TheLittleSongbird A shame because the original Law and Order is a big personal favourite, Criminal Intent and the UK version are almost as good and since re-watching I have a lot more respect for Special Victims Unit. While Trial by Jury and Conviction (another Dick Wolf show) were short-lived (also 1 season and with fewer episodes than this), had a slow start and had their flaws they did get better and deserved a fairer chance.Law and Order: Los Angeles also got off to a slow start and while it did get slightly better with the re-tooling, it never completely grabbed me. A major part of the comparatively fewer ratings was bad timing, with it starting so soon after the original Law and Order and Criminal Intent ended, the time slot change after the re-tooling and with the continuation of Special Victims Unit with good ratings. But another big problem was that the show lacked the other incarnations' grittiness, their tension and the stories and characters were not as interesting or well-written.Law and Order: Los Angeles does have things that made it watchable. Los Angeles does look striking, and there are some lovely, inventive camera shots throughout the series. The acting was very uneven, but the magnetic charisma of Alfred Molina, the intensely cool Corey Stoll ( or at least in the later episodes, who shares decent chemistry with Molina, he was a little bland with Ulrich) and authoritative Rachel Ticotin stands out as good. The finale is gripping, and it was admirable trying to give Winters some back-story, even if there are back-stories very similar to his and written more compellingly.However, Skeet Ulrich seemed wooden and fatigued at first and even when brought back it felt like Molina and Stoll had grown into the roles far more effectively, he did like Stoll bring some cool deadpan irony later on. Terrence Howard never overcomes the tendency to mumble some of his lines or come over as more a preacher than a DA. One of the bright spots of the later Law and Order seasons, Alana De La Garza does her best and has her charm, but isn't used enough, and those who (and their characters) were dropped from the show midseason never seemed comfortable and even in the episodes they appeared in never had enough time to shine, Peter Coyote in particular is not memorable in the slightest. The characters are never fully developed and are pretty dully written in most cases, coming really coming alive in the chemistry between Molina and Stoll and of all the characters the only one where any effort is made to develop is Winters, whereas in comparison we learn very little about TJ. All the secondary characters are broadly written and characterised stereotypes, especially in the first episode.The writing and story lines, in all fairness, do work against them. The writing here is not as intelligent or gritty, instead feeling on-the-surface and a mixture of bland in the first half of the episodes and heavy-handed in the latter half, also offering a very glossy, over-simplified and idealistic view of Los Angeles itself. The story lines often do, especially in the early part of the show, feel like they were lifted out of the headlines (some of which not being that interesting), except we are given the basic facts and a good deal of exposition but rarely any depth or emotional investment, or even a sense of the crimes' circumstances and the moral dilemmas which Law and Order at its best excelled particularly well in. The other Law and Order shows handle the procedure elements of the concept much better, mainly because of better casting, better writing and more compelling story lines, Law and Order: Los Angeles focuses too much on it and presents it blandly and with little tension. To be fair it does get slightly better after the re-tooling, thanks to better chemistry and a little more tension, but the numerous casting and character changes midseason take some getting used to and do cause some confusion (especially with Morales' very improbable demotion and the handling of Winters' character, neither of which given any explanation, the only explanation I can give for the latter is the episodes being ordered wrong).Apart from some nice shots, some rich colours and some inventively done shots, a grittier look would have suited the tone of the series much better, because often the series just looked too slick and too glossy. It was like seeing a little-less-flashy version of CSI: Miami, than another Law and Order incarnation, too far removed to what is used to with Law and Order and it doesn't fit the tone. As for the music, it is so bland to the point it's almost non-existent, it is certainly the only Law and Order incarnation where this reviewer cannot remember the theme tune at all.Overall, not an awful show and did have some good points, but never really warmed to it, the weakest of the Law and Order shows easily. Have been known to defend series that were short-lived, but while in recent memory it is not as disappointing as Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour (this show at least had moments, whereas that show never took off) it is not that hard to see why this was short-lived, and this is both because of timing and the quality of the show itself. 4/10 Bethany Cox

hubertalain I'm a big fan of the original Law & Order, and I've watched every episodes of this new Los Angeles edition so far, and can't help but feel this is has nothing to do with the quality of the original show. Bad writing, mostly unknown actors, too upbeat, too bright, too predictable.The acting is okay at best, but we can't relate to any of the characters even after a few shows. You can tell they (NBC and Dick Wolf) are struggling, with many cast changes already! They (NBC) need to get the original, exceptional cast together back again in New York. Bring back the original Law and Order! Not this diluted, flavourless, and almost boring version. It feels like a cheap knock-off not worthy of the Law & Order title. Dick Wolf should be ashamed for producing this level of crap when compared to the extreme high quality of the original show.Let's hope someone in charge will wake-up and realize the blunder they've made in cancelling the original, only to replace it with this...

kayaker36 Skeet Ulrich and Corey Stoll, two relatively unknown actors, make an intriguingly contrasting pair--one a handsome young family man with a quick mind and a nose for the hidden truth, the other older, single (possibly gay?), completely bald and endlessly patient, and bringing a profound knowledge of human nature to crime solving. Here is a wealth of original ideas such as subtitling each episode with an area of Greater LA, which Dick Wolf knows intimately. The whole idea is to spotlight the differences between Los Angeles, a new city shaped by and built to suit the automobile, and centuries-old New York, a product of the age of sail.There are some lyrical camera shots, almost elegiac, of the canyons and vistas of Los Angeles, of its suburbs-in-search-of-a-city lifestyle, of its public beaches, its palatial beachfront homes and its slums. Best of all is its exploration of human types, so varied yet so...well, so LA.Alfred Molina in a recurring role as a trial prosecutor, is part Englishman, part Spaniard, he has no non-European ancestry at all. Yet he is believable as a boy of humble Latino origins who has risen high in public service. There are exciting guest stars, original yet believable plots with the "ripped from the headlines" aspect remaining an L&O trademark.If this show fails it will be because of its harshly realistic view of gender. The first two episodes feature women who have killed without legal justification. There are other repugnant acts committed by women. L&O - SVU, this ain't!What it is is a crime show with scripts that other great chronicler of Los Angeles Raymond Chandler might have written.

zaenkney Skeet Ulrich and Alfred Molina achieved a rather potent premier in "Law and Order: Los Angeles". The first episode provided young, hot, Hollywood actors, burglaries of the rich and famous, murders and betrayal. There was bright sunlight in the daytime and night-lights after dark. Its a new "Law and Order" and I like it. Alfred Molina and Terrance Howard will take turns as Asst. D.A.s in different episodes. While I'm not sure how that will flow, I enjoy both actors and look forward to seeing how this plays out. Ulrich does his character justice and, so far, is not a carbon copy of other "Law and Order" copsters. I hope, he maintains his own distinct persona, as D'Onofrio certainly did. It never hurts to be exclusive, especially in a herd. I believe "Law and Order: Los Angeles" has the potential to be extra-Order-nary. Sorry, couldn't help myself. Watch it, you could like it! 10/07/2010