Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Acts of Contrition (2005) User Reviews

You Reap What You Sow......Eventually

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 21 July 2008]

This is another of these programs which leave a frown on your face when it's over. It's an interesting story, start-to-finish, but you don't feel good about things when it's over, despite a person doing the right thing.

In this case - big-time spoiler alert - it's a nun, "Sister Olivia," who has been a wonderful person the last 15-17 years, dedicating her life to help prostitutes escape their lifestyle. She has done a lot of good works. Unfortunately, her past catches up with her because one dark night 17 years ago, she set up a guy to get severely injured and watched as he was beaten. She was known as "Angie DeMarco" back then and was, in her words, "an evil, horrible person."

Angie even kicked the guy while he was down. Since he was black, it was considered a "hate crime." Now, she must do the right thing and testify to that fact about what happened that night, since the case was never solved. Along with the two assailants, she might be up for murder if the man dies, and he probably will soon because he's almost a vegetable at this time.

We never see the assailants, just the victim's brother who has been a bitter man ever since that day and he, inadvertently, leads Goren and Eames on the right track to catch these guys. All of this started when another nun, "Sister Dorothy," was murdered in her church. It turns out to be one of the people I mention above. No sense going into the all the details.

Suffice to say it is an involving story that will definitely keep your interest all the way. Susan Misner is good as "Sister Olivia."

A Contrition of None (Nun)

[rbkjr · 8/10 · 30 September 2017]

Most of this episode gets bogged down in the details of a past crime, that was witnessed by a young woman, who doesn't want to discuss the details, thus the title in the "Summary" section. She sees a murder and helps cause the outcome... only to later become a Catholic nun in the church. The majority of the episode is not memorable, and is a big runaround until they get to the closing scene, where everything falls into place.The woman who plays the nun, Sister Olivia (Susan Misner) who was involved in the murder as a young girl, is so outstanding and brings you to tears watching her performance... that it's almost impossible not to break down "emotionally", because she is so Heartfelt with her memory & description of the past events, that she's tried to runaway from, just like most of the girls she "protects". Most of them have run away from a life of prostitution, and men looking to track them down to bring them back into a life they no longer want...they want NONE of it, and Sister Olivia is the NUN to help them achieve that. The ending to this episode is one of the most outstanding, dramatic sequences I have watched in all the episodes of viewing Criminal Intent, and that's a lot...which says A LOT!

Remorse for the past

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 26 November 2020]

After having another Logan and Barek episode, this time it was rather a disappointing one in alternative to the excellent one that introduced their chemistry and Barek, we are back with Goren and Eames (the original and best 'Criminal Intent' partnership, and to me we are not talking marginally) in "Acts of Contrition". And one cannot help thinking on reflection how much better "Unchained" would have been if they were there.

While not a Season 5 or 'Criminal Intent' high point, "Acts of Contrition" is a very good episode and nearly great. Not as good as the first three episodes of the season, all three of which being outstanding, but a huge step up from the underwhelming "Unchained" (which actually didn't suffer from Logan and Barek but instead the story). So much is great here with very little wrong, but what is particularly notable in "Acts of Contrition" is the emotional impact, the ending and the performance of Susan Misner.

There is very little to criticise here. Goren is somewhat subdued compared to usual here, wouldn't have said no to him having more to do and for him to have had more of his perceptive yet neurotic little character moments that make him so much fun to watch.

It runs slightly out of gas later when the surprises don't come as often and aren't as unpredictable.

But only because the episode was so fascinating from the get go. From the beginning and for most of the episode, "Acts of Contrition" was pretty refreshing. Such as a rare instance up to this point of the show of the detectives messing up early on, more misdirection than usual and Sister Olivia and her harrowing past are for the show quite unique as far as supporting characters go. It was great to see more of Carver and Eames bringing her usual coyness and sass while getting down to business more so than usual. The ending is incredibly powerful, a very easy type of scene to overact but very movingly written and acted.

Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are both without complaint, but even better is the powerhouse turn from Susan Misner. "Acts of Contrition" is well made, intimately photographed and slick with no signs of under-budget or anything. The music didn't sound melodramatic or too constant and the direction is accomodating while still having pulse. The writing doesn't ramble, although as usual there is a lot of dialogue to digest, and really provokes thought, disturbs and brings a lump to the throat.

Concluding, very good. 8/10

SPOILERS: One of the most disturbing and moving episodes of the series

[mmoore325 · 10/10 · 19 April 2010]

I'll just start at the end. A nun (Angie) who has been rescuing prostitutes for almost 20 years confesses to setting up a black boy to be beaten up for dating a white girl, calling him n****r and kicking him herself...all to get a fellow skinhead to like her. They were all teenagers at the time. The boy didn't die but might as well have; he's been practically a "vegetable" ever since.

When it's all said and done, you completely understand who she was 20 years ago and even have compassion for her despite what she did. You also understand the outrage and bitterness of the young man (Eddie, the victim's brother) who hunted her down and killed another nun who wouldn't tell him where Angie was. So much pain, hatred, violence -- yet so incredibly human.

At the end, when Angie is on her knees sobbing and begging forgiveness, knowing she will eventually be charged with murder with the other 2 assailants for the beating, I still cry, even after seeing this episode several times. There's something startling about the sound her rosary makes on the concrete, when she places her hand on the floor where her fellow nun was killed. Her guilt and anguish, Carver's face, Goren and Eames solemnly standing by, the shock on her priest's face, now knowing all the details, the dead nun, the practically comatose victim, how Angie tried to redeem herself but it wasn't enough, the injustice and violence, racism, hate -- it's just heartbreaking.

There's never enough truth

[Mrpalli77 · 8/10 · 18 September 2017]

An old nun is murdered inside a church, not an easy case for Eames and Goren. The prominent figure in the parish is a young nun, whose mission is to save hookers' life, taking them out of street and giving them haven in the church basement where they are kept safe from their pimps. A tramp and the local pimp are the first suspects, but they have nothing to do with the murder. Homicide is related to something happened years before and it's far from regarding prostitution.

Sister Olivia (Susan Misner) is too charm to be a nun (I've never seen a beautiful woman becoming a nun); as a matter of facts during her youth she was attracted to wild boys, but then an accident changed the course of her life forever.