Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - 'Law & Order' faithful are getting edgy

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Brooks Peterson

Monday, October 22, 2001
'Law & Order' faithful are getting edgy

Being a mild-mannered sort, the last thing I want to do in this space is set off some kind of brawl. However, I've thought and thought about this, and have reluctantly come to the conclusion that maybe it's time to get you - some of you, at any rate - involved in the issue.
   What issue? This issue: Is it possible to have too much Law & Order?
   Understand, please: I'm just as favorably disposed to safe streets and domestic calm and locking up no-goods and miscreants as the next fellow. The Law & Order to which I refer is the kind that's accompanied by quotation marks, as in "Law & Order" - the TV series.
   Conscientious readers may recall that I am something of a fan of "Law & Order," which has been gracing our Magnavox for years now. No, hold it a minute: "something of a fan" doesn't quite do the job. Not only do I catch the "L&O" broadcasts on NBC every Wednesday; as often as not, I'll switch over to A&E at 10 p.m. and catch "L&O" re-runs. If there's an "L&O" episode I haven't seen at least a half dozen times . . .
   Now, I know what you're thinking to yourself. You're thinking: This is some kind of seriously wigged-out character. This is an individual who needs a hobby.
   I object, your honor: If this be a mania, it is a mania for well-conceived, intelligently-crafted entertainment that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence; that can examine major social and legal issues without going all preachy on you.
   Nor does it hurt that David Spade, to my knowledge, has never appeared on "L&O."
   However, it begins to seem possible that "Law & Order" may be undone by its success. Having seriously caught on with a mass viewership in the last few years, L&O is now, how you say, ubiquitous. Not only does it pop up on NBC and A&E; I've also caught it on USA and (I think) TNT. No longer can the "L&O" faithful congratulate themselves on being members of a small, semi-elite club. The word is out, from the mean streets of Gotham to the 'burbs of Corpitos: "Law & Order" rocks.
   Alas, monster ratings come at a price. In this case, it's the equivalent of what the military establishment calls "mission creep." You start off producing a smart, serious (but not grim) TV series; you keep the quality high through the years; you develop credible characters, and then, as Chef Emeril would say . . . BAM! Success!
   Spinoffs were inevitable, and sure enough, here came "Law & Order: SVU" trundling down the ramp, primed and ready to appease the masses' "L&O"_lust.
   Coming to terms with 'SVU'
   Initially, I found "SVU" resistible: not because it wasn't "L&O," but because it was . . . well . . . creepy. Now, granted, a series that centers on a unit whose chief mission is to rein in sexual predators is going to have its stomach-churning mo-ments. But in the early going, the producers laid on the weirdness on with an over-generous hand.
   Never mind: After a time, the plot lines seemed to simmer down a little, and we could once again revel in "L&O's" stock in trade: smart scripts, good acting - and, mirabile dictu! - a degree of respect for the audience.
   Now, however, we face "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and, much as it pains me to say it, I tremble for the future.
   Now, granted, Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays the hotshot detective, is no doubt a fine actor - but somebody needs to get a handle on this video cop. His gift, we are led to believe, is to get inside the perp's head. He does, I suppose - but, thanks to his overbearing persona and his know-it-all pretensions, you almost find yourself rooting for the bad guys.
   For the record, he does have a female-detective sidekick - but her function seems to be primarily ornamental, since she scarcely ever gets a word in edgewise.
   This is "Law & Order?" I think not. Lennie Briscoe needs to take this clown out behind the precinct and administer some reality therapy. The "L&O" faithful will accommodate to change, but our patience has its limits.




Brooks Peterson can be reached by phone at 886-3772, or by e-mail at petersonb@caller.com

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