March 3, 2005
Law & Order Takes on the Food World
Last night's episode of Law & Order was amazing. The writers threw everything, including the kitchen sink. The plot surrounded the murder of a food network executive, who had been attending a fundraiser for tsunami orphans; the executive was also the wife of one celebrity chef and having an affair with another! It was compelling and very much ripped from the headlines, as well as salacious and interesting. Here are some of the highlights:
- A shifty foundation that has fundraisers but doesn't give the funds to any organizations (shades of James Beard Foundation) - A celebrity chef who wears a leather jacket and has a coke problem (shades of Anthony Bourdain); he also gets approached by fans for autographs
- Another "flamboyant celebrity chef" who specializes in Italian and might be faltering (shades of Rocco)
- In court demonstration of strangulation with Medical Examiner Rodgers, not to mention talk of erotic asphyxiation
- Coveted restaurant space at the Time Warner Center
- Jury problems
- Sucky writers writing tell-all books about celebrities
Plus, it had Wendie Malick as the defense attorney. The debate about celebrity chefs makes Gothamist think about the talk at the Museum of Radio & Television with cookbook authors and TV personalities Jeff Steingarten, Mario Batali, Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentiis. Dan Dickinson reports that the talk got ugly, with Steingarten complaining that the TV personalities had an unfair advantage because they had TV shows. We wish we had seen it.
Did you watch last night's episode? What did you think? And Law & Order: Trial by Jury has its premiere tonight at 10PM. Tomorrow there's another episode in its usual timeslot of Friday, 10PM. The NY Times Virginia Heffernan says, "The series has the makings of another hit for Dick Wolf.
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I watched it and thought it fantastic, too.
Did you notice the familiar kitchen set when they arrested the perp?
It was none other than Rachael Ray's kitchen from 30-Minute Meals.
I'm certain, b/c I'd know that oven anywhere.
I looked up the actor playing the celeb chef. Turns out he's a big soap star, which explains why he was so good at those long smoldering stares.
I thought he was wearing too much lip gloss, though.
We watched it in open-mouthed bewilderment. Ripped from the headlines? More like Dick put the whole Post through a shredder!
In the opening, we thought the private park beside the "Falls Foundation" might turn out to a thinly disguised Ford Foundation (the show used to film in front of our landmark building all the time when I worked there), which is beside the gated Tudor Square.
Unlike the "Falls Foundation," the Ford Foundation is actually a foundation--an endowed tax-exempt organization that gives money in the form of grants to charitable organizations. The term foundation gets misused all the time, particularly by well-meaning but inexperienced people entering the nonprofit sector. All these celebrity "foundations" that raise money are foundations in name only. They are, in fact, public charities. For more complete and detailed information, visit the Foundation Center's site.
I have a friend who works at Food Network; he says L&O filmed the kitchen stuff there and used the Food tech crew as extras. He also says that, yes, that was Rachael's kitchen set.
This was one of the better L&O of recent memory. Looks like things are finally picking up. My favorite scene was when Wendy Malick was talking to Annie Parisse about rough sex. The look on Parisse's face was priceless.
I can't wait to see the new L&O... just to see Jerry one last time...
Wild ride on L&O last night. Loved the set up with the weird twin brothers who ran the Falls Foundation. Creepy. Cudos to the great casting in this episode.
Also the actress who was the "tainted" juror, Susan Wands, hadn't seen her before - that was one rocket fueled character. She's amazing - where'd she come from?
Best line of the show?
"you doublemint freaks!"
Almost Lenny worthy...I may be warming up to the new guy.
I love how ME Rodgers was eating a banana next to the cadaver.
Also, the actor who played Bourdain-with-lip-gloss is Scott Bryce, who I loved on As the World Turns when I was 10 years old.
Come on, Jen! Tell us what you think of Trial by Jury! Have you watched it yet?
I think the Falls Foundation bit is based on the National Arts Club scandal- where the director of the National Arts Club on Grammercy Park was taking heat for letting little (African-American) kids into the park and the neighbors were complaining, and his twin brother ended up getting busted for tax evasion or something like that.
I really enjoyed Trial by Jury. Although the characters themselves didn't immediately grab me, I thought the defendants first conversation with his defense attorney really heightened the tension throughout. (It was so shocking it made me want his conviction that much more.)
I was saddened and more than a little distracted that Jerry looked so ill, but since his role was so small I did allow myself to get past it. Although I did weep a little on the inside.
I appreciated the scene with Branch and McCoy. It's like L&O porn to have them thrown into a scene together. (If only they had Serena to beat up on, it would have been the trifecta.)
All in all, I thought the structure of the show was significantly different enough from the original that it could clearly stand apart. And the format lends itself well to great guest spots. (I really like the prospect of the top-billed guest star being the defense attorney instead of the defendant.) However, I'm going to have to invest in TiVo, because the time slot stinks. And, I got a real strong feeling that the target demo is female. I hope they keep it even enough to keep this male viewer interested.
What did everyone else think?