Fellow "Law & Order" fanatics, come hither ...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I know this could be a Great Debate, but …

For all of you who, like me, pretty much live for this show as far as television is concerned, who rejoice that A&E shows an episode every four hours or so, I pose this extremely difficult challenge:

Put together your all-time L&O lineup, from all the greats of all the past seasons. Can’t be anymore people than there usually are on the show (one executive assistant to Adam Schiff, one assistant D.A., one police Lt., two detectives.)

The conundrums!

Do you take Benjamin Stone (Michael Moriarity) or Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) as executive assistant D.A.?

What about assistant D.A.'s? Is it Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks, who was so good in the early seasons), or the succession of hotties that came afterward: Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy), Jamie Ross (Carrie Lowell) or the current Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon)?

For detectives, anybody who says Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) isn’t one is just daft. But who would his partner be?

Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino)? Mike Logan (Chris Noth)? Reynoldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt)? There might even be some votes out there for the current guy, Edward Green (Jesse L. Martin), but I doubt it.

Here’s mine:

Executive Assistant D.A. - Stone was good, but you gotta go with McCoy (Waterston).

Assistant D.A. - I always like Robinette, and I think Abbie Carmichael is hotter than sliced bread (that voice! those eyes!), but I have an even stronger physical weakness for Jamie Ross (Lowell), so she gets the nod.

(If they ever made an X-rated “Ladies of the Law and Order Law Office” video, I’d pay big money.)

Police Lieutenant - Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) is the best.

Detectives - Briscoe(Orbach) and Mike Logan (Noth), who just edges out Curtis (Bratt).

So, whaddaya think?

“We are here for this – to make mistakes and to correct ourselves, to withstand the blows and to hand them out.” Primo Levi

2

I think you made the correct call on all counts. It is, IMO, the best show on TV right now (and has been for a bit). The contest between Ross and Carmichael was close (whew, very nice looking women both), but Ross won by a cute, turned up nose.

One thing I noticed recently is that the show has employed the same actor in about a half dozen parts. I don’t know his name but he played the father that buried his daughter in the cooler after his wife killed her (his wife had also killed their other children in an attempt to gain attention), he also played the brother to Catholic girl who went to the abortion clinic and was killed when it blew up, herself becoming a suspect, and he played the assistant D.A. in California on the multi-part show about the director who butchered his wife. Hmmm, maybe I watch Law and Order a little too much.

3

Stone and Kincaid

Briscoe and Logan

But the big question, can we get Dr. Elizabeth Olivet back?

I understand all the words, they just don’t make sense together like that.

4

I believe that S. Epatha Merkerson, before she became Van Buren, played the mother of a shooting victim on an early episode. I think Jerry Orbach, before he was Briscoe, played a random defense attorney in the first season.

I also have noticed a sort of “repertory cast” effect at times, with bit players turning up in multiple episodes in different roles.

I have to go with Stone over McCoy.

I definitely have watched too many reruns on A&E.

5

Milo - I will go with your lineup, but with Abbie. Best TV night - Wednesday - I get the 9:00 episode, followed by a 10:00 on A&E.

QUESTION: I didn’t become a “devotee” until fairly recently. There was an episode on A&E I saw that I have yet to see “part 2” of.

Quick summary - Briscoe falls off wagon, and is being driven home by one of the DA’s(?) (don’t remember which one). There is a terrible accident - show ends with him standing in the street in disbelief, and her injured or dead in the car. Did she die??? What happens next??? This is driving me crazy!

I have to run now, but will look anxiously first thing in the AM for my answer. Thank you in advance.

6

And if they ever turn out “The Men of Law & Order” erotica, I’m there.

McCoy for the DA, definitely, and Kincaid as his assistant. I was heartbroken when I found out that she’d been killed off.

I can’t place Bratt, so I’m going to go with Logan as well, though if someone wanted to send me Green tied up with ribbon, I wouldn’t object.

Anita Van Buren for the lieutenant, and Olivette for the shrink.

7

Missy2U: After that show, they refer to her as being dead, so . . .

sigh I missed that show and heard about it from my brother.

8

Detectives: Briscoe and Logan
Lieutenant: Van Buren
DAs: McCoy and Kincaid.
Shrink: Olivet

TMR
LETS RIDE THIS SAUCER FULL OF SupErlovE INTO OUR FORTOLD UTOPIAN MILLENIUM…

9

I’ll go with Kunilou’s choices as well. Tough call between McCoy and Stone though. I like Stone’s integrity, but I also like McCoy’s questionable integrity.

Wish they wouldn’t have made Profacci(sp?) turn crooked in the Law & Order movie last year. Somewhat tarnished the fun of seeing Logan back on a case…

“It’s only common sense,
There are no accidents 'round here.”

10

Can’t give you McCoy. He bends the rules too much. He’s threatened prosecution, and even brought charges, despite a complete absence of good-faith belief in their truth, just to force someone else’s hand.

Ed. note: Bricker is now biting his lip in an effort to keep from launching into a denunciation of the show’s realism

So I would pick Ben Stone as the Exec. ADA, Jamie Ross as the ADA, Lennie Brisco and Mike Logan as the cops, and Anita Van Buren as the Loo.

Although Capt. Kragen has made a resurgence on Special Victims Unit, that show bears even less resemblence to reality. Cops are making plea agreements in court?? Sheesh.

  • Rick
11

Phouka said:

Just remember, that means you get Lenny Briscoe in the buff, too.

Bricker said:

Which makes him the more interesting character! He’s an imperfect idealist. And although Stone was great at the passionate closing argument (one of the highlights of every show), McCoy is even better.

“We are here for this – to make mistakes and to correct ourselves, to withstand the blows and to hand them out.” Primo Levi

12

I gotta go with Jack McCoy and Jamie Ross as DA’s, Briscoe and Curtis as detectives,(but it would be coll to have Curtis and Logan) and Kragen as the loo. And Im glad Olivette left. I like the new psychologist character,but can’t remember his name.

13

What a topic Milo!! I like all your calls, and I wish Dr. Olivet was back, EXCEPT for the case with the little blonde headed kid killer, when she opted out with the mom to send the little ‘Bad Seed’ back home!

I know Elizabeth was pregnant, but she ought not to have lost her mind over it!

I’m with Guy over Provacci too, I never bought that he would go bad after all that time, it didn’t make sense. :frowning:

Though, I * really like * Bricker, I’ve ** still ** got to go for Sam Waterson’s, McCoy. I just LOVE fireworks! :smiley:

Judy

“Um, according to who? Nothing more than a high brow troll, though occasionally the bi polar personality swung in a constructive direction on innocuous topics.” Omniscient

14

If McCoy, as implied, has a thing about sleeping with his attractive female assistants, that is a minus in my book. He does tend to bend the rules.

Stone, Briscoe and Logan, Van Buren, and the new psychologist (whatever his name is.)

15

Agreed, except I’d go with Curtis, rather than Logan. Logan just rubbed me totally the wrong way by the time he left.

Eschew Obfuscation

16

Nothing too original to add here, just my votes tallied:

Briscoe and Logan
McCoy and Kincaid
And Olivet (from the earlier seasons; I prefer her character there)

This show was my addiction through teacher training and first year of teaching. Then I became exhausted–teaching does that–and I’ve only recently been able to start watching it at its usual 10pm slot.

Teaching: The ultimate birth control method.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

17

Yeah, Missy2U, Claire Kincaid died in the crash. In a later episode, Stone laments that Claire had wanted to resign “a few weeks before, and I talked her out of it.” Briscoe replies that he could have kept walking past the bar.

Kincaid was my favorite. I don’t like Angie Dickenson’s character. She’s just too pretty to be a D.A. Clarie and Jamie were a little more believeable. I kind of got the impression that Law & Order thought that they had to toss in a babe to attract more male viewers.

McCoy * does [\i] bend the rules too much, but, between you and me, I think that Sam Donaldson is sexy. Don’t ask me why. I’ll still have to say that Stone is my favorite, however.

Why did Elizabeth Olivet leave? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that episiode.

18

Um… it’s Angie Harmon. Angie Dickenson was Sgt. Pepper Anderson on “Police Woman” in the 70s.

And I’m sure the producers at ABC News will be thrilled to hear of your affection for Sam Donaldson, but ADA Jack McCoy is played by Sam Watterson.

:slight_smile:

  • Rick
19

I love Law & Order. I never miss it and I catch all the reruns I can. (I don’t like SVU though.)

My picks:
Stone & Robinette (dang, he was sexy!) I can’t put my finger on what it is, but something rubs me wrong about Waterston’s McCoy. Unfortunately, Michael Moriarty went off the deep end IRL and caused quite a stink when he left the show, so there’s no way they’d ever take him back.

Briscoe & Logan with Curtis coming in a tight 2nd. I loved Jesse L. Martin on Ally, but for some reason I’m not as impressed with him on L&O.

VanBuren for sure, but between Olivette & the new guy, it’s a toss up - either one will do.

D Marie, yes, Jerry Orbach played a defense attorney in one or two episodes in the first season.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank

20

My all-time Law & Order lineup would be a total retooling of the concept and would feature the three Assistant D.A. babes catching crooks and solving crimes (they might have to wear some sort of superhero costumes). Safe to say I’d watch that pretty regular-like.

I’m a loner, Dottie … a rebel.