"On the streets of New York City criminals are brought to justice
by the
dedicated members of the NYPD to face prosecution by the state
appointed
district attorney." These dramatic stories are told weekly on the NBC
crime
drama series Law and Order.
Unlike most shows on television you don’t have to be an avid
viewer of
Law and Order to understand or catch on to the episodes. Each week a single story is
told
from start to finish. The basic formula consists of; the discovery of
a
crime, the investigation, the arrest of a suspect(s), and the trial.
The
stories are clever and are rarely ever told without a twist or late
evidentiary discovery. Law and Order is one of
televisions most
acclaimed and longest running shows (since 1990). It has spawned a
number of
spin offs including, Law and Order; Criminal Intent, Law and
Order;
Special Victims Unit, and the short lived Law and Order;
Trial
by Jury (if you didn’t already know, it’s been cancelled).
The third year of Law and Order marks the first appearance
of
Detective Lenny Brisco (the late, great Jerry Orbach) who replaces Detective
Phil
Cerreta(Paul Sorvino) as the partner of Detective Mike Logan
(Chris
Noth) about midway through the year. Logan is a young ambitious,
stubborn
cop who doesn’t welcome the idea of a new partner. At first the
relationship
between Logan and the veteran Brisco is a bit shaky but after a few
episodes
they begin to warm up to one another. Orbach’s Lenny Brisco is an “old
school” cop whose knowledge and experience over the year’s aid and educate
Logan
who still has some things to learn. Both Detectives are coached, kept
in
line, and required to constantly check in with their Capitan, Donald
Cragen
(Dan Florek) who you may recognize from his recent work as
Capitan
Cragen on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Once a suspect is in custody it’s time for the New York District
Attorney’s to step in and build a case against that suspect. Executive Asst.
Dist.
Atty. Benjamin Stone (Michael Moriarty), aided by Asst. Dist.
Atty. Paul
Robinette (Richard Brooks), help to unravel the tangled web
which
surrounds the crime by compiling more evidence, acquiring testimony,
and
battling motions against the opposing defense attorney (who typically
varies
from episode to episode). Stone is unwavering and
dedicated
to the law and does what ever is in his power to uphold it and carry
out its
justice. His persistence and perseverance make him a prosecuting
attorney
feared by the defense.
Much like the detectives have to report to Cragen, Stone and
Robinette
frequently check in and seek counsel from Dist. Atty. Adam Schiff
(Steven
Hill). With the help of Detectives Brisco and Logan with ...
