Mike Logan
Much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent fandom over the announcement that Chris Noth will be joining the series next season as detective Mike Logan, reprising the character he played on the original "Law & Order" series.
I know Chris Noth has his devoted fans and more power to them but I don't care much for him and probably won't be watching "his" episodes. No matter how good of a spin is put on this, I feel it is the beginning of the end, a means for Vincent to ease out of the series by taking the focus of the show off of Goren alone and making it easier for him to leave when he has fulfilled his commitment. I'm probably taking too negative a look at this, but then, I don't really think it will be the end of the world when Vincent leaves LOCI. I don't think he is enjoying television as much as he was and I suspect he has a hankering to have more time to devote to developing scripts and making movies. And if that's what he wants to do, that's fine with me.
Vincent D'Onofrio is much bigger than Bobby Goren (as enjoyable as the character is) and LOCI. The trouble is, many of Vincent's newer fans only know him from his work in LOCI and some seem totally ignorant of the large and varied film career he has had for the past two decades. I have to feel that Vincent is happier making films than doing television. He made a five-year commitment to the series and has always planned to move on after that, not get stuck in a character, even one as much his own as Goren is. He only agreed to do the series in order to work in New York and try to save his marriage. Since that didn't work, I don't know what incentive he would have to sign up for another few years. I don't think he was prepared for the type or intensity of fans he would develop in this role. While he is occasionally flattered, he is more often embarrassed by their attentions. Judging from what he has said, I think he regrets losing his anonymity, his ability to move around unnoticed and private. He will never get that back now.
I know Chris Noth has his devoted fans and more power to them but I don't care much for him and probably won't be watching "his" episodes. No matter how good of a spin is put on this, I feel it is the beginning of the end, a means for Vincent to ease out of the series by taking the focus of the show off of Goren alone and making it easier for him to leave when he has fulfilled his commitment. I'm probably taking too negative a look at this, but then, I don't really think it will be the end of the world when Vincent leaves LOCI. I don't think he is enjoying television as much as he was and I suspect he has a hankering to have more time to devote to developing scripts and making movies. And if that's what he wants to do, that's fine with me.
Vincent D'Onofrio is much bigger than Bobby Goren (as enjoyable as the character is) and LOCI. The trouble is, many of Vincent's newer fans only know him from his work in LOCI and some seem totally ignorant of the large and varied film career he has had for the past two decades. I have to feel that Vincent is happier making films than doing television. He made a five-year commitment to the series and has always planned to move on after that, not get stuck in a character, even one as much his own as Goren is. He only agreed to do the series in order to work in New York and try to save his marriage. Since that didn't work, I don't know what incentive he would have to sign up for another few years. I don't think he was prepared for the type or intensity of fans he would develop in this role. While he is occasionally flattered, he is more often embarrassed by their attentions. Judging from what he has said, I think he regrets losing his anonymity, his ability to move around unnoticed and private. He will never get that back now.
