Friday, May 30, 2008

SVU Executive Producer Neal Baer On Season 10

Law & Order SVU executive producer Neal Baer talked with Eonline about what’s coming up for Season 10. It has some interesting tidbits about what fans can expect in the new season, and also includes some interesting information about Neal himself. Is Stabler (Chris Meloni) going unstable? Here’s the article:

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Boss Neal Baer Talks Season 10

Earlier this afternoon I hit a Hollywood Radio & Television Society Newsmaker Luncheon Series on health care and medical insurance issues that was keynoted by the exceptional Sally Field and featured three very excellent TV bosses talking about health care issues on and around their shows: ER's John Wells, Scrubs' Bill Lawrence and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's Dr. Neal Baer.

More from Wells and Lawrence later, but for now I wanted to share the season-10 dish spilled by Baer on his show, which just so happens to the best-rated program on all of NBC, and Baer's take on how a crime show can make a positive impact on the public health.

Secret Humanitarian Agenda: SVU show runner Neal Baer has a real life medical degree and is a licensed pediatrician, so he makes a point to stealthily include medical topics and health education in the show. He told me, "Because I'm a physician, I think medically. So when I came on SVU in 2000, the first thing I did was hire Tamara Tunie and B.D. Wong as doctors: a pathologist and a psychiatrist. It became a much more medically oriented show." (Does anyone else remember the episode where Tunie's character explained on the stand how adolescent alcohol abuse actually Swiss-cheeses your brain? I'm still a little freaked out!)

Topics of Note: The subject of the luncheon was the health care crisis at large (see DividedWeFail.com for more on the topics discussed), but Baer tends to keep the show more specific. He said, "We're doing one this season about HIV deniers. There's a group of people in the country who deny that HIV exists." Wasn't Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss' pediatrician dad Dr. Paul Fleiss involved in something related to that? "I don't believe he's a denier, but he took care of a kid, he didn't know the kid had AIDS, because the mother didn't believe that HIV caused AIDS. So we're always looking for medical topics—[HIV deniers], transplantation awareness, or we did one on a genetic disease called Williams syndrome last year. We're always looking to tie the medicine in with the crime. It does work, because so much of our show is psychological."

Speaking of Psychology: You know how Elliot Stabler hates shrinks? Well, that's gonna be an issue this season, because Baer told me that he's planning something in that area that involves Stabler's character. According to Baer, "[We're working on] a major storyline for Chris Meloni—a mental-health issue—it'll be very big for our show." Does it involve his mental health? "Someone else's." His wife's? Or maybe one of the kids? "Can't say yet." Damn!

Character Shuffle: FWIW, other than the new ADA—whom they have not hired—there are no new characters expected for season 10.

Who Said TV Isn't Educational? Keep tuning in to SVU to have a little knowledge subtly stuffed into your brain. According to Baer, mixing in public-health info with a little whodunit works to get the message across. He said, "We know we have made a huge impact, because we've done studies. We did a study when I was on ER that looked at what people learned from the show. We did a pretest and posttest on human papilloma virus and cervical cancer. Nine percent knew before the showed aired that HPV caused cervical cancer, after the show, 30 percent. And we didn't tell them, 'watch the show to learn that.' "

As Johnny Drama would say...VICTOOORRRY!

Posted by Jennifer Godwin on Thu, May 29, 2008, 7:55 PM


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Chris Noth Big Fundraiser in Canada May 31

Chris Noth is hot property lately, and he’s wisely taking advantage of it. The Windsor Star is reporting that Chris will be in Windsor, Ontario, Canada this weekend for a fundraiser and to kick off the "Sex and the City" movie. Eric Bogosian, who plays Captain Danny Ross on Law & Order Criminal Intent, will be joining Chris at the event, along with a few other stars from other shows. Here’s the full story from The Windsor Star:

Mr. Big returns to Windsor Saturday
The Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Sex and the City leading man Chris Noth is offering Windsorites a chance to rub shoulders with Hollywood stars this weekend. Noth, who plays Mr. Big in the much-anticipated film-adaptation of the popular HBO series, has rounded up a number of fellow actors from popular television series Ugly Betty, the Sopranos and Law and Order to join him at a fundraiser at the Art Gallery of Windsor Saturday to benefit The Spirit of Excellence Inc., an inner-city centre that helps local children develop literacy skills.

Tickets for the fundraiser cost $175, but for $20, you could also see Noth in person as he introduces his movie, Sex and the City at Lakeshore Cinemas.

Here's the gist of the star-studded events happening around Windsor Saturday:

The Art of Shoes
What: Guests are invited to wear their most outrageous shoes for this red-carpet, star-studded fundraiser. The event will include a silent auction with signed celebrity shoes, rare art pieces and Sex and the City memorabilia. Funds raised through the silent auction will benefit The Spirit of Excellence Inc.

Who: Sex and the City star Chris Noth, Ugly Betty and Six Feet Under cast member Illeana Douglas, the Sopranos' Jason Cerbone and Federico Castellucio, Law and Order's Eric Bogosian and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch's Caroline Rhea.

When: 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday, May 31

Where: The Art Gallery of Windsor, 401 Riverside Drive West, Windsor

Tickets: $175 each and can be purchased by calling Once Upon a Tea Cup at 519-735-5177 or visiting its website, http://www.onceuponateacup.ca/.


Watch Sex and the City with Mr. Big
What: Chris Noth, the actor who plays Mr. Big in Sex and the City, will introduce three showings of the movie at Lakeshore Cinemas.

When: 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Where: Lakeshore Cinemas, 164 Lakeshore Blvd., Lakeshore, Ont.

Tickets: Cost $20 each and are available by calling Once Upon a Tea Cup at 519-735-5177 or visiting its website, http://www.onceuponateacup.ca/.



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Chris Noth Talks Criminal Intent, SATC, and More

Noth - as Mike Logan
Chris Noth has been in the news a lot lately. With the premier of the "Sex and the City Movie" this week, and with restart of Criminal Intent in June, the spotlight is on him. Chris has a lot of other things going on, and in this interview, with Black Book Magazine, he talks about Criminal Intent, Sex and the City, The Cutting Room, and just about anything else Chris has his hands in lately.

Enjoy!

The Next Big Thing: Chris Noth and ‘Sex and the City’

Acting, activism, and future plans for SATC's Mr. Big.
By Steven Priggé May 28, 2008


Even among goliath Hollywood blockbusters, Sex and the City is still one of the most anticipated films of the summer. And while Iron Man and Batman try to save the world, Carrie Bradshaw might have an even more difficult feat on her hands -- bagging the commitment-phobic “Mr. Big,” a.k.a. Chris Noth. To Big’s credit, he did man up and do the right thing in the final episode of Sex and the City's television incarnation. He showed up in Paris unannounced, swept Carrie off her feet, and brought her back to her beloved New York and her four best friends. So, where do they all go from here? The worldwide hype for the movie knows no boundaries; iTunes will feature Sex and the City character playlists. “It’s good road trip music,” says Noth of Mr. Big’s picks. After the jump, Noth speaks on Sex and the City, his love of music, humanitarian trips to Cambodia and Vietnam, and his future endeavors.

It’s been four years since the last episode of Sex and the City. Since that time, a lot of positive things have happened in Chris Noth’s life—fatherhood, environmental activism, and a much-heralded return to playing Detective Mike Logan on the widely popular television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Noth is quite proud of the show, saying, “The work we’re doing is the best that’s ever been done on Law & Order.” He’s also heavily involved in environmental awareness working closely with the RainForest Action Network. Noth shares their concerns regarding atmospheric changes that are threatening the environment. “It takes major disasters to make people wake up, and we just don’t want that to happen,” says Noth.

There was so much talk about whether the Sex and the City movie would actually happen. What was your reaction when you found out they were really doing it?

I didn’t think it would happen because it sort of fell apart pretty quickly after everyone had the idea that there was going to be a movie. I thought that was it. So, when it came up again, I kind of didn’t pay it much mind until I got the real call from Michael Patrick King. I was always on board to do it because I love working with everybody, and I know if Michael Patrick is going to write it, it’s going to be worth doing.

It seemed like paparazzi and reporters showed up every time you filmed the movie on location in the city. How were they able to protect the storylines?

Whenever we went outside to shoot, there were tons of people. The people watching were taking photographs and trying to figure out the plot. So, every time we walked by we would say something out loud like, “That was a really great dream sequence.” Then, you would see them all desperately scribble down, “It’s a dream ,,, it’s not real.” I thought that was pretty fun.

How was it to reprise your role of Mr. Big, and did you make any adjustments this time around?

I had to consciously try to stay fit more. I am ten years older now. But, I take my cues from the writer. With this project I pretty much trusted what’s on the page and let my instincts take over. Also, my relationship with Sarah is ten years old, and we know who we are and how we work together and we have fun doing it.

They say a leopard never changes its spots. At the end of the day, do you think Big can be faithful to Carrie?

I think that Big has gotten older, and the longer they’ve been together, the more ground they’ve covered together. Carrie and Big have a history and a view of the world that is similar in many more ways than people think. It’s a long distance from the start of that series to where we are with the movie. I think we’re looking at people who are no longer interested in the things they sort of embraced ten years ago. It’s true for most of us here in New York City. I think as you get older, it’s a different city for you.

Sex and the City was essentially about single women in Manhattan in their thirties. I find in a big city atmosphere it’s more common to get married mid to late thirties, whereas in Middle America you’re usually married by twenty-five. Do you think it has to do with more opportunity?

Having a lot of choices can be a good thing and can also be a distraction. But, in cities like New York, people feel they don’t have to settle or want to. Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know. If you take a look at our parents’ generation, I think the divorce rate is about 50%. So, I think it makes it more difficult to find the one that’s going to last through that. But it makes for a stronger relationship, one that’s probably worth fighting for.

Do you think there is any Big in you or you in Big?

I’m bringing something of me to that part. So, my interpretation of Big is what you see on screen. If someone else played him, it would be a completely different one I would assume.

You’ve also reprised your role of Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. What made you decide to go back to the show?

I made a Law & Order movie called Exiled. I was in the process of making a couple of those a year. However, network television doesn’t really do TV movies anymore. Then, I did a guest appearance on Criminal Intent, and it was not long after that they came to me to do every other episode with Vince [Vincent D’Onofrio]. It was a pretty sweet offer at the time, and I realized it would be difficult, but decided to jump in. I was not that happy the first year, but it has grown into something that I am quite proud of. The last two years for me have been my best Law & Order experiences, including the ones I started out with in 1990. We have been doing really relevant stories that have something to say.

You have been a very busy working actor in New York. In a recent interview, Sarah Jessica Parker said she loves New York because she can just be a normal person—ride the subway, go to the grocery store, etc. Do you feel the same way?

I have been riding the city’s subways since I got here in the late ‘70s. Part of the greatness of being in New York is being part of that massive anonymity and to observe and see so much of life around you. So, you don’t want to be the focus of it. However, being on television or in something as phenomenal as Sex and the City makes you become the focus of a lot of people’s attention. It would never stop me though. There is a way to kind of act invisible. But, if someone does notice you, they are usually going to come up to you. I know that Sarah is as much a New Yorker as I am, and you don’t give up your rights on the street. It’s not worth living in New York if you did.

You own the very popular Cutting Room in Manhattan. Tell me your philosophy behind this restaurant/live music club.

The basic philosophy is that we are just trying to create a home for people who love music. It’s a small live music venue. There’s another room with a jukebox that has all the music my business partner Steve Walter and I grew up with and loved. I think we’ve really brought a needed venue to the city. It’s a place where people can find respite through music. I think music can heal the world, if it’s the right kind.

How do you feel about the current music scene in New York City?

All around, you see little live music joints dying and being bought out and torn down. There’s a tremendous wealth of music out there, but there’s just no platform for them to be heard. We want to reach out to these performers and we also reach out to older acts. We had Donovan play here recently. We’ve also had everyone from Carly Simon to Leon Russell to Ricky Lee Jones. Norah Jones played our place way back in the day before she broke out and became famous. It’s been a fertile ground for great musicians. On our Monday Night Jam, we get some of the best musicians in the city and everyone is welcome to jam or sing with them.

You have been heavily active with the Rainforest Action Network. Tell us about your involvement with this organization.

We raised $10,000 for them the other day at Lord and Taylor. The designer Joseph Abboud was introducing his line at Lord and Taylor and asked me to come, and if I did, they would give $10,000 for Rainforest Action Network. I jump on things like that. We also throw a benefit for them every November. The first benefit Norah Jones played, and Jimmy Webb played the second. Rainforest Action Network is a really dedicated group of activists who demand ethical action from government and big business. It’s changing the way big business works, so that it supports a world that we can all live in. Also, they’re going after governments, including our own. We’ve had a terrible setback with this president. Eight years of going backwards has been disheartening. We may be right at the edge of the cliff where we can’t go back anymore in terms of putting forth a mechanism where the weather will be forever changed. I’m not exaggerating or being dramatic. It’s in the newspapers, and I think everyone knows what’s happening. But, it should be the first thing on everybody’s list because all of these other problems can be solved politically in time. Once you change the basic laws of nature, which we are doing by completely destroying the atmosphere, then you don’t have a place to live or a place to solve problems. You don’t have an earth to stand on anymore. It’s an emergency and should be treated as an emergency. I believe that any small token that people can do, whether it’s planting a tree or recycling or picking up a piece of garbage or joining the Rainforest Action Network. We have 7 billion people in the world. If a billion of those people get active, we can save it for the rest of mankind.

Tell us about your trips to Cambodia and Vietnam and the land mine situation there.

In 2001, singer Nancy Griffith introduced me to the work of the Vietnam Veterans Association. These are the guys who served in Vietnam and came back to Vietnam and built hospitals for land mine victims. These veterans have also taken land mines out of the ground and diffused them. They also build prosthetic devices for kids and teach the people in the villages how to build the devices themselves. It was sort of an organic process of recycling, if you will. In other words, the people who were affected and helped were then taught how to help others. So, it gave them a job. It’s a beautiful organization, and I felt really honored to have watched and observe this in Cambodia and Vietnam. While I was there in Saigon, I accidentally walked into a museum that was showing the work from the book Requiem, which was the work of all the photojournalists who died in Vietnam—people like Larry Burrows, Dicky Chapelle, and Sean Flynn, Errol Flynn’s son. The book was so dramatic and heartbreaking and I went into that world and read a lot about it. I realized that if I ever were going to be anything else, I would have wanted to be a photojournalist in that war, because it was at a time when a photo could change the politics and it did. I have a deal with AMC, and we are going to do eight hours based on these guys because their stories haven’t been told. We’re getting the story together now. That’s my next mountain to climb.

Any other projects you’d like to tell us about?

I have an indie movie coming out called Frame of Mind that Charles Kipps wrote. It’s a thriller about a new piece of evidence that comes up in the John F. Kennedy assassination. I also just got an indie movie called My One and Only starring Renee Zellweger.

I wanted to congratulate you on the recent birth of your son, Orion. How has the adjustment to fatherhood been for you?

When I do an episode, I’m away for two weeks. So, the biggest adjustment is all of a sudden this need to see him and be with him. I have never had that before. I used to love to go away for a job, but now I don’t want to. Kids grow so fast. It’s just having this little person in your consciousness all the time. My big thrill is my son is seeing New York for the first time this weekend, and I can’t wait to take him around. He’s been in California. If we take him to Times Square, his eyes are going to light up.

Do you see Big being a father?

Yeah. I think that’s the next big thing!



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information,
here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Law & Order Criminal Intent June New Episodes


Some very sketchy information has been released on the upcoming new Law & Order Criminal Intent season premier episode on June 8, called "Purgatory":

While Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) awaits a decision on his reinstatement, he tries to prove his worth by going undercover to pursue a big-time drug dealer.


There are also several additional episodes where only the episode titles and air dates have been released. They are “Contract” (June 15), “Betrayed” (June 22), ‘Assassin” (June 29), and “Ten Count” (date not confirmed). But – that’s all I know about them. Hopefully USA will be more forthcoming with information as the season opener nears.

By the way, Criminal Intent has been renewed for an eighth season. USA has ordered 16 episodes. The series' stars, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Chris Noth, Julianne Nicholson and Eric Bogosian, are set to return next season.

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Law & Order “Excalibur” – the Sword Cuts Both Ways

Photos NBC


Recently Sam Waterston spoke to Associated Press about Law & Order’s season finale, "Excalibur.” When he was asked about the parallel to the Eliot Spitzer story, he said, "That's what we're shooting right now." He quickly added "I shouldn't say we're doing the Eliot Spitzer story. I should say we're doing a story about a politician who gets into trouble because of sexual questions ... involving prostitution." This means that this really was based partly on the Spitzer story, but he just couldn’t say it was. Sam would make a good politician.

For a “ripped from the headlines” story line, this was surprisingly good. In fact, it was probably one of the better Law & Order episodes I’ve seen in years. The only flaw in it was the miscasting of Tom Everett Scott as the Governor. And while, in a few scenes, Sam Waterston seemed a little wooden, it was made up for tenfold by one scene where he seemed to be getting very emotional. Clearly this episode was all about Jack McCoy, and it shows that even as District Attorney, Jack doesn’t take a back seat.

The episode begins with Victor Madison, who is in the jewelry business for Madison & Beezly, discussing gold. We later see Madison’s charred body in an incinerator. It seems like a simple case of a robbery possibly gone bad. Detectives Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson) interview Madison’s wife Suzanne and her father Edgar Beezly (Len Cariou) – the latter who is one of the owners of Madison & Beezly, and they meet Edgar’s son Frank (Eric Sheffer Stevens) , who apparently has no involvement in the family business. But in digging into that family business, they find that Frank did express a desire to become involved in it. They also chase down a $5,000 payment made by Victor to a company called 7Q Partners, a front for “Excalibur Exclusives,” a high-end escort service, which Lupo says is “for guys with really big swords.” (Anita (S.Epatha Merkerson) responds, “They wish.”) Lupo says that information uncovered by a forensic accountant also finds a $20,000 payment made by Victor’s company to a marketing company that was later signed over to 7Q Partners. When Lupo and Bernard go to a bar looking for the owner of the marketing company, they find the marketing company is being run by none other than Frank, Victor’s brother-in-law. When Lupo and Bernard question him about the $20,000 payment he is getting, Frank says it’s his share from the family trust, and blows off the detectives.

Lupo and Bernard get a phone a tap on Excalibur and based on the calls they hear, they, along with Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza), develop a theory. They believe that because Frank expressed a desire to get into the family business, if Victor found that Frank was involved in a prostitution ring, Frank could be disowned, and it would give Frank a sure motive for murder.

The detectives enlist one of Excalibur’s prostitutes, Sarah Shipley (Katheryn Winnick), to go into Excalibur’s office with a camera in her purse, which they monitor from a suveillance van. They hear enough to arrest Frank and the others working at the office. Frank and the others are arraigned, and when bail comes up, Frank’s father tells the court his son isn’t getting a dime from him.

Cutter (Linus Roache) questions one of Excalibur’s office employees and offers consideration if she will help them decode Excalibur’s records. She tells them that for the day in question, Frank arrived to a staff meeting late; he was sweaty and his shirt was torn. Frank’s explanation to her had been that he got into a fight with a cabdriver. The assistant also tells them that Chanel (Paloma Guzman), an exotic Brazilian model, had an appointment with Victor, and that she believes Chanel’s boyfriend Richie has connections to organized crime.

They arrest Richie and Chanel, and when shown a photograph of Victor, she says she thought he was a cop because he only asked a lot of questions about Excalibur. She told Frank about it, and told him the man had “two letters on his sleeve – VM" - and Frank became upset. When Cutter asks if her date at the time overheard this discussion with Frank, she said yes. She said his name was “Al” and it was only her second time with him. She also said that Richie saw Al with her when he came to pick her up.

When the US Attorney and a FBI special agent discuss Richie’s arrest with McCoy (Sam Waterston) , they seem more interested in the Excalibur wiretaps, especially those with Chanel, and Jack become suspicious. He stalls, and tells them to put their request in writing, and immediately goes to listen to those calls. When Jack recognizes one of the callers – it’s Governor Donald Shalvoy – he says, “I’ve heard enough” and leaves, without tipping his hand.

We then see Jack delivering a non-target order to Governor Shalvoy (Tom Everett Scott), and Jack tells him this means he is not the target of the investigation, but is a person of interest. Jack explains that “Al” hasn’t been positively identified, and they have the girl’s testimony but they may need her client “Al” to corroborate. Jack also tells Shalvoy about the wiretaps. Shalvoy wants to know who else knows about this, and Jack says no one, but anyone involved should speak with their family, a clear suggestion that Jack wants Shalvoy to be prepared for fallout. He also tells Shalvoy that the FBI and the US Attorney have asked for the wiretaps, that they may have someone who can ID the client. When Shalvoy presses Jack on how he will answer the request, he says there are legitimate grounds to oppose it.

Shalvoy: That’s good. I like seeing that fire in your belly. You’re gonna need it when you run for full term as DA.”
Jack: I’m running for DA?
Shalvoy:Stay in touch, Jack.

Later, Cutter and Rubirosa are questioning Frank, who insists he never told Chanel about Victor, and Frank’s attorney sheds doubt on their witness’s credibility. As Cutter and Rubirosa update Jack on the matter, Jack continues to play dumb and not tip his hand of the Governor’s involvement. While “Al” is proving hard for Cutter and Rubirosa to find, Cutter believes it’s because he either has a suspicious wife, or he has a high profile job. Connie then drops a bomb on Jack, telling him of something written on the "Manhattan Hears" blog, saying Jack will be investigated:

“DA Funny with our Money…Was the city’s top law enforcer California dreaming on our dime? Allegations are flying that hard-charging DA Jack McCoy charged the taxpayers for a personal trip out west, where he used public funds to play daddy to his daughter.”

Jack, clearly miffed, says,

McCoy: That’s ridiculous. I attended a conference in Los Angeles. Rebecca drove up from San Diego for dinner.
Cutter: You don’t have to convince us, Jack.
Rubirosa: There’s more. ‘Insiders say that Attorney General may impanel an grand jury to investigate."


Jack, now looking slightly alarmed, walks away.

Later, Jack is on the phone in his office completing a call as Cutter enters, and tells Cutter that the whole thing is a “bunch of nothing” but that the he still faces an audit. Cutter tells Jack he investigated the blog entry to a PR company that Jack recognizes as the one that handled Governor Shalvoy’s campaign.

Cutter: Didn’t you tell me a few weeks ago that you were Shalvoy’s new fair-haired boy?
McCoy: A few weeks is a long time.
Cutter: Jack, what’s going on?
McCoy: Someone’s sending me a message…close the door.

Jack proceeds to tell Cutter of his suspicious of Shalvoy’s involvement with prostitution, and that he gave Shalvoy the non-target order and told him about the wire taps. Cutter is not happy, and asks Jack, “When were you going to tell me?” Jack said he’s telling him now, and that he believes that Shalvoy is being targeted by the Feds for a corrupt officials investigation. Jack thinks that Shalvoy is telling him that if Jack doesn’t protect him, Jack can forget running for DA.

Cutter: So you’ve decided to run?
McCoy: I haven’t decided NOT to run.


Cutter is clearly angry, chastising Jack for practically committing witness tampering, and possibly making Shalvoy’s information useless, and for possibly making them all look bad. Jack pushes back, telling Cutter “get mad at me tomorrow." But Cutter thinks Jack should just give the Feds what they want to save his job. Jack says the Feds are after Shalvoy because of bad blood between them, and he refuses to do the Fed’s dirty work. When Cutter says this could jeopardize Jack’s job, Jack retorts:

McCoy: Give me a little credit, Mike.
Cutter: Glad I’m not the one getting his nuts squeezed.

Ouch!

Jack pays a visit to Governor Shalvoy, who is playing dumb about the blog allegations, and Jack tells him to drop the charade. Jack is outraged, and he reminds Shalvoy that he did the decent thing by giving him the heads-up so he could square things away with this family. But Shalvoy is having none of it, hanging the DA position over Jack’s head, expecting Jack to cover up his indiscretions.

McCoy: You can’t dodge this scandal. You can only make it worse.
Shalvoy: It’s in your interest to cover my back. So that’s what you’re gonna do.


Bad move, Governor. NOBODY tells Jack McCoy what to do!

Back at the DA’s office, Jack refuses to give the Feds what they want, and despite the fact they say they will return with a subpoena, Jack tells them it will be a futile effort. He then visits Cutter and Rubirosa to get a trial prep update, and tells them to add Governor Shalvoy to the witness list, but not to release the information to the defense. McCoy refers to Shalvoy as a bastard, and tells them that his judgment had been clouded by sentiment. Cutter is somewhat perplexed, as he knows Jack refused to give the Feds any information, but Jack informs them that he wants to take Shalvoy down himself.

We then see Shalvoy chasing down Jack. Clearly the Governor is in an enraged panic over the subpoena, which Jack tells him was issued at his own direction. Jack tells Shalvoy to get his family issues in order, and Shalvoy is outraged, saying his family and personal life is not Jack’s business. Shalvoy’s threats to Jack’s job continue, and he reminds Jack that he wouldn’t be where he is now without Shalvoy’s help:

Shalvoy: It’s thanks to me you have this job in the first place. Nobody wanted you.
McCoy: I’d rather be an unpaid lawyer than a well-fed pet.
Shalvoy: You’re a fool. I had high hopes for you.
McCoy (his eyebrows practically leaping off his face): I had high hopes for YOU! How could you do this? To the people who work for you? To the people that elected you? How could you be so reckless with their trust? I respected you Donald. I respected you.
(McCoy’s voice waivers, almost as if he was near tears.)

I don’t think I’ve even seen Jack’s feelings so hurt. But clearly, Jack is not willing to roll over and play dead for the Governor. What Jack didn’t expect was a visit from the Governor’s wife Rita (Alison Elliott). She clearly pressures Jack to back down, and he refuses, saying that by backing down he would not be doing the job he’s sworn to do.

The trial against Frank continues, and the testimony of the prostitute, Chanel, is rendered virtually useless when the defense makes her appear motivated by revenge at Frank. The DA’s office has no choice except to make Governor Shalvoy an official witness. Rubirosa, however, receives word that Frank and his attorney want a meeting to cut a deal. This means that Shalvoy will not have to testify. As Cutter and Rubirosa check into what prompted the sudden plea deal, they come to believe that the Governor has had his hand in motivating others, including the Feds, to back down.

Jack goes to the Shalvoy residence to confront Rita Shalvoy about her possible influence on Frank’s father, and clearly Jack is not happy with the whole situation. He questions her ambitions in this whole matter. The Governor enters, and when he’s informed of the plea bargain, he’s happy with it, because, he thinks, juries are too unpredictable. Jack calls him a son of a bitch. The Governor tells Jack he can either threaten him or resign, or he can bite the bullet and move on. He then asks Jack to be his guest at the groundbreaking for the Feds new DEA regional headquarters that they will be leasing to them for 99 years for $1. He bids goodnight to Jack, leaving him standing there to muse over his predicament.

The DA’s office finds all the witnesses in Frank's case have been either paid off (the Feds by the land deal for the DEA office) or moved out (Chanel is deported, Richie is put in witness protection). They hope that Shalvoy missed some detail that they can nab him on, but Connie says even the hotel rooms were booked under assumed names – one of them being John McCoy. And Cutter states the obvious, “You’re his enemy now,” offers his support, and closes the door as he leaves Jack’s office, leaving Jack to think about his situation - alone.

This story brings many possibilities for next season. I would imagine that, if the end of Jack’s term is imminent, the show will have to deal with the prospect of re-election at some point. It always made for interesting stories when Adam Schiff was running for re-election, and things could get even more interesting for Jack should he chose to pursue it. Personally, I would hope that Jack makes taking the Governor down a priority of his, and can do it in a manner to help his re-election. My only regret is that we may have to see Tom Everett Scott again, who, in my opinion, was not right for the role. It wasn’t just his age; it was his corny delivery of the lines. He sounded too much like he was trying to be a phony jerk, and, well, it came off like over-acting. But, I guess we could be stuck with him, if he has to return to another episode where the loop hopefully gets closed. And I do hope the loop gets closed in Jack’s favor, because I just don’t like it when the bad guys win.

Excalibur 2 Minute Replay



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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Sam Watertson Talks about L&O Season Finale

Sam Waterston gave Associated Press some insight into the Law & Order season finale, “Excalibur” which will air on May 21. The article, from The Huffington Post, is below.

"Law & Order" Finale Ripped From The Spitzer-Hooker Headlines

LYNN ELBER May 20, 2008 11:34 AM EST

Actor Sam Waterston arrives at the NBC Universal Experience at Rockefeller Center as part of upfront week on Monday, May 12, 2008. A scandal involving a New York governor and a prostitute has the makings of a classic ripped-from-the-headlines plot for NBC's "Law & Order." But Wednesday's season finale about a governor and a call girl isn't about Eliot Spitzer, cautions series star Sam Waterston - although it's fair to say anyone, even Waterston, could get a bit confused. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)

LOS ANGELES — A scandal involving a New York governor and a prostitute has the makings of a classic ripped-from-the-headlines plot for NBC's "Law & Order."

But Wednesday's season finale about a governor and a call girl isn't about Eliot Spitzer, cautions series star Sam Waterston _ although it's fair to say anyone, even Waterston, could get a bit confused.

Asked recently if the show was dramatizing Spitzer's story, the actor replied, "That's what we're shooting right now." Then he quickly offered a clarification.

"I shouldn't say we're doing the Eliot Spitzer story. I should say we're doing a story about a politician who gets into trouble because of sexual questions ... involving prostitution," Waterston told The Associated Press.

The truth has always been somewhere between the edges of that fine line.

Since it started in 1990, the TV drama created by executive producer Dick Wolf has carefully echoed real-life events without explicitly citing them. The very first episode of the show, which films in New York, was about a parking violations case _ after something similar had rocked the city, Wolf recalled in a recent interview.

Wednesday's episode (10 p.m. EDT) is racier, as a murder investigation leads police to a prostitution ring whose clients include New York Gov. Shalvoy (Tom Everett Scott). That creates a quandary for District Attorney Jack McCoy (Waterston), whose political fortunes may be tied to Shalvoy's.

Earlier this year, Spitzer's career collapsed days after he was identified by federal authorities as Client 9 of a high-priced prostitution ring. Spitzer, who resigned from office in March, apologized without expressly acknowledging he had visited prostitutes.

Waterston says the "Law & Order" episode diverges sharply from what happened with Spitzer.

"It goes in all different directions," he said. "`Law & Order' raises questions about what's fair, what's right, what's justice, that aren't necessarily raised by the original story or ... can't be gone into in just a news story."

Anthony Anderson, new to the cast as police Detective Kevin Bernard, said the series is "current, it's real, it's true." Now that he's part of the show, he said, "I'm doing research and I'm reading these scripts (and) I'm like, wow, this is real, wow, people are crazy!"

"Law & Order" also stars Jeremy Sisto, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache and Alana De La Garza.

Asked about whether there was "Spitzer-izing" on the show this week, De La Garza shrugged, laughed and gave a quick eye-roll.



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Law & Order Criminal Intent Logan Marathon May 24


The USA Network will be showing a marathon of Law & Order Criminal Intent episodes centered on Mike Logan (Chris Noth) on Saturday, May 24. This is being touted as a “viewer’s choice” marathon. The episodes begin airing at 9:00 AM, the last episode begins at 10:00 PM. Here are the names of the episodes scheduled to air:


09:00 AM 30

10:00 AM TRU LOVE

11:00 AM WEEPING WILLOW

12:00 PM DIAMOND DOGS

01:00 PM THE HEALER

02:00 PM GROW

03:00 PM LONELYVILLE

04:00 PM MALTESE CROSS

05:00 PM RENEWAL

06:00 PM TO THE BONE

07:00 PM SENSELESS

08:00 PM STRESS POSITION

09:00 PM IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS PT.1

10:00 PM IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS PT.2


Now if USA would release some information about the new CI episodes coming up starting June 8, that would make me very happy. It seems like there is nothing out there – anywhere – on Criminal Intent. It amazes me that USA is doing so little to build any buzz, except to run a promo commercial here and there. It’s a mystery to me. Maybe I should put Bobby Goren on the case?


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Law & Order Marathon Honors Jesse L. Martin

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, the TNT Network will be presenting an 11-hour marathon of memorable episodes featuring Detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin). It will include his first appearance in “Gunshow”, plus a two-episode crossover with Law & Order Trial By Jury, where Ed Green is critically injured.

Here’s the schedule and episode information:

2 p.m. “Tombstone” – Detective Green is critically injured while trying to transport a reluctant witness to a trial about the murder of a prestigious lawyer.

3 p.m. Law & Order Trial by Jury – “Skeleton” – This special crossover episode covers the investigation and trial of the person who shot Detective Green.

4 p.m. “Gunshow” – After the case of a mass murder in Central Park is settled, the DA goes after the gun manufacturer. This marks Green’s first appearance on the series and the revelation that the character has endured two prior complaints of excessive force.

5 p.m. “Prejudice” – The murder of a black publisher by a racist turns into a difficult trial when the defense claims racism is a mental defect.

6 p.m. “Foul Play” – Corruption, deceit and immigration fraud within a baseball league for youth come to light when a private investigator is killed.

7 p.m. “Suicide Box” – Deep racial tensions arise after the re-opening of an old case involving the brother of an African-American teenager accused of killing a police officer.

8 p.m. “In Vino Veritas” – A washed-up, anti-Semitic actor is accused of murdering a television producer after he is arrested with blood on his clothes.

9 p.m. “Gunplay” – A bitter defense attorney may be at the middle of a case in which two undercover police officers are killed during a sting operation against black market gun dealers. Det. Green must now put his own life on the line by going undercover to weed out the killers.

10 p.m. “Caviar Emptor” – A caviar salesman from Persia is found murdered in his bed, and immediate suspicion lands on his children and new young wife.

11 p.m. “White Lie” – The murder of a drug dealer leads detectives to the door of a military officer’s wife who may be involved in a Colombian smuggling ring.

12:00 Midnight “Stiff” – After a woman dies of a prescription drug overdose, detectives uncover some disturbing sexual secrets in which she and her husband engaged.


Enjoy!


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Law & Order Season Finale “Excalibur” Episode Information

Well, this is it for Law & Order “the mothership” for the season. We will have Criminal Intent coming up in June to look forward to.

The season finale episode information from NBC is below. We will get another dose of Tom Everett Scott in his role of Governor Shalvoy. Let’s hope he can pull the role off better in this episode than he did in “Personae Non Grata.” I can’t help but see him and immediately thinking of him in the movie “That Thing You Do” with his band called The Oneders – pronounced ONE-DERS (or wonders), not O-NEE-ders. If you’ve seen the movie, you get it.


Law and Order Excalibur Air Date May 21, 2008

A JEWELER IS FOUND MURDERED EXPOSING A PROSTITUTION RING.

Jeweler Victor Madison is found murdered, and Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) investigate a peculiar deposit made into Madison’s bank account. The deposit leads the detectives to investigate Madison’s brother-in-law, Frank Beezley, who was running an illegal prostitution ring, The Excalibur Club. Closing the case proves to be a challenge, as the trial gets risky for Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) when his job is threatened. Also Starring: S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. Guest Star: Tom Everett Scott



NOTE: In the episode trailer, a news story is flashed, which says: “DA Funny with our Money…Was the city’s top law enforcer California dreaming on our dime? Allegations are flying that hard-charging DA Jack McCoy charged the taxpayers for a personal trip out west, where he used public funds to play daddy to his daughter.


My recap and review of “Excalibur “ can be found here.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Law & Order “Personae Non Grata” Just Horrible

Photo NBC


It’s rare that I find myself not even wanting to spend time recapping an episode, but this one is an exception. I found this episode tedious to watch and sometimes confusing, coupled with what I thought was a terrible case of stunt casting.

This episode is about the murder of auto mechanic Eric Greenwood. Detectives Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson) investigate and are led to Bob Munsen (Barry Del Sherman) who worked with Eric. They initially believe that the murder is about the theft of antique maps from the New York library, but this is only a red herring. They find Munsen was involved in an online relationship that Greenwood had sabotaged, believing that Munsen was having a relationship with a young woman, Chrissy. Personally, I found this whole segment a little confusing and I had to keep watching the scenes over and over to make sure I understood what was going on. Part of the problem is that Chrissy, who Bob was having the on-line relationship with, wasn’t Chrissy at all but her mother Donna Cheponis (Melissa Leo), working a con. Cheponis was posing as her daughter, who in reality had been missing for over two years. Cheponis scammed Munsen to the tune of $60,000, and Munsen murders Greenwood in what was believed to be an act of jealousy – I think. To make a long story short – and I really want to – Cheponis agrees to testify against Munsen but further evidence implicates she incited Munsen to murder Greenwood. With that information, Munsen accepts a plea in exchange for his testimony against Cheponis, but Cheponis cons Munsen into recanting. Whew, my head is spinning. There were a lot of things that happened in that series of events but it’s too exhausting to detail.

To shorten the story even more, it’s discovered that Donna really murdered her daughter two years ago, (not a shock there), and Cutter (Linus Roache) uses props consisting of Chrissy’s skeletal remains to make Munsen realize he’s and idiot and has been duped by Cheponis into killing Greenwood, He testifies against her and she is convicted, I think of both the murder of Greenwood and her own daughter.

OK, let’s get to the real annoyance with the episode here. It was the stunt casting of Tom Everett Scott as Governor Shalvoy. I found Scott to be terribly miscast here. He seemed too young to be Governor, and he also didn’t act the part well. I think I could have gotten over the age issue had Scott’s acting made him even remotely believable, but it was not. The lines they gave him were corny and it was a literal joke to me when Shalvoy says to Jack (Sam Waterston) “You know, Jack, with my good looks and your brains, I really think we might accomplish something.” Puh-leeze! Every time Scott appeared and opened his mouth, I was trying to figure out if they wanted Shalvoy to be a condescending jerk, or that it was just bad acting on Scott’s part. It may have been a little bit of both. Still, it was clear that Shalvoy’s role in this episode was to show that he had the power to help Jack, and that may come back to haunt Jack in next week’s episode. The preview teased on the former NY Governor Elliot Spitzer-type scenario with Jack getting caught up in it somehow. Yes, we knew Law & Order would probably rush through a “ripped from the headlines story on this.

Also, at a formal reception of some sort – with Jack dressed in a tux (I call it a case of stunt wardrobe casting), Shalvoy’s wife asks about Jack’s daughter, and he responds that she got a job in San Diego. You know, I don’t mind every now and then when they throw in a personal tidbit about the characters, but when they seem to be so contrived and staged like this one, it loses all value and interest. I’ve ceased to even care about Jack’s relationship with her daughter, and didn’t even care about it last season (I think) when she actually made an appearance and met with Jack over lunch or dinner.

I did find the scene humorous where Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson) was posing as a younger woman to keep who they eventually discover is Munsen in an on-line chat while they could trace his whereabouts. But, several references to the computer tech’s “bon bons” were a bit overkill.

It’s very hard for me to write anything at all about this episode, that’s how bad I thought it was. “Personae Non Grata” almost made me ‘non compos mentis.”


Personae Non Grata Two Minute Replay






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here.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Law & Order SVU “Cold” Left Me That Way


The season finale of Law & Order SVU – “Cold” – was somewhat predictable. With the news of Diane Neal’s and Adam Beach’s departure from the series, plus after seeing the previews for the episode, viewers had to know that something would be happening to both that would cause them to leave, or be taken from, their jobs. At least in the case of Chester Lake (Adam Beach), his problems were made obvious in the preview. (By the way, the synopsis of this episode previously released by NBC wasn’t entirely accurate.) This episode lost many points with me for being so close to the story line with Ed Green's (Jesse L. Martin) departure on Law & Order, where Ed was also involved in a shooting. Can't the writers be a little more creative?

The episode opens in Philadelphia, PA, where Chester appears to be participating in some sort of meeting about an open case. He is also accompanied by Penelope Fielding (Deirdre Lovejoy), who was also had involvement in the case. In a separate scene, we see Casey Novak (Diane Neal) at some sort of cocktail party, seemingly being offered another job outside of the Special Victims realm.

Detectives Benson (Markisa Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) are called to a crime scene by Cpt. Don Cragen (Dann Florek). When they are confused as to why they are there at the scene of a shooting of Detective Edward Kralik and the injury of another person, they are shocked to find that the injured shooter is none other than Detective Chester Lake.

In the hospital, Chester invokes his right to not make a statement for 48 hours. Stabler continues to pressure Lake but he stands firm. The SVU squad is perplexed, and Stabler gets on Fin’s (Ice-T) case about how well he really knew his partner, since it appears Chester had been disappearing once a month to Philadelphia for quite a while. Fin pushes back to Stabler, but also decides to visit Chester in the hospital, and still gets nothing.

In further research, ME Warner (Tamara Tunie) informs Benson and Stabler that three of the gunshot wounds to the detective were non-fatal, and appears to have come from behind. Stabler assumes that Lake shot Kralik in the back, and then moved in closer for the kill shots. It is amazing to me how quickly Stabler turns against his fellow detective.

To make a long story short, they find that Chester was working with Fielding on a murder of a young girl, Elisa Hernandez, and have been chasing down the murderer for 10 years. Fielding is part of something called the “Vidocq Society". It is believed that Kralik was Hernandez's killer, but is also seems that Celina Cruz (Victoria Cartagena), an illegal, may have also been present. She is refusing to help because she too may have been raped by Kralik or an accomplice. Munch goes back to get the original DNA evidence.

In the meantime, Benson and Stabler go back to the hospital for Lake, and find he has skipped. Stabler assumes that Fin tipped off Lake, but rather than ask Fin directly, he has Fin’s phone records dumped. Fin is livid, saying that while he did talk to Chester about them coming, he did not expect him or encourage him to skip out. Again, Stabler shows that he doesn’t trust his own co-workers, despite working with someone like Fin for quite some time.

The detectives work to track down Cruz, who they find is absent from work after leaving with who they believe to be Lake. Stabler again jumps the gun and assumes Lake has her hostage. It appears that Stabler’s brain has permanently left the show. Cragen, though, says it’s “hard to believe that he’d (Lake) be so reckless.”

Upon further review, there is evidence that a second shooter was at the scene where Lake shot the detective, and Lake may have been shooting into that void. Benson and Stabler got to the home of Kralik’s wife, who is there with three officers from some sort of fugitive apprehension team. The cops are riled when they are questioned about their knowledge of Lake from the days he works the case.

Later, it is reported that Lake is pinned in an abandoned building with the “hostage” and Fin goes barreling in to try to talk sense into Lake. He succeeds, and Lake tells Fin that someone by the name of Bill Jensen, lured him into the area with Kralik probably with the intent to kill him since he was getting close to cracking the old case. All the while Benson and Stabler discover that a shooter is lurking on a nearby rooftop, waiting to take out Lake. It is Thomas Crane (Jack Gwaltney), one of the members of the fugitive apprehension team. He quickly becomes a suspect in the original crime and possibly the person who lured Lake and was shooting at Lake when Lake shot Kralik.

We fast forward to Crane’s trial, where Celina Cruz is testifying that Kralik and Crane broke up a fight between her and her friend Elisa and got them into their car, where they raped the girls, and where Kralik killed Elisa. Cruz indicated that she was able to escape. The defense attorney Donna Emmett (Viola Davis) makes Cruz’s testimony questionable when Cruz’s status as an illegal is highlighted.

ME Warner, meanwhile, warns Casey that the DNA evidence is degraded and she cannot make a definitive match with Crane. Casey pressures Warner to stretch things a bit, but Warner wisely stands firm. Later, when Warner testifies about the evidence, she speaks the truth, and the defense surprisingly asks no questions of Warner. Lake takes the stand, and gives his account about being lured by Bill Jensen, who he now believes was Crane, the scenario ending with Lake shooting at Kralik to defend himself. When Lake is questioned about the same DNA evidence that Casey and Warner had discussed, Lake says he could not recall that the he was told the DNA evidence was degraded. The defense attorney calls for an immediate mistrial, saying there is a cover up and conspiracy going on and Lake perjured himself, and the prosecution violated “Brady.” Casey argues back, saying that no one did any such thing.

The defense attorney argues the point in chambers, and Casey says that the DNA testing wasn’t complete – something we all know is a lie. The defense attorney also says that Lake lied because the evidence intake officer told him the DNA was too degraded. Casey’s argues that this intake officer was no expert. The judge gives Casey until the close of business that day to present the DNA evidence. The defense attorney also says she is issuing a subpoena for the appearance of Penelope Fielding to testify for the defense.

Fielding testifies, after prodding, that in her expert opinion, the partial DNA profile was based on the equivalent than less than a single human cell, and that she could not say with certainty it belonged to Crane.

The jury is deadlocked, and a mistrial is declared. The jury is polled. We then see Cruz being taken away, presumably because she is illegal. Lake tells Elisa’s father Hector not to do anything stupid. Casey promises Lake she will re-file.

Fin later tells Olivia he is going to check on Lake because Lake is not answering his phone. Fin approaches Stabler, and Stabler tells him he’s sorry about how he handled things. But Fin is clearly annoyed and tells Stabler that he is too quick to judge, and he’s a good cop, but a lousy human being. He also tells Stabler he knows what this cost him, and when Stabler tells him he appreciates that, Fin comes back with, “The problem is, you will still be the same rat bastard tomorrow, and nothing you say will ever change that.” After Fin leaves, Munch (Richard Belzer) shoves something into Stabler’s hands – which is Fin’s transfer request.

We are then taken to the office of Judge Donnelly (Judith Light) who informs Casey that Casey is being called before the bar, at Donnelly’s insistence. When Casey asks why, she says it’s because she lost perspective, and also because of a Brady violation. Donnelly knows that the lab reports were dated and stamped, and Casey is lying about them not being finished. “No one is falling on their sword for you.” When Donnelly asks why, Casey says, “Because the bad guys can’t always win. He deserved to pay.’ Donnelly quickly comes back with, "And so do you. " When Casey asks how much trouble she is in, Donnelly tells her censure, possible suspension for one year, maybe more. When Casey asks the question, “What should I do?”, Donnelly responds, tersely, “Something else. “

Clearly upset, Casey gets a page, calling her to another crime scene. She, along with the rest of the SVU squad, see Thomas Crane dead, along with Chester Lake being led away.

OK, there were a lot of things happening in this episode. Maybe too many things. I understand that they had to try to wrap up two characters’ fates here, but it seemed a bit too incredible. For example, I am not quite clear on why Chester first refused to talk to his fellow detectives. Was it a matter of trust? If so, what did they do that would cause such mistrust? And Chester gets on Fin for Fin not trying hard enough to get to know him. It seemed out of place. Since when did partners have to be best buddies? Considering that Lake was the new guy on the block, shouldn't HE have tried harder to understand Fin? It would seem to me that Chester would want his fellow co-workers to help him, seeing that he’s watched them work as a team. If anything, I would have thought he would have trusted Cragen, the one guy who could have been in his corner.

It also seemed a little too incredible that Stabler, although quite the hothead, would so completely turn on his fellow detectives at the blink of an eye. Who is Stabler at this point? Do they want us to think that he is still struggling with some sort of inner demons? Sadly, Fin nailed it when he said Stabler would continue to be a “rat bastard”, and it seems clear to the viewers that the writers are continuing to dumb down the character of Stabler until he becomes a mass of rage and anger. Such a waste that they can’t seem to get Stabler to grow as a character.

Casey, who started in the show as going by the book and rarely taking any risks with her cases, has seemingly gone off the deep end and is willing to lie to put someone behind bars. I don’t think that we’ve really seen anything happen to Casey that would drive her to such an extreme so her behavior seemed to materialize out of nowhere with no trigger, Maybe that cocktail party and job offer was just too much for her to handle, because she sure seemingly went over to the dark side right afterwards. It seemed very out of character for her, although we do know that when Casey started with Special Victims she did ask to be relieved of the job almost right away. It could be that her need to break the rules was just simmering under the surface.

If anything, the episode showed that there is some sort of undercurrent within the SVU group of mistrust and possibly hatred for each other. It could be that they are setting things up for fireworks within the team next season.

"Cold" NBC Two Minute Replay



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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Law & Order – The Sitcom?

There sure are a lot of creative people out there. Check out this short video, which is someone’s interpretation of what a trailer for Law & Order - as a sitcom - would look like. It takes dramatic Law & Order scenes, adds a laugh track, and the result is comedy. I would never think of Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) delivering lines for laughs, but this actually seems to work. I can only imagine what a version with Law & Order SVU, and John Munch (Richard Belzer) would be like? Probably a laugh riot.

Enjoy!

Law & Order The Sitcom


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information,
here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order Franchise “Cold ” and “Personae Non Grata ” New Episodes Week of May 11

Law & Order SVU finishes its 9th season this week with the episode “Cold,” which appears will be Adam Beach’s and Diane Neal’s last with SVU. In the case of Beach, this is not a moment too soon.

The original Law & Order still has 2 more episodes, one of them being this week’s “Personae Non Grata” with guest star Tom Everett Scott. There is still no detailed episode information at all on Law & Order Criminal Intent – all I know is that it will be premiering on Sunday, June 8 at 9:00 PM. I am not sure why the USA Network is so close-lipped or so slow on releasing the details. They are billing this as the “second half” of CI’s 7th season.

Here’s what’s up for the franchise this week:


Law and Order SVU “Cold” Airdate May 13, 2008

THE TABLES ARE TURNED WHEN DETECTIVE CHESTER LAKE (ADAM BEACH) REOPENS A CLOSED MURDER CASE, AND BECOMES THE PRIME SUSPECT CAUSING CHAOS WITHIN THE SQUAD.


An old murder case of a teenage girl is reopened, when Detective Lake (Adam Beach) is caught in a gunfight and wounded by the case’s former investigator, Detective Mary Kralik (guest star Eva Kaminsky). The shooting leaves Kralik dead, and Lake’s uncooperative answers lead to confusion in the squad room. The case intensifies when Lake escapes from the hospital, and takes hostage the original case’s only witness, Celina Cruz (guest star Victoria Cartagena). The SVU squad is left to revisit the original murder case, as Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) search for Lake and his hostage. Also starring: Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong

NOTE: The NBC synopsis above is not entirely accurate. Please see my recap and review of this episode here for all the updated details.



Law and Order “Personae Non Grata” Air Date May 14, 2008

A FRAUDULENT ONLINE RELATIONSHIP IS EXPOSED, LEADING THE DETECTIVES TO A BIZARRE CASE OF BLACKMAIL AND LAUNDERED MONEY.


Automobile mechanic Eric Greenwood is found murdered outside of a bar leading Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) to question the victim’s boss, Bob Munsen (guest star Barry Del Sherman). Lupo and Cyrus discover Munsen was involved in an online relationship that Greenwood had sabotaged. Munsen profited over $60,000 dollars of stolen money, and laundered the money to his young, online lover, "Jenny Cheponis." The case takes some strange twists and turns, as "Jenny" turns out to be an older woman, Donna Cheponis (guest star Melissa Leo), with a missing daughter. Greenwood exposed the online relationship between Munsen and Cheponis and ended up dead, but "Jenny" remains missing. The detectives struggle to solve the case of murder and deceit in this online murder mystery case.

Also Starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza.

Special Guest Star: Tom Everett Scott

My recap and review of “Personae Non Grata “ can be found here.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information,
here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Law & Order “Strike” Nails One

Law & Order “Strike” offered an interesting twist on a case by putting ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) in a role working for the defense. It seems like it’s been a long while since an ADA got so much focus on Law & Order, and I think that De La Garza shined in this episode.

The story opens with the eventual murder victim, Frank Dresner (Justin Hagan) being dropped off near the courthouse by his wife. The city’s legal aid is on strike, and Dresner is there to help keep the strikers motivated for the cause. Dresner is tipped off by one of this fellow strikers that people are trying to use the administrative entrance to get in past the strikers, so Dresner heads there alone. He’s later found dead, apparently struck by a car.

Detectives Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson) are dispatched to the crime scene, and discover a security camera that appears to have been tampered with. Initially, in viewing the security camera video, it showed that Dresner had an altercation with a man in a black BMW, who says he only tapped Dresner. He also said that he had gotten nails in one of his tires from strikers and had to have the tire changed, and he shows the detectives his old tire with the nails in it. But, ME Rogers tells the detectives that it wasn’t a BMW that hit Dresner, it was probably something like and SUV or a pickup truck. She also says that there was grease and sand in Dresner’s wound. When Lupo asks her what kind of sand, she responds, “SAND sand.” Of course, she knows that Lupo wants her to find out specifically what kind of sand; seeing that he knows there are “31 flavors of sand” in the Middle East.

When it’s discovered that it’s golf course sand used for bunkers, they scan the video looking for any connection to a car or SUV to a golf course. How lucky for them that they see a Suffolk County golf course maintenance truck on the video and they head there to check things out.

Also lucky is that Bernard recognizes someone who works at the golf course as Ted Sanderson (Brad William Henke) who was convicted for the murder of his wife, but his conviction was overturned due to new DNA evidence. Lupo and Bernard drive out to Sanderson’s home and question him, telling him they know he was late to work the day that Dresner was killed. Bernard then produces a nail what he said he found in Sanderson’s tire, basically implying that Sanderson was there that day. As they put Sanderson in the car, Lupo objects to Bernard, saying he should have left evidence where he found it. Bernard tells Lupo that he never said he found it there, clearly indicating he deceived Sanderson into thinking he did.

Let me break for a second and talk about the nail. The nail that Bernard showed to Sanderson looked completely straight. Being someone familiar with striker behavior, my knowledge is that when they want to puncture your tires, they don’t want the nails to be straight. I know this because I had to cross a picket line for 4 years (yes, four years) for a company I worked for who’s union workers went on strike, but the non-union people could not. These strikers purposely bent nails, sometimes fastening two nails together like they were “jacks” and would throw them down on passing cars. Nails that are bent, especially two nails bent together, will stand up and be very easy to pierce a tire. (While non-union workers were not the target at my company, some of us sometimes got “nailed” by accident.) Anyway, unless these strikers were forcing the nail into the tire with their hands, which I doubt, I don’t see how those tires could have been pierced the way they were.

OK, back to the episode. Sanderson is questioned by detectives, and when a gun is found in Sanderson’s vehicle, the detectives think Sanderson was going to shoot up the courthouse. They also discover that the DNA found on Sanderson’s dead wife had a marker for cystic fibrosis, and that Dresner was showing signs of the disease They think Dresner was having an affair with Sanderson’s wife, and that Sanderson murdered Dresner in retaliation for her death AND Sanderson wrongly having to serve time for her murder. He finds himself being arraigned for murder, without a lawyer. Since legal aid is on strike, Rubirosa is appointed as his temporary counsel for purposes of the arraignment. She argues for low bail and gets $100,000 bail from the judge. Mc Coy (Sam Waterston) is amused:

McCoy: $100,000 for Murder 2? I’m impressed.
Cutter: Aw, the judge was in a hurry.
Rubirosa: Sore loser.

Connie’s involvement isn’t over yet, as Sanderson argues that Connie should continue to represent her, and he cites precedent. Cutter (Linus Roache) begins to argue against it, but Connie shuts him off, saying that she is not privy to any knowledge that wouldn’t be revealed in discovery. So she becomes Sanderson’s attorney.

Connie has a serious discussion with Sanderson about his involvement in Dresner’s death, but he provides an explanation for everything. He said the police confused him about the dates when they produced the nail, and that he had been in the area 3 days before the murder. As far as him having the vehicle cleaned, it was because he hit a dog a few days earlier. Connie goes to the area where Sanderson says he hit the dog, and finds a dead dog. This seems to make her believe Sanderson, and she argues to a judge that the nail the police used could be considered planted evidence and she wants Sanderson’s subsequent statement to the police thrown out because of it. Bernard is clearly angry that Rubirosa seemed to imply he would tamper with or plant evidence. She wins her motion, and later tells Cutter about the dead dog she found, seemingly confirming Sanderson’s alibi. Cutter says, “ You know he killed Dresner,” to which Connie responded, “Well, as Jack always says, I only know what I can prove in court.”

Cutter is talking over Connie’s performance in court with Jack, and says:

Cutter: You know, not that I’d ever admit this to her, but she eviscerated my case.
McCoy: It’s to be expected. Connie was trained by the best! (Cutter smirks.)


It’s good to know that Jack, even as DA, still has a big ego.

Connie, trying to confirm Sanderson’s story that he was there 3 days in advance, checks the video tapes and find nothing. But, she sees a bank in the area and goes to the bank to acquire the bank’s security tapes. She uses her ADA badge as identification, which was obvious would be a problem later on. Cutter discovers that she obtained the tape 2 days before she got the subpoena for it, using her ADA identification, and makes a successful bid with the judge to get his hands on it. The judge also chastises Rubirosa for her tactics. Of course, Cutter gloats, in one of the best lines this year, say to Connie, “See? The paddle spanks both ways.”

While viewing the tape, it appears that Sanderson was stalking Dresner, and Cutter uses this information to offers a plea of vehicular homicide. In discussing the deal, she chews out Sanderson, saying she knows he lied about his alibi. He admits that he just couldn’t take the knowledge about Dresner and his wife and he just smashed him. Still, Connie tells Cutter Sanderson is due a defense, and turns down the offer.

Back in her office, Connie is ribbed by a coworker, who asks her what it’s like to work for the “dark side.” Jack overhears, and gets angry, telling anyone in earshot, “ And if I hear any more crap from any of you, you’ll all be working traffic court for the next 5 years.”

They go to trial, Bernard testifies, and Rubirosa pretty much rips his testimony to shreds, making the detectives look even worse. An outburst from Bernard on the stand gives Connie the edge to have Bernard’s testimony stricken from the record and the chance to have the videotape thrown out.

In going over the situation with Sanderson, he mentions in passing that when he is freed, he wants to go to the beach, and that there is a nice place called Turneffe Island off Belize that has the best fan coral. Something in his comment sparks interest with Connie, and she digs deeper, finding that Dresner and Sanderson knew each other through a common interest, and certification in, scuba diving. Now that she has the knowledge, she’s clearly conflicted about what to do and seeks informal advice from Jack. His basic advice is “Follow the law.”

The judge rules that the tape will not be suppressed, and Cutter makes another offer to Connie for a deal. Connie takes the deal to Sanderson, but also clues him in on her theory that Sanderson and Dresner knew each other beforehand, that Sanderson had Dresner kill his wife for him, and Sanderson became concerned when information about the DNA on her body could point them to Dresner and the plot. Sanderson wisely takes the deal, and Connie promised to keep her theory to herself, in accordance with attorney-client privilege,

At the end of the show, while talking to Jack, they see the strike is over. This was another possible flaw in this episode. The strike, and the murder, took place in late January. The trial took place in April. I would think that if legal aid was on strike for that long, the court system, and the DA’s office, would have been faced with more delays and problems than it appeared. If they could have made Connie a lawyer for the defense, couldn’t they have done that in other cases and other ADAs, throwing the whole court system into a tizzy? I’m not saying that the couldn’t have been an strike all that time, it just seemed like the court system and the DA’s office was moving along like if nothing was different. I’m not sure what I expected to see, only that it just seemed off.

Putting Connie on the “dark side” was a perfect opportunity for her to show Cutter that she is not a person to be taken lightly. It also was a great change for De La Garza to establish herself as a formidable presence with the show, not just window dressing. While I was very disappointed in her first season with the show, they seem to finally have developed Connie Rubirosa into one of the best ADAs that the office has seen in many years.

I also think Anthony Anderson is fitting in very well, and it’s almost like the show hasn’t missed a beat.

“Strike” is probably one of the better episodes this season, and seems to indicate that despite the many cast changes this season, that the show has staying power. Which makes me, a die hard Law & Order fan, very happy.



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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Law & Order SVU “Trade” Goes Over the Edge


First of all, full disclosure here. My local NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland, cut off 25 minutes of the episode for a lousy Cleveland Indians baseball game. This station is now officially dead to me, except for when I watch Law & Order franchise shows. Of course, this brings out another annoyance with me with NBC, since they seem to be the only network that doesn’t seem to allow you to view current episodes on line for a short time after they air. OK, rant over.

The show begins with a brownstone fire and the discovery of a woman’s body – Jenna Ludlow – who also happens to be pregnant. The victim’s fiancĂ©, PJ Bartlett (Matthew Davis), comes under suspicion, and he is the son of a very successful and wealthy coffee broker Peter Bartlett (Stephen Collins). An affair with Jenna Ludlow and Peter Bartlett is uncovered, putting both father and son in the crosshairs of Casey Novak (Diane Neal). Casey suggests that Peter get an attorney of his own, since PJ’s attorney Avery (Michelle Borth) should not represent both father and son. Peter retains Trevor Langan (Peter Hermann, who I always refer to as Mr. Hargitay).

Father and son go to trial, with Casey pulling out all the stops. She challenges Peter about an email regarding the purchase of a coffee plantation, and that Jenna may have been using the email to blackmail them, thinking she would give away trade secrets. Casey also revealed $10,000 a month payments from Peter to Jenna as evidence of blackmail. Peter said the money wasn’t for blackmail, it was for the baby that Jenna was carrying. Casey then gets the son PJ on the stand, and tells him that his sperm is immotile, he’s “shooting blanks,” and that he has “funky sperm.” I thought the “funky sperm” line was weird and maybe overkill. We get it; he could not have fathered the baby. Casey also reveals that Jenna was not pregnant at the time the blackmail began, a fact that seemed to be a surprise to the defendants.

PJ’s defense attorney chases down Casey, who basically declares the defense attorney incompetent, says the trial is over, the only question is how long the jury will be out, and slams the door in her face. Cut to the jury verdict, who state they have been “hopelessly deadlocked” (why is it always “hopelessly”?) for nine days, and a mistrial is declared. Casey, though, is undeterred and vows re-file immediately. She also decides to check out what happened with the jurors, and finds that only one juror would not budge from the very first day of deliberation. It’s a woman, who is the mother of a disabled child, who was also facing foreclosure of her home. Casey trades information from her in exchange for no jail time.

Casey finds that the juror was paid off by a private investigator, and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) find that the PI has fled the country and his files are being shredded. But, there are files on the PI’s computer hard drive that show that he was tailing PJ Bartlett. When confronted with the information, PJ turns on his father, basically calling him an over-competitive control freak. PJ believes this is partly what drove his father to have the affair with Jenna. The detectives obtain a search warrant for Peter’s home and safe in order to confirm he has possession of the actual surveillance photos, and are thwarted with PJ’s attorney arrives with an injunction, saying they violated PJ’s right to counsel.

Somehow, Peter Bartlett arrives at the SVU squad before Benson and Stabler, who are informed by Fin (Ice-T) that Peter is rolling on his son. Realizing father and son are flipping on each other, Casey states the obvious, “What a mess.”

Elliott continues to watch a video with Jenna, and gets a minuscule glimpse of what they know is the murder weapon in the picture. Since they didn’t initially find a camera for this video, they go back to the burned apartment to try to find it, tearing apart mattresses and drawers and cabinets. Lucky for them, they find a digital memory card in the coffee can, download it, and soon afterwards find a camera in the wall that still has the video memory card in it.

Casey and the detectives have a sit down with Peter and PJ and PJ’s attorney, telling them about the video and that it shows the murderer. PJ’s attorney promptly tells them to turn it off, then storms out of the room. When father and son see that the murderer is PJ’s attorney, Peter expresses concern that she could be getting away. Casey says, “The front door is the only way out of here. I’ve alerted security. They’re not gonna let her leave.” No surprise we hear the alarm going off, and Casey exclaims, “The emergency stairs on the roof!” What a dumb mistake on everyone’s part. I don’t know exactly what the value was of letting her leave, only that it was a plot device to get her up on the roof to jump. While she stands on stiletto heels on a roof ledge, she admits she also tampered with the juror and hired the PI. Sometimes she seemed to wobble precariously on the ledge, sometimes she seemed quite steady. To make matters worse, PJ finally gets his arms around her legs, and none of them rush to help him pull her back, so she pulls PJ over with her. Another dumb mistake. In my opinion, the failure of Casey, Benson, and Stabler to keep a person who they know is a murderer in their possession cost two lives.

So while I missed part of the first portion of the episode, I think I saw enough. Because of an incomplete investigation and sloppy handling of suspects, Casey almost got two people wrongly convicted of murder, and allowed a suicide and another murder to occur.

That’s enough to send anyone over the edge.


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Monday, May 5, 2008

The Law & Order Dream Interpretation Guide

NBC.com


Admit it. You’ve had dreams starring some of your favorite, and maybe not so favorite, Law & Order characters. You probably awakened, wondering what it all meant. Well, wonder no more. I’ve compiled a tongue-in-cheek, definitive All Things Law & Order Dream Interpretation Guide to help you figure out what it means when a character from the Law & Order franchise appears in your dreams.
Find the L&O character (below) that made a guest appearance in your dream, and read the explanation. Hopefully this will make your Law & Order dreams more fun and meaningful. Pleasant dreams!



Law & Order (The Original)

Adam Schiff (Steven Hill): You feel particularly crabby about everything. Nothing will make you feel satisfied right now. Nothing. So get over it and move on.

Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty): Ben represents needed restraint. You are tempted to say or do something you will regret, especially if it involves someone in a political office. Don’t do it, it could affect your career.

Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks): You feel misunderstood. People either don’t understand what drives you, or they just can’t hear you. Speak up!

Det. Sgt. Max Greevey (George Dzundza): Max represents guilt. If you’re Catholic, you need to go to confession immediately, even if you didn't do anything. If you’re not Catholic, find someone else to whom you can confess because clearly you did something bad. (Just don’t confess to anyone who can turn you in to the police.)

Det. Mike Logan (Chris Noth): If you’re a woman and you dream of Mike, you will soon meet the man of your dreams. If you’re already married, you know you’re dreaming, so take your time in waking up, it could get interesting. If you are a man, dreaming of Mike means you need to control your temper before you punch someone out.

Det. Sgt. Phil Ceretta (Paul Sorvino): You are craving carbohydrates. Have some pasta when you wake up.

Det. Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach): Lennie represents your cynical and pessimistic side. Something could be happening in your life that is bringing out negativity. If you dream of John Munch and Lennie Briscoe in the same dream, this is too much cynicism to handle all at once and could indicate a serious mental illness – seek help immediately! If you dream of Lennie and you are having marital problems in real life, it’s fairly certain you’ll end up in divorce. If you a man in the same predicament, this means you will have to fork over alimony too.

Det. Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt): Rey represents naiveté. His presence means that even though you are a good person and you mean well, not everybody else behaves the same. Time to grow up and join the real world.

Det. Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin): Ed represents opportunity. When you dream of Ed, it could mean that you have a chance to get into something that will change your life for the better. Don’t get stuck in a comfortable rut; change can be a very good thing.

Det. Nina Cassady (Milena Govich): If you are a woman, you have a desire to be a beauty queen. If you are a man, you are just happy that Nina showed up in your dreams.

Det. Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina): It’s time to update your wardrobe, maybe with a splash of yellow or orange. This applies if you are a man or a woman.

Det. Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto): You desire unconditional love. Go out and get a pet.

Det. Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson): You don’t feel like people trust you. They may have good reason not to. You may have to prove yourself trustworthy.

Captain Don Cragen (Dann Florek): You may be feeling unappreciated for your work. You may need a job change – or change to a different department. Sometimes a simple transfer can work wonders to revitalize your career.

Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson): You are feeling insecure, that maybe your successes aren’t viewed by others as real.

DA Nora Lewin (Dianne Wiest): If you’re a woman, you may be considering going on a diet. If you’re a man, you’re just appalled someone like Nora showed up in your dreams because you were hoping for Nina Cassady.

DA Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson): You are experiencing delusions of grandeur. You’re not all that, despite what you may think. Be careful you don’t bite off more than you can chew, or burn your bridges behind you, or….you get the picture.

DA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston): If you dream of Jack drinking scotch, you may be suffering from a drinking problem. If he is drinking scotch and Danielle Melnick comes along, you are going to have a very very bad day. If Jack is prosecuting you, you did something bad, and you will get caught sooner or later. If you are plea bargaining with Jack, you have the upper hand in a real-life situation that may seem hopeless at face value. If you are a woman and dream that Jack is taking off his pants behind the office door, well, try not to wake up right away.

EADA Michael Cutter (Linus Roache): Cutter represents clutter in your life and home. It may be time to clean your house or office and discard things that don’t belong any more, like baseball bats in your office. If you dream of Michael Cutter and Jack McCoy in the same room, you really need to de-clutter, get organized, and neaten up quick before you become a full blown slob.

ADA Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy): You are attracted to people who are unattainable. It may be time to reassess a relationship.

ADA Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell): Jamie represents dominance. If you are a woman, you may think you can juggle life, career, motherhood, etc. and keep it all in balance and control. If you are a man, Jamie represents a woman in your life who scares you because she could squash you like a bug if she wanted to.

ADA Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon): If you are a woman, you may be feeling the need to help feed the starving people of the world, or maybe you’re just hungry yourself. You just feel the need to gain some weight. If you are a man, Abbie represents a female friend that you’d like to go out and just have a beer with, but you’re afraid she’ll have you locked up on death row before the night is out.

ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm): You have a desire to come out of the closet, even though you aren’t even gay.

ADA Alexandra Borgia (Annie Parisse): She is a warning sign. There is something happening in your life that should be setting off alarm bells, but you are going about life as if nothing is wrong. Be cautious as danger may lurk behind the next door you open.

ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza): Connie represents principles. If you dream of Connie, it may mean that you need to take a stand for what you believe in or what is right.

Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (Carolyn McCormick): Your friends think you’re sanctimonious and self-righteous. You need to come down off your high horse, or you may lose your friends or colleagues.

Dr. Emil Skoda (J.K. Simmons): Dr. Skoda represents the freeloader in you. You may be experiencing a deep seated need to mooch a free lunch from one of your clients, business contacts, friends, family - anybody as long as you don't have to pay.

M.E. Elizabeth Rogers (Leslie Hendrix): Try to wake up as quickly as possible. If you can’t, you’re dead.

Law & Order SVU

Det. Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni): If you dream Stabler is yelling at you, you are harboring inner anger. Something is bothering you and will soon boil to the surface if you don’t let it out. If Stabler is interrogating you, you’re stressed and feel like you are going to cave under the pressure. If you are a woman and dream you see Stabler’s tattoo, it means he probably has his shirt off so try not to wake up right away.

Det. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay): If you’re a woman, your biological clock is ticking. If you’re a man, you want to father some children. If you’re a man and dream of Olivia in the shower, try not to wake up right away, this could be your only chance. If you’re a woman dreaming the same thing, you could be wishing you were a lesbian (also see Serena Southerlyn). If you dream of Olivia and Serena together in the shower, try to remember what you dream and write it down - it could make some good fan fic.

Det. John Munch (Richard Belzer): Someone IS plotting a conspiracy against you. Be wary.

Det. Fin Tutuola (Ice-T): You are feeling left out and ignored. You’re not getting the attention you used to get.

Det. Chester Lake (Adam Beach): Chester represents boredom. Nothing will happen in this dream so you might as well wake up.

ADA Alex Cabot (Stephanie March): You feel like you need protection. Witness protection. What on earth did you get involved in?

ADA Casey Novak (Diane Neal): Casey represents jello. I am not sure what that means in your life, but she just jiggles a lot.

Dr. George Huang (B.D. Wong): You are over-analyzing your life. Nothing is as complicated as it seems.

Dr. Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie): See M.E. Elizabeth Rogers. The same thing applies here.


Law & Order Criminal Intent

Det. Robert “Bobby” Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio): Goren dreams are very hard to explain because Goren has so many layers. A Goren dream may mean that you are troubled by something but you're not quite sure what it is. If you dream of Goren interrogating you, wake up because the outcome will not be pretty. Dreaming of Goren with his shirt off could either be a dream come true for some, or a nightmare for others. Either way, exercise extreme caution with Goren dreams because he is a little unstable and he could turn on you any moment.

Det. Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe): Eames represents a “take charge” mindset. When you dream of Eames, it could mean you need to take charge of your life, or your job, or your relationship. Be the boss and don’t let anyone give you any grief.

Captain James Deakins (Jamey Sheridan): You feel like you need to make a major case out of everything.

ADA Ron Carver (Courtney B. Vance): You’re frustrated because you really really really want to be able to show your talents, but nobody gives you the chance to do so.

Det. Lynn Bishop (Samantha Buck): Bishop represents a blank slate. She represents nothing, so if she shows up in your dreams, don’t worry, it’s meaningless.

Det. Caroyln Barek (Annabella Sciorra): She represents something in your life that just doesn’t fit. When you find out what it is, get rid of it and find a more fitting replacement, if necessary.

Det. Megan Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson): You think people see you as innocent or naĂŻve, but you know better. It may be time to show off a little.

Det. Nola Falacci (Alicia Witt): Your friends, family, or coworkers find you annoying. You may not realize it but seeing Falacci in your dream is a sure sign that you need to improve.

Captain Danny Ross (Eric Bogosian): You secretly desire to get a super curly permanent for your hair. That applies if you are a man OR a woman. If you are bald, you're on your own.


Other

The “Doink Doink” – It’s your alarm. WAKE UP!


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