Meloni only gets better - each role he takes on showing more and more of his talent and his comfortabilty with the camera.

Meloni first came to my attention in <i> Bound </i> and since then, each role he has taken on has only furthered my appreication of this star. Not only is he able to bring out the depth of the characters he plays - even in small roles - his ability to switch from role to role and take on projects others may scoff at, makes him one of the most versitle actors around. Also, the fact that Meloni hasn't let fame go to his head - beside his sucess and let's face it; very good looks - means that this actors career still has a long way to go.

OMG
How great was this episode?

Though I miss Deakins, I do like the new Captain and the writers are nicely setting him and Goren up against each other. I expect many sparks and locking of horns between those two to come.

The serial killer as a woman - Yes! I thought perhaps it might be someone they've already been in contact with [the whole never spoke to Eames gave that way] I was most impressed with the depth the writers showed towards the backgrounds of Goren and Jo Gage - how differently they were affected by the same person and how that effect changed the course of their lives. The way in which Jo used her father's obsession to get his attention was not only believable but allowed audience sympathy towards her character as well. I loved how well rounded her character was and how well both actors played their parts to convey underlying emotions. Eames captured - though I knew she would have to survive [as there are no rumours of her leaving] I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how she would get away. I loved the fact that though she is small in stature, she took charge and freed herself. Had the police come in and 'saved the maiden' I would have been a little annoyed at the lack of respect for Eames as a detective in her own. That she saved herself was great to see. I was also impressed with the way in which Declan and Goren interacted with each other - the student and the mentor now as equals.

Overall, a fantastic season opener!

Okay, first comment on this episode is: I KNEW Glynn was the brother's son. I knew it. For starters the step mother was very stereotypically the 'vamp' who devours whatever she wants. The actors looked alike and the brother's wife looked like the step mother. Not really a big shock that Glynn was indeed their son.

The burning of the Churches though, from the baptismal font and the path the altar boys walk was well done.

However, the biggest event of this episode was the resignation of Deakin. Though I knew it was coming from the updates I recieve on the show, I though the emotion was a little flat surrounding his leaving. Surely there would have been a little more to it than 'i'm going, bye'.

Overall, i found this episode more of a lead up to Deakin's resignation than an episode in itself.

I loved Whoopi Goldberg's perfomace as mother Watkins ... [does that woman ever age? she looks as amazing as she did in The Colour Purple].


The way the episode progressed was most impressive, with the linkage of the theft to the boys and the boys to Mother Watkins.

However good Logan and Barek were as detective, I can't help but wonder if Goren would have been a better detective choice. Considering his history with his mother and his love hate relationship with her, to pit him up against a mother such as Watkins would have been very interesting indeed. Taking into account how calculated Watkins was and how Goren attempts to get under the skin, I think Watkins would have been a better mind match for Goren than Nicole was.

I am starting to really like Barek as a detective though, Logan still grates on my nerves.

I found this episode a little flat, mostly because of the casting as Barek as believer and Logan as skeptic. Also, the healer as a sham, haven’t we all seen that before? Though kudos to Barek for pointing out that faith comes in many forms and why certain practices may not be for us, they’re crucial to others. [Another plot device that irked me – praying on the sick and dying; hasn’t that been overdone before too?]

Though it revealed a little of Barek’s character as being open to alternative healings, that Logan was the unbeliever and ultimately had to prove that voodoo was fake, irked me. He was closed minded from the start and no amount of ‘proof’ was ever going to shift his focus. Without Barek, I doubt he would have uncovered the murderer at all.

Speaking of which, the investigations into the murders was well writing and kept me watching.

But overall, not the best of episodes.