Law & Order - The Second Year
Starring: Law & OrderStudio: Mca Home Video
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Full Screen, Live, Subtitled, NTSC
DVD Release: May 4th 2004
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DVD Review
Law & Order, the groundbreaking, Emmy Award winning drama series explodes onto DVD - with all 22 gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines episodes of its second year contained in this must-have DVD collection. Paul Sorvino, Michael Moriarty, Chris Noth, Richard Brooks, Dann Florek and Steven Hill are the relentless investigators and prosecutors who tackle the intriguing criminal cases that come before them; guest stars appearing in this compelling second season include Jerry Orbach (before he became a series regular!), Maura Tierney (TV's "ER"), Allison Janney (TV's "The West Wing"), William H. Macy ("Seabiscuit," TV's "ER"), Kelli Williams (TV's "The Practice"), and Nancy Marchand (TV's "The Sopranos"). Law & Order: The Second Year will keep you enthralled with its celebrated ensemble cast and "absorbing, sharply-written episodes" (TV Guide).
User Reviews
The best seasons were the early ones - Rating: 5/5
As season two of Law & Order opens, Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) finds himself assigned a new partner in Detective Cerreta (Paul Sorvino) in the wake of the murder of his old partner Greevy (George Dzundza). From that point on, this is when the revolving door began to turn for the ensemble cast of Law & Order, even though the rest of season one's cast returns here. Michael Moriarty's and Richard Brooks' DA team are still the best duo in the history of the show (say whatever you want about longtime vet Sam Waterston, Moriarty will always be superior), and Sorvino and Noth are excellent together. The characters are given more depth, and the stories are more intense; containing that "ripped from the headlines" feel that the show would gain notariety for. The late Jerry Orbach, who would become the face of the series from season three onwards, appears here as a super slick defense attorney, and his guest spot alone is worth giving this a look for alone. All in all, season two of Law & Order only proves further that the early seasons of the series were undoubtadly the best, and now maybe Universal will finally get around to releasing season three on DVD.
The good years - Rating: 5/5
Each episode of the early seasons lofts far above the majority of the recent dribble, now mostly sensationalist schlock. But if you take a look at this or season one,(i can't wait for season 3!), you'll know why, or remember why, this show has endured for so long. This is genuine quality TV, and i hope with all my heart that the current trend of, well, crappiness will end soon, very very soon. The show should go back to it's basics, because it's so good at it.
Here Is Where Familiar Episode Rhythm REALLY Starts To Jell. - Rating: 4/5
Season One gave us a show of unique creativity and presentation. I would not call it slow in rhythm. It just took its time. With this MTV age, viewers probably preferred a little more speed of pace in the stories.
Season Two starts that. The plots move faster, more twists happen, and the scenes switch quicker. Even the dialogue snaps off with more urgency. This all sets up Seaons 3 and 4 which are my favorites.
I really liked Paul Sorvino. I think he did an outstanding job worthy of his veteran acting resume by stepping into the shoes of George Dzundza.
I predict that Dennis Farina will do a fine job too when he replaces my favorite cop (Jerry Orbach) for Season 15. (Farina is a former Chicago cop by the way in real life)
Second Year Not as Intense as the First, But Still Good - Rating: 5/5
What a neat feeling it is to watch these older episodes and to experience the days when Law & Order was original and unique. The format of the program has never changed in the 14 years the show has been on the air. The first half of the program is dedicated to the police investigation (usually a murder.) The second half was dedicated to the prosecution of the criminals involved. Many fans of the early years like myself appreciate the subtle characterizations that the writers and actors brought to their parts. That kind of authenticity is lacking in today's cliché-ridden scripts with cardboard characters.
The best episode is, "Confession," in which Mike Logan (Chris Noth) crosses the line after his partner from the first season is murdered. Logan's struggle through the grieving process does not detract from the show's format, but only enhances it as Logan meets his new partner, Phil Ceretta (Paul Sorvino.) Other standout episodes include, "God Bless the child," "Heaven," "Vengeance," and "The Fertile Fields." Its strange to see Jerry Orbach playing a slick defense lawyer in, "The Wages of Love," a year before he would become the show's corner-stone character, Lenny Briscoe. Some of the content was watered down a bit after advertisers bucked the idea of hot-button story lines that were common in season one. Still, the material is gritty and realistic and the writing feels fresh.
The bonus documentary will appeal to old-school fans like myself. It includes interviews with Chris Noth, Michael Moriarty, George Dzundza, Dan Florek, Richard Brooks, Paul Sorvino and Jerry Orbach. Its neat to get inside of their heads a bit, though it is sometimes sad when you see the shape that Mr. Moriarty is in now.
The disks now contain eight episodes each (four per side.) This doesn't seem to cut down on picture quality much and the audio is still better quality than what you find on television. If you want to see Law & Order long before it was just another tired cop/lawyer franchise, buy these DVD's.
Liked the shows, didn't like the cast - Rating: 3/5
I'm glad to see that Season 14 is coming out now because I would have hated to wait for it if all the seasons came out in turn. I do not intend to buy any season before Season 5 because the cast of the first few seasons does not interest me. First of all, there are no women. Secondly, I do not care for Michael Moriarty and Richard Brooks; give me Sam Waterston and his lovely assistants. Steven Hill and Chris Noth are good, but Paul Sorvino is no Jerry Orbach and Dann Florek doesn't hold a candle to S. Epatha Merkeson. When they finally got the casting right, the show went from a good one to a great one. It's too bad it took five years to come together.
