"Law & Order" The Right Thing (TV Episode 2022) Poster

(TV Series)

(2022)

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7/10
Please do not bring Jeffery Donovan in too hot!
joycebyingtonclark25 February 2022
Long time fan, in all it's iterations. I thrilled the OG is back, but please soften up on Donovan's character and do not make him so utterly and completely unlikeable. He, and we, deserve better.
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7/10
They need to get their mojo back
joethephotog-1501725 February 2022
The pacing was a little off for this episode compared to the S12 episodes I was watching on Sundance today. The new characters will take some getting used to especially Det. Cosgrove. There was more talking between the DAs than was normal when each conversation pushed the story along.

The changes to the sets were somewhat jarring, especially the checkboard flooring in Jack's office, but maybe that's nitpicking at this point.

It took a little time for the first run to catch on, so I am hopeful with so many of the same people behind the scenes, that they will get the new season running and on it's own footing soon.

No spoilers, but be surprised by the appearance of Jamie Ross in tis episode.
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8/10
Old faces, new faces, familiar faces.
cpotato101025 February 2022
Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston are back, with a guest star Carey Lowell. Add to them. Jeffrey Donovan - best know for Burn Notice, but he did two guest star appearances in Law & Order - and Camryn Manheim, known best for The Practice, but many other things as well, including three previous appearances on Law & Order.

I am not sure if Carey Lowell will be a recurring character, given that she seems to be back in the prosecution's office.

Of the two new faces, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi stand out. Note that they are ADA's, not detectives.

This episode leans more on the courtroom side, with discussions among the lawyers and the trial as the main focus. When is the last time a Law & Order show focused on the courtroom?

I an not sure about Jeffrey Donovan's character. They seem to have made him "that guy", the abrasive, unlikable character that seems to be common on many series these days.

Of course, there is the well-known political comments of the current Dick Wolf shows, which some will hate.

We will have to see if the rest of the show makes getting through those moments acceptable.
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6/10
Good but needs work
RaisedVintage25 February 2022
After a 12 year hiatus it's pretty good but there are a few things that they need to work on.

Jeffrey Donovan is still trying to figure out his character, which is fine its his first episode.

They never showed the floor in the DA's office before, it was jarring to see it was checkered - it stood out too much.

One of the things I missed was usually in arraignment there's chaos, there's a crowd, there's noise. It was usually fun to watch the lawyers and judge banter back and forth but here there was nothing it was quiet and boring. It wasn't until they set the bail that protesters started making noise.

The courtroom seemed really small for some reason.

There was a specific score I liked that they played whenever someone was about to give important information, confess, or a body was found - they changed it here which is ok but I liked the other one better.

Anyway we'll see how it goes.
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7/10
Hoping for the best!
MMPPa26 February 2022
I'm an L&O fan and hated when the original got canceled. News of the new show was incredibly exciting and I couldn't wait to see it. Now that I have I will say I am hoping for the best as the show continues. I want this show to succeed, but it needs to get better. None of the main characters seemed particularly interesting, with the exception of one of the newcomers, Jeffrey Donovan. Realistically, I probably should have rated this show a 5 or 6, but they get an extra point or two just for bringing back one of the greatest shows on television.
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9/10
They got the band back together!
virtual-9388825 February 2022
I have been so excited for this show! Seeing Jack McCoy again is like a long lost friend. I definitely would have liked to see Benjamin Bratt and it would have been cool if they were in the "Leonard Briscoe Memorial Police Station"... just saying. Anyway ii's well done with a storyline for modern times. I hope it sticks around.
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7/10
A bit disappointed
erisman-5527225 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Was eager to watch the Law and Order return. Would have loved to have seen Ed Green and Ray Curtis as a team. Anthony Anderson is just everywhere on tv and to me way over exposed. Seeing Sam Waterson was nice, although at times his voice seemed a bit weak. I did not recognize Carey Lowell at first - I guess we have all aged. Not a big fan of the new prosecutor. Throwing out a confession because the police lied -- please.

I will give this show a few more weeks and see.

How about a Lennie Briscoe hologram?
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8/10
12-Year Hiatus It is Finally Back
shelbythuylinh25 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Anthony Anderson returns as Detective Kevin Bernard with Jeffrey Donovan of Burn Notice as Frank Cosgrove the former's new partner.

Cosgrove is an arrogant hotshot, unapologetic detective, but he at least admits getting the job done. When he "promises" the suspect in the murder of a rapist that is now out of jail, of getting immunity he goes back on it and she is arrested.

With the women that the man up to thirty seven, maybe many more and something he would take to his own grave, raped and nearly murdered, see her as a hero. But still she should not had taken the law into her own hands.

I have had a love-hate relationship with McCoy but age may have mellowed him out. As the new ADA's seem to have conscience that at times Jack lacked due to wanting to win all the time.

Welcome back to the mothership!
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7/10
Episode 2101
bobcobb30128 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It is good to have Law and Order back and thankfully they are keeping it different than the other two shows, but this was a so-so premiere.

Burn Notice was a great show, but Jeffrey Donovan is not quite the right fit. He's trying too hard to be Lenny from the old days.

And Jack McCoy is supposed to care about justice, not winning.
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2/10
The kept the worst parts, and threw the heart and soul away
jsrtheta28 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

I was a big fan of this show despite the legally dubious antics that cropped up. Well, I was a fan once they dumped Michael Moriarty and brought the solid Sam Waterston in.

I was a prosecutor in two different jurisdictions, one of which was a huge city, so I could relate to the cops and the lawyers in this show. And I could disregard the inaccuracies in the portrayal of court and criminal procedure, understanding that sometimes reality gets stretched in service of drama. But this incarnation has started out so divorced from believability, with nothing to justify such an approach, that it was torture to watch through to the end.

Okay. Waterston's back, but now in the Steven Hill role as the actual District Attorney. And Anthony Anderson is like an old friend who you rediscover and rejoice that he is the same cool guy you remember. But Jeffrey Donovan, an actor I've always enjoyed, has either taken a wrong turn somewhere, or else is being very poorly directed. He is certainly underwritten and, as the cliche goes, he runs the emotional gamut from A to B. And it's mostly B.

SPOILERS!!!

Worse, they have tossed reality over the side, along with believability. NO, you CAN'T tell the suspect that she will be free to go if she just confesses to murder, and then charge her when she does. And NO, the defense CAN'T suddenly decide to change their theory of defense to self-defense in the middle of trial!

I mean, do they really think anyone watching this is going to buy such idiocy? Do they truly take the audience for fools and dunces? Sure, in the previous shows they played fast and loose with the law and procedure, but they still managed to remain on Planet Earth. Not anymore. Now we're in Bizarro.
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10/10
A Show I Loved .. is BACK
tiggerden27 February 2022
A bit scratchy at first view. I have watched it a few times more. It's an incredible show. My Fave over the other Law & Order series.

The characters are new- Take some getting used to. I rate this show a 10 - because it is just starting again - Dick Wolf & Company can pull it off to have Law & Order a Top Show Again.

I am so enthused to hear "Duh-Duh" Once again !
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Not feeling it
atmegh26 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Been a fan since the first season. And have watched every episode of the original L&O more than twice.

The acting in this episode was weird, not seeming to approximate anything realistic. The gaps in a response while the camera just sat on one character made it SLOW.

The writing seemed amateur as well. Not one interesting scene in it. Completely watered down.

Spoilers:

Plot holes In the episode take you out of the flow, too.

Why would detectives/prosecutors not use any DNA found in 2022?? That made zero sense. The cigarette butt would have strengthened their case.

On the defense side, the suspect was clearly NOT mirandized. The story would have been more interesting if they went with the actual facts as opposed to whims of drama.

Just not worthy of the L&O brand.

It seems like the advanced technology available makes detective work boring for a show like this. Find the surveillance videos everywhere and more critical info available found in minutes online. Much less pounding the pavement. Part of what made the show so great was seeing NYC as a character. Where was the stop at a pretzel or hot dog stand?

But the biggest killer was the absence of any shred of humor. Won't be worth watching if it keeps up this way.

I'll give it another episode or two.

Big fan of Jeffery Donovan, but he seemed one dimensional--he's perfect for making some clever humor possible.

I think Linus Roach would have been better as the DA. I adore Sam Waterston, but having him as a judge might have been a better use of his character.
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7/10
Glad L&O is back but we need some cast changes
salawson8522 April 2022
This is my favorite show of all time. I've seen every episode of all the variants as well. Anthony Anderson and Cam'ron Mannheim are terrific actors with just the right level of tension to keep it interesting. Jeffrey Donovan is useless annoying and wooden. He'needs to go. And the new ADA needs a backbone and some passion for his job. No one lasts in a DA's office with his unwillingness to prosecute.
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1/10
Law and Order is back but they forgot actors. And acting. And directing.
akiva969 March 2022
A big Law and Order fan generally. Imagine my discomfiture when the return episode was horribly acted and directed. I turned it of two thirds of the way through and cancelled my scheduled recordings. Hopefully it will improve but I think I will wait to check back for 6 episodes or more.
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7/10
Tackles current issues well, though heavy-handed at times
xoraxora6 May 2022
I found the plot of most of the first seven episodes well developed and compelling. Character development leaves something to be desired, however. I kept thinking the runtime of 45 minutes is just not enough.

There's always been a political aspect to L&O. That hasn't changed, and there's no reason for anyone to assume this time around is going to be any different. I have no problem with that. So far the premise of each episode and the proceedings of each case have been spot on.

My only complaint is the less than subtle, and painfully forced dialog, chiefly between the characters of Anderson and Donovan, discussing the underlying politics of each case. It is unconvincing, artificial, and sermonizing.

I'd much rather see the plot, the cases and procedures, do the work of conveying the underlying politics, than have the two detectives throw banal catch phrases and soundbites, lifted straight from cable news chyrons, at each other.
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7/10
Enjoyable, but there's definitely room for improvement.
CKM221 March 2022
They really need to take Jeffrey Donovan's character down a couple notches. I was excited to see him in this because I loved Burn Notice so I hope they give him better material.

I am please to see that the show wasn't full blown woke. I actually felt they tackled the subject of race, police etc. With at least a little bit of two-sidedness. I get so tired of the shows where the cops themselves are jumping right in with the "hey aren't we horrible" propaganda. I don't expect race to be ignored, that's ridiculous, I just want to see a more honest portrayal. Progressive viewpoints cannot be the only viewpoint and I do think at least a little effort was made, hopefully it continues.

I appreciate seeing the amount of time spent in the courtroom, that seems to have been lost over the years in the other shows and so much focused on the police side.

Overall, it wasn't outstanding but there's definitely some great characters - I loved the female 2nd chair prosecutor, she did some of the best acting on the show.
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9/10
Like it never left
Michellemybell125 February 2022
Same formula that worked beautifully for 20 years. Not just the split between law and order, but imperfect people who pull off an intelligent investigation and battle a challenging prosecution. New cast is great and good to see old friends.
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7/10
Imperfect, but way better than Wolf's FBI shows
amorehl-93-993384 March 2022
Funny, a lot of people recognize that the actors and their characters need time to settle in, but they all seem to agree right off the bat that Jeffrey Donovan is Satan personified. I loved Donovan in Burn Notice, and I like him here. His character is obviously being established here to conflict with his partner's views, to provide food for debate. That's what the original show was all about. They seem to be doing the same thing with the 2 DAs. In fact, I'm surprised -- no, stunned -- to see a Dick Wolf show today providing any balance at all. His FBI shows do not. They are PC woke, all the way. I agree with other reviewers in their criticisms about the writers, but mediocre writing is a problem with many, many shows. There are tons of good actors & actresses about, but a good writer is rare and worth his weight in gold.
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9/10
Welcome Jeffrey Donovan
juliefelton7125 February 2022
I'm excited this new reboot! I've been with the the franchise since 1990. Kevin Bernard is not my favorite of the detective's, I need see Frank Cosgrove in more action, I'm sure Kate Dixon will make a fine lieutenant. I'm very happy that Jack McCoy is back and as for the new ADA's, I don't know them yet, let's give them some time to check their investigation and courtroom skills. Overall, I'm happy with this new season. Let's do this!!!
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7/10
The show has potential (this episode was so-so)
lminwill27 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I was disappointed that Anthony Anderson's character hadn't risen more in the ranks, though I like Camryn Manheim as the lieutenant (S. Epatha Merkerson is doing another show). Anderson keeps it fairly understated, which is good, but it highlights how much Jeffrey Donovan overreacts, sometimes painfully so. He's not a bad actor (liked him in Fargo and Burn Notice), but here they have him playing a stereotypical detective pushing the envelope, getting worked up, playing "bad cop", as it were, to Anderson's "good cop". A bit formulaic, but not surprising.

For all those folks losing their stuff over "woke" or "wokeness",...wth?? It's Law & Order, for crying out loud. This is the show that took creating plots ripped from today's headlines to another level. Did you seriously think they weren't going to take advantage of this season to touch on race as it relates to policing and police tactics in general? Or the tragedy of women who've been victims of rape by a then-powerful and also very wealthy man who got out of jail on a technicality? It's Dick Wolf's MO to do this kind of thing, and sometimes in a ham-fisted way. It can usually be forgiven with good acting and writing. Mixed bag in this episode.

Frankly, the overarching plot is what they're missing out on: That the cops and prosecutors had to confront that they're working together, not in opposing corners. And that sometimes doing "the right thing" can have some pitfalls. Speaking of the prosecutors, the EADA is played well be Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi as the ADA is pretty good. I loved seeing Sam Waterston and Carey Lowell again on the show, both brought strength to their respective contributions.

The show does have promise, and I hope they find their groove. Writing was not always consistently on point, and scene transitions seemed awkward a few times. Perhaps as they all work together more things will gel. I hope they allow Donovan some latitude to be less of a one dimensional a-hole.
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2/10
Awful restart
jaygc70-575-86505928 February 2022
This was a terrible way to restart this series. I was very excited for this new season, but now not so sure. It made me dislike one of the main detectives and the main DA. Hopefully it gets better.
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9/10
Missed L&O for years. So glad it's back.
silvrhairdevil-7924726 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I've been looking forward to this since I saw the cast list. Big Donovan fan for years. He plays a strong part as Cosgrove. Haven't seen a lot of Manheim or Dancy, but what I have seen was solid acting, as was the case in this episode.

I see a few reviews unhappy with the degree of Woke. I think, given NYNY location, if anything, the Woke is understated.

I'm planning to keep track this. 9/10.

Well, that didn't last long. One month later and I'm done with watching this show. I'll check back next season... if there is a next season.
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6/10
Bad plot for male writers
jdriggs-3705028 February 2022
I have always loved L&O, regardless of the various actors in the roles. And Dick Wolf is a very, very talented guy, and he's written plenty of episodes with sympathetic female rape victims. But it just seems wrong, in 2022, for this particular plot as the premiere episode of the reboot to have been written by two men. Sad, too, that we still have the same old set up of a female Junior ADA reporting to the male ADA star. Having other female attorneys and a female judge, who are only guest stars, just doesn't cut it. It's time to grow up, men.

All that aside, there were some plot holes and stilted acting that really hurt this episode. Hopefully they will get back into the groove and bring us some good episodes again.
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5/10
Episode 1. Not Feeling It Yet...
IceQueen9925 February 2022
...but I'm not going to give up just yet. Maybe I've watched too many old episodes. I admit, a LOT of old episodes so it's hard to connect with new characters. I waited for the "bombshell evidence", which is always fun, but a little all-to-convenient one showed up.
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7/10
Great to see Sam and Anthony again. The rest? Eh...
bernlin200021 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Really loves seeing a few of the "old timers" from the original run of the show, it definitely is feeling like a different show with so many new cast members at once, certainly unprecedented in the series history. I'm especially missing Linus Roach (who just absolutely blows Darcy out of the water, wish he had come back) and of course S. Epatha Merkerson. Camryn is a perfectly capable, fine actress but I feel like, more than the rest of the new cast, she seems out of place and not really given much to work with.

Echoing others, not really buying the Detective Cosgrove character, wish Anderson had a better partner to work with, feels like a strange throw-back stereotype of a "NY cop". Briscoe would not approve, even in the 90s, of his behavior, way out of date and out of place with the show. That being said, it was a ridiculous piece of writing that they made Cosgrove's interrogation of the suspect a "big deal" that he lied. That's not only legal but part of an officer's duty, in real life, and just felt very unhinged from reality.

But the show has always existed in its own universe, it just felt kind cold and dusty, here. Not sure how they're going to pull this season off successfully, but I'm certainly rooting for the series to continue: 10+ years is a very long time to be off the air, it's understandable that the first episodes (even the first season) could be rocky. I waited this long, I can wait a bit longer for the cast to warm up to their characters.
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