Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Dick Wolf has created quality television once again with the latest series in the "Law & Order" franchise. Wolf combines intelligence, intensity, clever characters and stories as well as great charm and wit to create a successful formula for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Jamey Sheridan, and Courtney B. Vance shine as they give performances that supercede those given on "NYPD Blue." Like the cast on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," D'Onofrio, Erbe, Sheridan and Vance feed off each other as if they were veterans working together for a long time.

One of the biggest reasons It is especially fun to watch D'Onofrio's character Bobby Goren at work as he uses deductive reasoning combined with his great intellect to pick out the perpetrator. D'Onofrio gives insightful performances with each episode he stars.

Like their co-star, Erbe, Sheridan and Vance are welcome additions to an already wonderful series, who each bring their own unique brand of style and talent to their respective roles, a quality that sets them apart from other crime drama casts.

Quality writing and riveting performances set "Law And Order: Criminal Intent" far apart from the other crime dramas on television. Each episode is riveting, written with intelligence, and contains characters with great depth. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is one of only a few crime dramas that contains all of these elements. I will always set aside one hour every week to watch "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" when the writing is this good.

It was a pleasant surprise to watch the writers' come up with an original idea, which they think of stories that delve into the criminal mind and the motives behind the crime. Also, they drew me in with their ability to create a detective with skills similar to Sherlock Holmes and a partner that rivals Dr. Watson.

The outstanding writing and great performances make me care about this outstanding series. With involving storylines, clever and insightful characters, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is one of the finest crime dramas on television.

Somehow when I first started watching Law and Order C.I. I couldn't help but laugh at the crook and their lawyers when Vincent D'Onofrio talks circles around them. By the time the criminal and their lawyer realizes what's happened he's already confessed and doesn't even know he's confessed to killing a person. If I had to pick four Detectives that I like, they'd definitely be Briscoe and Green and Goren and his partner. I some how prefer them to some of the Detectives that I've seen on other TV shows. I'd have to say that this is definitely where D'Onofrio shines at his best, if it's a child then he gets down to the child's level of understanding and intelligence and speaks to them using words that they understand, if it's an adult suspect then he simply just talks circles around them until they admit that they've committed the crime without even knowing about it.

I originally didn't care much for Criminal Intent, focusing my energy toward Special Victims Unit. I have done this for years and never much thought about it. How wrong I have been. Vincent D'Onofrio has evolved his character to be hard-nosed, yet sensitive,intelligent, pure, tortured, and easily identifiable to the suspects, not to mention, able to solve a crime off the top of his head to a certain extent. His own past with sexual abuse is beautifully understated. Bobby Goren is the heart and soul of the entire series, constantly stunning me with his genius and beautiful crafting, even being a little bit sexy. I think Goren is magical. All the utter brilliance of his work has made me wonder: Why has D'Onofrio not won an Emmy?

After seeing this show and having watched the other 2 L&O shows, I must say that this one has made me think the most and always has me gripping right to the end just like the other two. All 3 have become excellent shows and each stands out has forged its own identity. D'Onofrio is so good it will give you chills at times. 5 out of 5.

Admittedly I am a huge fan of Law & Order, so I am probably a bit prejudiced with regard to Law & Order Criminal Intent. I have found that the story lines are up to standard the original series set. I feel that the character development in LOCI has tremendous potential.

Intended or not, one of the main characters, Goren, evolves as the central character in each episode. His ability and desire to understand the reasoning behind the actions of the criminals is captivating. He appears supremely intelligent but without a superior attitude. Each episode Goren is called upon to draw from his own eclectic knowledge base which, depending on the episode, might be a foreign language, the psychology behind the criminal mind, odd medical conditions, rare art values or something equally unexpected. His knowledge seems to be acquired because he is driven to know more, to understand more completely, to totally get inside the criminal's head, dissect whatever thought processes are happening and add this to his vast 'file' in his own head. This desire coupled with D'Onofrio's unusual mannerisms create a unique approach to 'cracking' a suspect and makes you sweat right along with the criminal. (Added bonus: D'Onofrio is INCREDIBLY sexy!!)

The other characters are standard Law & Order issue. Very competent, fairly easy to understand without being too simple. They have lives and feelings and issues that some times conflict with their duties which gives them a dimension frequently lacking in television but always existent in Law & Order shows/spinoffs.

I am hoping that this series will be renewed for enough seasons so that the audience will have a chance to peek into the depths of Goren's mind and understand how HE works. All in all, I believe this is a series well worth your time and I sincerely hope that it continues. (I also want to see more of D'Onofrio!!)