Law & Order - I due volti della giustizia

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!

I'm in my 30's and only just recently started watching L&O by accident, thanks to letting my tv play in the background while I work. I really enjoy it and for the most part, the storylines and acting are great.

But the reboot...yikes. I was so looking forward to it, but it's majorly lacking the same feel that the older episodes had. No real drama, no action. It just seems too straightforward and boring. They also seem to be pushing social issues a lot harder, which, while I think they need to be addressed in shows like this, there's a point where it feels too forced, and that tends to just irritate people instead of just planting the seed and letting people think about it later.

So...I'm disappointed in the reboot so far, but I'll probably keep watching anyway.

My rating is based on the original. Can't punish 20 seasons for one, huge dud. For 20 seasons this was a fantastic show. Loved the cast and storylines. Even the cast changes were fine. I miss most of them. The show is a classic. The reboot sucks. What were they thinking with that cast? Sam Waterson and Anthony Andersen are just fine but beyond them, the cast is horrible.

I was so looking forward to this show coming back, but I've got to say I'm disappointed. Jack McCoy is in his eighties and clearly way too old for his position as D. A. He was brilliant back in the day, no argument from me, but that was then. It appears he has trouble enunciating and walking, not to mention comprehension.

And this new prosecutor (whoever he is) isn't half the guy McCoy was. It struck me tonight as I watched episode three, when he pulls his furrowed browed, oh so serious face, he'd make a great Stan Laurel impersonator.

Anyway.... despite the above this is still a show worth watching. Better than any lame, scripted 'reality' show any day.

Terrible writing! Terrible casting! Hugh Dancy is just plain awful in his role. In episode 5, his witness "hangs himself" while in custody, and when he's told he shakes his head up and down while having a dumb look on his face! That's just one of many horrible pieces of acting!

The stories are poorly written, and the character played by Jeff Donovan is just unlikable, and I'm a big fan of his and his starring role in Burn Notice.

I'm HOPING that they get better writers and recast Hugh Dancy. This show has a proud history. It deserves better treatment!