Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

I am really liking this show. It has some of the feeling of the old L&O Criminal Intent. That was my favorite spin off from the original series. I like the actors, and I am enjoying the stories. As an American, it is always nice to watch a show shot and set in another country and with actors I am not familiar with. I feel like the formula works very well and moves along at a fast pace.

One thing I appreciate is the lack of political agenda in the episodes. All the American versions are so preachy and you can tell the political leanings of all the writers. I am glad it got a season two. I highly recommend this version of a classic show.

Though nobody can match Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe and the chemistry they had together in the original Criminal Intent, the two lead actors here seem quite uninspired and generic in their role. The mediocre writing could definitely be partly to blame, however.

The Law & Order franchise became famous and well-loved from a production value based in realism that makes the show feel more human and relatable to the average viewer. This show falls into the same trap that the majority of modern TV does--it tries too hard and ends up feeling too polished, generic and out of touch as a result.

This is a well-executed, engaging, entertaining Canadian version of Law & Order CI (the series franchise that focuses on the police investigation and not so much the courtroom). Detective Graff is gruff, experienced, canny, distanced, and perhaps cynical about human relationships. His accent is classic rural Ontario and for foreigners, immigrants and first gen Canadians who've only ever lived in a city, you'd need to visit Sudbury to get it. It is the speech of hockey arenas outside the GTA. Bateman is probably intended to be the urban, less experienced counterpoint (the character went to university in Montreal and is a single mom from a two-ish-night stand). Canadians pride themselves on not being slick, brash, Americans and that contrast definitely comes through. If you need bombast and machismo in your characters you aren't going to like it. The colour-palette is also much less gritty than the NY versions - the old chestnut is that "Toronto is New York run by the Swiss" and there is a consistent cool blue-grey-green-glass tone-International style to the series settings. I bet the Australians will get it and like it.

I liked the first show, but they need to tone down the platitudes. The two main characters are interesting, but they are a little too intensely focused on delivering clever repartee instead of solid police work. A few too many cliches. There is one point where the two detectives are walking at a break neck speed across the plaza at city hall speaking to what is supposed to be someone in the Crown Attorneys Office. Are they trying to suggest the C. A. is a D. A.? It feels off. Are they also trying to quickly set the series scene with recognized landmarks? The scene would have been better in an office with more dialogue, where they could introduce other characters. Instead they chose the quick fix that was entirely without context.

The series first episode gets off to a lukewarm start, but it seems to have possible potential. That is if the writers can avoid some of the platitudes, and numerous cliches, and if the producers can restrain their rush to introduce a new series without letting characters, and stories drive the series. Do they have a tiny budget, or are the producers too inexperienced; I guess time will tell.

I am from the U. S. but I like this better than its U. S. counterparts- with the exception of the original Criminal Intent with D'Onofrio. It stays true to the Criminal Intent series in that the lead detectives are using knowledge, reason and logic to uncover evidence, unravel the truth, and solve the mystery. They're not stereotypical hot-headed, hard-boiled detectives like I've seen in the original L&O and SVU.

Every lead in this cast is doing a knockout job - both detectives, deputy, inspector, m.e., and Mark are all well cast and talented actors and actresses. With that said, Aden Young is absolutely crushing it. The original male detective from Criminal Intent played by D'Onofrio was inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Aden Young, in my opinion, is performing a unique yet wonderful homage to Sherlock and Vincent D'Onofrio. I hope to see him in more films and series.

I'm a fan of Criminal Intent and for me, this is a very welcomed addition. Please keep this going!