As an attorney, as a "cop" in New York... what ever, he plays his role fittingly enough for a REAL TV program. He comes across as a realist in most of the roles he's cast in. The laid back presentation he makes on screen keeps him on the low stress, non-combative, passive character image in the viewer's mind. All this plus the capacity to get the job done in a non restrictive fashion. Either the writer keeps his character calm or Smits is just an extremely laid back kind of guy. That's a rather unusual personality for an attorney OR policeman. L A LAW keeps you wondering if Smits' twin is going to show up turning over some new criminal he's just pulled off the streets from the police department at NYPD and self rescue the could be con with his own miracle legalese. At any rate, in my book, he makes the show.
Review of Pilot
