This season was off to a very slow start. This episode gave viewers some excitement. It also gave the big spotlight to Cragen which was a treat. The actress who played Lena was very good. Even I was falling into her her spell.
4 Reviews
Death comes the bride
TheLittleSongbird21 June 2022
Captain Donald Cragen always struck me as a great character ever since he was first introduced in the original 'Law and Order' and especially here in 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'. He was a strong authority figure, was no nonsense and had some good lines, but it is a shame that he didn't have anywhere near enough screen time in his later episodes. "Russian Brides" struck me as a very good episode on first watch and an even better showcase for Cragen.
"Russian Brides" is more than a very good episode now. Actually think now that it is absolutely great, the story while losing none of its complexity is easier to follow and Cragen's development really added so much to him and is even more striking and investable now. A perfect balance of case and character development in a way that wasn't seen enough in the latter seasons. While liking all but one of the previous Season 13 episodes, "Russian Brides" to me is the first great one of the season.
My only issue is that some of the police work is sloppy, such as not having a Russian interpreter which would have made their job a good deal easier. This is where Munch would have proved useful. Will say that it is nowhere near as bad as it was in the previous episode "True Believers", which was such a hack job on their parts that they were called out for it.
However, so much is brilliant. Loved Cragen's expanded role, and really appreciated how much depth he was given in this episode for the first time in a while. His character development is very nuanced and movingly done and sees Cragen as a lot more than the boss. Dann Florek brought out his inner conflict and authority excellently. The regulars are very strong too if not quite up to his level. The guest stars are also every bit as good, with an affecting Timothy Busfield and a spine chilling Izabella Mike.
Appreciated too that the team were mostly well utilised, had some role in solving the case and didn't frustrate. The story is close to a triumph, right from the very suspenseful and shocking beginning to the both tense and sad climax. The truth was not unexpected and was both sad and anger-inducing. The story is full of tension and is suitably twisty, it is not too simple and it is not too complicated. It is very action packed and never dull while never being cluttered.
It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole. The script is thought probing and doesn't have any extraneous fat.
Overall, great. 9/10.
"Russian Brides" is more than a very good episode now. Actually think now that it is absolutely great, the story while losing none of its complexity is easier to follow and Cragen's development really added so much to him and is even more striking and investable now. A perfect balance of case and character development in a way that wasn't seen enough in the latter seasons. While liking all but one of the previous Season 13 episodes, "Russian Brides" to me is the first great one of the season.
My only issue is that some of the police work is sloppy, such as not having a Russian interpreter which would have made their job a good deal easier. This is where Munch would have proved useful. Will say that it is nowhere near as bad as it was in the previous episode "True Believers", which was such a hack job on their parts that they were called out for it.
However, so much is brilliant. Loved Cragen's expanded role, and really appreciated how much depth he was given in this episode for the first time in a while. His character development is very nuanced and movingly done and sees Cragen as a lot more than the boss. Dann Florek brought out his inner conflict and authority excellently. The regulars are very strong too if not quite up to his level. The guest stars are also every bit as good, with an affecting Timothy Busfield and a spine chilling Izabella Mike.
Appreciated too that the team were mostly well utilised, had some role in solving the case and didn't frustrate. The story is close to a triumph, right from the very suspenseful and shocking beginning to the both tense and sad climax. The truth was not unexpected and was both sad and anger-inducing. The story is full of tension and is suitably twisty, it is not too simple and it is not too complicated. It is very action packed and never dull while never being cluttered.
It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key on the whole. The script is thought probing and doesn't have any extraneous fat.
Overall, great. 9/10.
Russian Mail Bride, anyone??
Mike138811 November 2011
This review comes from someone who never watch SVU his whole life (I know!). I am familiar with Law and Order (the old one) and loved to watch it from time to time, but SVU aka spin off never sparks my interest (which now I regret deeply). I always like detective shows, I tried to watch 'CSI' but find it too complex and over the top and so does half other 'murder mystery' shows out there that are not worth mentioning.
Russian Brides is the seventh episode of the 13th season of SVU. From story line point of view this episode was very well written. Direction was fast-pace which is totally my style as I hate slow & lengthy dialogs cop shows. Actors all did wonderful too, I really enjoyed each one of them but my favorite will be Hargitay (if that's not obvious already). So to conclude, I am excited to watch more of the coming episodes and will watch the previous seasons too.
I'm sure many of the loyal fans will consider this episode to be average, which might be so, but if you are a newbie like me, this one will pretty much blown your mind away!
Russian Brides is the seventh episode of the 13th season of SVU. From story line point of view this episode was very well written. Direction was fast-pace which is totally my style as I hate slow & lengthy dialogs cop shows. Actors all did wonderful too, I really enjoyed each one of them but my favorite will be Hargitay (if that's not obvious already). So to conclude, I am excited to watch more of the coming episodes and will watch the previous seasons too.
I'm sure many of the loyal fans will consider this episode to be average, which might be so, but if you are a newbie like me, this one will pretty much blown your mind away!
The Scope of her evil
bkoganbing30 August 2013
When a disfigured body and face of a woman who has been raped turns up and the SVU squad gets the case, it leads them into an investigation of a Russian bride scheme involving prostitution and extortion. One of the victims is Timothy Busfield who was taken for plenty including money he really doesn't have.
And it turns out that his intended 'bride' Izabella Miko is quite alive and working the scheme again. None other than Dann Florek the SVU captain goes undercover as the old lonely widower looking for love in all the wrong places.
As it turns out Miko is one of the most amoral characters that SVU has ever had on the show. She could give Jane Greer from Out Of The Past a real run for the money in the scope of her evil. It will shock you as the episode concludes.
And it turns out that his intended 'bride' Izabella Miko is quite alive and working the scheme again. None other than Dann Florek the SVU captain goes undercover as the old lonely widower looking for love in all the wrong places.
As it turns out Miko is one of the most amoral characters that SVU has ever had on the show. She could give Jane Greer from Out Of The Past a real run for the money in the scope of her evil. It will shock you as the episode concludes.
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