No matter what day of the week, or what time of day, there seems to be a Law & Order on TV. Besides the new season currently on NBC of the original and SVU, reruns of the original run on TNT, SVU and Criminal Intent on USA. And now, My9's been airing Criminal Intent. So is this why I find myself addicted to all 3 series? Or is it on all the time because people are addicted to these shows?
All I have to say is that I'm so relieved that the other offshoot, Conviction, never stuck. Even that's on reruns now, but thankfully, it's on HD. Whew. Don't get HD.
But why are these shows so addictive? Is it the self-contained nature of each hour? Is it the completely unrealistic concept of tying up everything into a nice, neatly packaged box in one episode? Or is it the way in which these shows unfold -- you know, you can pretty much guess what the big "surprise" twist is, and yet when you see it, you still feel impressed with your ability to figure it out early on?
Another interesting thing about all 3 series - there's a handful off actors that are repeat customers in various parts. Some even return as a villain after having played the "good guy" on previous episodes. This can become a game, as in "which season did I see that actor in before?"
Last but not least, the mere sliver of personal lives they flash of the main characters keeps you watching as well. For example, will Olivia and Elliott ever resolve their push-pull love-anger codepency? Even the allusions to former lead characters is magnetic - I await any mention of Lenny Brisco in any episode.
Is this an insidious strategy of the producers of the 3 series to keep viewers hooked, or my own pathological need to have a quick fix of easy answers in a life filled with unanswerable questions?
2 comments:
I think the "addictive factor" has something to do with the show's plot template which hooks the viewer from the beginning setup, then engages her into figuring out the outcome, which creates a need to see the episode through to the end. Stopping watching in the middle of an episode is like getting a woman all sexually worked up and then just dropping her in the heat of the moment. (Can you tell I'm in a dry spell?
Amusing aside -- saw one of my friends in one of the new CI eps on USA. Hahaha. I've seen friends on the show before but I didn't know about this appearance so it was a happy shock. Cool beeeeeenz!
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