Yes, really. And I can imagine you might be a little skeptical, but if you read on, you’ll see that I started out that way, too.
The problem with “Law & Order” being in eternal re-runs over on TNT is that you’ve still got people out there who think Lenny Briscoe is still alive, well, and walking the beat. He’s not, of course, and the show’s managed to go on without him, but it has to be said that the death of the great Jerry Orbach really sucked a lot of the spirit out of the show; the attempt to fill his substantial void with Dennis Farina was well-intentioned, but Farina never really meshed with Jesse L. Martin (a.k.a. Detective Ed Green), and when he departed after two seasons, his replacement – Nina Cassady (Milena Govich) – worked out even less successfully. And, look, I’m a huge “L&O” fan from way back, but I gotta be honest with you: I haven’t really watched the show regularly since early 2005, back when Michael Imperioli did a four-episode stint alongside Farina while Martin took a break to film “Rent.” In fact, I’m pretty sure that the only new episode of the show I’ve seen since then was the one when Chevy Chase guest-starred as an anti-Semitic actor who bore an in-no-way-coincidental similarity to one M. Gibson.
It may sound like I’m damning the series with faint praise, then, when I say that the new season of “Law & Order” is shaping up to be the best since Orbach’s death, but believe me when I tell you that if you’ve been a longtime fan of the show but haven’t been watching it lately, now’s the time to come back.
Green’s got himself a new partner: Cyrus Lupo, played by Jeremy Sisto. The two of them have an instant chemistry that harks back to the classic “L&O” era when Briscoe and Mike Logan (Chris Noth) first got teamed up together. Lupo’s coming off a stint as an investigator of terrorist groups, so he’s used to being able to work a little outside the lines with his actions, but while Green’s not incapable of looking the other way when he thinks it might help a case, he’s not a guy who actively flirts with insubordination. they don’t necessarily mesh 100%, but it’s clear that they’re both good cops at heart, and each just needs to get the feel for what the other’s capable of. Sisto’s smart-ass one-liners are straight from the Briscoe playbook, and, man, it’s good to see a return to that laugh-to-keep-from-crying dialogue again.
Over on the “Law” side of things, there’s also been a bit of transition, thanks to the departure of Fred Thompson from the cast in order to pursue a run for the Presidency; as a result, Thompson’s character – Arthur Branch – has stepped down from his position as D.A., and now filling those lofty shoes is our man Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). I think I speak for most longtime “L&O” fans when I say that it’s about damned time. Not everyone would agree with us, however, including those in the government who view McCoy as a tree-hugging hippie liberal, thanks to his various controversial positions over the years.
Replacing McCoy as Executive Asst. D.A. is Michael Cutter (Linus Roache), who’s never had any real dealings with Jack and, as he quickly discovers, doesn’t really get along with him. The relationship between Cutter and McCoy is at best tense and at worst downright hostile, which makes for a different and unique dynamic.
NBC’s going all out to make sure people know how great this new season is, sending out no less than the first five episodes for critics to screen. It’s a savvy move, actually, since any “L&O” fan worth their salt is gonna get sucked into a marathon before they know what’s happened to them…and, yes, that’s exactly what happened to me. The show’s even been rescued from its Friday night death sentence and been returned to a plum 10 PM timeslot on Wednesday nights, which means that it might well be rediscovered by those fans who had better things to do on the first night of their weekend than sit home and watch TV.
I say it again: “Law & Order” is back. Go forth and set your TiVo right this second, lest you miss out.
