IR TV Review: LAW & ORDER - EPISODE 1 (“The Right Thing”) [NBC-S21]

The texture of what the original "Law & Order" was always flutters back to the exacting narrative of the week while always reflecting on the investigations versus the context of the notion of a trial and the motivations of the participants. This new integration makes what the original series were while adding some new faces, most specifically Jeffrey Donovan of "Burn Notice" fame. While he has had some effecting supporting roles and led the Hulu series "Shut Eye", he hasn't really used that charm in a way that made Michael Weston work but that was also the tone of that series and the surrounding actors. Here he plays more hard nosed as Jack against Anthony Anderson reprising his previous role. They work together in a way but it just depends if it is a true pairing you can get behind because the chops are there.

Donovan though has some other skills up his sleeve it would be nice to see him use and integrate. Caryn Manheim is the boss which works well but depends how it develops. On the trial side, Hugh Dancy and Sam Waterston are nicely structured. Again, they are well cast and effective like most of Dick Wolf's shows. Episode 1: "The Right Thing" uses an interesting play on an "eye for a eye" based in the texture of a revenge killing per se that is more akin to SVU but because of the path of suspects it takes, it keys into the L&O structure. However it becomes the idea of doing the right thing to get a confession, to prosecute and to convict against the common sense of popular opinion and the issues of the victim. While the former approach with Donovan and Anderson says one thing, the way the ball crosses into the other court shows the tension that is lurking below the surface which might ratchet up the drama. B

By Tim Wassberg