That "Real Fake News" even dared go near such a relevant and important topic guaranteed to make anybody feel uncomfortable is to be lauded. And anything that paints the media in a negative light, as was obvious even reading the plot synopsis and the title, gets a lot of respect from me as well. The episode really impressed me on first viewing, one of the few episodes of the season to do so, and in the top 3 particularly memorable Season 18 episode first viewings.
Despite not being the highest rated episode as of now (though it's towards the top), "Real Fake News" gets my vote as the best of Season 18. Absolutely loved its brave unflinching approach to one of the season's most relevant (at the time of making and airing and now, especially so the latter) topics and how uncompromisingly truthful it was. Was worried about whether it would be too exploitative or too similar to sensationalist clickbait, but it wasn't and did appreciate the consequences of when someone in the media defames somebody as badly as Olivia is.
Nearly everything works brilliantly. Production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is alert but also doesn't come over as disorganised.
Writing is taut with no extraneous fat or melodrama and intelligent, no sleaziness or condescension here. Loved how they took a real life case, or at least was inspired by it, and made a fascinating and relevant episode out of it. It could easily have been sensationalist considering the topic, but managed not to be. It absolutely nails the dangers of what is said by the media and how easily gullible too many people are if they believe it and behave extremely as a result, as well as the fear and hysteria that is caused.
It is one of the few episodes of Season 18 to actually feel like early seasons 'Special Victims Unit', in a good way, meaning that it was all about the case and not dominated by soapy personal life melodrama. A far cry from something like "Heightened Emotions" for example. The acting is excellent, especially Mariska hargitay in the interrogation scene where she is the most intimidating she has been in a while. Actually felt for Olivia for the first and pretty much only proper time this time and it was the first time where her point of view is understandable and justifiable.
By all means "Real Fake News" isn't perfect. Olivia actually wasn't harsh enough with the person she interrogated, nobody should stand for being defamed in the way that she was because if she was harsher the person interrogated would have behaved more remorsefully maybe. Which should give aspiring journalists something to think about.
Overall, great and the best episode of the season. 9/10.
Despite not being the highest rated episode as of now (though it's towards the top), "Real Fake News" gets my vote as the best of Season 18. Absolutely loved its brave unflinching approach to one of the season's most relevant (at the time of making and airing and now, especially so the latter) topics and how uncompromisingly truthful it was. Was worried about whether it would be too exploitative or too similar to sensationalist clickbait, but it wasn't and did appreciate the consequences of when someone in the media defames somebody as badly as Olivia is.
Nearly everything works brilliantly. Production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is alert but also doesn't come over as disorganised.
Writing is taut with no extraneous fat or melodrama and intelligent, no sleaziness or condescension here. Loved how they took a real life case, or at least was inspired by it, and made a fascinating and relevant episode out of it. It could easily have been sensationalist considering the topic, but managed not to be. It absolutely nails the dangers of what is said by the media and how easily gullible too many people are if they believe it and behave extremely as a result, as well as the fear and hysteria that is caused.
It is one of the few episodes of Season 18 to actually feel like early seasons 'Special Victims Unit', in a good way, meaning that it was all about the case and not dominated by soapy personal life melodrama. A far cry from something like "Heightened Emotions" for example. The acting is excellent, especially Mariska hargitay in the interrogation scene where she is the most intimidating she has been in a while. Actually felt for Olivia for the first and pretty much only proper time this time and it was the first time where her point of view is understandable and justifiable.
By all means "Real Fake News" isn't perfect. Olivia actually wasn't harsh enough with the person she interrogated, nobody should stand for being defamed in the way that she was because if she was harsher the person interrogated would have behaved more remorsefully maybe. Which should give aspiring journalists something to think about.
Overall, great and the best episode of the season. 9/10.
