Law & Order: Criminal Intent

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Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Genre Police Procedural
Creator(s) Dick Wolf
Starring Vincent D'Onofrio
Kathryn Erbe
Chris Noth (2005-present)
Julianne Nicholson (2006-present)
Eric Bogosian (2006-present)
Previous Cast: Samantha Buck (2003-2004)
Jamey Sheridan (2001-06)
Annabella Sciorra (2005-06)
Courtney B. Vance (2001-06)
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
No. of episodes 128 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time approx. 45 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run September 30, 2001 – present
Links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI, L&O:CI, Criminal Intent, LOCI or simply CI) is an American crime drama television series set in New York City that premiered on September 30, 2001. It is the second spinoff of the long-running crime drama Law & Order. The show currently stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Chris Noth, Julianne Nicholson and Eric Bogosian; the latter two actors are new to the series and made their debuts in the sixth season. Theresa Randle has also been recently cast as a recurring character.

New episodes of Criminal Intent can be seen on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, preceding Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at 10 p.m. ET. [1] In addition, re-runs are aired on the USA and Bravo cable TV channels.

Season 6 premiered on September 19, 2006. The show had the lowest ratings of all Law & Order shows, but it is hoped that the show will serve as a good lead-in to SVU, which drew the highest ratings, with nearly 15 million viewers.[2]

Contents

[edit] Series overview

Criminal Intent follows a distinct division of the New York City Police Department: the "Major Case Squad". The Major Case Squad investigates high-profile cases, usually homicides, such as those involving VIPs, local government officials and employees, the financial industry, and the art world.

Unlike the other shows in the Law & Order franchise, Criminal Intent gives a great amount of attention to the actions and motives of the criminals, rather than showing (almost exclusively) the police and prosecution's side of the case.

A signature feature of each Criminal Intent episode (not present in the original Law & Order series) is that the teaser introduction before the title sequence always involves a series of cut-scenes that show events from the suspects' and victims' lives, leading up to the crime. Clues to the crime's eventual solution can often be found in this teaser sequence.

[edit] Characters

Main Article: Law & Order Characters (All Series)

  • Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio), is a quirky yet extraordinarily intelligent investigator and criminal profiler, known for his instinct and insight. Often, Goren's intuition turns out to be the case-breaker, rather than solid evidence (which is usually the case in the other two series). Each episode, Goren typically employs his knowledge of an unusually wide range of topics, from theoretical physics to (multiple) foreign languages. Goren once served in the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, stationed in Germany and South Korea. The Bobby Goren character is very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes; he notices tiny — yet important — details ignored by others, and has broad encyclopedic knowledge. Frequently, Goren obtains crucial information and confessions by psychologically manipulating and provoking suspects, and suspects' associates. Mental illness seems to run in Goren's family, his mother suffers from schizophrenia and his brother is homeless (where many individuals with untreated mental illness often wind up). At times, Goren's investigative style resembles that of a high functioning autistic, for his ability to focus on details and make connections that others overlook.
  • Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe), a quiet, practical partner who always seems to mesh well with Goren, despite the noticeable personality differences between the two. Her character is much like the screen portrayals of Holmes' partner Doctor Watson: a lesser equal, overshadowed by the charismatic presence of a prodigy partner. While still an assertive and no-nonsense cop and the senior partner of the pairing, much of Eames' dialogue consists of sarcastic, pun-heavy observations delivered at dramatically opportune moments (much like Law & Order's Detective Lennie Briscoe character). There are occasional hints of a strong affection between the two partners, but their relationship is not romantic. Their working relationship is outwardly more formal than that of the lead detectives in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, who typically call each other by their first names and have strong emotional interplay. Goren and Eames are more businesslike and typically call each other by their last names, but when Eames observes that Goren is under particular stress, she will call him "Bobby".
    • When Erbe went on maternity leave, she was largely replaced with Samantha Buck as Detective G. Lynn Bishop (Season 3 [2003-2004], episodes 5-11). During this period, Erbe sometimes cameoed as Det. Eames — on desk duty — in police station scenes. The storyline explanation was that Detective Eames (who is single) had embarked upon a surrogate pregnancy, as a solemn favor to her sister who was too fragile to carry her own fetus.


  • Captain James Deakins (Jamey Sheridan), Goren and Eames' immediate supervisor; he periodically checks up on their progress during investigations. At Season 5's end, Deakins resigned rather than battle a conspiracy to frame him. The vendetta stemmed from a previous episode, in which Deakins -- torn between his loyalties and his integrity -- reluctantly allowed Goren and Eames to put his "friend" Frank Adair (a former Chief of Detectives) in prison by refusing to cover up Adair's misdeeds. Adair used his connections to plant false evidence alleging Deakins was corrupt, and Deakins refused to tarnish the department by fighting the charges.
  • Captain Daniel Ross (Eric Bogosian) is Deakins' successor as Major Case Squad commander. He is given the position as a reward for a successful three-year stint as head of a Joint Task Force on International Money Laundering. With him, he brings Detective Megan Wheeler.
  • Ron Carver (Courtney B. Vance), an aggressive yet idealistic, by-the-books legal figure who often pressures Goren and Eames for additional evidence. Like Anita Van Buren from Law & Order, Carver graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but it is unknown whether they knew each other or were classmates. (In a shared scene the two had in the episode 'Badge', however, there was little indication of closeness or a prior awareness of each other.) No reason has been given for Carver's departure.
  • Patricia Kent (Theresa Randle) is Carver's replacement as the Major Case Squad's primary ADA. She appears as a Special Guest Star, but is not part of the starring cast of the series.
The season 6 cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent; from left, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth, Vincent D'Onofrio, Eric Bogosian, and Kathryn Erbe
The season 6 cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent; from left, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth, Vincent D'Onofrio, Eric Bogosian, and Kathryn Erbe
  • Patricia Kent was supposed to be played by Nona Gaye, but she quit the series shortly after production began.

Beginning with the 2005 season, a second team of detectives was introduced to alternate with Goren and Eames (reportedly to relieve D'Onofrio from being overworked, which had led to medical problems in previous seasons). "I wouldn't be doing a fifth season if it wasn't for Dick Wolf stepping in and coming up with a better idea. It was just too much. Kate and I, we work our butts off." [3].

The second team is as follows:

  • Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth), Logan is a troubled detective who had formerly worked as a homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th precinct (from 1990–1995, on the original Law & Order). He had been banished to the NYPD's career graveyard (Staten Island harbor patrol) after publicly punching a homophobic politician who had murdered a gay man that Logan had grudgingly come to respect; however, Logan redeemed himself by solving a dirty-cop murder/conspiracy case (as seen in the 1998 NBC TV movie Exiled: A Law & Order Movie). He was later transferred from Staten Island to the NYPD's Domestic Disputes department. He made an appearance working with Goren and Eames, as a colleague co-investigating allegations of prisoner abuse at the hands of corrupt federal prison guards. In addition, Logan was involved in the 'officer-involved shooting' used to fuel the career-ending conspiracy against Captain Deakins.
  • Detective Carolyn Barek (Annabella Sciorra), partner of Mike Logan. Barek is a brilliant criminal profiler who ascended from the hard-scrabble streets of Brooklyn's Cobble Hill to the highest ranks of the NYPD and beyond, spending two post-9/11 years with the FBI. Her reason for departing Major Case is not known.
  • Detective Megan Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson), Mike Logan's second partner during his run with the Major Case Squad. Wheeler transfers into Major Case with her captain/mentor, Daniel Ross. She is a "by-the-book" officer and is more reluctant to bend procedural rules than Logan.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Law & Order: Criminal Intent episodes

[edit] Criticism

Episode number 137, 30, which aired in season 6, was criticized by the Jerusalem Post [4] for portraying Israel in a harsh and unbalanced light and appearing to promote anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jews as disloyal citizens. The episode shows Israeli bulldozers destroying a Palestinian school and a Jewish police captain who agrees to cover up for Israel by shutting down a criminal investigation at the urging of the head of the local pro-Israel group. In one scene, after Captain Danny Ross tells his officers to halt their investigation, Detective Mike Logan confronts him and asks, "Are you a Jew first and a cop second?" When one character tries to draw distinctions between the actions of the IDF and the terrorist targeting of civilians by Hamas, Logan cuts him off, implying that it is also common IDF practice to target civilians.

[edit] Trivia

Law & Order franchise
Original series

Special Victims Unit
Criminal Intent
Trial by Jury

Franchise characters

Conviction
Exiled
Crime & Punishment
  • The words to the opening narration are spoken each week by Steven Zirnkilton [5]since 2001

In New York city's war on crime the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the major case squad. These are their stories.

  • The Major Case Squad is located on the 11th floor of New York One Police Plaza.
  • While many cast members of the various Law & Order shows are "repeat offenders" (actors who previously appeared in other roles), there are a few 'multi-repeat' offenders:
    • Courtney B. Vance previously played two different characters on the original show (a mayoral aide in "By Hooker, By Crook" and a stockbroker in "Rage") before accepting the role of Ron Carver.
    • Julianne Nicholson appeared in one episode of the original Law & Order ("All My Children"), then starred on Conviction (as Christina Finn) before joining Criminal Intent as Detective Barek's replacement, Megan Wheeler.
  • A planned miniseries which would have featured Detective Goren and united the casts of Criminal Intent, SVU, and the original Law & Order was cancelled because of the events of 9/11. The plotline centered around a terrorist attack using biological weapons.
  • D'Onofrio's real-life father, Gene D'Onofrio, appears in the episode "Slither". He is seen walking within the Major Case Squad.
  • Fans of the show frequently refer to it as LO:CI (pronounced L-O See-eye).

[edit] The Real NYPD "Major Case Squad"

The NYPD does have a "Major Case Squad" but unlike the Major Case Squad on Criminal Intent, the real "Major Case Squad" Only handles the following types of cases.

  • Kidnappings as directed by the Chief of Detectives
  • Burglary or Attempted Burglary of a bank or bank safe
  • Larceny by extortion or attempt, from a bank
  • Robbery or attempted of a bank by a perpetrator not armed
  • Burglary of a truck contents over $100,000
  • Larceny of a truck contents over $100,000
  • Robbery of a truck and contents by hijacking
  • All robberies in warehouse depots or similar locations where the objects of the crime is a truck or its contents
  • All commercial burglaries in which the value of the property stolen exceeds $100,000
  • Art Theft

The "Major Case Squad" does not investigate homicides. All homicide investigations are conducted by precinct detective squads and borough homicide squads.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Won

  • 2005 Edgar Award for Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (René Balcer and Elizabeth Benjamin, for "Want")

[edit] Nominated

  • 2005 Edgar Award for Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (René Balcer and Gerry Conway, for "Conscience"; René Balcer and Warren Leight, for "Consumed"; René Balcer and Warren Leight, for "Pas De Deux")
  • 2004 Edgar Award for Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (René Balcer and Gerry Conway, for "Probability")
  • 2004 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama (Vincent D'Onofrio)
  • 2003 Edgar Award for Best Television Episode (René Balcer, for "Tuxedo Hill")
  • 2002 Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (Courtney B. Vance)

[edit] DVD Releases

DVD Name
Cover Art
Release dates
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
The Complete 1st Season The Complete First Season October 21, 2003 February 28, 2005 January 20, 2005
The Complete 2nd Season The Complete Second Season December 12, 2006 July 17, 2006 March 7, 2006
The Complete 3rd Season The Complete Third Season September 14, 2004 N/A N/A

[edit] Technical information

Law & Order: Criminal Intent has been shot on film in 16:9 format since at least 2004. This also presents the unique oddity of reruns in this format providing more (previously cropped) material than when the episodes were first run broadcast in 4:3. Since 2004, first run episodes have also aired in HDTV. Since 2006, all new episodes of the multiple Law & Order series have aired in widescreen for 4:3 screens, following other NBC shows such as The West Wing, ER, and Crossing Jordan.

[edit] Related series

The L&O: CI computer game
The L&O: CI computer game
  • In addition, a Law and Order: Criminal Intent computer game by Legacy Interactive was released in November 2005.

[edit] French adaptation

In July 2005, NBC Universal sold the format of Law & Order: Criminal Intent to French channel TF1 Alma Productions to launch a localized French version of the drama. The version will get its own native language title (Paris, enquêtes criminelles) and actors. It should go into production and premiere in 2007. It will mirror the content of the original US stories, although the location will be in Paris and adjusted for language and culture. Vincent Perez is going to play the same character as Vincent D'Onofrio. Sandrine Rigaux is going to play Claire Savigny (same character as Kathryn Erbe). A crossover between Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Paris, enquêtes criminelles is in preparation for April 2007.

[edit] International Broadcasters

Country Alternate title/Translation TV Network(s) Series Premiere Weekly Schedule
Flag of United States United States Law & Order: Criminal Intent NBC (Original Airing),
USA Network and
Bravo (Syndication)		 October 7, 2001 Tuesdays 9:00pm ET
Flag of Canada Canada Law & Order: Criminal Intent CTV & NBC (Original Airing),
Access, Channel M, OMNI.2
and Mystery (Syndication)		 October 7, 2001 Tuesdays 9:00pm ET
Flag of Australia Australia Law & Order: Criminal Intent Network Ten (First run)
TV1 (Syndication)		 Thursdays 9:30pm AEST
Flag of Austria Austria ORF
Flag of Brazil Brazil Lei e Ordem: Crimes Premeditados
("Law & Order: Deliberate Crimes")		 Sony Entertainment Television (Cable)
and Rede Record
Flag of France France New York - Section criminelle
("New York - Criminal Section")		 TF1 September 7, 2002
Flag of Germany Germany Criminal Intent - Verbrechen im Visier
("Criminal Intent - Sights set on Crime")		 VOX August 2, 2004 Mondays 9:10pm UTC and
Wednesdays 9:10pm UTC
Flag of Greece Greece Star Channel
Flag of Spain Spain Ley y orden: Acción criminal
("Law & Order: Criminal Action")		 Calle 13, TVE and Localia
Flag of Philippines Philippines Crime/Suspense
Flag of Sweden Sweden I lagens namn: ur brottslig synvinkel
("In the Name of the Law:
From a Criminal Point of View");
this title is only used on Viasat Crime		 Kanal 5 (Sweden) (first run);
Viasat Crime, Hallmark Channel
and TV4+ (syndication)
Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom Law & Order: Criminal Intent Hallmark Channel (first run)
and Channel Five (Reruns)
Flag of Republic of Ireland Ireland Law & Order: Criminal Intent RTÉ Two Series 6

Late Sunday Night
Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
and Arab World		 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Showtime Arabia, Tv Land,
Tv Land +2 (Subtitled)		 Saturday at 21:00 PM

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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