“In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”

DUN DUN!

We heard those words for the first time on September 13, 1990. For twenty seasons we followed the stories of the investigating cops and the prosecuting lawyers. The program never jumped the shark. Yeah, there were some seasons that weren’t so great. Yeah, there were characters that didn’t always ring true….don’t get me started on Serena asking if her being a lesbian was the reason she was fired. But Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy and Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe were so great that they’ll be remembered forever.

We last saw the original L&O on May 24, 2010. There were many more stories to tell but NBC pulled the plug after twenty years. The fans of the show were disappointed but we always felt there was a chance that it would return. When it was announced that Law and Order was coming back, there was excitement and anticipation. Would the latest version live up to the excellence of the 1990-2010 version?

Last night was episode one of the reboot. There was some good and some things that need a little work.

It’s great to see Anthony Anderson reprise his role as Detective Kevin Bernard. It adds some continuity between the old and new show. Howver, I didn’t feel a connection between him and his partner, Frank Cosgrove, who is played by Jeffrey Donovan. We’ll see if they grow as a team in future episodes.

The legal side of the show was much better. I like the connection between the prosecutors who are played by Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi. Her closing argument at the end was moving and I bought in to what I was watching. Plus, although I liked the Jack McCoy character better when he was an Assistant District Attorney instead of the head of the office, it’s always special when you get Sam Waterston involved, no matter how small a role he has. Also, having Carey Lowell return as Jamie Ross was great. She was always my favorite assistant prosecutor. I hope we see more of her in future episodes.

So to recap last night’s proceedings, it was a good start for the original of the Law and Order franchise. Let’s hope they can keep the good stuff, and improve the rest. I look forward to seeing if they can succeed.

DUN DUN!!

Related Post: Are you excited for the Law and Order reboot?

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