The previous episodes of Season 20 were all a mixed bag. The only one to rise above good being the season premiere "Man Up". The others ranged between quite good and mediocre. So was not sure on rewatch how "Hell's Kitchen" would fare. Was very mixed on it on first watch, with me finding the acting (particularly the regular acting) vastly superior to the regular acting in the previous episode but finding it a case of a good first half but a not so good second half.
My mixed feelings on "Hell's Kitchen" are pretty much the same and for the same reasons, positive and negative. Most of the previous episodes have had the pattern of one half being better than the other, the only one for it to not be the case really being "Man Up". And usually with the previous episodes it's been the first half that has been superior (vastly superior in a couple of cases). "Hell's Kitchen" does have good things and is not terrible, there is just not much that is amazing and the quality again is uneven.
"Hell's Kitchen" has good things certainly. First and foremost, the 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.
Luckily, the regular acting is superior than it was in the previous episode. Mariska Hargitay certainly has a good deal more energy than she did in "Caretaker" and in a few previous seasons, she has been hit and miss for a few seasons but she was fine here. There is a great scene between Olivia and Stone outside the courthouse, it is the most that Stone has made any kind of impression up to this point.
Like most of the previous Season 20 episodes, "Hell's Kitchen" starts off very well, with a lot of intrigue and tension. This is also the first proper time this time where Olivia has not irked me in some shape or form, which was good.
However, "Hell's Kitchen" could have been a good deal better. It is another case of an episode to start off well but drop the ball too early. Too much of the story as well is too obvious and the legal case is far too thin from too little evidence. There is also too much focus on the ripped from the headlines aspect and with it being so closely indebted to the case it is ripped from it felt too sensationalist and that so much of the second half is too predictable as a result takes away from any suspense.
Furthermore, there is quite a lot of cliched over-heated dialogue whileStone is still too one dimensional and the constant ramming down the throat reminder of his sister's death has gotten tired when it has been executed in such an inconsistent manner the entire season.
Concluding, very mixed here. 5/10.
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