Law & Order: LA: "Harbor City" - Oct. 13 - Grading & Discussion

[Danny99]

I didn't see a thread created yet for tonight's episode.

Alfred Molina continues to impress. He reminds me of Linus Roache as Michael Cutter, but with experience behind him. I also continue to love Cory Stoll as the bald detective, much more interesting than Skeet "I'm a plank" Ulrich.

It was hard to see James Morrison as an asshole after being the nice guy on 24 for so long. But he did play it well.

Also, a minor nitpick. Daniel Hugh Kelly as the judge. As many Law & Order fans remember Kelly played a homophobic councilman that Chris Noth decked, ending his run on the original. Could they have not found an actor that had not been part of such a defining moment in the series to be the judge? Like I said, a minor nitpick.

What did you think?

 

[Professor Zoom]

Also enjoying Stoll and Molina. Ulrich...BOring.

I think though the show could get a little tougher, a little grittier. Something is missing.

And the ratings haven't been great and declining. We'll see how long it lasts.

 

[Jack Bauer]

It doesn't help that LOLA's lead in SVU is down too. I think Law and Order as a franchise is running out of steam.

 

[Aaron McGuire]

I think this was the best episode so far. I've been an Alfred Molina fan for quite some time now and Cory Stoll is all kinds of awesome.

If they replaced Skeet Ulrich and Terrance Howard, this show would be a worthy successor to L&O: Original Recipe.

Aaron McGuire

 

[Star Wolf]

The first episode to keep me watching but too many L&O twist to get to the killer

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Also enjoying Stoll and Molina. Ulrich...BOring.

I think though the show could get a little tougher, a little grittier. Something is missing.

And the ratings haven't been great and declining. We'll see how long it lasts.

It's definitely glossier than the original, but it at least makes sense stylistically from the switch to LA.

I like the cast so far. The episodes were solid. As far as LA cop shows go, Dragnet is better. Can't speak for the Law part, since I never saw LA Law

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Also, a minor nitpick. Daniel Hugh Kelly as the judge. As many Law & Order fans remember Kelly played a homophobic councilman that Chris Noth decked, ending his run on the original. Could they have not found an actor that had not been part of such a defining moment in the series to be the judge?

Meh, that's a common feature in the L&O universe - "repeat offenders" (as we call them) who play many different roles. DHK, for example, has been in L&O four or five times at least. Others have done a lot more, like a dozen different roles. You see this a lot on the New York-based L&O shows because they often raid the casts of Broadway, who are all too happy to do it.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Also enjoying Stoll and Molina. Ulrich...BOring.

I think though the show could get a little tougher, a little grittier. Something is missing.

And the ratings haven't been great and declining. We'll see how long it lasts.

It's definitely glossier than the original, but it at least makes sense stylistically from the switch to LA.

I like the cast so far. The episodes were solid. As far as LA cop shows go, Dragnet is better. Can't speak for the Law part, since I never saw LA Law

Just because it's LA, doesn't mean it has to be glossier. More sun and green than New York sure. But, look at the Shield. How it was shot. I think glossy is the wrong direction for a Law and Order, especially in today's TV landscape.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The first L&O:LA episode was very glossy, because it took place in Hollywood - so much gloss it makes you want to puke. But the rest of them have looked more realistic, I think.

 

[Timby]

Jeez. This episode pulled in a 1.9 rating (and SVU didn't do much better, at 2.2). That's worse than the numbers that got Vanilla canceled.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It is cheaper to produce than the original, however.

 

[Timby]

Far cheaper (and I made that point when arguing that NBC's cancellation of Vanilla made sense from a financial standpoint), but NBC has also canceled other locally produced shows for similar ratings, including Southland, and Southland didn't have to pay multi-award nominees like Terrence Howard and Alfred Molina.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, NBC sucks. I have no idea what they'll end up doing with the show. I'm just saying there's a chance they'll keep it on even if it performs worse than the original.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I didn't think I was going to enjoy L&O:LA, but I do.

I'm just hoping that by the end of next year that SVU isn't the only L&O-verse show left. (CI is ending after one more season, which AFAIK will start next spring.) I mean, I like SVU too, but not as the only one...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

The original Law and Order has a fairly unique format. Sure, it ended up being very formulaic, but it works so well for what it wants to talk about. I hope it doesn't go away completely.

 

[Timby]

Well, NBC sucks. I have no idea what they'll end up doing with the show. I'm just saying there's a chance they'll keep it on even if it performs worse than the original.

Yeah, there's definitely a chance, but if it does get picked up for another year, I really, really doubt that they'll keep both Molina and Howard. Splitting the detectives killed Criminal Intent's ratings, and splitting the district attorneys, while an admirable, even creative idea, is keeping the show from establishing an identity.

In any event, Los Angeles hasn't even been picked up for a full season (only 13 episodes were ordered), and while I think it'll get the last half of the season ordered, I think changes will be made. Balcer and Wolf need to re-tool a lot of the show. Even if the last half gets picked up, if the ratings continue their free-fall, I won't be stunned if it gets canceled.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Well, NBC sucks. I have no idea what they'll end up doing with the show. I'm just saying there's a chance they'll keep it on even if it performs worse than the original.

Yeah, there's definitely a chance, but if it does get picked up for another year, I really, really doubt that they'll keep both Molina and Howard. Splitting the detectives killed Criminal Intent's ratings, and splitting the district attorneys, while an admirable, even creative idea, is keeping the show from establishing an identity.

Dump Howard and Ulrich.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Actually, I liked both of them. I see everyone else complaining about Ulrich, but I don't see the problem with him.

The other attorney suffers from going up against a very strong stage presence, but I think would be fine otherwise.

 

[Danny99]

I know it's three episodes in, but Ulrich bores me. Even Dennis Farina was more interesting.

 

[Timby]

He's terribly awkward so far, and it doesn't help that they're clearly trying to make him the star of the show by introducing a major subplot about his wife so early in the series' life. I'm not enjoying him at all; Corey Stoll is basically carrying the "law" portion of the show by himself.