"Melancholy Pursuit" was an episode that looked good from the promos and should have been good at least. The promos did look so promising, with the opening looking very tense and sinister. Despite the latter seasons being very hit and miss, the earlier seasons had so many great and more episodes and so did the seasons Season 10 onwards. So this is not coming from somebody who is hating on every episode of 'Special Victims Unit', one will actually see from past reviews that that is a long way from the case.
Unfortunately, "Melancholy Pursuit" is one of those episodes that is nowhere near as good as advertised with one of the bigger disappointments being the aspect that drew me into seeing the episode the most. Didn't care for "Melancholy Pursuit" on first watch, finding it an episode that promised so much more than it delivered, and my opinions are pretty much exactly the same now (having seen some episodes recently where initial opinions have changed).
By all means, it is not an all round terrible episode. The photography while very close up doesn't come over as too static or filmed play-like, while the production values are typically solid and have subtle atmosphere while not being drab and keeping things simple. When the music is used it is haunting and has a melancholic edge that is not overdone.
Also thought that the regular performances were very good, all things considered. As well as the supporting performances. Wonderful to see Tamara Tunie return.
Did feel however that "Melancholy Pursuit" was very misleadingly promoted, with the opening scene being nowhere near as tense or as sinister as advertised. It also didn't feel needed. The story is too thin and predictable, namely with the flimsy prosecution case and the pace is dull. There are also too many loose ends, a big example being with the semen which is not only not explained but is practically dropped.
Too much of the dialogue lacks tautness and is trite. Dodds is bland and doesn't fit, his reaction to the body is pretty wimpy considering his rank.
Concluding, not a waste of time but could have been a lot better. 4/10.