BLOGS
The Law & Order franchise is not what it once was. The original series (plain old L&O) has gone through cast shake-up after shake-up, and just had one of its weakest seasons. Special Victims Unit is full of superstar talent -- America's sweethearts Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni, plus their cranky back-ups Ice-T and Richard Belzer -- but each episode of that show finds a way to ignore their special victims mandate. Only Criminal Intent, exiled to the USA Network, has continued to do what it does so well with the same two leads it's always had. It's the best show in the franchise, and it's only going to get better with this season's changes. If you didn't watch Sunday night's Season 8 premiere, here are our reasons for you to tune in for Episode 2.
1. Vincent D'Onofrio D'Owns It
D'Onofrio, who plays Det. Robert Goren, has been the face of CI since its start, and while "highly perceptive investigator" seems to be the new black (see The Mentalist, Lie to Me, Life), D'Onofrio has been playing the brilliant, well-read, multi-lingual Goren for seven years, and his mannerisms make him a fascinating character to watch and/or listen to. Goren switches from dropping subtle physical cues to screaming in a perp's face with ease, and if we're lucky he'll slip into a character to draw out a suspect. (Goren dressed like a mailman and dancing with headphones on was a fixture in promo commercials for a while, and is still endlessly entertaining.) And whether it's intentional or utterly coincidental, D'Onofrio/Goren's let himself go over the years, expanding horizontally and shaving rarely, which makes the size difference between himself and his shorter, tidier partner/handler Eames (Kathryn Erbe) even more dramatic/hysterical.
2. The Rest of the Cast is A-List
It may seem like sometimes Erbe doesn't have much to do, with Goren doing the heavy dramatic lifting, but she plays Eames like Goren's diplomatic envoy, as if Goren was a king, or perhaps an entire nation-state, who isn't as familiar with protocol. She used to be the snarky one, but after seven years (and the rise of David Caruso on CSI: Miami) she's not as quick to make pithy comments as she once was. The other pair of detectives on the case has been a bit of a revolving door, with both Annabella Sciorra and Alicia Witt briefly playing partner to Chris Noth's Mike Logan, whose sly "just between you and me" demeanor was a refreshing contrast to D'Onofrio's intense focus. But this season keeps Logan's last partner, the smart, tough Megan Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson) and trades Noth in for A-lister Jeff Goldblum as Det. Zach Nichols. Whether his character will be a more suave version of Goren or a quirkier Logan remains to be seen, but if his turn on the short-lived and underrated Raines is any indication, cop Goldblum will be worth watching. Round out the cast with a tough, smart captain Ross, played by actor, playwright and novelist Eric Bogosian (!), and you've got a pretty pedigreed bunch of cops... as long as you ignore Erbe's turn in Mighty Ducks 2.
3. Major Cases Only, Please
We mentioned how much SVU's lack of focus bothered us -- cases would start out looking like sex crimes, or would seem to involve a child, but would often turn out to be something else. In the Major Case Squad, they only get involved if someone's been killed, or a lot of money has been stolen, or a work of art or if there's someone famous involved. It's a wide net, but the detectives are always in their comfort zone, although it may be simply because of the detectives' implied talent at their jobs. And the show's title comes from the fact that the viewer sees the criminals and the victims first, so we get to catch a glimpse of the people involved before the cops even find them. It adds a fair amount of suspense to the show, as we see the police getting closer to knowing what we know, even as we wait for them to show us the final piece of the puzzle.
4. They Won't See You In Court
The show's assistant District Attorney, Ron Carver, disappeared a couple of seasons back, and nobody really noticed, because the show's cases stopped making it to trial. By focusing on the investigation side of things, and showing aspects of the criminal's point of view, the full hour is dedicated to the solving of the case, and usually culminates in Goren tricking someone into confessing. Good thing, too, because it seems like every single case the SVU division takes to court seems to die under a judge's withering glare, usually because Benson and Stabler coerced a confession, or didn't knock, or it was entrapment, or Stabler beat somebody within an inch of their life. If the Major Case Squad's cases fall apart in court because of an excessive use of quirkiness, we mercifully don't see it. We're not sure what Goldblum's finishing move is yet, but here's hoping he musical theaters perps into confessing.
5. It Doesn't Drop the Soap
While Original Recipe is still the prototypical crime show, and SVU sometimes plays like a wacky sitcom, CI regularly embraces the strange developments, and plays out like a soap opera sometimes, especially when it comes to its characters' long-term story arcs. Eames' cop husband was killed on the job, and she was a surrogate mother for her sister's baby at one point. And for years, "Bobby" has clashed with British black widow Nicole Wallace; he's also occasionally caught up with his half-crazed criminologist mentor, who was revealed to have killed Wallace in last season's finale. Plus, Goren's brother was a meth-head before he died, and Goren's father was revealed to be a serial killer, a fact more or less admitted by his schizophrenic mother before she died. Of course, with most of Goren's extended family dead or incarcerated by the end of last season, and a new writing staff in place, it remains to be seen how much of that soap opera we'll see this season, but Goren's still got a missing nephew out there somewhere...
Catch Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sundays at 9/8C on USA. Discuss the show in our CI forums, and check out our interview with D'Onofrio and Erbe here!
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I think you mean Carver left a couple of SEASONS back not episodes!! LOL
I have to disagree. I think the newest L&O (regular) season was great not "its weakest." I'm lovin' the new cast and Jack's new role.
Can someone tell me what Eames...does? For the episodes I've seen, she hangs out guiding the audience by the hand and looking at her partner with a concerned expression. I think they could replace her with any other actress and no one would notice.
Other than Chris Noth, Ci is my least favorite of all the L&Os.
Sorry Cura, you must have thought this was Law & Order: Sex and the City. It's not.
Erbe's character has always lent a very stable and grounded contrast to D'Onofrio's. Gorrin frequently flirts with understanding criminal psychology so well that it's part of him. The difference between him and Noth's character was that Noth was just a cynical brute. At least Gorrin was trying to walk the moral high ground and do everything the right way, even though he suspected (and in cases knew) he was inclined toward doing the opposite. Noth just threatens to smash someone's face into a wall until he gets what he wants. Zzz. Erbe makes a perfect partner, not only because she's much more grounded at every level, but because she tends to reign in what could be an unbelievable character (in Gorrin) with her utter believability.
Anyway, I saw the first season of Law & Order, and that was enough of Noth for me.
The writing for Erbe can be all over the map. I'll admit to preferring old, snarky Eames over this subtler version, but that's because I'm a sucker for snappy one liners and that's a thing ALL flavors of L&O deliver. When the writers on 'on' she's the only reason Goren hasn't gotten himself killed (or killed someone himself. probably killed someone himself), but when an episode just can't get her wright, we get the handholding and concerned looks.
The first few seasons of CI were my favorite of any L&O show, and the only ones I've bought on DVD. The way you could watch Goran work his way through the criminals' motivations was just so fascinating. But after D'Onofrio got exhausted things started to slip, and by the time the show moved to USA and brought in all the crap with Goran's personal life I was done. As far as I'm concerned the show is a pale shadow of itself.
Another way you can tell a show like this is falling apart? When law enforcement characters do not conform to real-world standards of appearance. The unshaven-and-no-tie look Goran's been working recently would never fly in the real NYPD, so it's sloppy to allow it in the show.
I love this show, but the last point - all the crazy issues w/Goren's family did turn me off of it a bit. I never stopped liking it, but I think it's getting better now that they're done with every member of Goren's family.
I also prefer snarky Eames. I still remember lines like "Thanks. You can go do your little dance in hell now." (Said to a perp who had a website dedicated on how to kill yourself).
Even so, I still prefer this to the other L&Os.
I agree that CI is by far the best of the Law and Order series, mainly because of Vincent D'onofrios' character. He is different and unlike any other character on TV. Chris Noth was just another cop. He and Stabler are almost interchangeable. Although I've grown to like Eames, it is Bobby Goren that makes this show so interesting.
No mention of the very best thing about Vincent D'Onofrio? Guys, hello, he was Thor in Adventure's in Babysitting!
Don & I were very disappointed to find out that our customer & friend at our store, Eric Bogosian, the actor portraying the Jewish ‘Captain Danny Ross’ on ‘Law & Order, Criminal Intent,’ may be taken off the USA Network show.
My husband & I think his character was a unique and wonderful addition to the show, and this is why:
On the surface ‘Captain Ross’ appears hard, and interested only in solving the crimes brought to the Major Case Squad. But, as his character has evolved throughout the episodes, it has become apparent to me that ‘Danny Ross’ is a human being that is not unaffected by the victims of the crimes.
As far as managing his squad, ‘Captain Ross’ is tough on his detectives and I have no doubt that he is the one in charge. But I also have no doubt that ‘Danny Ross’ cares more about their personal well-being than he lets on. In fact, in a few episodes, out of concern for his detectives, he puts himself in precarious situations, thus risking his own job and reputation for them.
I, as the viewer, see his ability to be aware of the ‘letter of the law,’ yet uphold the ‘spirit of the law,’ as stemming from his Jewish heritage. ‘Captain Danny Ross’ is an intellectual and sophisticated man who possesses a thorough knowledge of the legal system and the bureaucratic protocol of the N.Y.P.D. In spite of that, I am always certain, that with him in charge of the Major Case Squad, the ‘intent’ of the law will triumph.
In our opinion, it is a mistake to take him off the show. Instead, they should be expanding his role. If you agree with us, please take the time to contact the USA Network. The best starting point I have found for that is the following website:
http://www.usanetwork.com/feedback/#Contact
On that page you can:
1) Post a comment on the USA Network Forum; or,
2) Send them an E:mail. Please keep in mind that the form for sending the network an E:mail is at the very bottom of this website page.
You can also send a letter to: Law & Order, CI, USA Network, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 21st Floor, NY, NY 10112
I hope you do agree with us and will take the time to express your opinion to the USA Network. Please pass this message on and share it with all of your friends. Thank you! Laura Bale
D'Onofrio has annoyed me for years. His ham-fisted performance is compulsively funny in its sheer grotesqueness. As for the show. What I love about it is the way the show seeks to justify, excuse every slimey tactic or trick used by Det. Goren. Lies, forgery, threats etc., are alll excused and justified and a level of psychopathic manipulation that is truly horrendous is also justified. but then we are told that the people are always guilty, so the end justifies the means. This serves the very useful purpose of preparing people to excuse mass violations of their rights because of course the Police only use such slimball tactics against the guilty. I've met Police officers like Goren and in real life such people would lie, beat etc., their way in order to convict those they "know" are guilty. But of course Goren magicly "knows" who is guilty before he performs his mind fuck.
All in all I find the show an appalling indication of the mindset that the Police are God and can do no wrong. A real Police officer who behaved like Goren would have sent lots of innocent people to jail.