The original post: /r/television by /u/FreshmenMan on 2025-08-31 14:45:06+00:00.
Question, What do you think made the Original Run of Law & Order Special?
And I don’t mean the revival of the show, I really don’t like the revival. I am talking about the first 20 seasons of Law & Order.
I decided to get back watching the original run of Law & Order, and boy do I love this show. I love the grittiness of the show that is sorely missing in the revival run and the actors are much more superior and more real. Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkersen exc. What I like is that all the actors never try to outperform each other.
What I also like is that episodes are never black and white and a lot of morally ambiguous. Some times you root for the main characters, some times, you question what they do, and some times you want them to lose, but I always was engage. But what I like is the comfort of just watching an episode and knwoing you will get a good time and wait for the next episode to get the same thing,
On the revival, I saw a few episodes from few seasons and I try to like them, but I really don’t. It doesn’t feel gritty and I feel all the luster is lost and that they really don’t know where to go with the show or don’t know what made the show special. I also think the casting has been off, there is no Jerry Orbach type character, Hugh Dancy is not Sam Waterston and is not even Linus Roache. The writing is also just Black & White, and no twists or turns, it’s makes for a dull episode.
Ultimately, the first 20 seasons of Law & Order are great television and it’s still a shame it got cancelled. However, to me, it’s what made it special as it meant the show kept its dignity. With the Revival, It’s bad and lacks coherence.
So, What do you think made the Original Run of Law & Order Special?