Russian roulette isn't the same without a gun.

Law & Order: The Mothership

So, Law & Order ended its 20-year run on May 24th. Or so I'm told. I actually didn't watch it, because I was too busy celebrating my brother's birthday (9 days late) and Mother's Day (15 days late). And actually, this entry was supposed to go up sometime around my brother's birthday. But then Blooper (one of our bunnies) got really sick and was humanely euthanized on the 21st, and I spent most of that week crying anyway, so, no post.

I started actually watching Law & Order in the summer of 2001. I started with the sixth season's finale, which was possibly the worst episode I could have started with, because Claire died at the end. And a cloud sort of hangs over your head when you then park yourself in front of A&E at 10, 4, 8, and 11:00 every day, watching the early episodes, knowing that your favourite character is going to die anyway. And sobbing into your lamb and gnocchi, while trying not to tell anyone you're crying over TV, because damn that's weird.

I'm pretty sure I've watched at least one episode from all 20 seasons, and all of them in the year they were broadcast, right from 1990. And, I mean, I tried to pay attention when I was 5, because it was a grown-up people show, but all I really remember was that I had the attention span of a gnat, there were people in suits, and I liked neon colours, none of which were featured in Law & Order.

I remember Michael Moriarty getting into a bar fight in Maple Ridge around the time I was crying into my gnocchi, which hardly jived with my then-view of Law & Order people being awesome, and unable to do any wrong. That sort of coloured my view of Ben Stone forever after.

I remember how sad everyone was when Jerry Orbach died, and how such a large piece of the show died with him. Dennis Farina, you were no replacement.

I remember discovering that Jerry Orbach was Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, which pretty much clinched his awesomeness for eternity.

I remember the kafuffle over Serena(?) coming out as a lesbian, but only after she was fired. Because Dick Wolf apparently can't do openly gay characters. Prove me wrong, people, prove me wrong.

I remember seeing Richard Brooks on tons of other shows, but having trouble placing him, because he didn't have the flat-top anymore.

I remember thinking Angie Harmon was kinda cute, but then finding out (*coughthisyearcough*) that she was a staunch Republican, and being unable to summon any respect for her.

I remember finding out that Carey Lowell was married to Richard Gere, finding out how rude Gere was to a fan in a wheelchair, and subsequently losing all respect for them both.

I've noticed that no other ADA has ever really lived up to Claire Kincaid's awesomeness, no calm-voiced Skoda will ever live to the greatness that was Elizabeth Olivet, and that, though Van Buren was brought in originally to fill in the required minority representation, her character has always been beautifully, beautifully portrayed.

And most of all, I remember Jack McCoy. A lot. And now, he'll be stuck doing TD Waterhouse commercials forever.

Goodbye, Mothership. I'll always remember our 20 years together. You weren't perfect, you didn't have enough women, and you totally lied about those stories never being ripped from the headlines, but you'll always have a place in my heart and on my DVD shelf.