Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Conscience (2004) User Reviews

What makes a killer?

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 28 January 2021]

On my recent re-watch of "Conscience", having not watched it for a while due to the later seasons being aired more frequently, it was an episode that made me think more than all my previous viewings as well as moved and shocked me more. It always did strike me as an extremely good and thought-provoking episode with interesting supporting characters and a very well crafted story. It always has stuck with me, if not quite as much as "Scavenger".

"Conscience" still holds up brilliantly and is even better as an episode today. More things in fact are more noticeable today than they were on previous watches, and everything that worked so wonderfully before are even more impressive today. It still is thought-provoking (especially in the courtroom scenes), shocking (including a major event that puts a new slant on things) and moving. Also saw one character and his way of thinking in that shocking event in a different light.

There are some truly excellent guest supporting performances for one thing. Jordan Garrett plays one seriously disturbed kid very unsettlingly. Even better is Kyle MacLachlan (in his first, and better, of two 'Special Victims Unit' appearances), for me his performance is one of the best supporting performances of the season as a character that has one constantly switching from feeling sympathy for to hating.

Can't fault any of the regulars, with an individual standout being Christopher Meloni in the aftermath of the shocking events in the courthouse (where it is obvious how much it shook him). It is a beautifully scripted episode, with Novak's closing argument summing up the case and its dilemmas so well. There is a lot of talk, expectedly, but to me it never felt long-winded.

While the story is always absorbing throughout, it is particularly good from the courthouse events onwards, becoming darker. "Conscience" is shot with the right amount of intimacy without being claustrophobic and that the editing has become increasingly tighter over-time has been great too. Nice use of locations too. The music doesn't get over-scored or overwrought, even in the more dramatic revelation moments. The direction doesn't try to do too much and is understated but never flat or unsure.

Summing up, wonderful and one of the season's best. 10/10

One of the best episodes of SVU

[jeanpierrexxiii · 10/10 · 27 September 2022]

SVU has a formula that is executed to varying results. This is an episode that exceeds expectations! Nuance is the key word here. I don't want to give any spoilers but you need to watch until the very end.

I can't recall the guest actors name but I've seen him in plenty of films and TV. He does a good job but kudos really go to the writers. As the title implies, this episode is all about 'conscience' and how it (or a lack thereof) affects our behaviors. Extend this to the idea of morality and the question of where is the point of no return for sociopaths.

If you like SVU and haven't watched this one yet, it is a MUST WATCH.

Hands down, Best episode ever!

[armyoffive · 10/10 · 7 July 2021]

Great performances by all, and wonderful writing. This has been my favorite since it first aired and there hasn't been another Law and Order: SVU to top it since for me.

What the father says at the very end gave me goosebumps.

Calm Professional Demeanor

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 9 August 2015]

SVU has had other bad seed episodes, sociopathic killers without a single trace of empathy or remorse. But never one as young as Jordan Garrett. It's the investigation to find Garrett after first focusing on the wrong suspect P.J. Brown and what happens after that's the basis of this case.

The son of psychologist Kyle MacLachlan goes missing after a party and the focus is on Brown and why wouldn't it be with young Jordan Garrett saying he saw him with the kid. Later on forensic evidence however gives a dead bang identification making Garrett the killer.

Through all of this MacLachlan maintains a calm professional demeanor and as Christopher Meloni observes this man is repressing big time citing his professional experience. MacLachlan does eventually blow up and the consequences are severe.

I must also point out the counterproductive efforts of Bruce Kirkpatrick, head of a vigilante committee who hinders the SVU investigation. This is a guy you love to hate.

Best kudos here go to MacLachlan and young Garrett for some really high caliber performances.

Really made me think

[webmaster-97589 · 10/10 · 29 February 2024]

I just started re-watching some SVU episodes, starting with season 6, as it just got available here in streaming.

At first I didn't remember watching this episode before. Usually on TV I didn't start from the beginning as I usually found SVU while zapping. But as the episode progressed some nuances came back to me, still not everything.

So in the end I really felt a bit disturbed. I still can't decide what I would have done in the situations. Putting myself into different characters, everything seems reasonable and you could really feel why people did what they did, except maybe the mother of the boy who eventually got shot in the end.

So all production crew really did a great job, starting at the writers, the staff, directors, actors and everyone I couldn't even think of but did a great job.

Within the episode I even told myself that this is one of the episodes where nobody wins. Even ups for some characters are bittersweet.

It really left my thinking what should be done with sociopaths like this one. He'd definitely be a criminal again, most likely a killer. So with the big chance of getting out of jail the father was trapped like an animal into a corner and didn't know what else to do.

So it's a great episode, produced well and left me thinking about it much lonher than the standard episode.

This episode is pure evil

[toybonnie-61542 · 1/10 · 22 March 2021]

Just like commando this is the worst of a particular medium this tíme of tv shows its just a Bad episode and feels like IT was Made by me when i was 12 it sucks!!!