Will Saffron Burrows replace Julianne Nicholson on Law & Order: Criminal Intent next season?
USA is in final talks to green-light the show for a ninth season, but...
read more
Was Lost hasty in giving Michael the hook? Which of the Law & Orders has bid adieu to some fans' favorite? Is ABC's Life on Mars already on a shaky mission? In this launch of Mega Buzz, a new weekly column, I'll field your questions about your favorite shows. If there is a topic you want to see covered or a question you'd like to ask, this e-mail is the place to do it.Since we're just starting out here, I'll have to settle for answering my own questions. Hope I'm not a smart-ass to myself.Question: What's your take on Harold Perrineau's Lost exit Q&A?Mitovich: It's an incendiary topic, but I hear where Perrineau is coming from, on Michael's too-short return. Sure, it (partially) explained what became of the Dawson men after their Season 2 sail-away. But to leave Walt fatherless — and in doing so rob the series of its second barely-used African American character (Mr. Eko, we barely knew ye) — was a questionable move. This country now has its first for-real African-...
read more
Its berth on USA Network isn't the only change in store for Law & Order: Criminal Intent this season. Alicia Witt (The Upside of Anger, Cybill) has been tapped to join the crime drama as Det. Nola Falacci, a new partner for Chris Noth's Mike Logan. Witt is subbing, at least temporarily, for Julianne Nicholson, who will miss a string of episodes this season due to maternity leave.L&O: CI returns Thursday, Oct. 4, at 10 pm/ET on USA. (Don't make me remind you again.)
read more
Well, it’s late, so I’ll just come right out and say it: For a finale, this was a big disappointment. While last week’s trailer made this ep look like a killer-hunting-cops thriller, it turned out to be a standard-issue case with a side of sentimentality.To its credit, this episode remained interesting throughout, probably because of the unusual decision to follow two separate cases. But the problem, at least for me, was that we’ve been so well-trained by Law & Order to try to put the pieces together that I kept searching for a nonexistent connection between the cases. Definitely a missed opportunity for a nice twist and a satisfying resolution.Of the two story lines, I preferred Logan’s, mainly because it was so personal and character-driven. This was the first chance we’ve really had to connect with the Noth since he joined CI, and I was so impressed with his performance, which relied on genuine emotion and subtlety rather than sarcastic quips. I ...
read more
Here’s the thing about giving your detectives more backstories: They can’t come at the expense of interesting cases, which are always the driving force behind every Law & Order incarnation. But that’s exactly what’s been happening on Criminal Intent lately. Surrounding nearly every emotional glimpse into Det. Bobby’s troubled family life, there has been a by-the-numbers case that wouldn’t have stood so well on its own, but was buoyed by the “behind-the-scenes” drama. And tonight’s episode was the best (or worst) example of this problematic duality I've seen yet. On the one hand, we had a whole bunch of clichés: another semi-rapper-related killing, more spoiled rich kids turned criminals, and such a convoluted web of motives and machinations, it was hard to keep all the “players” straight, let alone care. And that rapper’s name was Apocalypto? Seriously? Of course, it’s a well-known fact that nothing gets you m...
read more