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'Law & Order' series finale: These are their stories
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Of all shows, "Law & Order" probably didn't need a great big, wrap-it-all-up series finale. The show is designed to be close-ended every week, and although character information gets dropped in here and there, we pretty much only know the workaday sides of the cops and prosecutors who make up "L&O's" world.So it was a little off script -- but really gratifying -- to go home with Lt. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) in the final episode of the show on Monday night (May 24). The episode, "Rubber Room," wasn't intended as a series finale, but it became that with NBC's decision to end the show after 20 years, and it worked pretty well.
Series end or no, we've known for a while that this would be Merkerson's final episode of "Law & Order," and as the longest-serving actor in the history of the series, she got a good sendoff. While Detectives Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson) were chasing down threats to blow up a school, she was monitoring the status of her cancer treatment. We saw her at the hospital, and even at home with her boyfriend -- now fiancee -- Frank (Ernie Hudson), as well as stubbornly refusing to let her fellow officers make a to-do about her leaving.
The story provided an upbeat grace note for Van Buren -- she gets good news from her doctor in the final scene -- and brought all the current cast together for her farewell party, another nice touch that we don't often see. (The title card naming the bar was amusing.)
As for the final case, it was heavier on the "Law" side of the ledger, focusing mostly on Lupo and Bernard's search for the would-be bomber. ADAs Cutter (Linus Roache) and Rubirosa (Alana de la Garza) were secondary players as there were no trial scenes, although Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) got to unleash a vintage harangue on an uncooperative teachers union lawyer.
(As a side note, there must be some "Lost" fans in the "L&O" writers room. The bomber was targeting John Locke High School, and at one point a character says "Whatever happens, happens," an oft-repeated line on the Island.)
NBC says it's talking with "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf about a movie or other event that would put more of a bow on the original series, but for now this is the last we'll see of the 27th Precinct (barring any cameos on the two active "L&O" series, or a bicoastal story involving the new show "Law & Order: Los Angeles").
"Law & Order" didn't go out with a huge bang. It just did what it's always done: deliver a tightly plotted, well-acted hour of good guys and bad guys -- which for this long-time fan is good enough.
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Photo credit: NBC
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Really is a shame it ended. I guess they decided without Lt. Van Buren the law side of things would just be missing a vital element.
Still it had a good long run.
As for it not beating out gunsmoke for the longest running drama, If you were to combine all the L&O series it would have done that a long time ago.
Technicalities, Technicalities...
I love this show. I watch the weekend, weekday reruns, and I've been an fan since the very beginning. It's funny to see the old shows, and I hoped that the show would go on for at least another two years. Crime stories are never ending. The actors that tell those stories on Law and Order are great. What a wonderful series!!!!!!! I hope that some other network picks it up. (Remember JAG), another great show.
THOSE OF US WHO ARE FANS WILL MISS THE LAW AND ORDER,SHOW. TOO BAD WINDSOR,ONTARIO POLICE WERN'T AS MORAL AND GOOD AT THERE JOB AS THESE GUYS. HAVING BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN, POLICE OFFICER AND CRIMINAL, I COULD ALWAYS RELATE TO THE SHOW. AT LEAST THE POLICE AND THE D.A.WERE HONEST......NOT LIKE IN WINDSOR, AND I SHOULD KNOW,FROM BOTH SIDES.ALL THE BEST FROM A NOW, STRAIGHT AND NARROW FAN. KURTIS K. CULLEN
My partner and I popped a bottle of bubbly and toasted last night's episode. It was well done. I fought back the tears at the opening credits, well aware that this would be the last first-run episode I'd be watching, never missing any of the other 455 since September 1990. The end of an era. A remarkable series. We will miss you terribly!!
So sad this morning. It's like losing a very close friend. For 20 years, I've tuned in every week to indulge in quality television. Last evening's episode was excellent. I couldn't fight back the tears. Shared a bottle of bubbly with my partner as we toasted our favorite television series. To Law & Order! We will miss you.
As a High School teacher, a Union member and a Law and Order fanatic this last episode of gave me a lot of satisfaction.
Last night's episode made me cry. This, SVU, and Southland are the best TV shows ever. They've set a very high standard, too bad America prefers empty entertainment.
It's interesting that S. Epatha Merkerson becomes the actress that has the longest run in a tv series where she appeared in every episode
(from when she joined the show until
the end).
She "took the crown" from Michele Lee, who was in every episode of "Knots Landing" during its 14 year run.
You could tell it wasn't a "series" but a "season" finale. This was too be expected since the writers, et al went into writig this episode thinking there was another season in the offing. But this think NBC could do (and they never do anything right anymore), would be to give it a 7 episode arc, thus allowing it break the record and offer some closure. It was nice to see old Jack back. :D
"As for the final case, it was heavier on the "Law" side of the ledger, focusing mostly on Lupo and Bernard's search for the would-be bomber."
I think you got it backwards. The "Law" part of the show would be the lawyer/courtroom scenes. The "Order" part is the police investigation...