Christopher Meloni Attends Nickelodeon's 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards

Chris Meloni (Law & Order SVU) and his children attended Nickelodeon's 27th Annual Kids' Choice Awards held at USC Galen Center on March 29, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Here are the arrival photos.

 

 Photos by: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Christopher Meloni Attends the “Noah” Premiere

Chris Meloni (Law & Order SVU) attended the New York premiere of “Noah" at Clearview Ziegfeld Theatre on March 26, 2014 in New York City. Here are his arrival photos.

Photos by: Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Eric Bogosian, S. Epatha Merkerso Attend “Mothers and Sons” Opening Night

S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order) and Eric Bogosian (Law & Order Criminal Intent) attended the Broadway opening night of “Mothers and Sons” at The Golden Theatre on March 24, 2014 in New York City. Here are their arrival photos. 

Photos by: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Raúl Esparza Appears in “Hannibal: Futamono” (Photo)

Here is a photo, released by NBC, of Raúl Esparza (Law & Order SVU) appearing in Hannibal “Futamono” which will air on Friday, April 4, 2013 at 10PM ET on NBC. (The photo also includes Laurence Fishburne.)

Photo by: Brooke Palmer/NBC © NBC Universal, Inc.

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Jill Hennessy to Guest Star on “The Good Wife” (Photos)

Jill Hennessy (Law & Order) will guest star on “The Good Wife” in the episode “A Few Words” which will air on Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 9PM ET on CBS. Jill will play  power lawyer Rayna Hecht. Eric Bogosian (Law & Order Criminal Intent) also appears in this episode, continuing in his story arc playing Nelson Dubeck, agent in the Office of Public Integrity. Here are a few photos of Jill from this episode

Photos by CBS

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

René Balcer Delivers With “Jo” Starring Jean Reno

Law & Order fans are very familiar with René Balcer. He’s had his hands in almost all of the shows in the Law & Order brand in one way or another – executive producer, developer, director, writer, stories, and probably more. In January of 2013, I wrote on my blog that René had a new crime/drama titled “Jo” starring Jean Reno. The eight-episode series, set in Paris, has already premiered internationally but will not be airing in the U.S. at this time. Still, I recently had the opportunity to screen all 8 episodes of the series and I was completely taken with it. I wanted to pass along my thoughts about this series should it become available in the U.S. at a later date or be re-aired in other countries.

The series centers on Jo Saint-Clair (Jean Reno), a weathered veteran Paris detective who is part of the Criminal Brigade, an elite team handling out of the ordinary murder cases. Jo knows and respects the law but he also knows his way around it. He has a drug dependency problem, and is struggling to reconnect with his daughter Adele. When things start to look promising on that front, Jo finds himself in a new minefield. Each episode features a case which is resolved by the end of the episode, but the story arc with Jo and his daughter plays out through all 8 episodes.

This may sound like the same old crime drama to you, especially if you’re like me, who’s seen more than a few crime dramas over the years. But “Jo” was different - and very satisfying - for a combination of reasons.

Jean Reno is simply perfect in this role. He has always been a commanding, intimidating presence to me; these traits worked well as Jo sometimes plays the bully to get what he wants.  Reno also has such intensity and skill of expression that he can deliver volumes without uttering a word. The problem with many U.S. network crime shows these days is they are heavy in dialog and light in actual acting. Jean Reno was able to get Jo’s inner feelings across in scenes with no dialog with just a look, or by changing posture.  A great supporting cast was also a plus. Law & Order fans would have been overjoyed to see Jill Hennessy in all 8 episodes – as a nun. Yes, a nun. And it worked well. Sam Waterston also appeared in one episode with a surprising performance. And I won’t spoil the biggest shocker of all in the final episode that made me scream with delight; it would thrill any self-respecting Law & Order Criminal Intent fan.

Crime dramas have spread on television like kudzu, and after a while, they seem to recycle the same stories over and over. It’s gotten to the point that I can spot the killer the minute they first appear on the screen. Not so with “Jo”; each story felt fresh and new, and like Jo, I felt I was unraveling the crime with him as the story progressed. Each episode was well written with interesting crime stories told in tandem with personal drama, making Jo a compelling character with complex layers. This pulled me in further with each ensuing episode.

There’s something to be said for selecting a great city with interesting locales, and then having the scenes staged and filmed to showcase them perfectly. My favorite on location scene was in episode 2, “Pigalle”, filmed high up on the Eiffel Tower. Not only did it feature great views, the scene felt so real it made me slightly unsettled. (I guess that’s my own fear of heights coming out.) A few other great locations were Notre Dame, the Catacombes, and Place Vendôme. It was obvious that great care was taken to make sure that each scene was a visual treat;  this was clearly quality work.

While this series was filmed in and around Paris and Jean Reno - with a strong French accent - was lead, all the supporting characters were English speaking, most with “American” accents. This was a little disorienting at first. Once I became involved in the stories, it became a non-issue for me. As the series was tailored for international audience, I can understand why they did this.


Jo’s personal drama was well woven into each episode and it felt like his progress with his daughter was just as important as him solving the case. His connections with those on the wrong side of the law create some obstacles requiring him to get creative in order to get the outcome he wanted, unfortunately with some unintended consequences. I found myself invested in his efforts to make things right with his daughter and felt the stories centering on his personal issues greatly enhanced each episode. This would be a great series to binge-watch. As each episode reveals more about Jo Saint-Clair, it’s easy to want more.

One thing you can count on: René Balcer’s ability to deliver a show that tells a great story and that entertains, and “Jo” certainly does so. If you ever get the chance to watch this series, take it. It will be 8 hours well spent.









For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Mariska Hargitay Visits Detroit To Help Expedite Rape Kit Testing Funding & Legislation

Here is a video of Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order SVU) discussing the need to support funding and legislation to expedite the testing of rape kits to reduce the backlog.




For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.

Elisabeth Rohm Attends the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order) attended the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica Beach on March 1, 2014 in Santa Monica, California. Here are photos of Elisabeth from this event.

Photos by: Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America

Photo by: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America

For the latest information, check out my blog home page, These Are Their Stories.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.