Carrier

Showing what a good and fair lawyer, McCoy can be when he wants to. Maybe Jamie Ross is finally rubbing off on him... I knew someone who stumbled upon the kind of creep portrayed in « Carrier », and there are clearly cases where you can't ignore a threat, at the risk of having more victims on your hands. The political aspect was pertinent for once. It had nothing to do with race, sexuality or even people in general, just a question of public health. Lobbies entering the fray, were just being hypocritical as heck as ever, and I was a hundred percent behind the lawyers decision to prosecute no matter the cost. Of course, writers didn't took too much risk either, considering the way the episode unfolded and concluded, but it was a very gripping one, neatly written and just as flawlessly acted.

The subject matter immediately is enough to grab the attention. It is yet another very sensitive and difficult topic to discuss, and if anybody has doubts about whether the execution would be tactful enough without being preachy, one-sided and too heavy that is understandable (those are common traps with this kind of topic and similar). Anybody though that has always admired how 'Law and Order' approached tough subjects and how it did so will be intrigued.

"Carrier's" subject matter is one of the most controversial ones of Season 8 and one of those subjects that should not be trivialised or sugar-coated but also be approached with caution and tact. "Carrier's" approach to this subject matter is far from trivialised or sugar-coated but it also still manages to do it in good taste and not make too much of a judgement (even when hating the perpetrator so much). It is a very good episode, though it is one of those Season 8 episodes where one half is superior to the other.

For me it was a bit on the routine side to begin with, actually had a big feeling right off the bat that the actions were done with intent and the perpetrator's attitude alone is a giveaway.

However, everything else is done wonderfully. 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 performances are excellent across the board.

Script is intelligent and lean with no signs of fat. It also has intensity, emotional impact and even the odd sprinkle of humour, and is especially good when arguing whether the actions of the perpetrator were intentional and providing any proof. The story in the legal portions is hugely riveting and raises so many questions, especially everything centered around the confidentiality. The debating is intriguing and thought-provoking, though it is one of those cases where one cannot see how anybody would want to defend somebody as disgusting as the perpetrator.

In conclusion, very good and nearly great. 8/10.