User Reviews

Season 17's "Fame" introduced two new characters. One was promoted Green's new partner, after Fontana's rather abrupt exit in the previous season's finale "Invaders", Nina Cassady. The other is McCoy's new ADA Connie Rubirosa. While Cassady did little for me throughout her short stint, Rubirosa settled very quickly and found myself liking her a lot. Expectations were high for Season 17 after liking Season 16 very much, and it was mostly impressive.

"Fame" was a good start to Season 17 and while not one of the very best episodes of the season it is close to being in the better half of it. It is a more than promising first episode for Rubirosa and also benefits from being very well written and acted. "Fame" on the other hand was a lot less promising for Cassady and also did lose respect in "Fame" for two characters that are normally two of the best of the entire 'Law and Order' franchise.

A lot is good here. The production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space. The acting is, with one exception, very good, especially in the second half. Sam Waterston always delivers, as does Jesse L Martin.

The writing is tight and intelligent, even with a lot of talk. There are some great lines here, loved the job train and sky sweet interview comments which were hilarious but also true. The story on the whole really grabs the attention, especially in the more complex and tense legal portions. As said, Rubirosa starts with a lot of promise and proves herself to be the best assistant ADA for the show since Abbie Carmichael (speaking as someone that disliked Southerlyn and while liking Borgia a lot more she didn't have enough of a chance).

Milena Govich however is rather bland and Cassady doesn't show much personality here. Her chemistry with Martin is at best lukewarm.

Didn't like how she was treated, the attitude towards her when she goofs is hypocritical as those that do so (Green and Van Buren) have been guilty of it themselves. Absolutely love Van Buren as a character, and S Epatha Merkerson always played her wonderfully and generally doesn't get enough credit, but she seemed rather cold.

In conclusion, good but not great. 7/10.

I've seen numerous episodes where both Lt. Van Buren and Detective Green promised family members and officials that they would close the case (especially when the deceased is a fellow police officer), yet both of them jumped on Nina Cassidy for doing the same thing. This change in personality is a little more than Lt. Van Buren saying she was from Brooklyn in one episode and Washington Heights in another. A good episode (obviously based on that singer and her wannabe rapper husband) marred by manufactured conflict that, given past behavior, doesn't ring true.

This story in which Milena Govich made her debut as Detective Nina Cassidy is so based on the incident where Lillo Brancato was involved in the shooting of an off duty policeman that I'm surprised Brancato didn't sue. I'm sure he could have used the money as his career was on a permanent hold.

Jesse Martin and Milena Govich investigate the death of a detective who surprised a burglar in a neighbor's apartment and was shot to death. If the detective had known what a slimeball neighbor Khan Baykal was he'd have left it alone.

Khan Baykal is a scandalmongering internet blogging columnist/photographer and Wayne Wilcox and James Ransone were arrested for the crime. Both say the other did it so Sam Waterston tries them both.

Wilcox is a would be rapper and married to film actress Barbara King. Their relationship is equivalent to Tonya Harding and Jeff Gilhooley. Ransone is a junkie and dope connection for Wilcox and Govich has some history with him.

Add to this Carrie Yeager who is a star struck celebrity willing to lie for alibi for one of these to and you have a cast of characters that maybe one of the slimiest in the history of Law And Order. Some celebrities attract some of the strangest folks in their entourages.

Govich is not welcomed exactly by S. Eptha Merkersson to the squad. In her year with the series they never really bonded.

It's a good episode Govich makes her debut in.

Detective Nina Cassady (Milena Govich) and A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) join the show.

Detective Cassady gets on the wrong side of Lt. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) immediately when she promises to clear the case of a policeman being shot.

Yes, it appears to be Mrs. Spears & Mr Federline in the characters of Sky Sweet (Barbara King) and "J-Train" Smolka (Wayne Wilcox).

The comments about J-Train's so-called music and an interview with Sky Sweet by Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) were absolutely funny and true.

Oops! Someone made a mistake and Jack pounces. Game over.

A police officer off duty heard a strange noise coming from downstairs while his pregnant girlfriend (she looks like Dido in Eminem "Stan" video) was watching TV. Shortly after knocking the door he tried to get in and a guy with a hoodie shooted him to death two times before running away. Detectives thought at first he could be a paparazzi (who owned the flat), but a cover magazine drove the attention of the only witness: the perp is a white rapper (Wayne Wilcox) and the murder weapon was found inside a junkie friend's hometown. The paparazzi had some pictures of a starlette and her newborn son (other than further compromising photos) and he sold them to a sixth page reporter. The girl is rapper's wife, but the motive is revealed only at the end of episode on the stand.

After Fontana retired, a rookie took his place. She's charming (she could compete with the new ADA for the first place in a beauty pageant) as well as stubborn but she still has a lot to learn. Luckily Green is sympathetic towards her.