Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – The Fifth Year
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gaetan Ruest on September 23rd, 2004
The fist spin-off of the popular Law & Order franchise invites the viewer to follow along with the Special Victims Unit, an police team dedicated to solving crimes of a sexual nature. This departure from the parent series makes for emotionally charged storylines and highly demented suspects. The basic plot is similar to the original series, whereby the detectives put together a body of evidence for the prosecuting attorneys.
Special Victims maintains the flavor of the original series by having a very strong ensemble cast. Each of the seven (!) main characters are interesting and well-acted. The cast works very well together and are strong throughout, contrasting and complementing each other. Additionally, many of the guest stars put in some top notch performances which enhances the dialogue and tension between detectives and suspects.
The nature of the crimes makes some of the storylines very intense and at times difficult to watch. However, the subject matter is well handled by the show writers, bringing to light many aspects of sexual crime which most of us would not expect to exist. What is even more interesting is that in many episodes, the victim is not dead, thereby bringing in an entirely new dimension to the Law & Order formula.
Like the original Law & Order, the focus of the series is on telling a story. Not much script is dedicated to character development, which is unfortunate, given the variety in this talented cast. Further exploring certain characters, particularly Ice-T’s Detective Fin, would add more humanity in a series where inhuman acts are explored.
This is a very strong addition to the franchise, which in many ways is more intriguing and interesting than the original, given the nature of the crimes and the criminals. The detectives need to demonstrate skill in breaking a tough suspect as well as tact and sympathy when dealing with a mistreated child.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track sounds good and dialogue is clear. The absence of a musical score and sound effects mean that only the center channel is used. There is the odd traffic sound coming through the surrounds, but nothing overly interesting. The opening theme sounds could but needs to be louder.
Video
The series is presented in original 4:3 aspect ratio. Blacks are deep, but overused – Many scenes are almost totally obscured by darkness. Contrast is too low, and bright colors bleed over lighter colors. The image suffers from significant fuzziness throughout. More care should have been taken to enhance and improve the print.
Special Features
Three short interviews with Ice T, B.D. Wong and Dann Florek are smart and informative. Definitely worth watching.
The other special is a montage featuring some of the series special guest start performances. I thought this was a neat feature as it showcases the reach this subject matter has in its ability to pull in special guests for major roles within an episode.
The menus are well designed and look nice and clear, with minimal animation. The top menu is accompanied by the opening theme. Additional layers are easily accessed. Nothing spectacular, but they work well.
Final Thoughts
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a well written series with top notch performances by the usual cast as well as the guest stars. The subject matter is intense and emotional, but is well treated. The DVD treatment gets a few nice features, but nothing is terms of improved video and audio.
Note to DVD producers If you are putting out a four-disc set, only three of which are double-sided, please put a label on the fourth disc so I don’t feel like an idiot when I put it in my player upside-down. Thanks.
