I've always liked Fin and when he gets to lead a case I find it's a pleasant change from the archaic same old from Benson & Stabler. Don't get me wrong, there is a reason why Law & Order: SVU is the most exiting crime-drama on television (with exception only to The Wire). But with all the anger management that Olivia gives to Elliot and the crossovers into the personal lives of Elliot's kin it's important that we are able to find solace with a different member of SVU. Tonight the intolerant Fin has to run case that was initiated when his son, Ken came to him about a friend he thinks is a rape victim. The stubborn former undercover narcotics officer can't seem to get the case off the ground at first. But when the list of people being hurt grows a Detective Chester Lake from the Brooklyn SVU thinks he has found connections with the rapes in Manhattan and a group of murders he is working on from his borough. Although the two personalities make for problems at first they can eventually put their differences aside and find clinics owned by the same doctor where all the victims had visited. The killer is narrowed down to a small but very tight family containing a doctor a lawyer and a janitor. Are we getting an idea of who the killer might be? Anyways, the janitor, Henry has always been overlooked by his doctor father. Without him feeling any sense of pride, Henry has always been craving fatherly attention. It turns out that actually any attention will do for Henry. This includes raping a killing his father's patients and making scrapbook clippings of all the newspaper articles surrounding his wrongdoings. He just wants to be gawked over. So they arrest and arrest the Henry until he has to be brought with the gaze of the media watching. Well it's what he always wanted and that's what Law & Order: SVU is all about. Making dreams come true. Speaking of a dream coming true we have been seeing a lot of actor Kal Penn (Henry) lately. Aside from being the killer in tonight's show he was also recently a terrorist in 24. This means he has gotten into two of my reviews as a guest star in just one week. You know have made it in Hollywood when that happens.
7 Reviews
Missing credit
betty_buzzkill30 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The kid on the dock that he grabs and holds a knife to his throat.. pretty sure it's Dev Patel. Can't find any credit anywhere for this minor part. This extra text is irrelevant it just won't let me submit this until I have at least one hundred and fifty characters.
Outside the box
TheLittleSongbird8 July 2021
Anybody who loves Fin as a character and who was frustrated with him being so underused in a vast majority of the previous Season 8 episodes will be very happy at "Outsider" focusing heavily on him. This time though working with a different person, here the recurring character of Chester Lake (who never did it for me as a character) rather than the great chemistry between the similarly underused Munch. Have no issues at all with changes of pace, "Scheherazade" was a different episode and was brilliant.
"Outsider" was sadly a real disappointment and for me one of the weaker episodes of Season 8. My issues do not lie with Fin, in fact he is the main reason as to why the episode is just about watchable. It is not a terrible episode, it does have some of the usual good things and it is great to see Fin in the spotlight. Other Fin-centric episodes though represent him a lot better and are vastly superior (i.e. "Manhunt", "Denial", "Haunted", "Venom"), and considering that 'Special Victims Unit' did some great and more changes of pace where "Outsider" went wrong is mystifying.
Ice-T is excellent, bringing lots of intensity to Fin (on strong form) despite having to work with an inferior character. As said, it was great to see more of a focus on him after too much underuse for a while. Kal Penn is suitably freakish and did like that the perpetrator was a surprise in an episode with many suspects. And how much of a creep they were.
The production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it). The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The direction has its moments.
However, as said the character of Lake did not do anything for me in his first appearance (that opinion seldom changed throughout his stint and there is a reason as to why he didn't last long). He is far too bland and very cocky. Adam Beach is rather wooden and whenever he tries to act all tough it comes over as too affected. There is also no chemistry between him and Ice-T, who look very stilted together, and the episode would have fared much better with Fin partnered with Munch or Stabler.
Ernest Waddell actually didn't bother me in his previous appearances, but here he is awkward and unnecessary. The dialogue for my tastes was too exposition heavy and talky, which was relatively uncharacteristic of 'Special Victims Unit' in its early seasons, as well as forced. While it picks up a little later on it takes a while to get there. And most of the case is very predictable and lacks suspense and atmosphere, not to mention too thin. While the perpetrator is surprising and well played, the reveal felt like it came too late and the motive is rather extreme.
Concluding, underwhelming but watchable. 5/10.
"Outsider" was sadly a real disappointment and for me one of the weaker episodes of Season 8. My issues do not lie with Fin, in fact he is the main reason as to why the episode is just about watchable. It is not a terrible episode, it does have some of the usual good things and it is great to see Fin in the spotlight. Other Fin-centric episodes though represent him a lot better and are vastly superior (i.e. "Manhunt", "Denial", "Haunted", "Venom"), and considering that 'Special Victims Unit' did some great and more changes of pace where "Outsider" went wrong is mystifying.
Ice-T is excellent, bringing lots of intensity to Fin (on strong form) despite having to work with an inferior character. As said, it was great to see more of a focus on him after too much underuse for a while. Kal Penn is suitably freakish and did like that the perpetrator was a surprise in an episode with many suspects. And how much of a creep they were.
The production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it). The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The direction has its moments.
However, as said the character of Lake did not do anything for me in his first appearance (that opinion seldom changed throughout his stint and there is a reason as to why he didn't last long). He is far too bland and very cocky. Adam Beach is rather wooden and whenever he tries to act all tough it comes over as too affected. There is also no chemistry between him and Ice-T, who look very stilted together, and the episode would have fared much better with Fin partnered with Munch or Stabler.
Ernest Waddell actually didn't bother me in his previous appearances, but here he is awkward and unnecessary. The dialogue for my tastes was too exposition heavy and talky, which was relatively uncharacteristic of 'Special Victims Unit' in its early seasons, as well as forced. While it picks up a little later on it takes a while to get there. And most of the case is very predictable and lacks suspense and atmosphere, not to mention too thin. While the perpetrator is surprising and well played, the reveal felt like it came too late and the motive is rather extreme.
Concluding, underwhelming but watchable. 5/10.
Worst episode of SVU
bradficek17 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start by saying I absolutely love SVU. My wife and I watch it pretty religiously and really never are disappointed. I'd say we've seen close to 90% of the episodes. But the absolutely forced story/acting with Ice-T and Adam Beach was so horrible, and I usually like both of them as actors. The brooklyn monologue was one of the worst I've ever seen in television.
Worst was Ice-T's son. Right from the beginning you cringe at how bad his expression/emotion is. For example, when Mariska speaks with him, he looks blank and then forces unrealistic frustration and it was seriously painful to watch.
I don't know how this script got to screen and it was really disappointing. Gotta love when a new character shows up 45 minutes into the show and you know that he is obviously the killer.
And seriously, in law, you can't go to someone's sister and tell her that her sibling was raped. So horrible.
I will continue watching of course, but I was appalled at how bad this ep was.
Brad
Worst was Ice-T's son. Right from the beginning you cringe at how bad his expression/emotion is. For example, when Mariska speaks with him, he looks blank and then forces unrealistic frustration and it was seriously painful to watch.
I don't know how this script got to screen and it was really disappointing. Gotta love when a new character shows up 45 minutes into the show and you know that he is obviously the killer.
And seriously, in law, you can't go to someone's sister and tell her that her sibling was raped. So horrible.
I will continue watching of course, but I was appalled at how bad this ep was.
Brad
Big time Daddy issues
bkoganbing26 April 2015
Adam Beach joins the SVU squad in this episode. He's a detective from Brooklyn SVU who comes into the squad one fine day and says that his three homicides are related to two rapes from Manhattan that Ice-T is handling are related. Most reluctantly Ice-T partners up with Beach and they fight almost constantly about how to proceed. But Beach turns out to be right though he grates on Ice-T's nerves.
It was obvious that Beach was not in for the long haul. Eventually in another episode an old case of his finally gets to him and he commits homicide in that story and he's gone. Too bad because Dann Florek is always short staffed.
The perpetrator is a real prize and the link for all the cases is an interesting one. Kal Penn the perpetrator has some big time Daddy issues. But truth be told father Navid Negahban successful though he is is also no prize.
You'll have to see the episode to know what I mean.
It was obvious that Beach was not in for the long haul. Eventually in another episode an old case of his finally gets to him and he commits homicide in that story and he's gone. Too bad because Dann Florek is always short staffed.
The perpetrator is a real prize and the link for all the cases is an interesting one. Kal Penn the perpetrator has some big time Daddy issues. But truth be told father Navid Negahban successful though he is is also no prize.
You'll have to see the episode to know what I mean.
Abysmal writing
david_joyner19 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen a lot of episodes of Law and Order SVU and I have to say I've never seen one with writing as bad as this. This episode is rich with expository dialog, awkward character interactions and the always lovely, characters who act very strange for no reason at all. I don't even know how to articulate everything that was wrong with this episode. They even had a cheesy "electronic" victim board that drew nifty blue and red lines from a huge photo of each victim to the place in the city that they had all visited. That's awesome, why didn't the folks at the NYC police department think of that? Someone should tell them to waste a bunch of money on something like that. If you are thinking about watching an episode of SVU I'd look for another one.
Adam Beach?
jbackman_1113 February 2007
I don't have a problem with Benson and Stabler taking a week out of the spotlight, however, why did we bring in Adam Beach into this episode, he offered nothing, its a bad idea to. Let Finn work cases with Munch, leave the genetic defective out of this. the idea of Novak and Lake hooking up literally made me sick. Novak's way to classy to get involved with a loser like him. I am against Adam Beach joining the show, it's not broke, don't mess with it. I like all of the current characters on the show. The show doesn't need a boost from new blood. Unlike many of the people who comment on this site, I liked Danni Beck, if we were adding a new character, why not her?
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