Personally, I was impressed by the drama of this episode. It was definitely atypical, but it had some very strong performances from the female members of the cast.
I think your absolute best bet is to buy used! I have a Thorens turntable that is absolutely beautiful. $150 used. I have seen many deals of this ilk for german hardware. Just find a respectable local record dealer and ask them where you could find deals in the local area. BTW, It is critical...