Law & Order

                 For most of this series’ twenty season run I did not watch a single episode.  There was something about it that just did not appeal to me.  I do not remember whether I thought it would be too brutal, too dreary, or something else all together, but I just did not watch.  Then one day I left the television on and an episode of Law & Order began to air.  I sat down and watched, instantly becoming hooked.  While the stories themselves were fascinating, I believe most of the credit to my new found interest belonged to Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston.         

                Each episode is split into two parts.  The first half of the show involves a murder and centers around the police detectives as they investigate.  Once this is completed, the second portion shifts to the District Attorneys who are prosecuting the case.  There are times when the two groups come together, but for the most part they remain separate, performing their own defined duties.

                I initially thought this show would be gruesome with all the murders, but it is not.  At least it is not visually.  During the crime scenes, while the body is seen, nothing is done to the point where I would turn away.  That does not mean these scenes are tame.  There is something in the actors, the script, and the atmosphere of the show that makes me instinctively aware the situation is worse than I can see.  All this is a little grim, which is why I appreciate the bits of comic relief sprinkled throughout each episode.  Many of these moments come from Jerry Orbach’s character Lennie Briscoe.  He has some great one-liners.

                The prosecution part always has quite a lot going on.  Seeing the legal system at work is quite fascinating, and not always in a good way.  There are deals, trials, arguments, sometimes underhanded dealings, and newly uncovered facts that make each story different.  My favorite part is watching Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy.  While I do not fully agree with what he does, he always seems to have the right thing to say in the courtroom.  His words are crisp and clean while getting his strong message across and making the jury think.  Linus Roache as Michael Cutter also does this well.

                One of the most fascinating things about this show is how different and unique each character is.  Through the years there was many cast changes, but no two characters were exactly alike.  Each had their own thoughts, opinions, characteristics, and way of life.  While I would think introducing new characters after a beloved one leaves would be difficult, somehow this show does it nearly seamlessly.

                I have many favorites in this series, but unfortunately they were never all together.  Lennie Briscoe was not on the show while Michael Cutter was a character.  Mr. Cutter could not begin as Executive Assistant District Attorney until Mr. McCoy became District Attorney taking Mr. McCoy out of the courtroom.  While Assistant District Attorney Connie Rubirosa did work with both Mr. McCoy and Mr. Cutter, she was not around for my favorite detective team of Mr. Briscoe and Ed Green.  There is one who worked with all my favorites (and this character is one as well) and that is Lt. Anita Van Buren.  She started on the show a few seasons in, and I am glad she did.             

                There is one very frustrating thing about this show.  Sometimes the episodes end with the viewers never finding out the result of everything.  It is maddening!  Thankfully this does not happen too often and I can enjoy the show the rest of the time.