Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent makes a surprisingly good case for itself in its series premiere - using its Canadian setting to its advantage to introduce a new and fresh side to the franchise, with potential to become a fan favourite entry.

The characters are somewhat under-utilized, focusing more on the individual "case-of-the-week", opening the door for possible character development in the near future - if the show lives to reach one.

The cases are interesting and make for a good time filler, but as with any procedural, the appeal can wear off and the cases can become somewhat dull.

Case in point, Law & Order Toronto has its priorities set on establishing its Canadian roots while ensuring the cases-of-the-week shine - at least in the beginning.

The series debut was fine.

People seem to forget that this is Criminal Intent so we get a twisty plot, over-intelligent detectives who might be on the spectrum and not much courtroom action.

Although far from perfect I think the premiere delivered.

The quips exchanged by the lead detectives keeps things light when things are heavy (and it might hint at a deep relationship between the two) and the plot twists were just enough to keep the episode moving along.

The use of the city of Toronto is done well without bludgeoning the spectator with Toronto overdose.

My only qualms with the first episode is I'm not sure I enjoyed the police lieutenant, her dialogue seemed off and also there was way too much walking (fast) and talking!

All in all I'll be sticking around to watch other episodes.

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.

I have to laugh at some of the reviews here.

I'd like to point out that Law & Order Criminal Intent does NOT include a trial. The episode always ends with the case solved and the bad guy getting arrested. So no, there is nothing "missing" in the Toronto formula, it's exactly the same format as the original Criminal Intent.

My review: I found the two leads to be pretty good, and Karen Robinson is terrific as usual. Character development should be interesting.

I found the acting of the guest cast cringe-worthy at times, but some of that may be the dialog. Perhaps the director? And the plot was pretty lame. If this was "ripped from the headlines" I sure don't recall the story.

My biggest complaint was how fast everyone was walking. And even the talking seemed really fast. It was weird.

Hopefully the following episodes will have better actors in the guest roles, and a more thoughtful script. The plot in the first episode had some major holes in it.

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.