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.

The show is pretty good... straight to the point, engaging, surprising and the star characters are dry yet get the job done... the DA role seems useless on this show tho.... While it's in no way comparable to Gorum and Eames, these guys are about business and the dudes thunderous voice keeps me awake the whole time lol.... The stories are very good as I'm always looking for similarities in stories... they are brutal sometimes and surprising! I'm not sure how many episodes there are as I may have missed a couple but boy the show is captivating! I just hope they don't try to put the two starring characters together in any way... That's my pet peeve with shows!

The main detectives Graff and Bateman almost mirror the American counterparts Goren and Eames. Which was my favorite partnership on the American version of Criminal Intent. And I like K. C. Collins. I hope the writers give him some more screen time.

It does have potential. Toronto is a super diverse and beautiful city. There is abundance possible concepts for the writers to use that would not only set the show apart but showcase the city.

I would love to see the show follow the basics of the Law & Order brand but it needs to set it self apart. It has big shoes to fill. With the shortest current spin off on its 5th season.

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.

I have to laugh at some of the reviews here.

I'd like to point out that Law & Order Criminal Intent does NOT include a trial. The episode always ends with the case solved and the bad guy getting arrested. So no, there is nothing "missing" in the Toronto formula, it's exactly the same format as the original Criminal Intent.

My review: I found the two leads to be pretty good, and Karen Robinson is terrific as usual. Character development should be interesting.

I found the acting of the guest cast cringe-worthy at times, but some of that may be the dialog. Perhaps the director? And the plot was pretty lame. If this was "ripped from the headlines" I sure don't recall the story.

My biggest complaint was how fast everyone was walking. And even the talking seemed really fast. It was weird.

Hopefully the following episodes will have better actors in the guest roles, and a more thoughtful script. The plot in the first episode had some major holes in it.