Crap and Order

Now that Fred Thompson has abandoned fictional politics for his real world shenanigans, our hero Jack McCoy, played by Sam Waterson, finally holds the coveted position of DA on Law and Order: the Original. This should be a triumph after all he's endured. Unfortunately, McCoy's promotion is just another gratuitous nail in the coffin of one of the greatest series ever. Would they just cut to the burial, already?

Over the years, a parade of increasingly unremarkable - and occasionally ridiculous - ADAs have maintained doe-eyed confidence in the face of McCoy’s seasoned skepticism. But the show still challenged the methods and motivations of the American legal system, most frequently through the ethics-driven McCoy reporting to a (usually well-acted) constituency-beholden DA.

But with Waterson playing his own foil, the series can no longer hold. McCoy's replacement is indistinguishable from the guest stars, and the Assistant is yet another fresh faced optimist who thinks she knows the system but will inevitably become jaded through the ugliness that is public prosecution.

This is not necessarily the fault of the actors. In fact, the L&O franchise seems to employ the best in the biz (save couple of unfortunate ADAs). The fundamental problem here is the writing, which used to be cutting edge. Average cases challenged viewers' long-held attitudes about issues as polarizing as abortion and as emotional as parental rights. The famous "twists" used to indicate a shift in responsibility for what appeared to be a straightforward crime, opening a dialogue about the Constitution and human rights, market forces and free will, corporate and violent crime . Now it's just another sensational drama, and the twists are plot based with no substantive moral.

Further, it used to be equal parts law and order. Now it’s far more about the police who investigate crime than the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. In other words, it’s just another detective show, a common whodunit.

The verdict: I watched last night's show, and I don't even remember it. Something about a "gay gene?" I didn’t think twice about the issue. Blah.