Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) All In (2009) User Reviews

It's all in the game

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 15 July 2021]

Goren and Eames were always a great pairing, and both are great characters embodied brilliantly by Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe. Although their episodes became inconsistent from Season 5 onwards, like 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' in general, they never lost their spark, even when Goren's character development got darker and meatier. When it comes to the alternate pairings, the other being Nichols and Wheeler, there is definitely a preference for Goren and Eames.

There are better episodes of theirs though than "All In", both since and especially before. Including the episode that it seems to be loosely half-connected to Season 5's "Cruise to Nowhere". "All In" is still a good episode that improves over the previous one "Passion", but there was potential for it to be great with such a good concept and the episode doesn't quite reach that. While of course showing many flashes of brilliance. For better episodes of Season 8 though, look to "Identity Crisis" and "Major Cases".

"All In" has its flaws. Did feel that some of the character motivations seemed on the muddled side, especially in regard to the victim.

It did also feel rushed later on, meaning that it got over-complicated going into the final quarter.

However, "All In" succeeds highly a lot more than it disappoints. It 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 beginning is incredibly interesting, where one can already feel the manipulation at work that runs to increasingly tense effect throughout "All In".

Similarly the ending is a knockout, very dramatic without being over-heated and not expected. Goren's way of getting to the truth is different. The story is very clever and intricate and only suffers really from being in need of a slowing down. Did like that we are always kept guessing as to who is responsible and whom is playing who. All the performances are great, especially from D'Onofrio who very seldom disappointed as Goren.

On the whole, good but not great. 7/10.

You missed her tremors, you know. Her slurred speech

[Mrpalli77 · 8/10 · 8 October 2017]

During a poker game, a player (a pro despite his young age) teased the opponent who was sweating a lot. But he's the one who has been teased, because the other player was bluffing and he lost 30 gran. Shortly after the owner of the bar (Boris McGiver) where poker took place forced the guy to collect money: owing him gambling debts, the brat can't turn him down. So he started scaring debtors with a gun full of blank bullet in order to get the money back. Sadly, a collection went bad due to a real bullet charged inside the weapon and the victim (a teacher and part-time referee, who used to bid on the match he reffed) died from severe bleeding. Detectives realize right away he's an acquaintance from an old case and they have to figure out who put the bullet in the cylinder.

Goren this time tries to find the right pattern by reading numbers. The numbers he took from evidences during a search warrant help him solving the case.

Should have been a discreet episode.

[awdudeno · 6/10 · 24 July 2009]

Was Lou Taylor Pucci too busy? This would have been a good tie-in/follow up episode to the one with Pucci has a card prodigy if they'd gotten him to play the part. Since it was someone else, much of the dialog was used to explain to people who this guy was supposed to be. Goren and Josh each made like three references to "the guy who killed my dad" and "his mentor and father figure" just to connect the episodes. It's not as bad as if they'd changed Nicole Wallaces in the middle, but it was kind of unnecessary to continue it. And Eames was particularly absent in this episode. No concerned-partner warnings about getting too involved with this kid again. Pretty much an over ambitious idea that fell short.

It was probably about royalties.

[katharinesaavedra · 7/10 · 6 December 2010]

The first episode to feature this character, "Cruise to nowhere", was written by Warren Leight. "All in", was written by Pamela J. Wechsler, Antoinette Stella and Walon Green. The most likely reason for the changes concern royalties. As the creator of the character, Joey Frost, Mr. Leight is entitled to a royalty for all subsequent uses of the character as well as any other original creations from his work. These royalties are due not once but every time the episodes air. By changing the character's name and by hiring a different actor the producers and other financial powers that be avoid having to pay those royalties. Technically it is a different character.

clearly meant to be a follow-up episode..

[melismatica67 · 3/10 · 26 March 2010]

I don't have much to add to the first review except to mention that they ,also changed the character's name from Joey Frost to Josh Snow. Why do that? That, along with the change in actors was a jarring continuity flaw.If they want to distance this episode featuring a young card prodigy from a similar earlier episode why make all the allusions to the first one? Making the two characters names so similar (Frost and Snow? Really?) further adds to the confusion. The usual twists lead to a flat and unimaginative conclusion. All around a disappointing storyline for Goren and Eames, two characters who are clearly being phased out by this time to make room for Jeff Goldblum in season 9.

Why make a sort-of follow up?

[tlharrison-59546 · 2/10 · 17 August 2021]

Some of the information in this episode makes it feel like a stand-alone episode but all of the eluding to the episode "Cruise to Nowhere" just makes things confusing. We have Josh Snow in this episode and Joey Frost in the first. It took me 36 minutes into this episode to realize which previous episode this episode is tied to because of the actor change, character name change, and the long time in between the two episodes... however, the mentions of Frost's past are way too similar to Snow's for them not to be the same character. So why make a follow-up episode with all these changes? This episode would have been a fine stand-alone, although the ending was disappointing.

Carries a nasty sting

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 October 2015]

This one's an episode with a twist because almost at the beginning we see Aaron Stafford shoot the victim almost point blank. But as we also learn Stafford acts as a collector for bookie Boris McGivar. And McGivar has an interesting technique in collecting debts. He shoots people with blank cartridges which can carry a nasty sting. They can injure you as well too close. But the fright usually makes the victim cough up quick.

Only this time Stafford uses a live round which he says that McGivar slipped to him as this particular victim was a would be rival in the bookmaking business in his territory.

Of course this is all part of a more elaborate scheme and some motives involving Stafford that were way too obscure. This does not make it one of the better Criminal Intent stories.

However Vincent D'Onofrio's final interrogation technique in this one is highly original. That's the real story and I can't reveal it.

Low-down

[lor_ · 5 July 2023]

After cerebral editions of the "Law and Order" univrerse, this episdoe about gambling gets down and dirty with bloody basics, in which the miscreants take center stage with their violent and immoral behavior. That's not surprising given that we're watching a cop show but it is disappointing since the viewer has become accustomed to the skill of Vincent D'Onofrio in cleverly manipulating suspects in order to ingeniously get them to give up the ghost and be arrested.

Also, this time the team out to protect the public is seemingly working against itself, as the district attorney cuts deals with Josh the baddie, making Vincent's job very difficult. And Josh, as a new actor playing a returning character, seems to have the goods on our hero, in that as a poker expert he can easily determine D'Onofrio's "tells" and avoid being outfoxed by him.