On recent rewatch of Season 10 for 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit', there was the feeling of despair from watching all but one ("Swing") of the previous seven episodes giving the indication that the show had lost its identity and what made it so great at its best. Particularly the episodes "Confession" and "Wildlife". "Swing" was the only one of the previous seven episodes to impress me, and even that isn't a favourite of mine or one of the very best Season 10 episodes.
Then a gem such as "Persona" came along and faith was restored, and there were a few other great episodes later on in the season ("Hothouse", "Ballerina", "Transitions") amidst the sea of disappointment. "Persona" to me is the first outstanding episode of Season 10, and one of the season's best quite easily. Namely because of it focusing on the case, on the victims, the perpetrator, not the melodramatic personal life stuff and the sloppy police work that kept creeping in around late-Season 7 onwards.
"Persona" is very solid visually. The production values are still fully professional, the slickness and subtly gritty style still remaining. The music is sparingly used and is haunting and thankfully non-overwrought. The direction shows some nice tension in especially when the case becomes deeper and more complex. The script is tight and thought provoking, with no rambling or overdone melodrama.
Donnelly shines here, loved how determined and sympathetic she was and it is a far cry from the way she treated Novak in the Season 9 finale "Cold". All the regulars are excellent, but the acting honours go to a deeply moving Brenda Blethyn. The chemistry between the whole cast is full of tension and emotion.
Furthermore, the storytelling is very powerful and quite complex without being convoluted or overwritten. Especially when the shocking truth comes out, one that one doesn't even consider until that moment. The topic is a tough one and the episode handles it uncompromisingly but sensitively, it's not the preachy episode that it could have been easily. As said, it was so refreshing to have a case at long last that focused on the case, the victims and delving into the minds of the character it centres around. A relief after so much melodrama, contrived intended to be tense scenes, procedural sloppiness, too many conveniences, too much conclusion jumping and judgemental attitudes in a few of the previous episodes ("Confession" being one of the bigger offenders).
On the whole, brilliant. 10/10.