Current season of Law & Order - Anyone else watching? (open spoilers)

Cafe Society
#1

It’s the 20th season of Law & Order! I have not seen much love for the current cast–Linus Roache, Anthony Anderson, Jared Leto, the ADA chick who I can’t remember her real name–but I think this might be one of their best in awhile. Highlights:

Jack McCoy (Sam Waterson) going from cutthroat prosecutor to curmudgeonly DA. I love how his office is a jumbled mess of books on the shelves, and the way he’ll tell the ADA’s to “figure it out!” He hates playing the political game but will do it if he needs to.

ADA Mike Cutter is a carbon copy of McCoy, and it’s great to see the interaction between the 2 characters.

I know most purists of L&O don’t like when they examine the personal lives of characters, but this is the year to make an exception. Lt. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merckerson) is being treated for cancer. The show is doing a superb job of giving us little glimpses of what she’s going through and it is heart wrenching. I have never cried watching an L&O episode…last week’s had me in tears. How they contrast the strength of the woman in her job, then show her vulnerability–just fantastic writing and acting.

Thoughts from anyone??

#2

I enjoy the show immensely. I love how Mike has such a crush on Connie.

#3

I watched it religiously through the Jerry Orbach years, but for some reason my schedule has conspired against me lately. I’ve seen a few episodes, and agree with your observations. I’m just glad McCoy is still there, although the Cutter dude is definitely his heir apparent.

And good riddance to Diane Weist! Great actress, but that was NOT her finest role!

#4

What happened to her character? Actually would anyone who followed the show all this time mind explaining the on-screen transition from Steven Hill to Diane Weist to Fred Thompson to Sam Waterston as DA? I’ve seen a lot of episodes with each as DA but haven’t followed closely enough to know how they switched.

#5

That would be Jeremy Sisto, not Jared Leto. I had to check Wikipedia to make sure, because God knows stranger casting decisions have been made in the world of television.

#6

It’s an elected office.

I believe Weist and Waterston were appointed as interim DA’s.

#7

According to Wikipedia:

Schiff (Steven Hill) leaves the DA’s office to accept a role in coordinating commemorations of the “Holocaust Project.”

Weist’s character (Nora Lewin) was indeed appointed as an interim for Schiff, but did not like the job well enough to run for election herself.

Arthur Branch (FD Thompson) is elected to the job, but leaves for reasons undisclosed on the show.

McCoy is appointed to fill the void. He does choose to run for a full term and (one supposes) won the election.

(these tidbits gleaned from the individual character pages referenced here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Law_%26_Order_characters#District_Attorneys )

#8

So the show didn’t have Branch leave to run a really bad campaign for president? :slight_smile:

#9

Oops, thanks for that! For some reason I always get those 2 guys names mixed up…crazy I know.

#10

No, but they made snarky comments about his character after he left. Something about his office no longer being up for sale or something.

#11

She’s doing a great job and it’s a well-written plot, but I don’t like it. It’s too much and too frequent.

Although when Benjamin Bratt showed back up because his wife had finally succumbed, that was sad. I felt that was ok because it was a one-time thing.

I like the entire cast, which sometimes is hard to do (looking at you, Angie Harmon and Elisabeth Rohm).

I forget it’s on though. I am usually home and able to watch it, but it’s not automatic “oh, it’s Friday at 8. Time for Law & Order.” I’m still more apt to look for it Wed. at 9.

And I wish they would show it on hulu or nbc.com. I know there are other places, but I’m not going hunting for season 20 new episodes.

#12

Law and Order is probably my favorite show. I hate the Friday 8 pm et timeslot. IMO, that time slot is a death sentence.

Abby Carmichael was my favorite assistant to the ADA. Connie Rubirosa is a close 2nd. I have always figured that Serena would come back in a guest slot representing a militant lesbian (or something similar).

Lupo is the most interesting detective since Briscoe. It was nice to see Rey Curtis come back for an episode to give some closure to his character. I wish they would do the same with Serena Sutherland, Ed Green, Abby Carmichael.

IMO, The writer’s are developing Van Buren’s cancer into a “Emmy-worthy” episode for S. Epatha Merkerson. Her kid(s) and husband have been showed several times this season. I am guessing that one of them is going to be framed for a murder and the brass will tell her to stay away from the investigation (like that will happen).