Season One: Law & Order Goes Cerebral

[GHScorpiosRule]

Admittedly, I didn't watch this, or rather, get into this show at first. It was too...cerebral, and I was still bitter and raging over the Rohmbot taking over on the mothership, and well, I was crazy happy to have Cragen back on my screen in SVU (and that show was very good for the first six seasons).

 

But then I took another chance, and who knew that this franchise could suck me in with the brilliance that was Goren along with a perfect partner, Alexandra Eames with her sarcastic, snarky wit? Combine that with a great supporting and yummy looking Captain Deakins, played by the yummy Jamey Sheridan, and L&O alumni, Courtney B. Vance as D.A. Carter and his deliberate and still waters run deep persona, win-win!

[WendyCR72]

And so it began! With Captain Deakins and ADA Ron Carver, too!

[GHScorpiosRule]

No! No! I like mine better! And I did it foirst, so Bizz will have to flip and decide which one is better!

 

PLTPHPPPPPPPPPPHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WendyCR72]

Whine, whine, whine!  :P

 

Whatever works! I'm flexible.  :-)

[BizBuzz]

Oh GH, I am so sorry, I do like yours, but Wendy captured it. I am merging and going with Wendy.  ::giggle::

[WendyCR72]

Oops, merged the wrong title, BizBuzz. Oh, well, it's shorter. LOL! (unless you want me to redo it. LOL!)

[BizBuzz]

Did I mix them up?  I liked the goes cerebral thing, whose was that?

[WendyCR72]

Ah, okay! That was GHScorpioRules who did that. So you chose right then! (Got it backwards in terms of who posted, no worries!)

[GHScorpiosRule]

Did I mix them up?  I liked the goes cerebral thing, whose was that?

That was moi! Hee!

[BizBuzz]

Sorry Wendy :-(

 

I did like the Goes Cerebral thing.  My apologies for mixing you two up. 

 

You two are doing a great job!

[WendyCR72]

No need for apologies, BizBuzz! GHScorpiosRule did fine. I just didn't want to give her a big head!  :P

[BizBuzz]

Hey there all L&O:CI fans, this is your spot to talk about the specific episodes found in Season One, they include:

 

1 One 2001-09-30
2 Art 2001-10-07
3 Smothered 2001-10-14
4 The Faithful 2001-10-17
5 Jones 2001-10-21
6 The Extra Man 2001-10-28
7 Poison 2001-11-11
8 The Pardoner's Tale 2001-11-18
9 The Good Doctor 2001-11-25
10 Enemy Within 2001-12-09
11 The Third Horseman 2002-01-06
12 Crazy 2002-01-13
13 The Insider 2002-01-27
14 Homo Homini Lupus 2002-03-03
15 Semi-Professional 2002-03-10
16 Phantom 2002-03-17
17 Seizure 2002-03-31
18 Yesterday 2002-04-14
19 Maledictus 2002-04-21
20 Badge 2002-04-28
21 Faith 2002-04-28
22 Tuxedo Hill 2002-05-10

[FormerMod-a1]

This show hooked me from the beginning.  I find it hard to believe, but VDO was a "Hey, it's that guy!" for me when I saw him here.  Then when I realized everywhere I had seen him, I was ashamed of myself.  ;-)  I *love* him in this role, especially in the early seasons.  Season 1, hooked me good. And I loved Eames right away, too.  I loved the twist on the police procedural, the "Why"-done-it, rather than Who-done-it.  Not that figuring out the who wasn't part of the mystery too.  I think I can rewatch every single one of these episodes and still enjoy it.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

This show hooked me from the beginning.  I find it hard to believe, but VDO was a "Hey, it's that guy!" for me when I saw him here.  Then when I realized everywhere I had seen him, I was ashamed of myself.  ;-)  I *love* him in this role, especially in the early seasons.  

Heh, me too! It took me awhile to remember that he was the guy from Full Metal Jacket that got the "Code Red" treatment...the farmer husband from Men in Black, who turned into that roach thingie, the man from Homicide: Life on the Streets that got pushed off the platform and stuck between two cars, knowing that there was no point to saving him, because he would die anyway, but that didn't stop them from trying, and, and, the guy who pushed him was a regular on this show as well...what the hell is his name again...something McAvitte or other.

[WendyCR72]

This show hooked me from the beginning.  I find it hard to believe, but VDO was a "Hey, it's that guy!" for me when I saw him here.  Then when I realized everywhere I had seen him, I was ashamed of myself.  ;-)  I *love* him in this role, especially in the early seasons.  Season 1, hooked me good. And I loved Eames right away, too.  I loved the twist on the police procedural, the "Why"-done-it, rather than Who-done-it.

 

Yes, aquarian1! "Why Done It" is the best way to describe this show, and I loved how the psychological theme was so integral, even down to Bobby's personal life with his mother's illness. And Eames rocks, too. She really was Bobby's anchor when he would go all squirelly or tangential, and they clicked.

[WendyCR72]

Been watching some S1 episodes on DVD (and they come back to Ion's marathon a week from Saturday - yay!), and I'm shallow, but damn did Early Bobby rock a suit. And could even have a little fun now and then.

 

Loved how he got to the suspect in "Jones" by using (the lack of) his size, in his hands, feet, and...elsewhere...regarding his feeling inadequate and going after small women to feel better about himself, and laughing it up, while pointing out his own size 13 shoe. Classic.

 

That Bobby Goren was a total cerebral bad ass.  :-)

[GHScorpiosRule]

Thoroughly enjoying watching this season again and how is it that I missed the little tag in the beginning that stated that "Smothered"  was inspired by real life events...you know like "Indifference" and others that stated that the story was inspired by real life events.

 

Anyone here know which real life story this was from? The victim was a former junkie who was murdered by her fiancé's hubby, because the mother, played by Kathleen Chalfant found  out the victim was pregnant. Her son was a junkie. Played by an actor who has appeared on all three iterations of the Law & Order Franchise.  It also starred Susan Misner, who also would appear in Season Five's "Acts of Contrition." She was really very good.

 

And as an aside, for someone who was really very good here and in "Contrition", her character in "Family Values" was so muted, and everything else I've seen her in since "Contrition"? You wouldn't know what a really good actress she really is. If I'm not mistaken Misner also appeared in the later years on the mothership as a CEO or something or other and again, very muted. Not to totally hijack the thread, but her appearances on Person of Interest and most recently The Americans don't really show how good she really is. Which is a shame.

 

So, who can fill me in?

 

But damn was Mama stone cold. But our Bobby and Alex got her but good!

[WendyCR72]

Not sure what case "Smothered" was based on. But I noticed that "Inspired by true events" was on many of the early episodes (later changed to NOT being based on any given event or whatever). So Season 1 seemed to draw more on headlines, I'd gather, much like the Mothership seemed to.

Oh yeah, and I really liked it when the L&O worlds would mesh. I'd forgotten that Van Buren was in "Badge", so it was cool to see her with Goren and Eames.

 

This probably belongs in the S5 thread, but wasn't there a rumor that she was supposed to reappear in S5 in "To The Bone" as a friend of Whoopi Goldberg's creepy foster mom, but S. Epatha Merkerson didn't like the writing for Van Buren here and was written out?

Edited May 13, 2014 by WendyR72

[GHScorpiosRule]

Not sure what case "Smothered" was based on. But I noticed that "Inspired by true events" was on many of the early episodes (later changed to NOT being based on any given event or whatever). So Season 1 seemed to draw more on headlines, I'd gather, much like the Mothership seemed to.

Really? I just noticed that all of them had the disclaimer that this was a work of fiction and any resemblance to real persons was a coinkidink, blah, blah, blah.

 

I'd just assumed that all three iterations were a ripped from the headlines thing. Or maybe, it was just the mothership's thang and SVU and CI just used it sporadically.

 

Bobby really laughed a lot more in the premiere season, I must admit.

Edited May 13, 2014 by GHScorpiosRule

[WendyCR72]

Not only did Bobby laugh more early on, he seemed much more savvy and together, and could even match Eames with sarcastic quips and jokes.

 

Like in "Phantom", the cop mentioned giving the case to Major Case as they investigated a former case the victim was a part of, so it was easier, and Bobby quipped, "That's what I live for, (Whatever his name was). To make your life easier."

Edited May 13, 2014 by WendyR72

[GHScorpiosRule]

Absolutely.

 

Watching "The Faithful" and this is when we see Bobby get all "crazeee" like the homeless dude, who is schizophrenic and I think it makes Carver thinks that Bobby is a wee bit Cuckoo himself. I think. It was just amazing how Bobby got into the dude's head, just so he could extract the information in the guy's head.

 

And some trivia...this one had Dana Reeve, who also appeared on the mothership. I don't think she ever appeared on SVU though.

 

Sorry if I'm rambling...I popped a Vicodin, since the side effects from the ear med has left me with a long standing never ending headache that is acting like a migraine...so, I'm a wee bit loopy rightabootnow...

Edited May 13, 2014 by GHScorpiosRule

[WendyCR72]

God, I hope that headache abates soon! Feel better!

 

And yes, I do remember Dana Reeve on L&O: CI. I thought she made the most of her small role. It's such a shame what happened to her and her husband in her personal life and that both died so young.

 

As for Carver, I recall him telling Goren at the end that if Goren ever went around him again, he'd have his badge. But frankly, I liked that Bobby was willing to protect DR's character here.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Thanks. Four more days of taking the ear drops, and I hope that should do it.

 

Was it in this one that Carver said that? Didn't he also say something similar in that David Marshall Grant episode, when he realized that Bobby had kept Carver out of the loop when they set Grant's character up?

 

Yeah, it was so tragic that Dana also passed soon after Christopher. And of lung cancer when she wasn't even a smoker!

[WendyCR72]

Yep, it was in "The Faithful" when Carver said it, right at the end. (Dana Reeve's character had slept with the priest, and the suspect was her kid with him whom she gave up, IIRC.)

 

I don't recall Carver saying it again in another episode, but he could have. I'll have to look up that episode with DMG and check. (Thanks to IMDB for episode titles!)

[WendyCR72]

Okay, I was wrong. It wasn't just the later seasons that got more violent. I'd forgotten the diamond thieves killing that college couple in that house in the pilot - and the thieves' "partner". Side note: So nice to have the "real" CI theme play again.

Edited May 18, 2014 by WendyR72

[WendyCR72]

So, I have been watching some S1 episodes. I noticed very early on that Eames barely hid her exasperation with Goren's methods (and could see the letter from S5 fitting in around here) and even Deakins replied to one of Bobby's hypotheses with, "The Magic Gut speaks!"

 

Still, though, I think one big difference here is despite their apprehension, I think both did respect Bobby, something he got precious little of later on. (On a purely shallow level, VDO was yummy in S1.) And I did like G/E evolving into a great team as the season progressed.

[GHScorpiosRule]

So, I have been watching some S1 episodes. I noticed very early on that Eames barely hid her exasperation with Goren's methods (and could see the letter from S5 fitting in around here) and even Deakins replied to one of Bobby's hypotheses with, "The Magic Gut speaks!"

 

 

Yep, and especially in "The Good Doctor" when Alex thinks the victim was probably murdered by a lover, her pusher (she was a junkie) and not her husband, the rich, if anal tightwad, surgeon. Because said surgeon didn't have a flight plan, so he couldn't have done it. This is the one with that awesome Robert Knepper, and the first case that we saw the Order of, where Carver was on fiayah!

 

And Deakins said that he had "to go with Bobby on this one."  You could see the look of frustration on Alex's face. And sadly, Bobby was right. It was the doctor.

[WendyCR72]

Yep, I remember the episode well. Loved Carver asking that douchebag doc on the stand, "Do you find this amusing, doctor?" And then Carver (how ironic his last name is here!) going to town about how to cut, etc. Great episode all around.

[WendyCR72]

Just an aside, even in his "don't give a shit" later seasons fashion-wise, at least Bobby did the jacket bit if no tie. But I really thought Bobby rocked the casual wear with the T-shirt and jeans in S1's "Smothered" (when he and Alex were looking for the rich junkie fiancé of the murdered pregnant woman while sitting in the park). It was such a rare thing, but it worked for him.

[WendyCR72]

Ion must not like the term "pissed his pants" - as that line was cut from the episode now airing, "Semi Professional", the part where Bobby was reading Judge Sabatelli's book to Sabatelli's lapdog, Arnie.

 

How stupid.

 

"Phantom" is next. Great episode.

[FormerMod-a1]

I am loving this Season 1 marathon.  And it ends today with Michael Emerson.  Who could ask for more?

[WendyCR72]

I LOVE S1, too, aquarian1. Doesn't hurt that VDO was very nice to look at then. :-)  But the early cases were very interesting, too. Of course, there is a break in the marathon for 2 hours of "The Listener" (which I don't watch), so I can get more crime fix from "48 hours" for an hour in the meantime. So, technically, it just breaks with Michael Emerson until midnight. Then there are three more episodes.  :-)

Edited May 25, 2014 by WendyR72

[WendyCR72]

One thing I did notice when watching S1 on Ion on Saturday: It seemed like not only did Deakins and Eames respect Bobby, but so did many of the background/one-off cops who would pop in and out.

 

Makes me all the more mystified as to why TIIC seemed to have everyone disparage Bobby in later seasons. The shift seemed to have no reason to it.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!

 

I needn't go into 'splanations as to what makes douches like Leight's mind work, do I? He probably thought it was good drrrraaaaaama, as if this show needed that element, which it didn't. It's also confusing as to why Mike got shat upon by the brass as well. And it's all Leight's fault.

[WendyCR72]

You're alive!  (Feel better!)

 

Yeah, "Leight" should be the standard answer to most of the shit that hit CI, Bobby, Mike, and even occasionally, Alex. But like aquarian1, I was loving watching S1 again. Seeing competent G/E with happier (and handsome) Bobby was a treat. And since it goes in order, it should start with "Badge" next week, so that's cool. Nice to start off with a bang, so to speak. Viola Davis was awesome.

 

As for Mike and Bobby...they should have tag teamed at Ross a time or two, too, since he was always a pompous douche (or so it seemed to me) to them, more often than not.

[GHScorpiosRule]

You're alive!  (Feel better!)

 

Yeah, "Leight" should be the standard answer to most of the shit that hit CI, Bobby, Mike, and even occasionally, Alex. But like aquarian1, I was loving watching S1 again. Seeing competent G/E with happier (and handsome) Bobby was a treat. And since it goes in order, it should start with "Badge" next week, so that's cool. Nice to start off with a bang, so to speak. Viola Davis was awesome.

 

As for Mike and Bobby...they should have tag teamed at Ross a time or two, too, since he was always a pompous douche (or so it seemed to me) to them, more often than not.

Preaching to the choir, there! You know I loathe and detest Ross, and no, him being killed doesn't change that .  He was more an aent for the brass than having his detectives' backs.

 

I have this show recording on all channels, heh, so I'm getting seasons 1 on ION, 4 on my local affiliate, six now I think on WGN, and I can't remember what season USA is airing!

 

But yes, I am loving rewatching season one, and how awesome it was, and how Deakins had Bobby and Alex's backs, and just how awesome Bobby is. Like in "Homo, Homo Hominus" when he's questioning the middle guy who hired Ritchie Coster's raping kidnapper, his lawyer is saying whatever info her client is offering is off the record and can't be used against him. Bobby looks over at her...pauses...and says "whatever" in that tone that is basically saying I don't give a fuck. Then back to Nick? I think his name was and asked for the details.

[WendyCR72]

Like in "Homo, Homo Hominus" when he's questioning the middle guy who hired Ritchie Coster's raping kidnapper, his lawyer is saying whatever info her client is offering is off the record and can't be used against him. Bobby looks over at her...pauses...and says "whatever" in that tone that is basically saying I don't give a fuck. Then back to Nick? I think his name was and asked for the details.

 

Yes! That was awesome, as was his "You raped her body, you raped her mind, you raped her inside out, but she [Maggie the victim] got you. She. Got. YOU." (When talking about the sketch of the rapist's tattoo.) That rocked.

Edited May 26, 2014 by WendyR72

[cooksdelight]

I don't recall Carver saying it again in another episode, but he could have. I'll have to look up that episode with DMG and check. (Thanks to IMDB for episode titles!)

He did again in the episode where this DA who's friends with Carver tried to frame his wife for murder. The wife was a much more successful attorney, who'd beat her husband in a high profile case. I don't remember episode titles, forgive me! :) Goren literally threw the book at the guy, reminding him that the case he lost to his wife would be forever there for people to read all about it. Carver was PISSED at Goren for keeping him out of the loop on that one.

Edited May 29, 2014 by cooksdelight

[WendyCR72]

He did again in the episode where this DA who's friends with Carver tried to frame his wife for murder. The wife was a much more successful attorney, who'd beat her husband in a high profile case. I don't remember episode titles, forgive me! :) Goren literally threw the book at the guy, reminding him that the case he lost to his wife would be forever there for people to read all about it. Carver was PISSED at Goren for keeping him out of the loop on that one.

 

This episode was on during Saturday's marathon. And the threat seemed much more implied here: "I'll be getting back to YOU, Detective." But Alex told Goren that Carver would get over it. The first threat was more direct.

 

All that said, I think Bobby was right. I mean, Carver was friends/friendly with this guy, as we saw Carver eating with the suspect early in the episode. I can see wanting to get everything sorted with it locked up first. Not disparaging Carver here, but I think it could be argued that he had a possible conflict of interest.

 

As it was, in real life, he probably would not have been 100 yards of prosecuting the guy's wife, either. He'd likely be asked to recuse himself in the interest of objectivity and fairness.

[Spartan Girl]

"Crazy" always makes me angry for the reason that the ex-wife who set the whole thing in motion by LYING about her daughter being molested by the murder victim and continuing to lie about when the police questioned her never answers for her crime.  I wish we could have had one scene about her son finding out about it and lashing out at her for it.

[cooksdelight]

I was watching an old 20/20 episode about a young boy who was terminally ill, and a book was written about him, but no one had ever met him. Just talked to him on the phone. It reminded me of "Faith" with Polly Draper.

Sure enough, this episode was based on the case profiled.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Godby_Johnson

[Maherjunkie]

"Best Defense" was the better lawyer wife episode.  As for "Crazy" yes for the selfish wife to get her comeuppance but Stephanie Seymour shame! Shame!  Enabling Axl Rose and now this.

[WendyCR72]

"Crazy" always makes me angry for the reason that the ex-wife who set the whole thing in motion by LYING about her daughter being molested by the murder victim and continuing to lie about when the police questioned her never answers for her crime.

 

In such a situation, too, since that lie culminated in the death of her ex-husband (albeit not by her hand, but still!), you'd think she would have had legal culpability in said ex-husband's death, too.

[kacesq]

For those of you asking about the real life case Smothered was based on, here's an article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1999/nov/11/boyfriend-gives-background-on-victim-in-du-pont-mu/

In the real case, the mom was a DuPont heiress.

My favorite CI episode of all time is Art. I don't know why, it's the episode where CI just clicked for me and I became devoted. I think it was how the murder led to art forgery which led to an even earlier murder. And Goren speaks German. Winning!

[WendyCR72]

"Art" is a great episode, @kacesq. And how ironic the female art curator killed was from a small museum in Troy. Well, I live in the REAL Troy, and there's nothing here as far as I know. So thanks, CI, for making fictional Troy look classier. LOL!

 

I also like when Bobby sneers to the art chick at the end, "Welcome to the human race."

 

Great episode all around.

 

Although if I were to choose a favorite S1 episode, it would be between "Phantom", "The Third Horseman", or "Homo Homini Lupus", myself.

Edited July 13, 2014 by WendyR72

[WendyCR72]

Huh. I've seen "One", a.k.a. CI's pilot, tons of times and watching it now on Ion, I must have always zoned out because I never remembered Dianne Wiest's Nora What's-Her-Face made an appearance. Just saw the scene. She asked Carver if he trusted Goren's judgment, which he said he did, in this case. Then she asked Carver if she should trust his.

[suomi]

aquarian1, on 05 May 2014 - 2:54 PM, said

 

This show hooked me from the beginning. I find it hard to believe, but VDO was a "Hey, it's that guy!" for me when I saw him here. Then when I realized everywhere I had seen him, I was ashamed of myself. ;-) I *love* him in this role, especially in the early seasons. Season 1, hooked me good.

 

GHScorpiosRule, on 05 May 2014 - 2:59 PM, said

 

It took me awhile to remember that he was the guy from Full Metal Jacket that got the "Code Red" treatment...the farmer husband from Men in Black, who turned into that roach thingie, the man from Homicide: Life on the Streets that got pushed off the platform and stuck between two cars, knowing that there was no point to saving him, because he would die anyway ...

 

In The Salton Sea (with Val Kilmer) he's a psychopathic meth user/dealer. He's like James Gandolfini for me: no matter the scene, he's the one I'm watching.

 

WendyCR72, on 20 May 2014 - 4:41 PM, said

 

Loved Carver asking that douchebag doc on the stand, "Do you find this amusing, doctor?" And then Carver (how ironic his last name is here!) going to town about how to cut, etc.

 

This reminded me that a gyno I went to was named Dr Tunnell. And a couple builders in our town incorporated as Ketchum and Cheatham.

 

[WendyCR72]

@Suomi , welcome to the CI forums. I had a groan/laugh at the name of that gynecologist. Yikes! :-)

 

And I guess we know which character you watch for!

[WendyCR72]

While the whole of the series (minus 90% of S9 for me only) was very entertaining, even if draining, watching the Ion marathon now, S1 was just straightforward psychological goodness. For most shows, the first season can be rough, but I think it is one of CI's best.

 

And no, not JUST because VDO looked great that season. Just sayin'!  :-) (I can picture @cooksdelight nodding here!  :-) )

[WendyCR72]

So, "The Pardoner's Tale" is on Ion now, one of the first mentions/stories of CI's mentions of the New York Ledger (and judging by design, actually the New York Post, name changed so as not to be sued. (And when Eames meets Lewis!)

 

Anyway, for years, the paper is referred to as The Ledger, yet in S...10, I believe, Alex mentions something being on the cover of The Post, the true name. I wonder if that was a slip or if the paper wanted the free publicity on TV.  *G* Just strange that it was suddenly referred to by its real name after all those years.

 

Just a nit to pick.