Law & Order Review: Severance (Season 21 Episode 8)

So far this season, Law & Order hasn’t shied away from doing captivating cases that keep us on our toes from start to finish. Even when the endings are predictable we still enjoy the ride.

That is until Law & Order Season 21 Episode 8, “Severance,” comes along and struggles to keep us intrigued. Between convoluted case facts and somewhat messy storytelling, this episode misses the mark.

Doomed from the Start

Honestly, this season has been okay with the quippy one-liners and such but with the latest installment the chuckles fall flat. From the beginning of the case things are a bit messier than usual and not even quippy lines such as “she knew her killer” could capture us.

Basically we know that this woman who’s been killed is the CFO of some company, but that is where things get a bit confusing for a little bit. Based on dialogue there are times being thrown about and not all of them are lining up with what we think happened.

Honestly, the first moment I had any inkling of what is going on is when they visit her boss’ office and he talks about how everyone loved her and how she saw the company in the same way he did. It is hard to keep up with who they are talking to and how they relate to the case.

Not to sound like this, but honestly all the men looked very similar to each other; which most likely added to the confusion if you aren’t paying super close attention. Also, making the case be about the fragile male ego does not excite people to follow along or even care about the investigation at hand. 

One Male Ego Or Two?

What it boils down to is that she is either the victim of the guy who was pushed out of his job to make way for more female executives, i.e. the dead CFO. Or, she is the victim of the guy who’s company she backed out of a deal with because he made a mistake with the valuation of the company. 

Either way, it’s about men who get their feelings hurt in a corporate rat race. We are supposed to care about either of them why?

Oh, right, because one of them has this condition where his migraines get in the way of him making logical and sane decisions. This is the moment that things actually start to get interesting a bit — my migraines made me do it.

It’s actually disappointing that it takes half of the episode for us to get to this plot point because it means we have to slosh through tons of unnecessary investigating and sidetracking to get there.

It would’ve been more interesting if the first time Bernard and Cosgrove had gone to the suspect, Baker’s apartment he had been acting a bit squirrely. But instead, the writers wait until the middle of the episode to reveal his suspect behavior all so Bernard and Cosgrove can go talk to a few people we don’t remember the names of and who never show up again.

Mental Awareness on Trial

One of the big shockers of the episode is when Baker’s lawyer manages to get his signed permission to collect DNA evidence thrown out or suppressed. It’s something that we don’t see coming and it actually starts Price down a spiral of needing to be right instead of making sure he plays the case well.

I, much like most viewers, love Price, but his cocky attitude has gotten a bit out of hand each time he wins another case. It’s this cockiness that prevents him from hearing both McCoy and Maroun when they tell him that Baker is sympathetic therefore they should offer a plea. 

No, Price wants to prove that he can win a case against a man who is claiming mental defect due to Havana Syndrome. Price should have been able to win the case had he taken a piece of humble pie, but he didn’t and therefore Baker walks free. 

It’s unfortunate that the storytelling for this case isn’t a bit more interesting, because Havana Syndrome is not something that comes up in everyday conversation and yet, it failed to really wow as a plot in this case. All because the focus is more on Price and his behavior, which ultimately hurts Law & Order. 

Overall, the one thing saving this episode from being a total wash is that there are some fascinating moments sprinkled in as well as Price finally being knocked down a bit by the verdict. Not all episodes can be stellar and a win for the series and “Severance” definitely isn’t.

 

What did you think of this episode of Law & Order? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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