Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

I am really liking this show. It has some of the feeling of the old L&O Criminal Intent. That was my favorite spin off from the original series. I like the actors, and I am enjoying the stories. As an American, it is always nice to watch a show shot and set in another country and with actors I am not familiar with. I feel like the formula works very well and moves along at a fast pace.

One thing I appreciate is the lack of political agenda in the episodes. All the American versions are so preachy and you can tell the political leanings of all the writers. I am glad it got a season two. I highly recommend this version of a classic show.

I am a Torontonian and I was looking forward to Toronto being a character. The scene from the island was good because it showed people who have Never considered Toronto, what it looks like from it's best side. The local references were good except, the business being at 3 Bay Street, when it was obviously at Front and York.

The cliche Toronto sign at City Hall, Cherry Beach, those placed are fun to see in a favourite TV series.

There were at least 3 references to Muskoka, so I thought maybe we would see that, but nope, it was a dead-end part of the story. Also,,,The Filmore...really? Did you have to ?

The actors, well, as soon as I heard Graff speak I cringed because that is so obviously a put-on accent which no Toronto resident has. It's from "not quite sure where" or maybe just east of that. Non-local viewers are going to think that's what we sound like...we don't.

BUT, I know that these things take time so I will stick with it and hope for better.

This is a well-executed, engaging, entertaining Canadian version of Law & Order CI (the series franchise that focuses on the police investigation and not so much the courtroom). Detective Graff is gruff, experienced, canny, distanced, and perhaps cynical about human relationships. His accent is classic rural Ontario and for foreigners, immigrants and first gen Canadians who've only ever lived in a city, you'd need to visit Sudbury to get it. It is the speech of hockey arenas outside the GTA. Bateman is probably intended to be the urban, less experienced counterpoint (the character went to university in Montreal and is a single mom from a two-ish-night stand). Canadians pride themselves on not being slick, brash, Americans and that contrast definitely comes through. If you need bombast and machismo in your characters you aren't going to like it. The colour-palette is also much less gritty than the NY versions - the old chestnut is that "Toronto is New York run by the Swiss" and there is a consistent cool blue-grey-green-glass tone-International style to the series settings. I bet the Australians will get it and like it.

Though nobody can match Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe and the chemistry they had together in the original Criminal Intent, the two lead actors here seem quite uninspired and generic in their role. The mediocre writing could definitely be partly to blame, however.

The Law & Order franchise became famous and well-loved from a production value based in realism that makes the show feel more human and relatable to the average viewer. This show falls into the same trap that the majority of modern TV does--it tries too hard and ends up feeling too polished, generic and out of touch as a result.

The series debut was fine.

People seem to forget that this is Criminal Intent so we get a twisty plot, over-intelligent detectives who might be on the spectrum and not much courtroom action.

Although far from perfect I think the premiere delivered.

The quips exchanged by the lead detectives keeps things light when things are heavy (and it might hint at a deep relationship between the two) and the plot twists were just enough to keep the episode moving along.

The use of the city of Toronto is done well without bludgeoning the spectator with Toronto overdose.

My only qualms with the first episode is I'm not sure I enjoyed the police lieutenant, her dialogue seemed off and also there was way too much walking (fast) and talking!

All in all I'll be sticking around to watch other episodes.