Shangri-La is a great episode - fascinating plot about the girl pretending to be a high schooler when she was much older. I liked how Lennie figured out the tape had been tampered with and it was interesting how Jack initially believed the girl’s side of the story.
Season 13 is an excellent season.
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They announced today that season 24 of L&O (and season 26 of SVU) will premiere Thursday October 3. So a week later than usual I believe. I look forward to more new episodes, I enjoy the revival more than most it seems, I do hope they can fix some of the issues in the legal writing this year. Also we still don’t know who the new Lieutenant will be - I’ll miss Dixon, wish Maroun was leaving instead. Shaw/Riley are a really good detective duo so I’m glad they’ll be back.
I don’t know if I’ll watch SVU, it was pretty dreadful last season and it’s just a hate watch for me now basically.
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It was nice seeing the earliest L&O episodes on Sundance these past couple of weeks, I’m a big fan of the early episodes - I know some people think L&O didn’t become great until Lennie and/or Jack came on, but I enjoy it a lot from the start. Season 1 had some issues to work out with the flow of the episodes, sometimes they would jump from one plot point to the next without explaining it, and the openings were frequently way too long, I would say it took them about half a season in season 1 to get the flow of the episodes figured out - but the cases themselves are mostly very strong. And season 2 I would put right up there with the very best L&O seasons. I like the characters for the most part in the early episodes, not a Max Greevey fan but I am a big fan of Stone and Robinette, and Logan/Cerreta/Cragen and of course Schiff were great. The early episodes aren’t shown often so it was a treat to see them again the past couple of weeks.
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I like the early years of L&O - the vibe of the city seems much different than the later seasons. Grungier. There are a few episodes that feel really dated in the cringiest way but the old-fashioned phones, typewriters and clunky computers are as close as I’ll ever get to time travel.
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As L&O has direct ties to this show, I’ll post the news here:
As of August 19th, Homicide: Life On The Street will stream on Peacock! (Now one can see the other half of the crossover episodes!)
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New season, new lieutenant…in the form of Maura Tierney
Also, like Tony Goldwyn, this is not her first time on the franchise. Back in Season 2, she played the sister of the young actress that committed suicide in “Aria”, after their overbearing mother pushed her daughter into doing porn. Tierney’s character told Logan and Ceretta about her mother’s failed ambitions and testified in court…
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I’d like to be optimistic but the writing failed Manheim. If they don’t upgrade the writing staff, this will be another missed opportunity.
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I disagree that the writing failed Manheim - I liked Lt Dixon and thought she was a good squad leader. The writing for the detective stuff has been strong IMO, where the writers have failed is the legal stuff, particularly with how they frequently make the DAs look inept, with predictable mid trial twists and losing motions on shaky grounds.
I’m disappointed to see Dixon go - the Shaw/Riley/Dixon police side was very good. Hopefully the new lieutenant will be good. I really wish it was Maroun who was leaving.
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Good news! Law & Order is coming to Blu-Ray. (At least, as of now, the first 5 seasons.)
Bad news: It is a French import.
Good news: It can be shipped to the US and has an English track.
Bad news: It translates to $216 for JUST those 5 seasons, and you need a region-free Blu-Ray player to view it. (Which I do have, but I’m not paying over $200 for just 5 seasons!)
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The final episodes of season 20 of L&O were on today - Rubber Room was a great finale and a strong ending for Van Buren. Great episode and it was the series finale until the revival. Glad Anita got a great ending and it was an intense episode, Jack going off on the bureaucrat was great as well. They didn’t know it would end the series for the time at the time, but it was Anita’s last episode regardless so I’m glad she got a strong sendoff. Exits have been a mixed bag on L&O but Anita may have gotten the best - Jack’s ultimate exit on the revival was an awesome exit as well, and Lennie got a nice one too. But there have been others who got weak exits or no exit,
Season 1 is on now, as I’ve said before I like these early episodes.
I used to work with teenage girls were nonmotive,. Not stupid but lazy. I would tell them to watch L&O to see a woman in charge was capable of. authority, takes no shit and was able to manage the hard, sometimes chaotic situations
Anita Van Buren was an awesome squad leader, that’s for sure.
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Season 7 of the Mothership is just finishing up on Sundance, with the excellent season finale Terminal - season 7 is the season I believe has the best cases in all of L&O - almost every episode is a classic - so many compelling and memorable cases and characters. The episodes ID, We Like Mike, Menace, Legacy, Working Mom and Terminal are amongst my all time favorites of L&O. I also enjoy the LA 3 parter, which is a polarizing episode amongst L&O fans. No bad episodes in season 7 to be honest.
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The premiere tonight of the Mothership was middle of the road - had some stuff I liked but the ending was way too melodramatic and soapy and felt like something from SVU, not the Mothership. Maroun breaking down crying and Price hugging her was just overboard.
Baxter was good, his statement at the start reminded me of Jack’s testimony in a season 18 episode. I’m liking having a DA who’s more involved.
The new LT was decent enough, she was hands on, I think she’ll be fine going forward. Glad they gave Dixon a happy ending and closure even it was a bit rushed. Shaw/Riley were good as usual and I enjoy that pairing.
The case took some twists although I was suspicious of the fiancé from the start. I thought it was just going to be another politically heavy episode trying to cash in on controversy so I’m glad they didn’t go fully down that route.
Not bad but parts were way too melodramatic, particularly the ending.
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It seems the writers put barely ANY real thought into Kate Dixon’s exit. Camryn Manheim did deserve better.
Yeah Dixon’s exit was rushed, but at least they gave her closure, unlike Cosgrove and Bernard. It was kind of odd how she was just gone at the start, but L&O has never been one to dwell on exits of characters so I was okay with it.
Very good episode tonight, in spite of Benson being her usual annoying self.
The case was strong, both detective and legal stuff -
I liked the investigation by Shaw/Riley as usual, the scenes at the drug den and abandoned building were particularly good. Everything progressed nicely and flowed well.
The legal stuff was good, I’m really enjoying DA Baxter especially.
Olivia Benson was irritating and sanctimonious and condescending as always, she was out of bounds acting as advocate again. She’s such a know it all.
The victim was weird and creepy but he didn’t deserve to die, the perp had many other options besides shooting him in the head, he wasn’t even in close proximity to her when she shot him, and she staged the scene and covered up evidence. Price’s closing laid out nicely why she was guilty. But Baxter was right to offer a manslaughter plea as there were mitigating factors, and the defendant was dumb to ignore the advice of her counsel and Benson and reject the plea.
The DNA database stuff was interesting and for once Benson made solid points about how murky the ethics are with it.
Overall this episode was really interesting and strong despite Benson’s annoying presence.
Benson should just quit the NYPD and go be a full-time advocate or something.
In her warped view, if a person suffers sexual assault/abuse (and that is a horrible thing, but come on…), that person should be excused for ANY crime they commit! And…no. Thank God she didn’t get her desired outcome.
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I couldn’t agree more - Benson believes someone is entitled to break the law if they’ve been the victim of a sex crime. She’s way more of an advocate than a cop and she is out of bounds constantly interfering in other cases to push her agenda. She really drives me up the wall now.
But other than her annoying presence this episode was strong, the case was well done and interesting - and I’m really enjoying Nick Baxter as DA and I like how he operates. The new LT is still kind of a question mark but I think she’ll settle in soon.
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Solid episode and case but Riley’s brother was one of the most annoying characters in L&O history - what a total spineless loser. He blew every chance he had, almost cost the DAs their case and I was glad he was in trouble at the end and that Vince was done helping him. He rivaled the Rollins family from SVU as far as being pathetic and annoying - however unlike Rollins and her family hopefully Riley is done with him.
I was kind of surprised the DAs won their case, but I guess the jury saw Matt was covering for Costa plus the evidence of the watch, the gun and motive was enough to get them the win.
Not enough of Baxter, minimal Maroun as well but minimal Maroun is probably for the best.
Decent episode overall.
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