As unusual as this might sound, for a time as I was growing up my family’s designated quality time was watching episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. That’s right, the spinoff of the original series that deals with the likes of child murder and sex crimes. At a glance, one might wonder why my parents allowed us to watch such a show before they allowed us to buy an album with a parental advisory sticker, yet for anyone who has seen the show, they understand how SVU straddled the line with sanitised but gripping entertainment centring on serious subject matter. Law & Order simply has a winning formula that has kept the franchise going for over thirty-four years and counting, making CSI look like a flash in the pan by comparison.
Well, the formula has now been brought north of the border, as the Canadian adaptation of the series, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, finally aired last week, and Canadians, or, more specifically, Torontonians, certainly had their opinions.
Developed by screenwriter Tassie Cameron, the show centres on Detective Sergeants Henry Graff (Aden Young) and Frankie Bateman (Kathleen Munroe) investigating corruption and high-profile crimes in Toronto, working with their superior Inspector Vivienne Holness (Karen Robinson) to build each episode’s case for Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester (K. C. Collins), who will then criminally prosecute the accused. Much like the original Criminal Intent starring Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, and as stated by NOW Toronto, the series focuses the “how” and the “why”, and not just the “who”, hence the show’s title.
While the show is only one episode in so far, which is intriguingly titled “The Key to the Castle”, the overall critical reception has been refreshingly positive thus far, with Variety’s pointed review title stating that the show “Offers [a] Compelling Canadian Spin to [a] Familiar Franchise”. As is the case with each of the other Law & Order shows, Toronto: Criminal Intent takes influence from past criminal cases and puts their own spin on it. This particular episode deals with a cryptocurrency investor who dies after suspiciously falling from the side of his yacht on Lake Ontario, with the inspiration for the episode likely coming from the death of Quadriga CEO Gerald Cotton in 2018.
However, the toughest crowd to please was always going to be locals of the Greater Toronto Area, and their online responses prove as much. Many enjoyed the episode, with particular focus on the fact that Toronto is depicted as, well, Toronto! Far too often the city and its surrounding regions are used as stand-ins for movies and TV shows in set in the U.S. I live in Toronto, and there are times where I don’t even realise this is happening until I recognise a street or the buildings. I’ve written extensively on the show Reacher already, which in its two seasons has been set in a variety of towns and cities in the U.S., but in reality, it’s shot strictly in the GTA. Those behind Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent are clearly aware of this fact and strive to depict Toronto as if it was a character in and of itself.
Interestingly, the one element of the show that has been overwhelmingly criticised by Torontonians is the signature opening card used in every Law & Order production and has become a pop culture staple, particularly the “dun-dun” following the voiceover. Locals are upset because the actor doing the voiceover pronounces the second “t” in Toronto. Given that I’m from Ireland and still pronounce said “t”, I find it both fascinating and wonderful that people are already taking such pride in a production that can attach a Canadian identity to a show with a largely American background (don’t forget Law & Order: UK!). Plus, if the biggest complaint audiences have so far is the perceived mispronunciation of a single word, then surely those behind the show are doing something right.
Episode two, titled “Good Neighbours”, will air February 29th on Citytv.