Law & Order, once required viewing in our house, has now become optional.
Oh, everyone’s doing just fine, Dennis Farina has crafted an interesting character, but it just seems like, in the absence of Jerry Orbach’s masterful, Apple-award winning portrayal of Lenny Briscoe, the show is just trying too hard.
It’s gone from stellar to run of the mill. The ratings seem to be sown as well (FTR, they first went up when Orbach joined the cast).
What are other fans’ reactions to this season?
I have nothing to say except I too miss Orbach. Briscoe and Green were the coolest team.
I agree. I watch any Law and Order re-run if Lenny is in it, and pass on the ones that were before his time. The show isn’t as dry as it was pre-Briscoe, but it’s not as enjoyable now. I liked Briscoe and Green the best too, and I miss watching them working together.
I don’t think its necessarily the lack of Brisco that’s the problem; the show has shifted to more and more sensationalist plot lines. Its become about the big twist in the last five minutes no matter how stupid the twist is. I liked Law and Order when it was about taking an interesting case and exploring the ramifications. While Brisco was great, losing him isn’t whats killing the series. It’s the bad writing.
It seems like they’re trying to make the plots more sensationalistic. (Is that a word?) Same with SVU. It bores me. Are they trying to breathe new life into the series by making it more splashy? Bad idea. They should go back to basics.
There’ll always be a hole in the show where Lennie used to be, but I think Farina will work out. The key would be to de-emphasize the police part for a while while we get used to him, and re-emphasize the trial part–EXCEPT–the trial part has gone very very stale. I may be the only one, but I can’t stand Jack McCoy, and I’m completely tired of him to boot. And I’m so glad that Serena is leaving. Yecch. I wish she’d go already.
I think the show has a great skeleton with Van Buren, Green, and DA Branch. And I also could see it going on indefinitely, becoming one of the longest-running shows ever. It’s a good, basic, drama, which can survive cast changes. I hope they don’t screw it up trying for big ratings over the short term.
That sums it up for me too. I’m just so tired of the Ellery Queen-style “switcheroo” mystery plots. Law & Order used to be a straight police procedural; now it’s a whodunnit. Maybe they should just hire Angela Lansbury and get it over with. 
(BTW and no offense, but I can’t believe there are folks for whom Briscoe and Green are the ultimate L&O cop team. Doesn’t anyone remember Mike Logan anymore?)
On a related topic, Orbach has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
They’re expecting a complete recovery.
I’m with you – they were great together, a couple of Dirty Old Men, regardless of age! 
I also liked Benjamin Bratt; it was fun to see Rey’s conservative, religious character up against Lennie, especially when Rey was new.
Now if they moved Briscoe and Sam Watterson’s character over to SVU, then it’d be the perfect show (for me anyhow).
Anyone know when Sabrina is leaving? What’s the skinny on the new ADA?
That’s when I started watching, with Bratt & Orbach. I didn’t really like the change to Jessie L. Martin, but I still watched.
Two episodes in with Farina, and I stopped watching.
Annie Parisse will be serving as the new ADA next season. Don’t know anything about her, still I welcome the change. I hope for a return to a strong character with apparent convictions (pardon the pun), like Claire Kincaid and Abbie Carmichael. Rohm and Carey Lowell played the role as spoiled brats who did little more than pout and whine when they failed to get their way.
I miss Lenny, but I think Farina is doing a fine job. I agree with the above that the show is much better when it is gritty and less tabloid
See, now I don’t mind Serena, but I’m not too fond of Carmichael. I don’t know why, but she’s just so snide all the time. My favorite was Claire, of course.
I wasn’t a big fan of Curtis, either. I wish that they could bring back Mike Logan, but that ain’t gonna happen.
I only really watch the reruns. I have no desire whatsoever to watch the show without Lenny now.
I’m also not thrilled with Dennis Farina and the “Law & Order Twist.”
My favorite era of the show was Bricoe-Curtis / McCoy-Carmichael. I liked Abbie’s constant snideness.
A close runner up would be Briscoe-Logan / McCoy-Kincaid.
They shoulda brung back Chris Noth… Logan and Green would be a helluva team!
If the rumors are true, Noth could be coming back. As a replacement for Vincent D’Onofrio on Criminal Intent.
:rolleyes:
Well, the good news is that he could not possibly chew the scenery and stink up the role as bad as D’Onofrio does.
Sheesh. Awful.
Yep, Briscoe and Logan were good, but sometimes there was just too much snideness for one episode. I think that either one could carry the show, but they would need a slightly calmer partner to balance things.
I’ll be glad when Serena is gone too.
For the ultimate cast, Kincade and Briscoe would have to come back. Too bad that can never happen.
Just read tonight that Michael Imperioli will be partnering up with Farina for the last few episodes of this season. Jesse Martin will return next season, he is taking time to work on the movie version of Rent.
Those were my favorites.