The Right Thing

I'm an L&O fan and hated when the original got canceled. News of the new show was incredibly exciting and I couldn't wait to see it. Now that I have I will say I am hoping for the best as the show continues. I want this show to succeed, but it needs to get better. None of the main characters seemed particularly interesting, with the exception of one of the newcomers, Jeffrey Donovan. Realistically, I probably should have rated this show a 5 or 6, but they get an extra point or two just for bringing back one of the greatest shows on television.

The pacing was a little off for this episode compared to the S12 episodes I was watching on Sundance today. The new characters will take some getting used to especially Det. Cosgrove. There was more talking between the DAs than was normal when each conversation pushed the story along.

The changes to the sets were somewhat jarring, especially the checkboard flooring in Jack's office, but maybe that's nitpicking at this point.

It took a little time for the first run to catch on, so I am hopeful with so many of the same people behind the scenes, that they will get the new season running and on it's own footing soon.

No spoilers, but be surprised by the appearance of Jamie Ross in tis episode.

Not impressed. The actor playing Cosgrove is really getting on my last nerve. Too aggressive, too ignorant, too hard ass & not believable. I think Sam Waterston, although great, is past his prime for this part. I think Anderson is mis-cast. The others are ok. I'll give this a couple more chances, but I'm not optimistic.

Returning with about 80% of the formula that made the original great, this first episode of the 21st season was a great disappointment. Every actor (save 1) is a seasoned veteran, but their performances were wooden and uninspired. The writing is completely disjointed, and in the aggregate just didn't make sense. The "original" L&W took great pains to make points, to argue both sides, to setup a dilemma or two, but this has none of that. By the end, I didn't care for guilty or not - I was bored.

Another issue is that the average cut time for this was about two seconds. We have over the shoulder cut-to wide shot cut-to over the other shoulder cut-to dolly shot - cut to crane shot. I got dizzy watching this. The director had a complete obsession with style while dumping substance down the drain.

But it's the first attempt. I'll watch the second episode and hope someone trims Sam Waterson's eyebrows.

Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston are back, with a guest star Carey Lowell. Add to them. Jeffrey Donovan - best know for Burn Notice, but he did two guest star appearances in Law & Order - and Camryn Manheim, known best for The Practice, but many other things as well, including three previous appearances on Law & Order.

I am not sure if Carey Lowell will be a recurring character, given that she seems to be back in the prosecution's office.

Of the two new faces, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi stand out. Note that they are ADA's, not detectives.

This episode leans more on the courtroom side, with discussions among the lawyers and the trial as the main focus. When is the last time a Law & Order show focused on the courtroom?

I an not sure about Jeffrey Donovan's character. They seem to have made him "that guy", the abrasive, unlikable character that seems to be common on many series these days.

Of course, there is the well-known political comments of the current Dick Wolf shows, which some will hate.

We will have to see if the rest of the show makes getting through those moments acceptable.