This season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent is bittersweet.
I am thrilled that Criminal Intent has again reunited Detectives Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe), the original team and my personal favorites.
But it also saddens me that this 10th season will be Criminal Intent's last.
Criminal Intent airs at 9 pm Sundays on the USA Network.
I am a Law & Order junkie and can watch rerun after rerun of each of the spinoffs. I am a big fan of the original, or, as my husband calls it, the mothership. But Criminal Intent is my favorite.
Criminal Intent takes more risks with its plots and provocative themes by focusing on the criminals' actions and motives, rather than on the police and prosecutions.
Goren and Eames seamlessly return to the Major Case Squad, as if they never left. Last year, Goren was fired for insubordination and Eames quit. The lead detectives were then played by Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows who were enjoyable, but they were not Goren and Eames.
The chemistry between Goren and Eames is pitch perfect for two professionals who respect each other, know each other's quirks and can guess each other's thoughts. I love the fact that they are not romantically involved and that Eames is Goren's boss.
Criminal Intent's last season is still taking chances. Joseph Hannah (Jay O. Sanders), a friend of Goren’s since their academy days, is the squad's new captain. Goren has mandatory sessions with a police psychologist to help him with his tortured past.
Character actor Sanders has been in every Law & Order, playing victims, criminals, attorneys and, I think, once a judge.
According to network reports, Criminal Intent's ninth season was strong, with 3.6 million total viewers to the series. Maybe if this season has equally strong viewership, Criminal Intent will have an 11th season. It's happened before.
And if that doesn't work, we'll always have Criminal Intent on DVD.
A special note to Kathryn Erbe if you are reading this: my husband and I were in front of you at the matinee of The House of Blue Leaves. I was the one who told you how much I have enjoyed your work and was happy that you were back on Criminal Intent.
Photo: Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe USA Network photo
