Green and his new partner, Joe Fontana, investigate the murder of an Iraq War veteran who has more incriminating Abu Ghraib prison photos. An Iraqi woman who is an American citizen is charge... Read allGreen and his new partner, Joe Fontana, investigate the murder of an Iraq War veteran who has more incriminating Abu Ghraib prison photos. An Iraqi woman who is an American citizen is charged, but she claims to be a prisoner of war.Green and his new partner, Joe Fontana, investigate the murder of an Iraq War veteran who has more incriminating Abu Ghraib prison photos. An Iraqi woman who is an American citizen is charged, but she claims to be a prisoner of war.
Photos
- DA Arthur Branch
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg
- (as Michael R. Bloomberg)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA.D.A. Serena Southerlyn asks E.A.D.A. Jack McCoy if the decision from a judge was close. Jack responds, "More like the Yankees and the Red Sox. It's inevitable the Red Sox won't be there when it counts but they still have to play all the games." This episode aired on September 22nd, 2004. On October 20th, the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, after being down in the series, 3-0. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series a week later, for the first time in 86 years, after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals.
- GoofsThe helicopter depicted flying exercises over the Army Reserve Center was a RAH-66 Comanche. Only two prototypes were made for testing and the program was canceled months before when this episode was set.
- Quotes
[knock on Van Buren's door]
Lt. Anita Van Buren: Can I help you?
Det. Joe Fontana: I'm Fontana.
Lt. Anita Van Buren: Oh, hey, Anita Van Buren. This is your new partner.
Det. Ed Green: Hey, man. Ed Green.
Det. Joe Fontana: It's about time they gave me a partner with a little smooth.
"Paradigm" was not a particularly promising start and was somewhat disappointed. Especially after being so blown away by the Season 14 finale. While Season 11 was when 'Law and Order' started to become hit and miss, apart from still having a number of wonderful episodes post-Season 14 felt like a different and less consistent but never terrible show. Changes can take a while to settle (sometimes they can settle straightaway, Briscoe for example was right at home as soon as he was first introduced), and none of the changes introduced here settled immediately.
Of course there are good things, none of the episodes of 'Law and Order' are irredeemable, even the disappointing ones. The photography is slick and subtly gritty as usual and while the locations are limited in number they are still pleasing to look at and the more intimate ones aren't claustrophobic. The editing has also come on a long way since the show first started and it was always good from the very beginning, just that it became smoother and crisper as the production values became more refined. The music is haunting while not going over the top and not being intrusive, too constant and melodramatic music would have ruined the mood and would not have let the dialogue do the talking as effectively.
Jesse L Martin is very good, he is one of three casting members that were consistently good when the show wasn't the same. The other two being Sam Waterston, ruthless and authoritative, and the not talked about enough S. Epatha Merkerson, both solid as rocks. In fact most of the acting is fine.
However, Fontana for me didn't make the biggest of impressions, Briscoe's grit and snappy wisecracks and one liners are missed (neither can be seen here with Fontana). Dennis Farina is on the bland side and it did take a while for him to find his groove, and even for the "not getting on yet" chemistry the chemistry between him and Martin is disconnected.
The story also didn't grab me, with a routine first half and an over complicated second that does too little with the prisoner of war theme. The dialogue lacks tautness and edge. Elisabeth Rohm is wooden (as she more often than not was as Southerlyn) and Fred Dalton Thompson mumbles his way through his lines. The chemistry between the two isn't there, the acrimony being taken too far.
Overall, underwhelming first episode. 5/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 24, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Governors Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York, USA(Exteriors - Army reserve center, interview victim's family.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro