Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Chameleon (2002) User Reviews

Female Serial Killer

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 10 August 2012]

Sharon Lawrence who people know either as Dennis Franz's wife and an Assistant District Attorney on NYPD Blue or as Sasha Alexander's birth mother in Rizzoli&Isles currently guest stars on SVU in this episode as a prostitute who kills her john after he gets way too rough. It looks like self defense at first, but when the gun she used on him got linked to another body, the whole squad starts reinvestigating the whole case. It turns out this woman is a serial killer and she has a slew of bodies of johns she picked up. This was the first one however where the cops responded to the scene.

The two roles Lawrence is best known for are respectable women, but this one is light years from those other shows. One of the most amoral people ever depicted on any of the Law And Order series, Lawrence will shock you just how evil she is. As Benson and Staebler conclude when she wants something she just kills for it.

Lawrence dominates this episode, don't miss it.

My favorite episode.

[Rwwood48 · 10/10 · 24 February 2016]

This is my favorite episode. Sharon Lawrence is one of my favorite actress. She always plays "nice women",but in this one she is on the other side of the law.She shoots a rapist the cops have already been looking for.The part where she tries to seduce Det. Stabler in the in the interrogation room is fun to watch.The comment made "Better get Stabler out of there,before she takes off all her clothes". The funniest line I've ever heard on any Law,and Order Series,outside of Lenny Brisco's funny comments he makes.Then there is another twist in the story.Then there is the kid she has. That makes another turn in the story unexpected.Where did she get the kid ? The kids age really changes things. You have to see the it until the very end....then there is another unexpected twist in the story I won't give away.

Starts Season 4 off with a bang

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 27 August 2020]

Had no doubt personally that "Chameleon" would be at least good. Although the premise on paper may not be original it sounded fascinating still and the episode's approach to the premise had nothing tired about it. Really liked 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' in its prime, which was the early seasons, and while the mid/latter period episodes have been hit and miss a good deal of episodes grew on me. Really liked the previous three seasons so expectations were high.

After having just finished one of my re-watches of "Chameleon", the thing that immediately came to my head was "what a way to begin a season". It is one of my favourite season openers of the show and one of the best episodes of Season 4 easily, with one of the season's and early seasons' standout guest star turns and a classic 'Special Victims Unit' scene. What could have been a potentially predictable case turned out to have a fair share of unexpected turns, have always loved episodes like this for not just the 'Law and Order' franchise but for anything.

"Chameleon's" production values are slick and professional, not ever resorting to cheap or untested gimmicks or anything. The music is haunting in the right places and isn't constant or too loud, and the direction gives the drama urgency and breathing space.

The script is tight and intelligent, all the talk concerning woman's rights is touchy territory to go down but is written thoughtfully and with tact. There is some welcome splashes of humour, the reaction to the attempted seduction is quite priceless, and the whole interrogation rapport drips with tension. The story may seem on the ordinary side at first, but the twists keep on coming without being far fetched or incoherent and there are enough shocks to satisfy. The fascinating character of Maggie really lifts "Chameleon" to an even higher level and the interrogation room writing is some of the best of the season and for me in 'Special Victims Unit' history.

Maggie being such an interesting character is helped by the pretty sensational performance of Sharon Lawrence, in a different role for back then yet portraying it in a way that suggested that she could do chilling with ease and had done so for years. The character's shifting emotions and manipulative streak really unsettles. All the regulars do great work, Mariska Hargitay really shines in her chemistry with Lawrence and Stephanie March is suitably firm.

Overall, brilliant start. 10/10