I’ll admit it—I am obsessed with Law & Order. All of them. So much so that I think I actually squealed with excitement when I saw that there was to be yet another spinoff, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Terrifying, I know.
Disappointingly, I lasted about fifteen minutes watching the first episode. It was just borrrinng. What I failed to notice however, was the female factor on the show. Fortunately, Dahlia Lithwick of Slate was more observant:
It's probably a coincidence that the first legal show featuring almost universally unlikable attorneys is also the first legal show that features almost universally female attorneys. Trial by Jury scuttles the Law & Order casting formula (grizzled veteran cop/foxy male cop plus grizzled veteran prosecutor/foxy supermodel assistant prosecutor) to bring you a gaggle of cynical female defense attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and assistants. The show stars Cheers veteran Bebe Neuwirth as Assistant District Attorney Tracey Kibre ("Let's get someone bitter and emasculating. Like Lillith." "I know! Let's just get Lillith!"). Amy Carlson plays bored ADA Kelly Gaffney, and in last week's premiere, Annabella Sciorra was a defense attorney who nodded serenely as her client described strangling his pregnant girlfriend and chucking her down a well.
Female judges, including Candace Bergen, sit around reminiscing about their brushes with sexual harassment—heh heh—and the dialogue flying between the female prosecutor and defense attorney (over facials, of course) includes such catty garbage as: "Ahhh, the voice that launched a thousand appeals," and "Necessity is the mother of conviction." I counted the word "bitch" or "bitches" six times in the hourlong premiere. I've heard rap albums that are more respectful of women.
Yes, I've been spoiled rotten by the soft-spoken genius of Michael Moriarty in the first four seasons of Law & Order and by the controlled intensity of Sam Waterston in the seasons since, but why fall back into clichés of bitter '80s ballbusters?
Personally, I would love to be a bitter ‘80s ballbuster. I could even wear shoulder pads…hot.
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I am SO with you on this one Jessica! :)
I'm a L&O junkie (except CI for some reason, I think it's because I miss the 'team' aspect), big time. I think I blame growing up with the franchises for the reason I am making law enforcement my chosen profession once I have finished my doctorate ... that's how bad I am.
Honestly, I kinda liked the new series, and I did notice how many women there were. Overall it was different, I'll definitely say that, in that it was weird seeing the familiar feeling in such a different setting.
And, I gotta totally disagree with the critique of 'ball busters'. I loved the return of the ball-buster female attorney. They were 'take-no-prisoners' and it ROCKED.
I loved Annabella Sciorra as the defense attorney (LOVED her fashion sense!) and I seriously hope they bring her back as a reoccuring character, and Candace Bergen brought back some awesome memories (though, I have to admit, it was definitely Candace Bergen playing Candace Bergen to a certain extent). I also really liked Bebe Neuwirth, but I felt in parts they were trying to make her too much of a 'girl' (like that scene in the spa) for her character.
But I have to ask; why can't we have strong women powerful, aggressive women on tv like this? Why is the immediate outcome for them to be caricatured like that? It was one of the reasons it took me so long to warm up to Serena Southerlyn (Elizabeth Rohm) as it was only really towards the end of her run that she grew some ovaries and stood up to Branch and McCoy.
So, I'm with you, bring back the bitter ball-busters :)
"why can't we have strong women powerful, aggressive women on tv like this"
Syndey Bristow (aka Jennifer Garner) kicks so much ass you almost feel bad for the poor suckers who think they can take her, and she's been doing it for 4 years. And now that her sister is on the show (who's just as great, and maybe even smarter), it's twice as awesome.
Seriously - do yourself a favor and rent/buy the 1st season Alias DVDs. Sydney Bristow is the best television character made in the last 10 years (either her or Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer from 24).
[I was also gonna mention a female character from 24 who is the best villian in a decade or more. but... it'd be a MASSIVE spoiler if you haven't watched and might in the future...]