Law & Order

This intense drama, now in its 15th season and still going strong, set the stage for ensemble drama, in which the cast plays a secondary role to the story. Law & Order, as originally conceived, drew the viewer into the process by which American law enforcement and litigation works, or doesn't, depending on the viewer's opinion. The first half-hour is devoted to the investigation of a crime, the second to its prosecution. Cases are made or lost by evidence, lack thereof, a technicality, or even judicial whim. Dick Wolf made it clear from day one that the cast was expendable; no prima donnas here. The first cast was all male, with one African-American. Wolf apparently caved to fan pressure for a more politically-correct spectrum, but it really didn't matter so long as the actors could carry the story forward. His best casting choice was Jerry Orbach, his worst Elisabeth Rohm, but with or without these people, the drama continues. In recent years, L&O has lost some of the grittiness that made it so compelling, and I do miss actors such as Steven Hill, Michael Moriarty, Chris Noth, Jill Hennessy and now Orbach, but the show is still far superior to the majority of what passes for prime-time programming. It only suffers in the rare episodes when a politically-correct message is pushed into the story, i.e., whenever it deviates from its original format of presenting how the criminal justice system works. Ignore the spinoffs; the original Law & Order is still the best.

I only started watching L&O a few years ago, and am hooked on the brilliant writing, acting, and direction that have made this show so popular for so long. Jerry Orbach is great as Lennie, and I was stunned to learn that he also played the voice of Lumiere, the French candlestick in Beauty and the Beast! His sarcastic one-liners never fail to get me laughing, and he and his new partner, Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green, have a good rapport and are believable as partners. On the "Order" side, Sam Waterston, Dianne Wiest, and Elisabeth Rohm are equally compelling. New cast member Rohm has gotten better as she's gone along; she had big shoes to fill as Angie Harmon's replacement. Because the stories are all driven by the plots, and not the characters' personal lives, it makes the constant cast turnover more believable. It's a testament to Dick Wolf and co. that such a smart, sharp show has stayed on the edge after almost 12 years! My only beef is I'm tired of hearing "Ripped from the headlines" in every promo. That, though, is a minor quibble. Wednesday nights wouldn't be the same without it!

To be honest, I didn't become a real fan of the series until Jerry Orbach (Detective Briscoe)and Sam Waterston(EADA McCoy)came into the picture. This is when the series starts to pick up steam. Watching the show, you can't help but laugh at Briscoe's remarks or feel the passion of McCoy. Both of these men want justice, and will do everything within limits to bring the wrongdoers to justice. What I really like about the show is the wonderful twists and turns that they throw to the audience, as well as the "ripped from the headlines" episodes. Even though you have 2 more in the "Law And Order" franchise, the original is STILL the best!

I am giving an 8 as the prior seasons this was generally an excellent show. What I like about Law and Order is that it is a show that made you think about the issues being presented and you could formulate your own thoughts about how you thought the issues should play out. The show never outright told you how to think or feel about things. And sometimes the characters would do things you disagreed with but you understood them enough to know where they were coming from.

But with this revival since the cancellation, it is unbelievable how poor the writing is. I do not fault the actors like some people are here. The dialogue and scenarios they are put in are so ridiculous and cringe worthy that great actors like Pacino or Deniro couldn't save this. As one example, the recent issues of abortion and Roe Vs Wade being overturned, it would make sense to incorporate this into a storyline and abortion stories have been done before in the show which I felt were well done. But definitely not now, the show tells you exactly how we are on the wrong side of history and how this is creating so much anger and extremism in society. And the thing is I agree with the sentiment but there is nothing to think about or consider. The show and writers are pushing their ideological message in such an overt and obvious way that it becomes laughable. I no longer see this show as something that is worthy of sparking debate and I will simply watch the original series as they are worth going back to.

Terrible writing! Terrible casting! Hugh Dancy is just plain awful in his role. In episode 5, his witness "hangs himself" while in custody, and when he's told he shakes his head up and down while having a dumb look on his face! That's just one of many horrible pieces of acting!

The stories are poorly written, and the character played by Jeff Donovan is just unlikable, and I'm a big fan of his and his starring role in Burn Notice.

I'm HOPING that they get better writers and recast Hugh Dancy. This show has a proud history. It deserves better treatment!