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Episode Recap: "Assassin"
I am sure we are all saddened over the casting swap news involving Chris Noth, but at least we got to see Wheeler and Logan on the case last night! This new USA schedule for our L&O:CI in not cooperating with me well. Ha! But I did tape this last night and we have it up as soon as I can I promise (unlike last time).
In the meantime, please feel free to comment away on the episode or your thoughts on Noth leaving.
Also, if you didn’t already be sure to read TV Guide’s diagnosis of Det. Goren .
Added recap:
Bela Kahn, Sri Lankan ambassador, survives an assassination attempt thanks to her poor young personal assistant sacrificing her own life. Detectives Wheeler and Logan arrive on the scene to find the assassin was gunned down by Kahn’s bodyguards, but not before he shot off a few rounds. At first the detectives believe that the bodyguard has something to do with it, as the shooter was waiting for them in the kitchen and it was his idea to leave that way.
The story has some real family ties as another shooting takes place while Kahn is giving a speech and this time her brother is shot. We learn her brother and husband had a falling out of the finances of the family. This was a tangled web of who was pulling the strings to get everyone shot for the family trust – and shocking in the end we learned it was none other than the main target Ms. Bela Kahn herself. As Logan said, “it was her destiny, it was already written.”
This was a great episode; full of twists – though a little bittersweet knowing that there will not be many more with Det. Logan. He will be sorely missed, though the Sex in the City fan in me wonders if he will be partaking in the maybe sequel?
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Edited by Katie Bottner at 07/02/2008 6:54 PM
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TVGuide Links:
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Jun 30, 2008 10:37 AM
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Well, it's a well known fact that I am TOTALLY BUMMED about Chris leaving--so much so that after watching last night's episode, I dreamt about him--Logan that is, and wrote a verrrry long letter, telling him how much I loved him and will miss him, but didn't get a chance to say good-bye. He wrote back, telling me to stop with the "mushiness" and that we'd still see one another. 
Ahem. Sorry.
Last night. Wow. Maybe because my family's from India (I'm first generation American)--that I saw shades of the Gandhi family with its tragedies--I'm speaking of how Indira Ghandi's son, Sanjay, who was the politician in the family, died in a plane "crash" which, to this day, people say was murder. His brother, Rajiv, our late Prime Minister, who was assassinated in '91, was never one for politics, but took up the challenge, none-the-less and proved to be a good PM.
What killed me, absolutely KILLED me, was the way they botched the pronounciation of Bella's husband's (played terribly by Stephen Schneizter (sp?)) name. It's not as if it were a South Indian name, which even I find difficult to pronounce. It was Ajay (pronounced "UH-Jay")--But of course, everyone was pronouncing it AAA-Jay. (Yes, I'm anal when it comes to these types of things. Sue me.)
Now Wolf is usually good about doing research when it comes to different cultures--isn't he? I'm asking because he totally messed up in last season's "World's Fair" with the murder of the Pakistani girl.
I mention that because Ajay is a Hindu name, not Muslim. And I'm thinking Bella was Muslim because her last name was Khan, which is a Muslim name.
So, back to World's Fair--you had a Pakistani girl (Muslim) with a Hindu name; you had the family who owned a restaurant (Jewel of Punjab)--Punjabis aren't Muslim, either. SIGH...
Okay, done with the cultural faux paus on Wolf's part. You'd think by NOW, he'd get it right. Or the people he's paying to do the research.
I was on the edge of my seat--loved how it seems the show is getting back to its roots--you saw the scenes of the assassin--truth be told, I thought he was at the funeral, and not waiting for Ghil at the detention center.
And the music was absolutely chilling. Was it me, or did Rani (a woman's name given to a man?!) remind you of Barry Williams (Greg Brady)?
I expected more of Wheeler--that is, expected her to be smarter. Assuming the uncle was the assassin because of the beard??! Seriously? Not to mention, Uncle's beard was a LOT thicker. You'd think the NYPD would take into account that maybe Frank would change his appearance? Stupid.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode and will watch it again tonight.
~Sangeeta
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Jun 30, 2008 10:59 AM
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Jeff Goldblum. That is so ick. I know I will hate him in the role. Very sad and I guess I'm done with this law and order as well as the original.
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Jun 30, 2008 6:59 PM
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So this was the Benazir Bhutto "ripped from the headlines" episode except this champion of her people ended up being the assassin of both her brothers. I still need to warm up to Wheeler. It didn't seem like the writers gave her much to do in this episode.
Also, I'm not crushed by the news that Chris Noth is leaving. If Vincent D'Onofrio was leaving the show, then I would be. And I think Jeff Goldblum has the potential for being really good as a wise-cracking detective.
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Jun 30, 2008 7:27 PM
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I'm really not sorry that Noth is leaaving. I'm looking forward to Jeff Goldblum's character development.
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Jun 30, 2008 7:37 PM
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I will miss Chris Noth on CI but prefer D'onfrio anyway. Change is sometimes good. I will actually watch Jeff Goldblum before passing judgement. 
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Jul 1, 2008 9:32 AM
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To the commenter that was complaining about L&O CI not understanding the complexities of the Indian subcontinent -- I think that you have it backwards. This is not factual but intentional fiction. Clearly the purpose was to not portray any particular country or family's history too closely. The country the family was purportedly dealing with was Ceylon / Sri Lanka. Her family's cause was freedom for the "Tamil" people (which is also Sri Lanka). However, they clearly made allusions to Benazir Bhutto -- pretty child of assassinated father educated in the United States. Her destiny to be assassinated in the same way. However you correctly pointed out the allusions to the Nehru / Indira Gandhi chain of events, including the fraternal (perhaps fratricidal) rivalry of her children (Sanjay and Rajiv). The mysterious circumstances in Sanjay Gandhi's real-life death were certainly described in this story.
Rather than reflecting a misunderstanding of any one separate story, this was a masterful job of combining several different stories into one fictional story line that held your attention from beginning to end.
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The loss of Logan will be no great loss. The original idea of Criminal Intent was the mind games between the criminal and Goren. If Jeff Goldblum can get more into that mind game mindset then it would be great. I think he's a good choice to do that. If it becomes more of a standard procedural than I think we all lose out. All Goren would be fine with me. Of course it's apparently too stressful for Vincent D'Onofrio.
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Jul 1, 2008 11:19 AM
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Message to DKUVA - I don't think Geets226 was complaining about the storyline per se, but rather the inability of the research dept/Wolf to get the facts right when it comes to portraying Hindus, Muslims, Punjabis, Sikhs, Tamils, etc.
I totally get where she is coming from because that is also a pet peeve of mine as well. BTW Sangeeta, I'm South Indian and our last names are totally crazy long but I got lucky with a short one!
Can't wait to watch this episode.
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Jul 1, 2008 11:48 AM
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babysloth: "Message to DKUVA - I don't think Geets226 was complaining about the storyline per se, but rather the inability of the research dept/Wolf to get the facts right when it comes to portraying Hindus, Muslims, Punjabis, Sikhs, Tamils, etc."
Thanks babysloth--you saved me from posting a clarification--I went back and re-read what I wrote and the only thing I was complaining about, as you pointed out, was the portrayal of...Indians. And his people are usually good about that, but totally dropped the ball in last season's episode.
babysloth: "I totally get where she is coming from because that is also a pet peeve of mine as well. BTW Sangeeta, I'm South Indian and our last names are totally crazy long but I got lucky with a short one!"
LOL. I hope I didn't offend you, or any other South Indians when I made the comparison with respect to pronouncing a name as simple as Ajay. I mean, there's Balasabrumaniam for example, lol. I'm sure I mucked up the spelling.
Regardless of that, the episode was riveting and I couldn't keep my eyes off the tube.
I don't remember Deakins being so in the face of his detectives while they investigated as Ross is. He (Deakins) let his people do their job. This is another reason why I don't like Ross.
~Sangeeta
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Jul 1, 2008 11:59 AM
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I will miss Chris. I fel in love with him in Sex in the City, and that's what made me start watching the LO:CI reruns. I just love him, but admit that sometimes I spend time just looking dreamily at him, so I have to rewind to catch the part of story that I missed!
However, I do like Jeff Goldblum too. Always have, but I don't see him him and Wheeler as a team. I guess I'll hav to wait & see.
I do love the show...
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Jul 1, 2008 5:37 PM
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Here’s what I submitted to “Jump the Shark”’s "Law and Order: Criminal Intent” page shortly before it was revealed that Chris Noth was leaving:
I ALWAYS THOUGHT MIKE LOGAN WAS THE HEART AND SOUL ON LAW AND ORDER. IF YOU’VE SEEN THE LAW AND ORDER “EXILED” MOVIE, YOU’LL HAVE TO AGREE. WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT CHRIS NOTH WAS JOINING CI, I THOUGHT LOGAN’S ‘TOUGH AS NAILS COP’ WOULD WORK AS A NICE CHANGE FROM THE SHERLOCK HOLMES’ISH GOREN. BUT, THE WRITERS JUST HAVEN’T PRODUCED SCRIPTS THAT SPOTLIGHT LOGAN’S CYNICAL BUT DEDICATED PERSONA. I JUST DON’T SEE A FUTURE FOR THIS SHOW IF FUTURE EPISODES ARE AS ANEMIC AS THE PAST ONES.
I had high hopes for the ‘Det. Logan’ episodes after hearing he was going to alternate with Bobby Goren. But, the main element in the original “Law and Order” that made his character enjoyable, his loyalty and friendship with his partners, were missing in CI. If Annabella Sciorra hadn’t left the series after one season, Logan and Det. Barek may have bonded.
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Jul 1, 2008 5:56 PM
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joeydak: "the main element in the original “Law and Order” that made his character enjoyable, his loyalty and friendship with his partners, were missing in CI."
Here's the thing--those early years, Logan was a young, hot-headed, brash detective. He was the "young" partner--Greevy, Cerreta and Briscoe were the older, more experienced cops/partners.
By the time Logan escaped Staten Island and was back in the City, he was now the "older" more seasoned veteran--you have to take that into account. Plus, although we didn't get to see him getting into heated arguments with his partners (would have been nice to at least keep ONE for more than one season), there were a few episodes where he lost it. Those were my favorite episodes. ![]<img border=](http://community.tvguide.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif) ">">
~Sangeeta
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Jul 1, 2008 6:31 PM
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Where are the Recaps? No L&O CI, Weeds or In Plain Sight. I saw that there will be no weeds recap but where are the others?
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Jul 1, 2008 10:41 PM
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Love Jeff Goldblum...can't wait! Is it just me or am I missing some epis? Are all of the new ones also on CBS this summer...cause I don't think I got the last one on my DVR, durn it.
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Jul 2, 2008 12:06 AM
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Sueso: "Are all of the new ones also on CBS this summer"
I think you meant NBC, and no. BUT, the episodes do repeat throughout the week. Assassin's been on three times.
You can see it for free (I believe) on USA's website.
~Sangeeta
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Jul 2, 2008 9:40 AM
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