much babbling about Law & Order
Over the last few weeks, I've spent a lot of time watching various Law & Order episodes; season 20 (recorded myself when they were airing new), season 16/17 at 5pm on Bravo, and old tapes of anything from S1 to (I think) S15, which I got from my grade 11 English teacher. So excuse the L&O (TOS) spam, k?
...and can I just say how cool it is to watch the older episodes without having any of it cut for more add time? There are scenes I'm getting to see that I'm pretty sure have been hacked because older shows had more show to them. Also, I don't mind watching the adds that are there because even they are kind of entertaining, seeing the differences between the styles now and 15-20 years ago. Hell, even five years ago.
NOTE; some episode spoilers
- anyone find it odd that in the final ep. of L&O, when Van Buren announces that she's engages, it's the lawyer's reactions they show?
- also that in the last season intro (in the final clip), the actors/directors gave up on making it look like the four are having a conversation, instead going for the model saunter?
- Does anyone remember the SVU episode "Possessed" (season 12, episode 12; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1803430/)? According to IMDB, Steven Hill played a hospital guard. Given that he played the (first) DA for just over 11 seasons, I'd think he'd stand out but I don't remember him in it.
- I swear, I recognise both the actors who played the mayor's wife and aid in "Crashers" (season 20, episode 19; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1143816/) and I'll accept that Kathy Baker is just likely because she was in the last episode of The Cleaner, which I watched just recently, but Lily Rabe's filmography list on IMDB doesn't give me anything. Can anyone think if she was in something either no listed or just obvious that I missed?
- I'm no judge of fashion, but I have to say, every time I watch a later episode after watching earlier ones, Dr. Rogers' hair always gives me the creeps. I don't know if she started dying it later in the series, or did so before and stopped, but with blonde hair, she looks skeletal.
- Huh. Both female doctors (Rodgers [the ME] and Olivet [the physiatrist]) have the same first name; Elizabeth. I never caught that before.
- apparently, the reason they got rid of Logan was because there wasn't enough differences between him and his last partner, Briscoe. This confuses me because shouldn't they then have gotten rid of Jerry Orbach instead of Chris Noth? I'm not complaining, because Orbach was an awesome actor and his character was just as kick-ass, and when they brought Logan back (on CI), he was just as great as he was in the original series. But I don't get it, because Logan was (aside from Schiff, who while cool, wasn't really all that deep a character) the last cast member who'd been in the show from the start. If it was just a chemistry thing, shouldn't they have gotten rid of the newer guy?
- although, they way he left was just so, well, awesome beyond words, because it's nice to see a clearly fully heterosexual character be that anti-homophobic. And while Briscoe was totally a dirty hippy in his youth, he wasn't as hot-headed or physically impulsive for it to have been believable if he'd been the one to deck the councilman.
- I have got to find Exiled.
- I miss Shambala Green (Legal Aid defence). I don't think she's been in any of the episodes I've been watching, but it just occurred to be. Her clients were usually monsters and she took too much joy in unofficially knowing it, and basically just trying to beat the EADA because she could, but she was a great character and it was always cool when they had re-occurring characters.
- 6x14 ("Custody"; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629224/) is driving me nuts. Robinette's one of the defence attorneys (eek!) and he makes a reference to what really comes across as a prior episode (when he was ADA), but I don't remember it and I can't find any info anywhere (long blah-blah-blah here; http://lawandorder.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Pixie_child/Continuity_and_References_to_Past_Episodes_(TOS_6x14) )
- Just now, as the last time I watched "Ain't No Love" (season 15, episode 13; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629150/), I was caught off-guard by how hesitantly Southerlyn asked that final, memorable (& likely suprising) question. Not that the tone is either out of character (necessarily) or inappropriate, but I know over the years I've read numerous "reviews" of the episode and crap character bios of her that I expect it to be a bitter, almost attacking, half-accusation rather than a genuine question.
- "outting" Southerlyn in this way is another thing I'm torn on. On one hand, in retrospect, it's clear it was being heavily implied at least in her last few (somewhere between 4 and 8, I guess) episodes, and it's cool that they had a gay main character. But at the same time, not only did they only say it outright in the last scene of her final episode, but the context just set it so that out of direct, multi-episode context, she looks petty for even asking. Never mind she was fired for a complete BS reason. Hell, I remember thinking that a few episodes prior, she did something (damned if I remember what now) that would have warranted it, but the reason Branch uses? Complete crap.
- and before SVU was even conceived as "Sex Crimes", there was a paranoid man with a badge. His name was John Munch, he had a mouth on him, and he was awesome. (re; 6x13 ^_^) So awesome, in fact, that he was a main character in two different television shows, and appeared in 6 others which had no ties to either police drama except for him, including The X Files and Sesame Street. (re; 6x13 ^_^)
- Schiff was the best of the four DAs. And when I'm feeling more positive towards human kind, I think he's the most believable, too. I mean, they make it clear that the DA has to worry about politics, both in playing nice with very upper-class and in looking good in the press, but at the same time, usually all Jack has to do is say something along the lines of "He's a (piece of garbage)/(psycho)/(monster), Adam!" and Schiff concedes, and lets McCoy go after the bad guy, regardless of the potential shitfall it could cause.
- I like Connie Rubirosa so much better then CSI; Miami's Marisol Delko. (Granted, I gave up on all the CSIs quite a while ago and Miami was the first, but regardless, because everything about Marisol was bad; her introduction, her effects on the other characters and the story line, and how she was a clear tool for the two main male characters.) Back when she was on it, I just assumed that it was at least half the actress' fault that she was so... well, honestly, the only word I can think of is "weenie". I mean, I know that she was supposed to be pretty sick and some BS line like 'the source of tranquility in Horatio's life', but dear lord, not to mention that it didn't help that she always looked beautiful and perfect, even when she was supposed to be one step away from dying. When I first watched her on Law and Order, I had no idea Connie was played by the same actress because she had so much character.
- In watching Rumble (season 19, episode 01; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315734/) right after watching very early episodes, it's like whoa. Did the court house change to CSI Miami designers or something? The place it at least twice as better lit.
- Wait a minute, I recognise the manipulative* chick! (re; 7x09 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629253/) She was in the first season of SVU, and I liked her. Jefferies (Hurd's character) was Munch's first partner (well, kind of. I guess technically, Cassidy was his first official partner, but it seemed to flip-flop around until Cassidy left), and she was a great. She didn't but up with his paranoid lunacy or (at the beginning) sexist cracks, but didn't let it get under her skin (usually), either. And the reason they got rid of her was total BS. I mean, yeah, she said she was doing the 'living life to the fullest' since the shooting (or some life-threatening thing), and she slept with a guy they'd suspected of rape. Which, okay, stupid, but he'd been exonerated of it, it was a long time after, and she'd just happened to encounter him at a dance club.
- *("Angela left two hours ago. Suddenly she's very popular. ...She had a big grin on her face when she left.")
- I don't really have a great reason, but Jamie Ross have always been my favourite ADA (well, until Rubirosa. Now it's a tie.). I looked up Carey Lowell in IMDB (to see if she's been in anything since, but I just kept reading), and it says she played some character named Maggie Baldwin in Sleepless in Seattle. I swear I don't remember the character, although I admit I haven't seen it since TBS became PeachTree TV, and I dislike 'Chick Flicks' enough that I'm not going to even put the effort into looking through my mom's DVDs to find it. But it's bugging me and I can't find any bio on either the Wikipedia or just plugging the name & movie title into Google. Anyone know?
- Idly, I read Lowell's bio on IDB and it said she's married to Richard Gere. I swear I will never understand my mom's logic because when I told her that, somehow that got her to suggest that we find her (Lowell's) seasons of L&O on DVD and she'll pay half. I'm not complaining, but it confuses me.
- The spoiled bitch lady in "Charity Case" (season 17, episode 12; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0941732/) didn't strike me as familiar right away, but her voice stuck in my head all night after it was on Bravo, so I looked the episode up and evidentially, she's played both the lead in (the 80's movie) Flashdance and Bette on The L Word. This is only worth noting because I watch Flashdance at least once a year (it was so cool when I found it on DVD and didn't have to watch it on an old tape that was cut for content as well as beginning to wear out.) and never once recognised her as such when I used to watch The L Word.
- [in Richard Belzer's bio on] IMDB makes it sound like it's noteworthy that Belzer has been involved in multiple projects with actors Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, and Sam Waterston. Which, okay, if you're a fan of L&O it sounds cool until you read the list of projects which consists just of the different L&O series' and L&O x-over eps with his earlier series (which Belzer player Munch on first), Homicide: Life on the Street.
- Good Lord, "Terminal" is a heartbreaking, horrible ending episode. I mean, I guess all the different pieces fit together, but fuck. And it's not fair that Steven Hill is such a Goddamn good actor, because that just makes it that much worse.
- Umm... the two guys at the beginning of "Bodies" (season 14, episode 01), standing outside with one drilling a fake story into the other's head (some BS about something they never did so the other guy can cover to his wife) both taking a piss? 'Cause as gross, not to mention vaguely homo-contextual, as it seems, that's the only conclusion as to why they're both facing the wall with their hands below where the camera cuts off (mid-waist).
This entry was cross-posted @ http://fai-dust.dreamwidth.org/26523.html
...and can I just say how cool it is to watch the older episodes without having any of it cut for more add time? There are scenes I'm getting to see that I'm pretty sure have been hacked because older shows had more show to them. Also, I don't mind watching the adds that are there because even they are kind of entertaining, seeing the differences between the styles now and 15-20 years ago. Hell, even five years ago.
NOTE; some episode spoilers
- anyone find it odd that in the final ep. of L&O, when Van Buren announces that she's engages, it's the lawyer's reactions they show?
- also that in the last season intro (in the final clip), the actors/directors gave up on making it look like the four are having a conversation, instead going for the model saunter?
- Does anyone remember the SVU episode "Possessed" (season 12, episode 12; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1803430/)? According to IMDB, Steven Hill played a hospital guard. Given that he played the (first) DA for just over 11 seasons, I'd think he'd stand out but I don't remember him in it.
- I swear, I recognise both the actors who played the mayor's wife and aid in "Crashers" (season 20, episode 19; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1143816/) and I'll accept that Kathy Baker is just likely because she was in the last episode of The Cleaner, which I watched just recently, but Lily Rabe's filmography list on IMDB doesn't give me anything. Can anyone think if she was in something either no listed or just obvious that I missed?
- I'm no judge of fashion, but I have to say, every time I watch a later episode after watching earlier ones, Dr. Rogers' hair always gives me the creeps. I don't know if she started dying it later in the series, or did so before and stopped, but with blonde hair, she looks skeletal.
- Huh. Both female doctors (Rodgers [the ME] and Olivet [the physiatrist]) have the same first name; Elizabeth. I never caught that before.
- apparently, the reason they got rid of Logan was because there wasn't enough differences between him and his last partner, Briscoe. This confuses me because shouldn't they then have gotten rid of Jerry Orbach instead of Chris Noth? I'm not complaining, because Orbach was an awesome actor and his character was just as kick-ass, and when they brought Logan back (on CI), he was just as great as he was in the original series. But I don't get it, because Logan was (aside from Schiff, who while cool, wasn't really all that deep a character) the last cast member who'd been in the show from the start. If it was just a chemistry thing, shouldn't they have gotten rid of the newer guy?
- although, they way he left was just so, well, awesome beyond words, because it's nice to see a clearly fully heterosexual character be that anti-homophobic. And while Briscoe was totally a dirty hippy in his youth, he wasn't as hot-headed or physically impulsive for it to have been believable if he'd been the one to deck the councilman.
- I have got to find Exiled.
- I miss Shambala Green (Legal Aid defence). I don't think she's been in any of the episodes I've been watching, but it just occurred to be. Her clients were usually monsters and she took too much joy in unofficially knowing it, and basically just trying to beat the EADA because she could, but she was a great character and it was always cool when they had re-occurring characters.
- 6x14 ("Custody"; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629224/) is driving me nuts. Robinette's one of the defence attorneys (eek!) and he makes a reference to what really comes across as a prior episode (when he was ADA), but I don't remember it and I can't find any info anywhere (long blah-blah-blah here; http://lawandorder.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Pixie_child/Continuity_and_References_to_Past_Episodes_(TOS_6x14) )
- Just now, as the last time I watched "Ain't No Love" (season 15, episode 13; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629150/), I was caught off-guard by how hesitantly Southerlyn asked that final, memorable (& likely suprising) question. Not that the tone is either out of character (necessarily) or inappropriate, but I know over the years I've read numerous "reviews" of the episode and crap character bios of her that I expect it to be a bitter, almost attacking, half-accusation rather than a genuine question.
- "outting" Southerlyn in this way is another thing I'm torn on. On one hand, in retrospect, it's clear it was being heavily implied at least in her last few (somewhere between 4 and 8, I guess) episodes, and it's cool that they had a gay main character. But at the same time, not only did they only say it outright in the last scene of her final episode, but the context just set it so that out of direct, multi-episode context, she looks petty for even asking. Never mind she was fired for a complete BS reason. Hell, I remember thinking that a few episodes prior, she did something (damned if I remember what now) that would have warranted it, but the reason Branch uses? Complete crap.
- and before SVU was even conceived as "Sex Crimes", there was a paranoid man with a badge. His name was John Munch, he had a mouth on him, and he was awesome. (re; 6x13 ^_^) So awesome, in fact, that he was a main character in two different television shows, and appeared in 6 others which had no ties to either police drama except for him, including The X Files and Sesame Street. (re; 6x13 ^_^)
- Schiff was the best of the four DAs. And when I'm feeling more positive towards human kind, I think he's the most believable, too. I mean, they make it clear that the DA has to worry about politics, both in playing nice with very upper-class and in looking good in the press, but at the same time, usually all Jack has to do is say something along the lines of "He's a (piece of garbage)/(psycho)/(monster), Adam!" and Schiff concedes, and lets McCoy go after the bad guy, regardless of the potential shitfall it could cause.
- I like Connie Rubirosa so much better then CSI; Miami's Marisol Delko. (Granted, I gave up on all the CSIs quite a while ago and Miami was the first, but regardless, because everything about Marisol was bad; her introduction, her effects on the other characters and the story line, and how she was a clear tool for the two main male characters.) Back when she was on it, I just assumed that it was at least half the actress' fault that she was so... well, honestly, the only word I can think of is "weenie". I mean, I know that she was supposed to be pretty sick and some BS line like 'the source of tranquility in Horatio's life', but dear lord, not to mention that it didn't help that she always looked beautiful and perfect, even when she was supposed to be one step away from dying. When I first watched her on Law and Order, I had no idea Connie was played by the same actress because she had so much character.
- In watching Rumble (season 19, episode 01; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315734/) right after watching very early episodes, it's like whoa. Did the court house change to CSI Miami designers or something? The place it at least twice as better lit.
- Wait a minute, I recognise the manipulative* chick! (re; 7x09 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629253/) She was in the first season of SVU, and I liked her. Jefferies (Hurd's character) was Munch's first partner (well, kind of. I guess technically, Cassidy was his first official partner, but it seemed to flip-flop around until Cassidy left), and she was a great. She didn't but up with his paranoid lunacy or (at the beginning) sexist cracks, but didn't let it get under her skin (usually), either. And the reason they got rid of her was total BS. I mean, yeah, she said she was doing the 'living life to the fullest' since the shooting (or some life-threatening thing), and she slept with a guy they'd suspected of rape. Which, okay, stupid, but he'd been exonerated of it, it was a long time after, and she'd just happened to encounter him at a dance club.
- *("Angela left two hours ago. Suddenly she's very popular. ...She had a big grin on her face when she left.")
- I don't really have a great reason, but Jamie Ross have always been my favourite ADA (well, until Rubirosa. Now it's a tie.). I looked up Carey Lowell in IMDB (to see if she's been in anything since, but I just kept reading), and it says she played some character named Maggie Baldwin in Sleepless in Seattle. I swear I don't remember the character, although I admit I haven't seen it since TBS became PeachTree TV, and I dislike 'Chick Flicks' enough that I'm not going to even put the effort into looking through my mom's DVDs to find it. But it's bugging me and I can't find any bio on either the Wikipedia or just plugging the name & movie title into Google. Anyone know?
- Idly, I read Lowell's bio on IDB and it said she's married to Richard Gere. I swear I will never understand my mom's logic because when I told her that, somehow that got her to suggest that we find her (Lowell's) seasons of L&O on DVD and she'll pay half. I'm not complaining, but it confuses me.
- The spoiled bitch lady in "Charity Case" (season 17, episode 12; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0941732/) didn't strike me as familiar right away, but her voice stuck in my head all night after it was on Bravo, so I looked the episode up and evidentially, she's played both the lead in (the 80's movie) Flashdance and Bette on The L Word. This is only worth noting because I watch Flashdance at least once a year (it was so cool when I found it on DVD and didn't have to watch it on an old tape that was cut for content as well as beginning to wear out.) and never once recognised her as such when I used to watch The L Word.
- [in Richard Belzer's bio on] IMDB makes it sound like it's noteworthy that Belzer has been involved in multiple projects with actors Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, and Sam Waterston. Which, okay, if you're a fan of L&O it sounds cool until you read the list of projects which consists just of the different L&O series' and L&O x-over eps with his earlier series (which Belzer player Munch on first), Homicide: Life on the Street.
- Good Lord, "Terminal" is a heartbreaking, horrible ending episode. I mean, I guess all the different pieces fit together, but fuck. And it's not fair that Steven Hill is such a Goddamn good actor, because that just makes it that much worse.
- Umm... the two guys at the beginning of "Bodies" (season 14, episode 01), standing outside with one drilling a fake story into the other's head (some BS about something they never did so the other guy can cover to his wife) both taking a piss? 'Cause as gross, not to mention vaguely homo-contextual, as it seems, that's the only conclusion as to why they're both facing the wall with their hands below where the camera cuts off (mid-waist).
This entry was cross-posted @ http://fai-dust.dreamwidth.org/26523.html