Turnaround

The focus shifts in this second episode of a three part story as the murder weapon is located by a kid on a stretch of Long Island beach. Blood and DNA from the victim is found on it and it's identified as belonging to Scott Cohen the victim's movie director husband.

This episode among other things really shows you that at times being a good citizen really can affect things. If that weapon which was a Filipino machete had not been turned in, no one would have been the wiser.

Now instead of personal trainer Jeffrey Sams, law enforcement now goes after Scott Cohen and he's much further up the Hollywood hierarchy. All the help Sams was getting from the studio suddenly dries up as the studio and the movie colony circle the wagons.

Sam Waterston and Carey Lowell have to go out to Hollywood as extradition is fought by the studio. And as we know all too well from real life movie studios and law enforcement in Los Angeles are quite incestuous.

We also see in this episode what a shark Keith Szarabajka is in court, but just a hint. Much more to come in the last part of this trilogy.

The previous episode "D-Girl" was an excellent beginning to a very memorable (in an as great a way as you can get) three parter. It set things up from what was to come wonderfully, which is in my mind exactly what a part 1 should do. There is a preference for this episode "Turnaround" and the next one "Showtime", where the pace is tauter, the storytelling is richer and more twisted but pretty much everything was excellently executed before.

Following on from the events of "D-Girl", "Turnaround" is the second part of the three parter, and it is even better than what came before. It has all the great things that "D-Girl", yet makes them even better. Just like how that episode did so well at setting things up, "Turnaround" builds upon what was learnt before and introduces more content at the same time. It succeeds at both brilliantly and it is a season high-point. No wonder the three parter made such a big impression on me when first starting to watch the early seasons.

Visually, "Turnaround" is typically solid. The production values are still fully professional, the slickness and subtly gritty style still remaining. The music is sparingly used and is haunting and thankfully non-overwrought. The direction shows some nice tension in especially when things become more complicated on a pesonal level for Ross.

Writing is intelligent and thought-probing, with a lot of talk but not in a way that rambles or feels padded. Every line has a reason for being there and every one intrigues in some shape or form. The story keeps the tension and the surprises running smoothly and non-stop, nothing feels predictable. It is never too simple or over-stretched and despite there being a lot more information to digest it is not confusing either.

Like "D-Girl", the case and personal life aspects are handled expertly. With it becoming more complicated personally, it would have been very easy for the episode to become soapy, but that is avoided when one sees what the complications could mean for Ross potentially.

All the regulars are typically fine, especially Carey Lowell, and the supporting cast are more than up to their level. Particularly smarmy Keith Szarabajka and Scott Cohen has more to do and plays Newman very well to the extent that one roots for his guilt.

In conclusion, brilliant. 10/10.