Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Snatched (2009) User Reviews

EXCELLENT cast except...

[pmhoukfam · 9/10 · 11 March 2020]

The mom is *the* worst actress I've seen on any episode of SVU ever. It's a shame since Dabney Coleman and Ron Eldard are some of the best - like emmy nomination good. The episode overall is still excellent. If not for that actress, I'd have given 10 stars.

SPOILER: I think the actress playing the mom was trying to convey that she was behind the girl's disappearance by overacting in her shock and grief. But no. It was just bad.

Dabney Coleman great performance - worth watching for that

[mdarrenu · 9/10 · 17 June 2018]

This episode has an incredible performance by Dabney Coleman, as an ex-con with alzheimer's who needs to remember where his granddaughter was taken. Burt Young is well, Burt Young, small but memorable part, another incredible actor. Ron Eldard plays the father of the kidnapped girl who is also captivating.

The best thing about this episode is that Olivia only plays a secondary role. Her character has become too preachy and unbelievable over the years.

To me, the performances of Coleman, Eldard and Young make this one of the better episodes. I was never a Coleman fan during his prime. He was always very good but the roles seemed a little too simple. Maybe he was really never given the type of material he should have been.

Thieves Code

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 2 July 2015]

Dabney Coleman and Burt Young give some memorable performances as a pair of old time heist men which highlight this SVU story. Wallace Shawn as a college professor or mechanical engineering also has one memorable scene with Christopher Meloni and Ice-T.

Young Daisy Tahan is snatched from her apartment by a man pretending to be a cop. Suspicion falls on Ron Eldard who is the victim's biological father, especially when some surveillance photos show him violating his custody agreement.

Eldard is a professional criminal, but as it turns out so is the ex- wife Michelle Ray Smith who is Coleman's daughter. And her current husband Michael C. Williams is a degenerate gambler. There's a lot more to this kidnapping than the squad originally thinks.

Kudos to both Coleman and Young for a pair of great performances that show these guys have an interesting code of their own.

Rocks, Stones Gang

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 24 June 2021]

Good episode with Frank Hager (Dabney Coleman), Craig L (Joe Lisi), Eddy Mack (Burt Young), Roy Batters (Wallace Shawn) and the Svu squad.

I like parts of an old novel in a 50's mood or the parts that give the impression of watching a play on the theater stage.

Good Episode Despite Stereotypes

[bkkaz · 8/10 · 12 July 2022]

Stabler tries to help some white trash figure out their messed up lives while rescuing a kidnapped little girl. The script could be tighter -- it just has to use cliched names like Rosie for the little girl because, you know, white trash -- but performances by Burt Young, Dabney Coleman, and Ron Eldard make this much better than it might not otherwise be. Christopher Meloni gives a solid performance, too.

Den of thieves

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

My first watch of "Snatched" left me with conflicting feelings, mostly leaning towards liking it with a few serious reservations. Found a huge amount to like, such as two great guest performances and finding the truth a real surprise, but did think too that it became over-complicated and not every plot development felt natural. The concept is an interesting one and 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' has been capable of brilliance before and since.

Brilliance that was not seen enough in Season 10, but far from absent. Still don't consider "Snatched" one of those brilliant episodes or as good as the likes of "Persona", "Hothouse", "Transitions", "Ballerina" and "Liberties" (the only great episodes of the season, though "Swing" did come close) as far as Season 10 goes. But it is still good and is in the high middle ranking the season's episodes, comparing it to the overall standard of the season that's not a bad position at all to be in.

"Snatched" has a lot of good things. The production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it). The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The direction lets the drama breathe while having enough tautness too, so things don't get dull.

The script on the whole is well done, provoking thought throughout the length and is like a lean steak cooked just enough to not have too much fat while not losing the flesh. The acting is very good from the regulars, and the support from Dabney Coleman and especially Ron Eldard (Eldard having the most fleshed out character) is even better. The story continues right from the start and has tension, also didn't consider what transpired to be the truth until some way in. The ending is one that makes one feel sad and angry towards and for a person.

However, "Snatched" has a few issues. It does try to cram in too much in too short a length, meaning that some of the story later on feels rushed and over-complicated. The cracking code part was on the contrived side.

Michelle Ray agreed overacts dreadfully here and her character is one of those where not a good feeling is felt about them from the outset.

In conclusion, another pretty good but not great, despite many great things, episode. 7/10.