The character of Zach Nichols didn't do much for me in his first two episodes, neither of which doing much for me as episodes. My problem does not lie with Jeff Goldblum but the writing. In the next two though, my opinion on him completely changed and the episodes in question were also much better. Serena Stevens was a bit mixed for me as a character and it did depend on the material, the chemistry between her and Nichols was never non-existent but it didn't ignite in the same way Goren and Eames' did.
Season 9, which had fourteen out of its sixteen episodes having them as the lead characters, did have some good and more episodes. "Inhumane Society" is one of the very good episodes, one of the better episodes of Season 9 and a significant improvement over the major disappointment that was the previous episode "Palimpsest". At least "Inhumane Society" felt like a 'Criminal Intent' episode and had a lot of good things in its own right. Not one of my favourite episodes of the show, but definitely not something to fob off in a hurry.
Not an awful lot wrong here in "Inhumane Society", though the chemistry between Nichols and Stevens again could have done with more spark, it's functional and not non-existent, and there is some progression since their first outing, but it's not on fire. Namely because Nichols' character is a good deal stronger than Stevens'.
Maybe a little over-complicated towards the end too when it tries to cram too much in.
However, so much is done right. There were some Season 9 episodes where the supporting cast were even better than the regulars. "Inhumane Society" is one of those cases, especially in the case of Michael B. Jordan's intense performance. Dan Lauria is also strong. Jeff Goldblum carries the episode very well too and did love how he solves the case and his deductions, quirky but not overdoing it. The supporting character writing has come on a lot since the beginning of the season, that has contributed to why some of the guest turns have been so good this season.
As ever, the photography and such are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The writing is smart, taut and thought-provoking and also really liked the darkness and complexity of the story. The initial murder is one of the show's grisliest.
In conclusion, very good. 8/10.
Season 9, which had fourteen out of its sixteen episodes having them as the lead characters, did have some good and more episodes. "Inhumane Society" is one of the very good episodes, one of the better episodes of Season 9 and a significant improvement over the major disappointment that was the previous episode "Palimpsest". At least "Inhumane Society" felt like a 'Criminal Intent' episode and had a lot of good things in its own right. Not one of my favourite episodes of the show, but definitely not something to fob off in a hurry.
Not an awful lot wrong here in "Inhumane Society", though the chemistry between Nichols and Stevens again could have done with more spark, it's functional and not non-existent, and there is some progression since their first outing, but it's not on fire. Namely because Nichols' character is a good deal stronger than Stevens'.
Maybe a little over-complicated towards the end too when it tries to cram too much in.
However, so much is done right. There were some Season 9 episodes where the supporting cast were even better than the regulars. "Inhumane Society" is one of those cases, especially in the case of Michael B. Jordan's intense performance. Dan Lauria is also strong. Jeff Goldblum carries the episode very well too and did love how he solves the case and his deductions, quirky but not overdoing it. The supporting character writing has come on a lot since the beginning of the season, that has contributed to why some of the guest turns have been so good this season.
As ever, the photography and such are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has some nice tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way. The writing is smart, taut and thought-provoking and also really liked the darkness and complexity of the story. The initial murder is one of the show's grisliest.
In conclusion, very good. 8/10.