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Mike Logan in Criminal Intent

I’d never watched any Law & Order: Criminal Intent before today. But since I am two episodes away from finishing my mothership season 5 DVDs, I decided that I should really check out Criminal Intent in honor of my favorite L&O detective, Mike Logan.

So I watched Diamond Dogs, the second episode of season 5. I believe that is Logan’s first focus episode in which he’s a regular cast member. And well, it’s interesting to see the (very stark) change between L&O!Logan and CM!Logan. It’s not as simple as him being older. He was always sarcastic and known for his short fuse, but in Criminal Intent he’s just so jaded. Jaded and somehow sadder. There was always a cocky amusement behind the smart aleck snark in L&O. That spark seems to be gone in CM. The snark is more self-deprecating, or more cynical, or both. As for the short fuse, it seems now as if Logan himself has resigned himself to idea that he is the “cop with an asterisk next to his name”, prone to violent outbursts that he can’t control, and that this makes him a potential liability. Which is sad, in my opinion. Not that I condone impulsive violence obviously, but Logan didn’t used to seem like he felt he needed to apologize for his temperament. And frankly, it didn’t seem that bad to me.

All of this isn’t really a complaint about Mike Logan’s characterization in Criminal Intent. At this point, at least, it seems to me that it’s a logical consequence of what Logan has been through. Demoted due to his temperament, being stuck for years in what he conisdered a dead end… It’s sad, but it’s realistic. Like I jokingly told a friend, it must be the result of all those years in the barren wasteland of Staten Island. I can totally see him evolving from the cocky smartass to the more jaded, more bitter version of himself. And it’s certainly interesting.

And on a different note, I loved the reference to Lenny…

You know, I had a partner… oh, what a great stickman he was.

Logan and Briscoe. Best Law & Order detective partners ever.

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“I’m your friend, James, but please explain to me as simply as possible what part of DO NOT INCUR THE WRATH OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH did you not understand?”

—George Castle to James Steel, Law & Order UK

Oh, James. XD

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‘Honour Bound’ Law & Order UK series 2 finale

Really enjoyed this episode. It had my favorite characters doing their thing, and the title sort of directly applies to their choices and actions in the episode. They all do what they believe is the right thing to do, and it’s interesting how each goes about it in a different way, and more so how it puts them at odds.

Read more “‘Honour Bound’ Law & Order UK series 2 finale” →

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James: You can skate?
Alesha: Oh yeah.
J: What are you doing Saturday afternoon?
A: …Watching you fall flat on your ass.

—James Steel and Alesha Phillips, L&O:UK ep 2×05

Gonna miss the flirty interaction between these two so much now that Ben Daniels is gone.

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Criminal Minds 2×10: ‘Lessons Learned’

Quick thoughts about episode 10 of season 2 of Criminal Minds, because it was just so good:

1. Chess! Of course, chess is a thing on Criminal Minds, but I like how it was brought back here and how it permeated the whole episode. Obviously, how the interviews/interrogations were, in the end, basically a chess game between Gideon and Jind Allah, how the winner was to be the one that would be able to see further ahead in the opponent’s strategy and anticipate his moves, and how in hindsight, this was all established when Reid complained about the plane’s lurching ending the game because he was winning only to have Prentiss say that Gideon would have won in three moves.

2. Speaking of Emily Prentiss. She starts the episode with no certainty that she’ll really have a place on the unit, and it’s obvious from Gideon’s demeanor that she’ll have to learn that place, along with his respect. Asking her if she plays, at the end, shows that she’s earned both. And she knows it.

3. “You won’t get rid of me that easy”. What I really love about this show is how rich the characters are, how much is revealed in subtle little details… which is appropriate considering the show’s whole premise. JJ and Garcia are both worried after seeing the explosion on tv, but Garcia’s clearly more affected, it cuts deeper, she’s the one that just has to call immediately, and JJ’s demeanor seems to acknowledge it.

Not only is Garcia  the one to make the call, of course it’s Morgan she calls. There’s something so natural about the fact, it doesn’t have to explained, really. And it’s not that she’s not worried about Hodge or the rest the rest of the agents with them, it’s that there’s something more between the two of them, something Morgan acknowledges in the way he reassures her: she won’t get rid of him. It’s such a great, intimate little moment.

4. Duty versus heart. Speaking of character moments, I love how when the straight-laced Hotch is agonizing over calling his wife because it would be a breach of security, Morgan just says “You’ll lose Hailey and Jack, screw this job” and that does. Just says so much about who both of these guys are.


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“Look up the words sexy and brilliant in that computer of yours and tell me what you come up with”.
“Look at that… it’s me”.
“You are a goddess, woman”.

– Morgan and Garcia, Criminal Minds

I ship it like fire. \:D/