Revamped Law & Order: Los Angeles

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who watches the latest sprouting from Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise machine - L&O: Los Angeles or "LOLA" as NBC is trying to brand it.

I started watching it because Alfred Molina and my boyfriend Skeet Ulrich were going to be on it, and because I was mourning the loss of original recipe L&O. I stayed for new boyfriend Corey Stoll and his character, Detective TJ Jaruszalski's magnificent moustache, and the LA-centric storylines.

Sure, the new show had it's problems, like the somewhat bloated cast on the DA side of things, Terrence Howard and his scenery chewing, and the sometimes silly "Hollyweird" stuff, but in general I really liked what they'd come up with. And did I mention the hotness of Corey Stoll and his moustache? Sigh.

So then came the news a couple of months ago when the show went on hiatus that when it returned in April 2011, it would have a new streamlined cast and more focused storylines. And then the commercials for last night's return started running on NBC a few weeks ago and they hinted that Skeet Ulrich's character, Detective Rex Winters was going to be killed. What?! I was totally unhappy with this development. So far I haven't found any interview with Skeet to hear what happened from his side, but I saw an E! interview with Terrence Howard where they asked him about the cast shake-up and he basically said that he missed Skeet and the others that weren't there anymore but that he was just happy to still have a job (hinting at his firing from Iron Man 2 I guess?).

Anyway, last night's return episode(s) was 2 hours of pretty riveting television. Skeet was killed off fairly early on in the first ep and the rest of the hour was spent trying to prosecute his killer. It ended with the guy getting away with it - something that I've always LOVED about L&O - they don't make everything a happy ending. Oftentimes cases just kind of fall apart and the bad guys often win. Just like real life. It's strangely satisfying.

The second hour had Alfred Molina's DA Morales so fed up with the politics and corruption of the Prosecutor's and State government offices that he decides to go back to being a cop, and guess what? He pulls strings to be Jaruszalski's new partner.

As far-fetched as this plot twist is, Stoll and Molina actually have great chemistry. So I'm excited about how the Jaruszalski/Morales partnership plays out. But GAWDDAMMIT!!! Corey Stoll shaved off the moustache! Unforgiveable!

The other change that we see in the second hour is that Assistant D.A. Connie Rubirosa from L&O: Original Recipe is now Deputy D.A. and working with Howard's DA character Joe Decker, after having moved out west to be with her sick mother. Junior D.D.A.s Evelyn Price and Lauren Stanton (Regina Hall and Megan Boone) are out. I'm totally onboard for this change. I like Alana De La Garza as an actress way more than Hall and Boone, and now just having 2 people on the DA side to focus on is so much better for the show, even if one of those people is fawking Terrence Howard.

But Corey baby, please grow the 'stache back! Smooches! xoxo