From "The Chicago Tribune"

Sid Smith and Maureen Ryan
Published November 4, 2005


"Law & Order: Criminal Intent," 8 p.m. Sunday, WMAQ-Ch. 5: It's great to see Chris Noth back on TV, and back in the fold of "Law & Order"; after all, he and the old-school "Law & Order" crew helped spawn the TV-procedural crime wave we're still experiencing. This season, Noth is alternating with Vincent D'Onofrio as "Criminal Intent's" lead each week; on Sunday, Noth's and D'Onofrio's characters, detectives Mike Logan and Robert Goren, pair up for an engrossing two-hour outing, in which an Iowa teen on a school field trip to New York City goes missing. When a prominent judge's son is implicated in not just her disappearance but other crimes as well, the pressure on the detectives gets really intense. Colm Meaney does a terrific turn as the arrogant judge, and the case allows the "Law & Order" franchise to take a look at why and how missing white women seem to end up getting more attention from the media than missing women of other ethnicities. "Do not confuse my desperation with gratitude," the mother of a missing African-American girl fumes at a cable news personality (obviously modeled on CNN's Nancy Grace) who's finally decided to cover the case of the non-white girl -- once her death is linked to that of the white teen from Iowa.

Not only is the story meaty and provocative, it's a pleasure to see the easy chemistry of Noth and Annabella Sciorra, who plays Logan's partner, Detective Carolyn Barek. Noth's world-weary visage and Sciorra's urban edge give their pairing the upper hand in the "Criminal Intent" realm, though, truth be told, D'Onofrio's odd timing and hulking presence have their appeal, once you get used to them. "I'm an acquired taste," Goren admits to his partner (Kathryn Erbe). But it's one that goes down well in this company.

:: Thank you to Pat Ward of Indianapolis!