The original “Law & Order” premiered in 1990 and it is the show that launched the Dick Wolf TV empire, running on NBC for 20 seasons and 456 episodes before coming to an end in 2010. But apparently no show is truly gone forever. And so here we are, more than a decade later, with Season 21 of “Law & Order” picking up where it left off, a sad simulacrum of what it once was.
The ripped-from-the-headlines template remains intact, slicing the procedural in two: First there’s the police investigation, then it’s the prosecution’s turn. “Law & Order” went through several cast changes over the years and invariably it worked, but there were exceptions and Anthony Anderson’s Det. Kevin Bernard never felt lived-in enough, nor did his portrayal find room for small moments of wit; that he’s been brought back is not an encouraging sign. The other familiar face is that of Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy, who, in the original’s last few seasons, had ascended to the top job of district attorney, and that’s where we find him now. This, too, is cause for concern; Waterston and the show’s writers had a real grasp on the character when he was full of ego and righteous indignation and champing at the bit to get into a courtroom. The guy had a sense of humor, too! But once he was elevated to district attorney, McCoy’s characterization became stiff and ossified and thuddingly grim, which has carried over into this incarnation as well.
Filling out the “law” side of things are Camryn Manheim as Lt. Kate Dixon (with the right kind of no-nonsense impatience) and Jeffrey Donovan as Det. Frank Cosgrove (very intense, possibly racist and sporting a chip on his shoulder). On the “order” side is Hugh Dancy as assistant district attorney Nolan Price (an empty space where a character should be) and Odelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun (smart, beautiful and given almost nothing to do). These are their stories. Dun-dun.
