Up until this point of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson were the most interesting and most focused on characters. So it is nice when an episode focuses on another Special Victims Unit team member. In this case John Munch, showing a different side to him than seen before which, despite loving Munch and his usual traits and having always having considered him a scene stealer, was refreshing.
"Remorse" agreed is an outstanding episode. One of Season 1's best, the best of the second half of the season at any rate. As well as one of the most emotional, most gripping and most hard-hitting. Although Munch having more screen time and taking center stage and showing a different side to him in a very personal case for him are the biggest interest points of "Remorse", it's interesting too for the bond between the victim and Munch and that the victim is one of the most sympathetic ones of the season (in a season where there were those that were rootable but also ones that one hates as much as the perpetrator or more so, a prime example being "Disrobed" where one's sympathy is actually with the perpetrator).
Didn't mind at all that Stabler and Olivia didn't feature heavily, although they are great characters at their best and their chemistry essential to the show's success other team members should have time to shine just as much. And Munch is a strong enough character to justify him being more of a lead. Munch is on top form here, he was usually up to this point and most of the time on 'Special Victims Unit' the character with the dry, witty humour which provided some welcome amusing moments. Here there is a more sympathetic and softer side, especially in his bond with Sarah which is the heart of the episode and done in a very heartfelt, sensitive way. Sarah is touchingly played by Jennifer Esposito and Richard Belzer shows off his dramatic chops just as powerfully.
One really does root for the case, which is heart-stopping, not for the faint hearted and emotionally powerful, to be solved, especially with a perpetrator so vile (even for Season 1). The climactic interrogation is haunting and one feels shock, hurt and anger throughout. The script never loses its tautness and it is very easy to hang on to everything that is said. The production values are getting slicker all the time and do not have a problem with the way the episode is scored.
My only extremely minor, and easy to ignore, complaint for "Remorse" is the same as that of a previous reviewer's, the very end being ever so slightly on the tidy side.
To conclude, outstanding and a Season 1, a season without a single bad episode (though two were only slightly above average) high point. 10/10
