Law & Order: Called Home (Season 18)

Wow. There is so much to get excited about in the new episode of Law & Order XVIII - Called Home. It could be the new characters; it could be the controversial storyline; or it could be the usual bizarre acting of Brad Dourif. I'm definitely gunning for the latter - but more on that in a moment.
Last year something terrible happened to Law & Order. Yes, the glitz, glamour and sheer unbelievability of CSI in all its forms put nails in the coffin of the story orientated L&O. The only series that was winning its ratings was Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and NBC/Universal were happy to let that series continue. Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent were not going to be so lucky. One of them had to go, and with the daughter series struggling to find its feet Law & Order was given the go ahead (L&O:CI still got made - just forced to change channel). And with Fred Dalton Thompson deciding to run for president (how great would it have been if he actually got that?) and the sexy Milena Govich not actually impressing audiences (shame really cause she was quite fun), it was time for a cast change, one which included something that was pretty inevitable.
Yes, after thirteen years Jack McCoy finally gets the promotion to District Attorney (acting) that he should have probably had ages ago. This means that for the first time in the same period a new name goes just after the "ORDER" title - Linus Roache. Truthfully the introduction of Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo makes pretty much no difference to the series in spite of Channel Ten in Australia suggesting that he was going to be a massive shakeup and also in spite of the fact that the pre-title victim is Lupo's brother. This appears to be an excuse to bring him into the series and despite Van Buren's initial claims that he can't investigate his brother's death, she doesn't have a problem with him investigating the second death despite the fact it is clearly linked to the first. Whatever, Anita.
But, yes, it is the new EADA that makes the biggest difference to the series. No longer do we see the comfortable guiding relationship of McCoy/Branch, instead McCoy seems determined to make his deputy's cases for him, which doesn't appear to sit well with Michael Cutter who has his own mind and makes his own decisions - sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad.
It's interesting that this episode is written by Rene Balcer who has jumped ship from L&O:CI, presumably because the series is no longer going in the direction he developed, and that reflects in this episode as it doesn't easily fit the Law/Order split that we usually get in these episodes - both halves of the cast appear pretty much evenly in both halves of the episode. If that's the biggest change to the series as a result of the NBC scare, I'm pretty happy with that.
The episode centered around the question of suicide and the right to get assisted suicide, and makes an interesting point regarding America's ninth amendment which suggests that the right to take one's own life should actually be their own as it isn't covered by the constitution. Makes an interesting point. Sadly, as is the case with Law & Order, all the main characters are against the idea. I loved the old days when the various characters would all have different points of view, particularly in cases like Stone and Schiff disagreeing on abortion.
The two guest stars that stand out in this episode are Michael McKean and Brad Dourif. When these two appear it's pretty easy to guess that they are the killer, though in this case we have to choose which one. Surprisingly it is neither, but obviously one of them is behind it, and lo, it is mad Brad, who then gets the opportunity to do some very "Dourif" style acting when his character takes the stand - complete with crying and gripping of hands. I can't say how much I love Brad Dourif on television and I think that he seriously needs to be used in every show. Ever.
Overall, I'm looking forward to this season. I was mildly scared that the show would go way to far in a soapy direction, but as soon as I saw Cutter's office looked like an old broom closet, I realised that the show actually seems to be going back to its roots in many ways. Bring on the next episode!
"B-"