Law & Order: LA Version 1.5 Discussion

[Starbreaker]

1x09 "Zuma Canyon"

Detectives Winters and Jaruszalski investigate a shooting at a birthday party; as the detectives begin to close in on a suspect, Winters gets a surprise visit at home.

1x10 "Silver LA"

A man's wife and son are killed during a home invasion; during their investigation, the detectives discover similar cases by a serial rapist.

I was actually very impressed with a few of the episodes before this retooling, but I'm excited to see if they can up the game. Apparently there were several episodes that were scrapped and they just jumped ahead to these two. I wonder if they will ever be released on DVD. I wonder if they forced Skeet Ulrich to film this last episode in his contract. I would have been like "peace out, yo" and peed on a page or something.

I'm in for the long run as long as Corey Stoll is arond. He's hilarious.

 

[Aragorn]

Four cast members removed before the halfway point of the first season (though one was a recast). Not even David E. Kelley has done that!

 

[od0_ital]

^

Multiple characters were introduced as bein' part of Crane, Poole & Schmidt durin' The Practice without bein' seen or mentioned on Boston Legal. David E Kelley has axed cast members before the series premiere!!!

 

[Starbreaker]

The first episode was pretty good, even though I feel like the death of Winters was completely glossed over.

And... the new intro is dumb. They could have picked something better.

 

[od0_ital]

^

Agreed, the intro is pretty dumb, and way too slow.

But, hey! Alana De La Garza is continuin' her character from Law & Order. That might make Terrance Howard tolerable as a regular.

 

[bigdaddy]

^

Multiple characters were introduced as bein' part of Crane, Poole & Schmidt durin' The Practice without bein' seen or mentioned on Boston Legal. David E Kelley has axed cast members before the series premiere!!!

They were introduced before Boston Legal was picked up. Realizing they would work on a new show because the show starts is one thing. Ditching half the cast in a last ditch save of a sinking ship to the point they threw out episodes is amazing.

 

[Samurai8472]

Four cast members removed before the halfway point of the first season (though one was a recast). Not even David E. Kelley has done that!

Knight Rider 2008 dropped 3 cast members at the half way point

 

[Christopher]

I haven't been following this show since the pilot, but I was curious about the retool so I just watched the transitional episodes on Hulu. Not bad. Anything that increases Alfred Molina's screen time is a plus, and it's great to see Alana de la Garza again, though I still find Terence Howard boring as all get-out.

I'm surprised to hear people complaining about the new main title sequence. I loved the arrangement of the theme music. It was beautiful, almost elegiac. And I like the end title arrangement too. I never thought I'd have anything positive to say about the music in a L&O series.

Both the individual episodes were reasonably good, though the second one had some unrealistic courtroom antics. It was good to see Tim DeKay and Erin Cahill. Though I'm surprised to see DeKay appearing in the LA incarnation of the franchise, considering he's a regular in the New York-based White Collar. I would've thought it would be more convenient for him to appear in one of the NY-based L&O shows.

Knight Rider 2008 dropped 3 cast members at the half way point

Back in the '80s, V: The Series dropped four cast members midway through its only season as a money-saving move, and that was after killing off a couple of major characters from the miniseries at the start of the weekly show.

 

[Starbreaker]

Ratings were atrocious, even with all the heavy promotion. No way this show gets a second season with the money Molina and Howard must be demanding. Here's hoping Corey Stoll finds another show to be awesome in.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Though I'm surprised to see DeKay appearing in the LA incarnation of the franchise, considering he's a regular in the New York-based White Collar. I would've thought it would be more convenient for him to appear in one of the NY-based L&O shows.

It could be he lives here and they aren't shooting White Collar at the moment.

I like Molina, but I'm not sure I totally buy the "I used to be a cop, so, I'm going back to being a cop" thing... it's a little weird, it's seeing the writer's hand, the excuse to justify moving Molina.

But, it's like pulling a tooth, it's done and over with, and now moving forward. If, of course, it gets picked up.

 

[bigdaddy]

NBC is in worst shape then everyone thought...

So I'll just take this time to say...

Should have kept the first and only Law and Order.

 

[od0_ital]

... No way this show gets a second season with the money Molina and Howard must be demanding.

I'm thinkin' if they two of 'em hadn't been cheaper than Skeet Ulrich, they would have been the ones taken out in a drive by.

Here's hoping Corey Stoll finds another show to be awesome in.

Dude creeps me out, especially in the second of last night's two episodes. No hair at all is not a good look for anyone.

 

[Timby]

I like Molina, but I'm not sure I totally buy the "I used to be a cop, so, I'm going back to being a cop" thing... it's a little weird, it's seeing the writer's hand, the excuse to justify moving Molina.

But, it's like pulling a tooth, it's done and over with, and now moving forward. If, of course, it gets picked up.

Yeah, that's the way I see it -- it's a bit of hand-waving to get Molina into his new role. It's not quite "Oh, hey, I'm a cop now," but it's close ... and, honestly, with Law & Order, that's all you need.

But, yes, the show did get slaughtered in the ratings last night, as did Chuck. Hey, NBC? When you're re-launching a series after overhauling half the cast ... don't put it up against fucking Dancing with the Stars.

 

[Christopher]

Sure, it's contrived to turn the ADA into a detective, but if it lets us watch Alfred Molina every week rather than every other week, I'm not going to complain.

 

[Star Wolf]

Sure, it's contrived to turn the ADA into a detective, but if it lets us watch Alfred Molina every week rather than every other week, I'm not going to complain.

Its Deputy DA, "ADA" is New York speak it would be like saying "bus" instead of a "R/A"

 

[Christopher]

^Okay, if you say so. And I have no idea what an R/A is.

 

[Star Wolf]

In LA City a R/A is a rescue ambulance or a bus on NYPD based shows. Other things would be an officer needs help radio call versus a 10-13 in New York, signal 13 in Baltimore.....

 

[Timby]

Sure, it's contrived to turn the ADA into a detective, but if it lets us watch Alfred Molina every week rather than every other week, I'm not going to complain.

I'm not complaining, either. I'll happily watch The Alfred Molina Show. But if the ratings stay where they were on Monday (or drop), there's no way in hell NBC will renew it. Those numbers were disastrous. Granted, putting Los Angeles up against Dancing with the Stars is like launching a new show on Wednesday against American Idol. I don't get what NBC was thinking in that scheduling move.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Sure, it's contrived to turn the ADA into a detective, but if it lets us watch Alfred Molina every week rather than every other week, I'm not going to complain.

I'm not complaining, either. I'll happily watch The Alfred Molina Show. But if the ratings stay where they were on Monday (or drop), there's no way in hell NBC will renew it. Those numbers were disastrous. Granted, putting Los Angeles up against Dancing with the Stars is like launching a new show on Wednesday against American Idol. I don't get what NBC was thinking in that scheduling move.

Yeah, it's not a good idea. Maybe on Sunday or something. Of course, I don't watch Dancing With The People Who We Are Told Are Stars so it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm all for the reboot. Morales and T.J. are just the kind of characters L&O needs. And I don't even mind the remaining DDA, either (he was pretty good on SVU last week).

FWIW, I don't think it's unrealistic that Morales is now a cop, because as he said, he USED to be one. It would be a stretch if he just suddenly decided to join the force, but he's already been there, so it makes perfect sense he could go back. Wouldn't be the first L&O cop who was also a lawyer; they were definitely headed in that direction with Cyrus Lupo on the mothership...

As for Winters - sorry to see him go, but they could always say he's in witness protection. Given what tended to happen to characters in this episode, I find that likely anyway.

(Side note: What was Fernando's father yelling at the end of the episode as Cesar is leaving?)