Stress Position

I missed Logan, who along with Briscoe (R.I.P.) made up the best team in the Law and Order franchise (in my point of view). He manages to help solving the case with his instinct, like when he keep some evidences from his girlfriend's shelf faking his need to take a leak.

Goren shocks me when he found out that the crime scene was been impaired by the young police officer to prevent the victim from being framed as a promiscuous guy; nothing gets past him. Beside he's eager to bring out the dark side of all perpetrators in front of them after collecting every hints (three of them gave up in a matter of minutes).

The plot is mainly about smuggling and unprovoked violence in prison, same old story already seen.

After years of exile on Staten Island which rated him a Law And Order TV movie that did not result in returning to the action of Manhattan, Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan gets a chance at helping the Major Case squad in a homicide involving the murder of a corrections officer.

The Federal House Of Detention has a big secret within its walls. Unofficial prisoners arrested under the Patriot Act. As they're unofficial they also have no rights and are the subject of abuse by the COs. In this case the COs under the command of Wayne Duvall.

Duvall is some piece of work. He also does favors for high profile organized crime prisoners, making their custodial custody as pleasant as possible. He can call on them for favors as well.

Although this incident broke up Chris Noth and his girlfriend Arija Bareikis because she's never seen again on Criminal Intent after Noth joins the series, she knows what's going on and is petrified to tell anyone. She does however inform Noth and he starts nosing around and Jamey Sheridan of necessity has to have working with Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe on the same page.

Wonderful climax in the end with D'Onofrio not tricking confessions while in custody, but using his wits to battle the COs under Duvall's command with no other weapons.

A good beginning for Chris Noth to join CI and we follow Mike Logan for the rest of his career in law enforcement.

One of "Stress Position's" biggest interest points is that it was Mike Logan's first appearance on 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent', and he would go on to be a regular character (a lead role in episodes where Goren wasn't in charge) until Season 7. Logan is no stranger to the franchise, being a lead in the early seasons of the original 'Law and Order' (up to its Season 5) so it was great to see him returning and guest starring here and making a big impression.

"Stress Position" is to me a wonderful episode, and no Logan's return is not the only reason. Everything works and it had themes that the franchise excelled so well at (the dark side of human nature, human rights and how evil those with a lot of power can get). Season 4 was a mostly very solid season, with a few disappointing episodes but no real misfires and the best episodes were absolutely superb, and "Stress Position" is easily in my view one of the best. Top 5 perhaps.

Production values are stylish and slick with a brighter and more refined look, while maintaining the show's grit. The music doesn't overbear and is not overused. The direction keeps things moving well while letting the drama breathe.

The script is thoughtful, never insults the intelligence and is remarkably tight for an episode that is dialogue-heavy (like all the episodes of 'Criminal Intent' and all the 'Law and Order' franchise). The dialogue between Goren and Logan has a suitable amount of hard-boiled edge and also humorous energy. It tackles a difficult and still current topic concerning international human rights and does this with enough tact to stop it from being too preachy or heavy.

Really loved the story here, very intelligently done and with some genuine tension. How it explores its themes of the dark side of human rights and what people would do for more power or to keep it intact is really quite scary, and one is shocked and scared that there are still people like that and doesn't want to believe it. The chemistry between Goren and Logan is beautifully balanced and contrasted and it was interesting to have a non-interrogation and Goren not using psychology to get the truth out of the perpetrator in the very suspenseful final scenes.

Both Vincent D'Onofrio and Chris Noth are truly excellent and Wayne Duvall plays a reprehensible character quite frighteningly.

Overall, superb episode and one of Season 4's best. 10/10