Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Wednesday's Child (2014) User Reviews

Heartbreaking episode

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 13 July 2019]

The SVU squad in this one has a real heartbreaking case here of an adopted child abandoned by his mother when she goes through a breakdown crisis.

Father John Benjamin Hickey's job keeps him traveling and his wife Jodie Markell just loses it. Little Duncan Nicholson is a hyperactive kid who is also diabetic and the squad races against time to find him.

What a pair of low lives husband and wife Mark Boone, Jr. and Rosanna Arquette are. These are the two Markell just gave her kid to.

This episode rates high because of the separate interrogation scenes the squad has with Boone and Arquette. Fine acting with these two playing some stomach turning characters.

Best of all is Mariska Hargitay with Markell at the end. Her regret is that there are no good alternatives here.

Noah's "origin story"

[wordsbyrach · 7/10 · 7 September 2023]

The only criticism I have is the willing suspension of disbelief that this little boy in critical need of insulin would know how to read the tiny arrival/departure screen data to find the destination, time, flight No., and gate, and then to board the correct plane.

But this is the first in a series that chronicals baby Noah's story (to the eventual adoption by Liv and subsequent seasons), and for the most part, tells a good story. The various character actors are well acted.

Roger and Alexa (and the baby broker lady) are comical and entertaining despite the latter 2 being horrible criminals. It's a quirky episode for sure.

Full of woe

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 3 August 2022]

Missing children or children in danger is a type of story that most seasons of all three of the major 'Law and Order' shows (the original, 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent') have. That is not a bad thing as it is a relevant subject and tackles along the way some serious issues, some needing to be explored more. Like what has been said in some recent previous reviews, familiar territory is not an immediate strike against but it is depending on the execution and whether it does anything illuminating or special.

"Wednesday's Child" for me evoked a mixed to marginally positive reaction. There is a lot to like and the emotional impact it has is to me difficult to deny, even as somebody who has never been in this situation. At the same time, there was something missing that stopped me from having a stronger reaction. If the story and pacing had been a lot stronger and more consistent, "Wednesday's Child" would have been a much better episode.

Of course there are good things. It is as ever shot with the right amount of intimacy without feeling too up close, even with a reliance of close up camerawork. That the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time is great too. The music isn't over-scored, manipulative or used too much. There is intimacy and tautness in the direction. The episode especially shines in the interrogation scenes, which had chilling tension and heartbreak.

The regulars are very good with no exception, while Rosanna Arquette and Mark Boone Jr chill the blood as truly despicable characters. There are moments that are moving.

Against all this, this is another case that feels too thin, meaning that there are a good deal of lulls in pace, and predictable from doing little new with a familiar subject covered better elsewhere. Did feel that it lacks urgency later.

Olivias subplot feels like filler and rather bland dramatically. Olivia has had a lot of development this season but it feels like they're trying to pack too much in in too short a time and in a way that distracts from the cases, which was the case with later seasons as well (even more so). Too much of the dialogue, outside of the very well written interrogation scenes, is trite.

Concluding, not bad at all but a bit uneven. 6/10.