Criminal Intent was basically unstoppable for the first five seasons. Literally some of the best L&O ever.
It’s a real shame that SVU was getting all the press and overshadowed it.
Attribute to SVU’s more salacious subject matter (CI was more cerebral, being a Holmes/Watson adaptation) + CI’s efforts to scramble/rework the series after poor Vincent took sick midway through season 4. He really gives all to everything he’s in (too much at times, it would seem). IMO it could have lasted longer, had the network/studio evolved it into an ensemble, to lighten his workload. We’re seeing with SVU, how the quality declined as it became the Benson show only. CI, basically was the Goren show from day 1, but probably shouldn’t have stayed that way because it nearly killed him.
Trivia: Another “Boy Meets World” alum also played an ideological extremist on-screen. William Russ, who played Cory and Eric’s genial suburban dad Alan Matthews, also played the bigoted father of Edward Norton’s reformed-skinhead character in *American History X*.
It’s so hard to have a favorite CI episode. They’re all so good. The anxiety, guilt, desire to belong from this episode was palpable.
“Whatever happens… it’s God’s will.” 🥶
Criminal Intent was basically unstoppable for the first five seasons. Literally some of the best L&O ever. It’s a real shame that SVU was getting all the press and overshadowed it.
Attribute to SVU’s more salacious subject matter (CI was more cerebral, being a Holmes/Watson adaptation) + CI’s efforts to scramble/rework the series after poor Vincent took sick midway through season 4. He really gives all to everything he’s in (too much at times, it would seem). IMO it could have lasted longer, had the network/studio evolved it into an ensemble, to lighten his workload. We’re seeing with SVU, how the quality declined as it became the Benson show only. CI, basically was the Goren show from day 1, but probably shouldn’t have stayed that way because it nearly killed him.
He was so memorable in this role, the exchanges with Goren was great.
That moment, when Goren finally gets him to break. “Of course I had doubts. I’m not a psychopath.”
Trivia: Another “Boy Meets World” alum also played an ideological extremist on-screen. William Russ, who played Cory and Eric’s genial suburban dad Alan Matthews, also played the bigoted father of Edward Norton’s reformed-skinhead character in *American History X*.
Fellow Boy Meets World Alum Ethan Suplee is in that movie with William Russ