I don't want to give everything away.)

That twist turned this from slightly-below par episode into a much better one as the people in the Major Case Unit try to flush out the killer....and Goren uses "ego" as the bait.

Charm and harm

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 5 August 2019]

Up to this (very early) stage, 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' showed a lot of promise. Having really liked to loved all the previous five episodes, even if better was to follow when the show's feet had been properly found. It is always great when a show has many great things from the get go and makes one excited for more, rather than being deeply let down and seriously considering whether to bail or not (have found that on occasions).

"The Extra Man" is a slight disappointment after two truly outstanding episodes in "The Faithful" and "Jones". There is not really anything wrong and the good/great things are many, it's many that those episodes had the extra something that "The Extra Man" didn't quite have. Such as "Jones" powerhouse ending, with the increasing tension and the shock factor. Both also drew me in from the get go and never let up.

Whereas with "The Extra Man", it got better and better as it went on. For some reason, didn't find myself completely grabbed by the first 15-20 minutes where it felt like the episode didn't get properly going straightaway and was on the slightly ordinary side.

However, twenty or so minutes in the twists and turns started and a lot of the episode became increasingly unpredictable, with a lot being not what it initially seemed. Including the victim being one of Season 1's most reprehensible victims. "The Extra Man" is indeed a complex and twisty episode, while avoiding the over-complicated/convoluted route that could have easily been gone down. There is plenty for one to keep on guessing and it was great to see, as always intriguing and entertaining though also unorthodox, how the detectives got to the truth and their methods (have always liked that about 'Criminal Intent').

Pretty much all the writing for "The Extra Man" is a good balance of not being overly-simple or too complicated, treating the viewer with respect with neither making them feel dumb or losing them. The production values are slick as always and the music (though there is a preference for the other 'Law and Order' themes) isn't overdone in orchestration or how it's used. Vincent D'Onofrio expertly brings out Goren's somewhat neurotic and hard-boiled edge, matched by a more understated Kathryn Erbe. Their chemistry carries the episode very well.

In summary, very good if not as good as the previous two episodes. 8/10

Too many holes in story

[radarfirs7 · 5/10 · 29 June 2021]

Maybe I have a Bias after watching "White Collar" with Neal, Mozzie, Hunter, etc Con Artists. Of course White Collar is more "Fun" than "Serious" and the possibility of the Bad Con Man gets a 2nd chance. This episode is what eightish years before White Collar. But then both are in NYC. This guy is not even close to Con Man "Orphan" like Mozzie.

Con Man with "Dupont"? A Paint Company Family? Once we learn con man is Swiss, it makes the "Poor" French Accent is understandable. Which he also not careful with his use of Vocabulary, that Goren catches to figure out the "Swiss" and the "Brazil" dots to figure out the Connect the Dots Picture of the Con Man.

The "Holes" are at the Ending, we don't get to see "Rich & Greedy" go to prison, or the Con Man who only Con's himself also get prison time.

So, my #1 Question with this version of "Law & Order" where is the actual Court Case(s)? Shouldn't it be called The Goren Show?