Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Major Case (2009) User Reviews

If you brew green tea too long, turns bitter

[Mrpalli77 · 8/10 · 8 October 2017]

An attractive drug dealer sold dope to uptown girls at fancy bars. But she was tired of her life; luckily she had a cousin in Vermont who had a farm and she wanted to change her life for good: in the city she lived off her mother, a heavy drinker, in a rathole. Her senior dealer, a convicted felon, didn't lean on her decision and beat her up. She managed to run away, taking shelter in a friend's apartment. He's the son of an elderly woman who has just passed away, used to live in the same girl's block. But the one who provide shelter could be worse than the one who chased her. Detectives had issues in solving the case because the perp is renowned inside the police department and he has the chance to tamper evidences.

Eames takes Wheeler place in this episode, due to her first pregnancy. During the investigation, she gives birth to a baby girl.

Major brilliance

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 15 July 2021]

"Major Case's" biggest interest point for me was seeing how Nichols and Eames would fare together, that certainly is a change of pace though did worry that the characters would be too different in personality for the partnership to gel. It left a major impression on me certainly on first watch, thanks to the suspense, the surprisingly well matched pairing, a memorable guest star turn and some illuminating character development that was needed.

On subsequent rewatches, "Major Case" is still a very highly thought of episode from personal view. It is one of the two best episodes of Season 8, the other being "Identity Crisis" and my thoughts from first watch are very much the same here but even stronger. Would go as far to considering it a high point of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent's' latter seasons. Everything is fantastic here in "Major Case", even the aspects that there were doubts about.

The production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is impeccable.

Story-wise, "Major Case" is beautifully balanced and never lets up on the entertainment value. While also being darkly suspenseful and not being deprived (far from it) of twists. Ones that are very plausible, well paced and surprising and ones that kept me guessing from start to finish. Nichols and Eames are surprisingly a well matched pair and it was like they had actually been partners for a while before this episode.

Eames doesn't underwhelm in any way, no nonsense but not without the spark that makes her work so well with Goren and as a character, and Nichols has come on a lot as a character, showing a more mature and more determined side without being too serious. Also liked that Ross' dislike of Nichols was explained here, that was always in need of addressing and it was good to see it explained.

Performances from Jeff Goldblum and Kathryn Erbe are note perfect and Dylan Baker's guest turn is unforgettably unsettling.

Concluding, brilliant. 10/10.

Law & Order-Criminal Intent: Major Case

[Scarecrow-88 · 10/10 · 21 July 2010]

Detective Nichols and Wheeler(Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson)are temporarily on a case regarding a dead girl's homicide(the body was cleaned with bleach)which Captain Danny Ross(Eric Bogosian)wants moved out of the Special Case Squad. Nichols, however, thinks this particular murder, with little actual evidence thanks to a really talented killer left to finger anyone, is indeed a special case in need of certain attention. He turns to renowned forensic genius, Henry Muller(Dylan Baker)for help, believing, with all faith, than if anyone can find a clue it would be him. The crux of the matter is that it's actually Muller who is the one responsible for the murder! He likes certain girls(we see that, in a scene in the precinct, where Muller becomes captivated by a girl on a cell phone)and, with an inability to actually confront women and talk to them in a normal way, can not control his urge when the murder victim came to his home, after a spat with her boyfriend. We see that the murder victim's mother is an alcoholic(not to mention the mother's boyfriend who is a suspect)and that the young girl's home life was more than a bit difficult. When Wheeler goes into labor(her water breaks while talking about their case is boss Ross' office!), Nichols is given 72 hours on the homicide partnered with Alexander Eames(Kathryn Erbe)by Ross who just wants to move it down to "the appropriate homicide team". When Muller plants evidence of the mother's boyfriend on the dead girl's body, (among other curious signs Nichols picks up on, such as seeing Muller identifying a file on the mother's boyfriend sitting on Ross' desk), Nichols knows that the forensic specialist he so highly revered, in fact, was the killer he is after. The deadline looming, Nichols knows that he has only so little time to nab his suspect. Another obstacle is his former partner, Ross' disregard at the mere notion that such a respected pathologist could be a sociopath, so Nichols will have his work cut out for him. This episode is noteworthy if just for the stare down scene between two marvelous pros, Goldblum and Baker, when both know who the girl's killer is, with Muller subtly threatening Nichols(regarding the right chemicals one can use to poison somebody). Not to mention, the great "trap" scene where Nichols corners Muller when he makes a major mistake with a hair that sinks him. It's great seeing Goldblum as a detective against a worthy adversary in the scientist Baker who is especially astute at portraying intelligent creeps. There's this great moment where Goldblum realizes Baker is the one, his eyes conveying to us the surprise without overplaying it. What I like about Goldblum being on a Law & Order show is that he doesn't fit the usual type of detective. He doesn't wear his emotion on his sleeve, his passions at nabbing the killer are subdued yet evident, and Goldblum's Nichols approaches every suspect(case) in such a calm, cool, and collected manner, you just know that this detective will catch the killer. I do like his work with Sapphron Burrows best, but it was nice seeing Goldblum opposite Erbe in this episode.

Familiar faces

[lor_ · 6 July 2023]

Living in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan means people you see in real life may pop up on an episode ot this popular series without warning. Guest villain is well-played by Dylan Baker, who normally plays upright, establishment type characters. I used to see him dining at Moran's, an Irish-owned classic old restaurant in West Chelsea, long-since closed.

It's a suspenseful , well-plotted episode with the added touch of Kathryn Erbe taking over as Goldblum's partner for Julianne Nicholson, who was having a baby. Julianne was our neighbor when this episode was shot, living upstairs in our co-op on West 21st Street- a wonderful person (along with hubby Jonathan Cake and two cute kids).