I do tend to like pale, to moderate tans on my girls and be turned off by darker complexions.

Parisse is just odd looking IMO.

I think the citizens arrest thing was loosely based on some New Jersey guy who ran down some robbers who had threatened his daughters ay their home. He took off after them and wound up running one ove by accident.

Really? Rohm wasn't great, but I don't think she deserved the abuse heaped on her here. I don't see the new ADA as any improvement; just another in the same mold.

If you think the abuse was bad here, check out some L&O fora.

Michael Imperioli temporarily takes over for Jesse Martin starting with tonight's episode (through the end of the season).

Wow--Both Christopher AND the priest from The Sopranos--and both as COPS. Too weird.
Pretty darn good episode...

are u sure its only "temporary", red? martin's been replaced in the opening credits by imperioli...if imperioli was just guest starring, or appearing in a story arc (which l&o rarely does), wouldnt he be listed accordingly in the opening scene credits?

It's just temporary. Imperioli is simply becoming a regular for the 6 or so episodes left. Jesse Martin will be back in the fall. Perhaps Imperioli will move onto the more ensemble style casts of SVU or Trial by Jury in the fall if he sticks around the L&O universe.

I caught some of it, Imperioli should have no problem moving on after The Sopranos ends. I don't think he'll be typecast.

On L&O:TBJ they changed the credits several times with the parting of Orbach and then the inclusion of Cohen.

The thing I like about the L&O credits is how interchangeable they are.

This episode was pretty good... but the similarity to real headlines (i.e withdrawing a nomination due to nanny taxes) is starting to wear thin on me.

But Fontana had me laughing:

"For her, I wonder what's going to be flying at half mast."

I thought it was pretty cool of them to give Michael Imperioli his own opening credits portrait as well as a new shot of the cast walking towards the camera. It's pretty funny to see him on the other side of the law, and a real by-the-book copper to boot!. However, if they have anymore blatantly ripped from the headlines episodes like these, they'll have to do away with that disclaimer at the beginning of the episode.

I didn't even see the opening credits
I thought it odd that the lt. knew the porn star because of her kids. they must not cover their tracks very well when they go online. because if they're talking about a porn star in front of their mom, that's just fucked up

I thought Imperioli fit in well

I was surprised McCoy didn't put the death penalty on the table when that woman called him retarded

Around 2 weeks ago I saw a rerun on TNT of L&O about how someone was in jail wrongfully convicted for killing a bouncer outside a nightclub. part of the evidence was that he bragged to his gf to make himself look good and then mccoy found the real killer.

a few days later there is news on TV that a case the case of a killer of a nightclub bouncer is being reviewed for new evidence or whatever. Just like in L&O the guy bragged to his gf and was convicted.

Now it's starting to wear thin? They've been doing it for over a decade!

I was surpised that they adjusted the opening credits for Imperioli. I figured he would be listed as a guest star. He did a nice job. However, I had read that he was not only supposed to be Fontana's temp partner, but he was also supposed to be his nephew. Guess not.

That was a decent episode. I laughed at the Commissioner's excuse for withdrawling his name from consideration.

Pretty good episode... Michael seems like a nice addition to the cast.

he can't any more
NY's death penalty has been declared unconstitutional, and the assembly had a chance to modify the law to make it constitutional but didn't do it

I think them putting his name in the credits and the walk might give validity that he'll get some kind of L&O gig once his Soprano's run is over.

I think he's a great fit. They were smart not to make Imperioli a young, novice detective who looks up to Fontana for guidance. They are both experienced and have their own styles. He was totally believable and could carry the show no matter who he was partnered with, though I like Imperioli and Farina as a team.

A very strong opener IMO. Reminded me a lot of the episode Double Down, although the deal made in that episode wouldn't be invalid on its face. Good tension on the police side and particularly on the DA side. Branch is right - McCoy could never be a DA - just like Captain Kirk could never handle being an admiral.

The only problem I had with the episode is that I find it hard to believe that the police would not have checked out the kidnappers mom's house at some point.

They did go to the mother's house, right? To talk to her to see if she knew where her son was. Not sure if they wuold've thought to do a detailed search to find her in a trunk in the garage though (plus the question of whether she was there at the time).

The deal wouldn't be invalid on its face, but the judge does have discretion in these kind of deals, so the result could've been the same.

Good ep though.

They were running all over the place so maybe I just forgot.

I love that Fontana's "It's OK, I'm (we're) authorized always seems to work."

So is Jesse L. Martin back? I preferred having Michael Imperioli around. Hopefully after the Sopranos ends and the next inevitable L&O cast change occurs, if it happens for the cop segment of the show, they can bring him back permanently.