IMDb user comments for
"Law & Order" (1990) More at IMDb Pro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 15:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Index

141 comments in total

---

106 out of 124 people found the following comment useful :-
How You Can Tell, 30 November 2004
Author: schappe1 from N Syracuse NY

Here's how you can tell, (sort of), which season a rerun of this show was originally part of. Most of us watch the reruns even more than the regular show and even discovered the regular show through the re-runs so I thought this might be helpful for the newbies.

1988: The pilot has a grainy look to it. The offices of the lawyers are more proletarian that the wood-paneled hives they now work in. The big thing is that the DA, (as opposed to the Executive Assistant DA- let's call him the EADA, or the assistant DA- let's call her the ADA), is played for the one and only time by Roy Thinnes, who must have finally escaped from 'The Invaders'. It's about the Masucci Crime Family, (who will be back), corrupting public officials and ends will a lengthy scroll about the ongoing fight against corruption, etc.

1990-91: Short, heavy-set, balding George Dzundza is the cynical older cop. Dzundza left because he preferred to live and work where it was warmer and his character, (played by his stand-in), gets bumped off in the first episode of the second season.

1991-92: Paul Sorvino plays his replacement, nice-guy Phil Cerretta. The show actually began the next year with the same cast but Sorvino wanted to leave to become an opera singer so poor Phil got shot by a black-market arms dealer in November, 1992 and was replaced by the classic dog-faced flatfoot, Jerry Orbach as Lenny Briscoe.

1993-94: It had been an all-male cast so they brought in Jill Hennessy to replace Richard Brooks as the ADA. But Brooks was black so they had to bring in another black character, (my interpretation) so out went the excellent Dann Florek as Lt. Cragan, to be replaced by S. Epatha Merkerson, (I can always remember her name but not the characters).

1994-5: Michael Moriarity had come apart due to, (from what I've read), alcohol and chronic mental problems that resurfaced. He was replaced this season by Sam Waterson, who came over from 'I'll Fly Away' as the EADA. Meanwhile perennial malcontent, (again from what I've read), Chris Noth either wanted out or was wanted out and his character, Mike Logan, slugs another corrupt public official on the steps of the courthouse, (after the smug perp gets off), and is banished to Staten Island, later to return in a TV movie.

1995-96: The year of the first true 'Homicide' cross-over, (Noth as Logan had done a cameo the previous year), and the rare L&O episode that was about the regulars, who witnesses an execution and then spend the day and night drinking it off. It all ends with Hennessy's character, Clare Kincaid, dying in an auto accident. RIP.

1996-98 Carey Lowell replaced Hennessy. Dick Wolf had apparently decided to get ready for the next abrupt departure by creating a sub-plot for each character to explain why they might leave: Adam Schiff was facing a tough election, (and his wife was dying), McCoy was up on ethics charges, (finally). Jaime Ross's sleazy ex-husband was trying to win custody of their child by claiming she was working too hard. Van Buren was suing the city for discrimination in promotions. Lenny Briscoe's daughter gets rubbed out by a dope ring. Rey Curtis' wife has MS. So what happened? Nothing. Everyone stayed.

1998-99: Lowell DID leave, for a similar reason as her character's- she had a baby with Richard Gere and wanted to spend time with her child. Angie Harmon, a real firecracker, came in to replace her.

1999-00: Bratt left to spend more time with HIS movie star other half, Julia Roberts, (it didn't last). Jesse Martin replaced him.

2000-01: Hill finally left to be replaced with Diane Wiest.

2001-02: Harmon left to be with her new hubby, football star Jason Sehorn, to be replaced by the much maligned, (and under-rated), Elizabeth Rohm. 9/11 made it an interesting season to come in.

2002-04: Senator Fred Thompson replaces Wiest.

2004-05: By bye Lennie Briscoe. Hello Dennis Farnia. Does it even matter that his character's named Fontana?

Sooo…Thinnes= '88 pilot. Dzundza = 1st season (90-91). Sorvino = 2nd season or early third, (91-92). Orbach reporting to Florek = 3rd season, (92-93). Moriarity working with Hennessy = 4th season, (93-94). Waterson and we still have Noth= 5th season, (94-95). Bratt and we still have Hennessy = 6th season, (95-96). Carey Lowell is either the 7th season, (96-97) or 8th season, (97-98). Harmon and we still have Bratt = 9th season (98-99). Martin and we still have Hill = 10th season, (99-00). Wiest working with Harmon = 11th season, (00-01). Wiest working with Rohm = 12th season, (01-02). Thompson and we still have Orbach = 13th, (02-03) or 14th, (03-04) season. Farina, so far = 15th season, (04-05).

My dream cast? I'll take the crusty but forceful Thompson over the merely crusty Hill as the DA. I like Moriarity's Stone somewhat more than Waterson's McCoy. They are two of the finest actors of their generation but I prefer Stone's idealism to McCoy's 'winning is everything' attitude. Actually, I wish the series had both of them and had them alternated, with their different approaches. Hennessy's intelligent sensitivity and expressive face made her the best ADA. Florek is the classic middle manager who gets it from both sides. Orbach fits like an old glove. Noth's emotionalism made him more exciting that the other young cops. There was never a season when they were all together but the fourth season, 1993-94 was about the best.

---

59 out of 71 people found the following comment useful :-
"Law & Order" solves local crime, 4 May 2004
Author: maryedgar-1 from Stafford, Virginia

On Sunday, May 2, 2004, the local newspaper, The Free Lance-Star, reported the discovery of a body in a dumpster outside a motel. The following day , the paper reported the arrest of the murderer, thanks in part to the quick action of one of the motel residents. While the police were securing the crime scene, one of the by-standers was approached by a man who asked her what was going on. When she told him about the body, he ran across the street and jumped onto a waiting van. She later told a newspaper reporter that she had "watched enough "Law and Order" episodes to know suspicious behavior when she sees it." She got out her camera-phone and starting taking photographs of the man and the license plate on the van. The police downloaded the photos, tracked down the van, connected all the dots, and had the killer in custody 39 hours after the discovery of the body. "Law and Order" RULES !!

---

54 out of 65 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the few good television shows still standing..., 22 December 2004
Author: mentalcritic from Southern Hemisphere

Television in Western society has become something of a cultural and imaginative wasteland, with the lowest common denominator now firmly in charge. As attempts to create something imaginative or different get cancelled faster than Mike Tyson can embarrass the sport of boxing, the drivel that we call Reality TV just keeps on keeping on. Which makes those of us with an active brain in our heads all the more grateful that a simple two-act series about criminal prosecution can last for fourteen-plus years.

The premise is as refreshing as it is simple. Before Law & Order, the majority of television shows about lawyers showed defense lawyers doing the police's job and solving cases for them. Competent police or prosecution lawyers did not exist in this highly fictitious setting, so Law & Order turned that on its head. Law & Order begins with a witness running into a victim, or a victim coming forth after some kind of unspeakable act. First, the police, almost always represented by two particular detectives, gather evidence and make inquiries. Then the district attorneys attempt to prosecute the case. Very simple at first, but it is the complex relationships between the regular cast, as well as the quirks of the guest stars, that make the show what it is.

Like any long-running television series, Law & Order has had its ups and downs. I doubt that anyone is going to look upon the era in which Jill Hennessy was replaced by Carey Lowell, indisputably the worst Bond girl of all time, with any great kindness. Indeed, the true golden era of the show was with Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, Jill Hennessy, and Sam Waterston. Now that three of this foursome have left the show, and no less than three attempts to fill the very big void left by Hennessy have failed, it looks like Law & Order has long passed its apex. Not that this is necessarily bad. All good things must come to an end, even if many would prefer a bad Law & Order to a good Survivor.

Aside from the cast dynamic, the stories are what makes the show truly work. Although they are quite relevant to the modern era, they show no signs of dating, with a story from the first season often seeming as current as a story from the most recent, changes in prices, fashions, or cultures notwithstanding. Although many of the stories are uniquely American in nature, a fair percentage are of the kind that could literally happen anywhere.

Another aspect that sets Law & Order apart is its ability to show that even the simplest of cases do not always have a happy ending. Blatant murderers go free because someone at the lab screws up a test, people we sympathise with in spite of their guilt are sent to prison and meet grisly fates, or some of the inequities of the system are displayed in such bold colour its a wonder the show hasn't been clamped down upon by the current President. This is a good thing, however, as a less sugar-coated version of the system makes for much more compelling viewing. In the end, one gets to see that while the system is not perfect, it works hard to protect everyone, which is just the way it should be. It is not a coincidence that many of the District Attorney characters who quit often wind up coming back in guest appearances... as defense lawyers. Even the excruciating Carey Lowell made a half-decent fist of such a return.

Were I giving Law & Order a score, it would be a solid ten out of ten. In spite of some woeful casting decisions, it has never had a truly dull moment. Maybe soon it might even find a second wind, relatively speaking.

---

36 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
Watch it for Briscoe and McCoy!, 12 January 2004
Author: domino1003 from East Texas, USA

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!

---

19 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Gritty and Compelling Ensemble Drama That Works, 27 September 2004
Author: louiepatti from Manassas, VA

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.

---

14 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Still compelling after all these years, 5 March 2002
Author: Monika-5 from United States

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!

---

9 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
After a few soggy years, finally a great season in 2005, 3 June 2005
Author: Juliette2005 from United States

I've been a fan of this show for a long time, dating back to the first few years when it looked like it was filmed by college kids, and like any long term relationship it's sometimes been tough going. After a great first 4 or 5 years, it got a little bogged down, came to life again, and bogged down again, you get the picture.

Quite frankly I thought the show was going down for good the last few years, the cast seemed weak and bored and I didn't even bother to tune in each week, it seemed SVU was overtaking it.

But the good news is this past season it has sputtered back to life again, helped enormously by the new D.A. who yes is beautiful, but is also a very good actress. The scripts have gotten better too, overall I"d buy this season on DVD.

Standouts were the episode LICENCE TO KILL, GOV LOVE, and TOMBSTONE, which featured the shocker of seeing a regular character get shot! I did not see that coming and was roused out of my seat in astonishment at the cajones the show is finally showing again.

(Sidebar- I also watched the painful 'conclusion' of that episode on the woefully misconstrued TRIAL BY JURY, and was equally shocked at how bad that show was. Take it from me, stick to the original.) Yes the music remains cheesy and simplistic and yes you still never learn much about the characters private lives, but this show doesn't go for the easy quick fix and quick shock that SVU sometimes resorts to, and has far better stories than most any other show on television today. Long may it reign.

---

4 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
My Number One show, 1 January 2008

Author: xredgarnetx from Connecticut

It's funny. I have been watching the show since its inception, and consider it the best show on TV today, and yet I have rarely written about it. It is true the show's golden era (Orbach, Bratt, Waterston, Hennessey) has long passed, but the show somehow keeps moving forward, even with some bad choices in both permanent roles and guest spots. Of course, some of those permanent spots turned out to be far from permanent. The new season starts in a few days, and additional cast changes are in store. We shall see what we shall see. But it remains that no other show on television, including the many L&O spinoffs, comes close to touching the original LAW AND ORDER for originality, acting, scripting, direction and production values. I can only assume that show originator Dick Wolf is keeping an active hand in things. Having just watched large portions of an L&O New Year's marathon on TNT, I was struck by how much the show has developed but also that the show has had it "right" from the very beginning. It has rarely faltered.

---

5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A once-great show in terminal decline, 18 August 2005
Author: thesnowleopard from Scotland

Once upon a time, there was a great show called Law & Order that had a neat, fresh premise--show a murder case from the discovery of the crime all the way through to the end of the trial. It was current and topical, ripping off cases from the headlines and thinly (sometimes very thinly) fictionalizing them. Creator Dick Wolf's ruthlessness toward his cast also ensured that no one was safe. Sometimes, the detectives or prosecutors ended up victims themselves.

Fifteen years later, it has gone through numerous cast changes and spawned three spin-offs. Alas, despite occasional shots of the old brilliance in episodes like "Collision", it has also sunk deep into the morass of Dick Wolf's right-wing obsessions in the past six years. Half the time, I can't tell just what crime ADA Jack McCoy is trying to prosecute, and his conviction rate, compared to real-life DAs, is laughably low. Often, he seems to be trying people just for being rich, smug jerks. It's also quite irritating that African-Americans are so frequently portrayed only as druggies, pimps, prostitutes or irate professional victims (who always play the race card and get off), despite their appearance in the regular cast. The constant changes to the cast have further eroded the viewer's ability to empathize with the characters. They've become cookie-cutter outlines, not real people. It's not the fault of the actors. They're still good; it's the writing that sucks.

This used to be a brilliant, innovative show. But it has long since jumped the shark and it's not coming back. Let's put it to bed already.

---

5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
What's the appeal?, 1 May 2005
Author: Space_Travel_is_Boring from United States

My friends and roommates watch this show compulsively. Sometimes they watch three hours in a row. I have to bite my tongue to keep from insulting the TV screen.

I suppose I just don't understand this show. It's always obvious from the beginning who the guilty party is, especially when they try to trick you into thinking it's the neighbour. It's just as clear that the show will end with a guilty verdict, and that the defense attorneys will be incompetent. Along the way our heroic detectives will harass the defendant (even the one who obviously isn't the criminal) and break several laws obtaining evidence to use against the wrong guy. At the end of the day, they never even say "sorry."

I could forgive this if it weren't for the characters. Crabby old men and crabby young women comprise the cast of an average episode. At best they're two dimensional, and at worst they're extremely annoying (I'm not a fan of shows about assholes). They have no depth, and very little personality. Sam Waterston of the bushy eyebrows plays the heroic prosecutor, assisted by a rotating cast of severe young supermodels.

When, in the mid 1990's, this show crossed-over with "Homicide: Life on the Street", its actors reported that they had a much better time on the lower-rated detective show. On "Law & Order" the characters interrogate witnesses and suspects, and argue their cases in court. In "Homicide" the characters talk about the murders, the suspects, each other, and any number of other topics. "Law & Order" is entirely about the cases, rather than any of the individuals involved; "Homicide" was about the people and the effects of crime.

So, what's the appeal of a show with no suspense, and no character development? Do people watch this simply because they like to see the bad guys get what they deserve? Why not just watch "COPS"?

---

---

Page 1 of 15:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Ratings	Awards
External reviews	Official site	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user comments	Your vote history