I saw tonight's season opener...what a great episode...Good writing and acting...best of the 3 Law & Order openers...I think NBC needs to advertise how good the show is and let people know a bit about each episode's plot. We need to drum up some viewers and tell them how good the show is.

I can't believe how clever the writers are in coming up with this episode about celebrity and paparazzi. It really is the best written show on TV bar none.....Get more good actors to come and act in each episode...;I would love to see some one like Holly Hunter, Dylan McDermot, Bonnie Bedelia, Carol Kane etc..

Law & Order used to be a great show that was written really well. Now it feels like it's being written by hacks. Bring back the old writers!!!
Last night's show was dreadful. Almost to the point of embarrasing.

I'd be more persuaded by your argument if you gave me examples rather than opinions, what exactly about last nights show did you find to be so dreadful?

Admittedly they had to introduce two new characters and do a ripped from the headline story, something I'm getting very tired of, but they did introduce some interesting ideas to carry forward for the season.

The premise of the show, is to take crimes from the news, and twist them into a tv show. No one has ever lied about that-Wolf is very upfront, that that is how the writers get their story ideas. Its the formula of the show.

And, yeah, I agree, if someone thinks the show was bad, please give examples.

Law & Order has always been about "ripped from the headlines" stories and I have no problem with that. The stories would be familiar and we would think we knew where they were going to go and then the story would take an unexpected turn. It would deal with issues that, on its best days were smart and made you think, and on its worst days took you on a fun ride. The last episode was neither smart nor fun.

Taking three real life stories, (the Sopranos kid who shot the cop, Britney, and Kate Moss), stringing them together, made for an episode that didn't address any relevant issues and was about despicable people. When we learn the K-Fed character hired the photographer (the "big" reveal), I wasn't invested in the people or what was going on enough to care.

Mr. Wolf promised more character this year so I'm guessing that the story about Sam's daughter was part of that. It didn't feel relevant to this story and didn't really give us anything of substance.

The new female detective could not have been less believable. And some of her lines made me cringe.

I guess my issues with the episode were that it lacked the well-crafted, smart, thought-provoking qualities that I look for in Law & Order.

I agree and the new actors are terrible!!!

I agreeeeeeeee whole heartedly! Bring back the old writers, or hire me. I'm really good.

I wonder if any else recalls the episode in which a methadone-user died due to a deadly mixture of prescription drugs. As you know this is a common theme in L&O. In this particular episode the doctor was accused of criminally negligent homocide. I may be imagining all this, but today the toxicology report of the death of Daniel Smith (son of Anna Nicole) said he died of a mixture of methadone with Lexapril and another antidepressent. I would appreciate anyone who can verify this memory.

I could not agree with you more. Most of my female coworkers and I watched the show and we were so... so desapointed. We rather watch the reruns at TNT. We loved to watch the show on Wed. What is going on? Your choice of new cast members is dreadful too............

Last night I heard a further report that the methadone had not been prescribed, if this is true no doctor is responsible. I have heard that methadone can be found on the street. In fact I think I heard it on another L&O episode.

I know people who've been prescribed methadone for severe pain. This is a very helpful drug, for more than treating addictions.

or my fav tom selleck


TOTALLY agree on l&o shows being best crime shows, their brilliance is in the simplicity and realism

I think Tom Selleck is very under rated. I'd love to see him as the criminal of the week-someone REALLY nasty!

Still the best...S.Epatha....Det. Greene...miss Farino though..i thought he was good......

I like all the Law and Orders expect for CI

I just wanted to say first I love this message board. I come on every day and read what is going on.
What is everyone's favorite character on the show?

No brainer there. Its Jack.

I take it from reading these posts I am not the only one surprisingly disappointed in the new season. The new characters are horrendously terrible (I need to find a thesaurus to find some words that mean worse than horrendously terrible), especially the detective (and what in the **** is with that wardrobe). What happened to story driven episodes with GOOD actors and GOOD writing? You can find T&A all over the tube. That's not what gave L&O it's audience. This is not the quality we have come to expect form this show.

I'll give it a few more episodes. I love Sam Waterston, Epatha Merkerson and Jesse Martin but even they can't carry the show the way it is now. I hope it gets better. (Can the beauty queen get a job on The View and get us a better replacement for Farina?) If it doesn't I can always watch Numb3rs.

Thank God for TNT reruns.

who says having "pretty" cast members suddenly makes it a poorly written show? and why it only the "pretty" females getting bashed jesse l. martin added sex appeal when he started

btw: i haven't seen either of these actresses show any "t&a" yet

I agree. TNT reruns rock!

What I think really sucks about the show is that NBC moved it to the "Death Slot", aka 10 pm on Friday. Who WATCHES anything on 10pm on Friday? I'm better off downloading it and watching it.

As for the new cast, don't you remember when Serena was added? Rohm wasn't exactly the best actress in the world when she started but now she's pretty good. I think we need to give the show a year, just to see how much the actresses and characters grow. Things change and L&O is trying to pull in the younger audiences (which go to SVU for Stabler and Benson *shudders*). I don't blame DW for making the changes he has. I think we should all give it some time ya know?

As long as they don't get rid of McCoy, I think the show is all good.

Have faith and a little patience with the writers. It must be difficult trying to work in a new character on short notice. I agree Ms. Govich doesn't seem quite up to par with the other actors, but there may be a way to work that into the story line. I know I was very disappointed with the first episode of CI this season, but the writers have really brought the quality back. I haven't been disappointed with L&O writing so far. The only thing I find uncharacteristic is Ms. Govich's attire. But there may be some design in that as well. The more I think about it, the more I would like to see a female street detective on L&O. And I liked the new ADA, I just tire of the seemingly endless parade of pretty girls assisting McCoy. (Or is it I still miss Jill Hennessy?) I suppose the producers have to find a way to appeal to a younger audience. And it could be interesting to see how a rookie detective evolves into the environment. It could be a whole new subplot the show hasn't really explored yet.

I agree and agree again, I watch the first show of the season and was very disappointed. The new partner to Green is not the right actress for this part. Law and Order producers took a wrong turn that will most likely have them not coming back unless changes for the better happens. Friday is not a good time-slot anyway for such a show but than again, I am no longer a loyal viewer of this show. The format is all wrong and the attire for the new actress sucks, show some professionalism cover the clevage.[size=4][font=Comic Sans Ms]

Hello

Female detective is fine but her charcter needs to change and so does the attire. This is my first time in years that I have been disappointed with this show. In my opinion delete the female detective and bring in another male that is worthy of playing this character. Appealing to the younger generation can lead to cancelation the show was fine the way it was, now it is not. No longer a loyal viewer watch the reruns on TNT and that is good L & O

ive been a fan of this show for almost 10 years and i dont know if im disappointed in the new season. what i am disappointed about is the fact that they have new characters on the show. its definitely not the same. i actually miss dennis farina (?) and im not sure about the new detective!

cassidy's chest certainly counts for the "t" part that girl is going to have pneumonia by the 7th episode
in all the years jesse martin has been on, i have not seen any where near that much of his chest jesse martin may add sex appeal but much more important is that he can ACT he is believable as the character he plays

"pretty" is not the problem for the actress playing cassidy whether she is pretty or not is besides the point lack of acting ability is she is not in any way shape or form believable i want to be seduced into this world of law and order and be transported there but when she comes on screen the illusion is shattered

poor writing is not the cassidy actress's fault that one is on the writers the whole plot of how she ended up in homicide doesn't hold water and some of the lines in the episodes sound so corny it is laughable

Jesse & Epatha

her clothes aren't any more revealing than any other female on any l&o or any other t.v. show

and people getting promoted into jobs they might deserve happens everyday

i think they're doing a good job, just because it's different doesn't make it bad

No brainer. Jack, Borgia, and Serena.

CURRENTLY? JACK
ALL TIME? LENNIE

Hey elliotfan, was your caps lock accidentally on?

Jack McCoy rocks. The only characters I didn't care for were Carey Lowell's (self-centered and uppity) and Annie Parisse's. I still picture her as the hooker on a prior L&O episode.

I was a big Lennie fan....then I got really interested in Fontana...but now that he's gone my favorite regular would have to be Lt. Van Buren...I like them all really...One of my favorite recurring characters is the defense attorney Dworkin...I think he's played by Peter Jacobson...I could be wrong...he's the deceptively talented attorney that always presents a challenge to McCoy...he's been on 3 or 4 times....when he's on the interaction between he and McCoy is great..

I also enjoy the forum...and the discussions...it's a great way to interact with other fans of the show.

Lenny--without a doubt. I still love to watch him on the reruns.

That sounds good in theory, but in the meantime, while she comes "up to par with the other actors," viewers are leaving. I can't believe I just said that--I've watched L&O since it first began, and I have finally deleted it from my list on my DVR. I simply couldn't stand it last week when they gave Govich the opening wisecrack (that always belonged to Lenny), and expected her to deliver it convincingly--that was it. I turned it off, and I'll just be content watching reruns from now on.

Watch it tonight and see what you think.....I know I'm going to give it a chance. If you've watched from the beginning you know the show has hit low spots in the past. I've lost interest a few times over the years and then end up regretting it when I catch a rerun I haven't seen.

In household discussion here we think the new girl is going to get killed off. She's hot to make her mark in homicide and doesn't respect Van Buren's direction. She's going to do something stupid and get herself or somebody else hurt which will mean her demise.

...we can hope...

I am so glad I am not the only loyal L&O watcher (have been since the beginning) who is VERY disappointed with the new season. The reasons? I thought it was Det Green's new partner because of last week's show -what a pain in the *** she is - but no, compaired to watching tonight she's actually OK compaired to the new ADA. I thought any minute now she is going to start stomping her feet & throw herself on the floor & start kicking and screaming like a 2 year old if things didn't go her way and then my favorite TV character of all time (Jack McCoy) doesn't unload on her no no he just smiles and chuckles indulgently. How out of character can you get? The new time slot sucks but I guess that's OK cause if things don't change I'm not going to be watching any more anyway. Like floridaRN says thank God for TNT

My jaw hit the floor when the new ADA told Jack she wasn't interested in war stories when he was about to give an anecdote. OMG the nerve of that woman! The look on his face was priceless.
But what wasn't funny was the way she was acting in the presence of the judge. Not cool and she was lucky that they happened to discover that the judge had a conflict of interest. She should have been reprimanded.

I thought the new beauty queen detective looked uglier in this episode so that was a good thing. Seriously though she needs to not dress up for this job and her top was a little better and she tied her hair back and wasn't wearing jewelry or a lot of stand out make up. I thought she looked more realistic in this episode.

Is it me or is the show slipping into the bad 70's and 80's cop shows track (you know the ones, Vegas, TJ Hooker, Charlie's Angel's etc)? The writing is so corny it is painful to watch at times. The new actresses....... arrrgh!!!!!!

Surely there are a couple of attractive young actresses in NY who can stay in a scene with Sam Waterston & Jesse Martin and not look like they took acting lessons from Ed Wood. (The scenes with the detectives seems to be about the best angle to shoot Ms. Govitch's boobs - does Dick Wolf hope it will keep the men in the audience from noticing she can't act??)

Watch a few reruns on TNT as see what I mean. The gritty NY, the scripts that made you think, the acting that was way above the bar, the seamless way things fit together. Now it's forced, contrived.

I wasn't impressed with this episode. Cassady's attire seemed a little more professional but her acting just doesn't come across as believable. When she made that move to get in the suspect's face I laughed out loud, and again when he cowered away from her. She got more screen time than Green or Van Buren and that disappoimted me as well.( I would really like to see more from Van Buren. Merkerson is such a good actress.)

I thought the new ADA seemed a little over the top as well. The interaction between her, McCoy and the judge had potential but Del La Garza overacted. She's much better than that. I've seen her in other shows and she seemed to be alot smoother, more comfortable in the roles. Maybe the producers a trying to work in the new blood too fast....both of them seemed to just slow this episode to a yawn.

Am I whining now? I guess I should stop. But I'll be tuning in next week. Richard Brooks as Paul Robinette will be guest starring again. It could be interesting.

For this I stayed up till eleven last night?

Oy! It couldn't have been worse: here was a ripped-from-the-headlines story with actual raw meat on the bones, and all we got was kibble. The true story involved an eccentric doctor with a family history going back to Romanian wars of the 80s. The whole family were refugees who lost everything, so there was a concrete value on the actual townhouse based on strong emotional ties to their wretched experiences in the old country. True enough, the culmination of all their heartache was the whopper of all divorce cases from ****, and yes, the ex-husband did everything he could to keep the townhouse out of his ex-wife's hands, right up to blowing it up. This episode could have been a richly woven tapestry of emotion and reality, which has for so long characterized the Law and Order stories. For those who want to see what this episode could have been, look in the NY Times or NY Magazine archives.

Don't let me even get started on Det. Cassidy, but if she's still there by November Sweeps, I'd have to bet we'll be saying goodbye to Law and Order by Spring.

I've watched the show since the first year it was on. I was ticked when they broke up Logan and Briscoe. I thought they had the best repoire ever.

I like the arritude of the new ADA. I'm afraid that they're going to wite in a romance with her and Jack though. I don't want that, unless they're going to keep it absolutely subtle, like Jack and Claire, or Rohm's character being gay.

I don't like the new detective. If she was young and inexperienced, it might be enjoyable watching her stumble and screw up. Maybe added a little comedy into the script.

I don't get that from her though. As it is, she seems like an old pro in a young body, and it just doesn't add anything.

Actually, I wish at least one of the new female leads was not a beauty queen. It might have been enjoyable to see somebody sort of like the young lawyer who had her first day in court last night. Her, I could relate to.

I think people are way to hard on the new detective. Being pretty is an asset not a liability as far as I'm concerned and not only does she look good she acts very well.

Whats with the whining about the gal's hair, it is possible to be a cop and be sexy. Get over it!

I like the new team and look forward to next weeks episode!

Nobody does it better... than Jerry. No one will ever be able to replace him. And as far as the female isnt she from convictions? She has got to go so does Jacks asst. My fav was clare. I guess I am just old school. I will stay with law untill Sam leaves. ( i think he is kida hot in his own way love the bike)

I also will stay with L&O until Sam leaves. I am disappointed in the new season. The new detective is so unbelievable. It makes me laugh. The performance seems forced, acting is not so good. Not so sure about Jack's new assistant. I didn't get the sense they would have a romance. I got the sense he would get more annoyed at her inexperience. His past assistants, with the exception of last season, appeared more polished, educated and articulate. I don't feel like the new characters blend into the show. It was hard to watch Dennis Farina replace Jerry Orbach but at least Dennis can act and his character blended in with the show. I also don't like the new time slot. I hope the creators/network aren't preparing for this to be the last season. It is too good a show to write off. Another thing, subtle backstories are okay, a mention here and there but not too much. The show is about the investigation and then the trial. It is not a soap opera.

I agree 100% - Last night's show was the first I saw this season, and it was dreadful. Det. Cassidy is a cut-out, not a character. Also, the previous detective pairs always had wit and repartee going between them, which made the show smart and cool. How can Det. Green banter with a non-character? And for some reason, they have made the new DA a humorless b****. These two new characters are going to be very easy to loathe and are going to make some of us wish that Serena would come back.

Absolutely agree with this. Part of the fun of watching the reruns is picking up the subtle bits and pieces of the backstories. I don't want L&O to turn into ER, where the backstories became the stories.

I still think Jack was amused, not annoyed, at his new assistant's cocky attitude. And we know he has a history of romance with his ADAs.

Maybe amused is a better word overall but there was one thing, I don't recall exactly what it was, in last Friday's episode where he seemed very annoyed that the new assistant did not do a thorough job. I hope they do not have a romance. Let's get on with the investigation and trial. I don't understand why the powers that be would mess with a great show. It has worked for so many years because of the formula. Don't fix what isn't broken.

I like Serena. At least she had class, intelligence and presented as professional. I agree with the wit and repartee. Ed Green needs an adult with years of experience to back up the dark humour that goes with the job and dealing with the subjects they address on the job. How on earth did this women get on the homicide team? She is way too young to have enough experience to get that assignment. If I was Ed Green I would be watching my back, she presents as way to immature and inexperienced to be watching Ed's back. Who wants a partner like that. I couldn't believe when she made an obscene gesture on the actress/rap episode. Can't even take someone making a sexual remark toward her. Maybe she should wear clothing that isn't so revealing and tie her hair back. I would think she would be concerned with the safety risk of swinging her long hair around. Convenient for a perp to grab.

I've been watching L&O (reruns and all) for several years. I miss Jerry Orbach so much that I could cray after each episode. Especially since they've brought on some new people. Not crazy about the new ADA...Elizabeth Rohm was no prize but I lived through her. The one from last year was good but there was no chemistry on screen (not romantic just natural acting chemistry). I know where they dug up the new detective...saw her last year on the Conviction series, She worked well there but can't see her as a cop...more of a suit than cop-type. The storylines are still good and, of course, so is Sam Waterson, Fred Dalton Thompson, Ephrata Merkeson, and the other detective (having a senior moment right now and can't remember his name). Maybe they can carry the entire show.

Atlas would have a hard time carrying this show with the two new actresses.