Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Watch (2006) User Reviews

The whole world is a crime scene

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 15 November 2016]

A body literally drops from the sky on a pair of surfers and CI gets called in. Jamey Sheridan doesn't want to believe it when Chris Noth finds another similar case 4 years previous. Too little to call it a pattern.

But Noth who had a childhood interest in aviation that was stimulated by his father does find more. What it turns out was that a serial killer of prostitutes has found a new and unique way of disposing of the bodies of his victims. It stimulates him saying that essentially the whole world is a crime scene.

Interest settles on Brad Renfro in one of his last performances. To say he has issues is putting it mildly. But his particular kick and the fact he has some help is the heart of the mystery to be solved.

A nice turn here by Renfro and also in a small bit one of my favorite character players Louis Vanaria.

Two sides of the same coin

[Mrpalli77 · 9/10 · 19 September 2017]

Two cousins share the same blood or at least some of it. During the childhood one (Ethan Embry) teased the other (Brad Renfro, former child actor), beating him up just for fun. What could happen in a troubled mind of a man bullied throughout his infancy? He could try to put everything over his shoulder, by drawing old fashioned stretch. Maybe if cartoons publishers would have believed in his talent, things could have changed for the best. But there's something he must do, something to hurt and setting up his despised kin; why not by exploiting his weak spot?

Barek pretended to be attracted by the perpetrator in order to collect evidences against him. She's still charming even if years goes by and the beauty showed in "Jungle fever" fades away.

Brad Renfro really makes the difference

[bertoele · 10/10 · 1 August 2009]

Brad Renfro really makes the difference. He is one of the greatest actors I know. I love to see him in this episode. He is sympathetic a guy you want to love and at the same time dangerous. He brings a world into the story you have to dream of as writer of an episode of this series. In this one he is a serial killer or one in progress. Together with his brother they end up in a sick kind of friendship between brothers. Brad Renfro seems the nicest of the two, But is he? an episode that you must see!I did read that Brad no longer among us. That is a great loss. I can recommend everybody to watch his films. The cure is a masterpiece I think. And you will find more when you're looking up his name. I saw he made music too. Great talent. I will miss him a lot.

A relatively bland watch

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 17 December 2020]

Logan was a great character on the original 'Law and Order' and liked him on the whole here in 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' too. Barek sometimes was too low key but actually she was not too bad a character and she should have in my view gotten more of a chance. The two were not a bad partnership at all, and while not every episode of theirs is great (or even good) they are there. Seeing Brad Renfro in one of his last roles before his untimely death not long after was interesting.

"Watch" however could and should have been a lot better. It is not the worst Logan and Barek-centric episode (it is better than "Unchained" and "Dollhouse"), but there was room for so much more to be done with the concept. Don't get me wrong, "Watch" does not strike me as a terrible, or even bad, episode. It just struck me as on the bland side, and while the two characters are far from bad and same with their chemistry the Goren and Eames-centric Season 5 episodes on the whole were on the most part a lot better.

There are a number of good things in "Watch". The production values as ever are slick and with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear with the theme tune still memorable. The episode starts off quite well, while there is some neat insight into family relationships and effective chills.

Chris Noth is subtly tense and dryly humorous, although there is more of his grittier side this time, and Annabella Sciorra is understated without being overly-low key. Actually like Logan and Barek together, it certainly doesn't electrify or entertain as much as the one between Goren and Eames but Barek's perceptions are interesting and it was good to see more emphasis on investigating together and on more equal ground. The regulars are fine in their acting and Brad Renfro brought tingles down my spine in intensity and emotion.

However, "Watch's" story is very dully paced and too thin with some rather uneventful stretches. So there is no real excitement, and while there are flashes of chilling moments the tension and suspense are just not enough. Due to events being too predictable and twists and turns being too few. The ending is too pat and doesn't have much to it in terms of entertainment value, tension and emotion, it did its job at presenting the truth but that's all it did.

Other than Renfro's the characters are quite bland, not enough is done to make one feel much for the victim on either side of sympathy or hate and generally the responsible had room to be more sadistic. Was a bit mixed on the script, some of it is thought-provoking and intriguing while other parts felt too talky and needed more meat.

Summing up, only slightly above average with too much of the story underwhelming. 6/10