Image Credit: Virginia Sherwood/AP Images; NBCU Photo Bank/AP Images; Chris Haston/AP Images; NBCU Photo Bank/AP Images
The original, subtitle-free Law & Order was, in many ways, a grittily realistic cop show. The cops were cynical and world-weary. The crimes were stark and brutal. Men were cruel, women were suspicious, and Sam Waterson was Sam Waterston. But the show had one weird, kinky flourish: The mandatory quota which required a wry, sultry, steely-eyed actress clad in monochromatic skirt suit to play the role of Attractive Assistant District Attorney. The most famous Law & Order ADAs (LOADAs?) were Angie Harmon’s Abbie Carmichael and Jill Hennessy’s Claire Kincaid, and your preference for one or the other is a personality-defining decision, on par with Beatles/Elvis, Superman/Batman, and Shakespeare/Marlowe.
But don’t forget about Carey Lowell, whose Jamie Ross provided an expert bridge between the Carmichael and Hennessy years. (Lesser ADAs include surprise-lesbian Serena Southerlyn, the short-lived Alexandra Borgia, and founding LOADA Paul Robinette, who was not sultry and also was not a woman.) Alana de la Garza rekindled the LOADA flame when she took over, but her reign was sadly cut down when the original series was canceled last year. Fortunately, hope and recasting springs eternal: de la Garza’s Connie Rubirosa joins the cast of Law & Order: LA tonight. The LOADA bloodline continues! In honor of de la Garza’s return, let’s settle the question once and for all PopWatchers: Who is the greatest Law & Order ADA of them all?
I still think SC governor Nikki Haley got about 20 percent of her votes from people who thought they were voting for that nice Abby Carmichael.
I vote for the chick on the far left in the picture above. I don’t know her name.
LOL!
hemmm, exciting!
Elvis all the way! I mean, the Beatles wrote great and timeless music, but I kind of dislike listening to them actually perform it because I don’t care for the chintzy sound of the music as they played/sang it at the time. I am utterly spoiled by the wall of sound and all that. But Elvis sounded freaking great, and I can’t exactly blame him for popularizing black people’s music (blame the executives who didn’t promote the black singers!), so…ELVIS. Wait, what are we talking about? L&O? The answer is always Mariska Hargitay.
Mariska plays a cop, not a DA, dum-dum.
But I think what the person is saying above you… is that the answer is always Mariska Hargitay…
We all know she isn’t a DA.
Angie Harmon is a right wing twit who makes ridiculous statements and thus, pretty is as pretty does and that makes her hideous and untalented.
However, her character being a right winger actually made the show much more interesting. She still can’t act, but she was a good foil to the others.
You’re an idiot. What ridiculous statement has she made? Just because she doesn’t share the same political views as you doesn’t make her a twit!
I don’t care if Angie Harmon is a right-wing twit … but I can’t stand her voice. It’s not sexy — she sounds like she can hardly speak. Vocal polyps, anyone?
Must be a guy thing–that voice is smokin’ hot.
Could listen to that voice all night long. Sehorn’s a lucky man!
I’m with ya, Shane! What a truly ugly human being.
Hennessy remains tops – though the sexual chemistry between Brooks and Moriarty was pretty hot (I kid). They really did have a good tension though – Stone the old liberal, Robinette noticing when Stone’s liberalism ended. Lowell was underrated – perhaps a little too cool, but she always seemed bemused by Waterston’s antics.
I agree about Lowell – the reruns of her episodes are much more interesting than I appreciated at the time. But Kincaid all the way.
I loved Lowell! My favorite. She had real self-confidence and competence… She never felt she had to strut and rant to get her point across (as Harmon did sometimes, especially early on).
When Angie Harmon took over is when I stopped watching L&O everyweek. When ever she opened her mouth I switched channels I didn’t think she could act to save her live, and found her annoying. After she left I watched off and on not really caring for the rest.
This, completely.
You are SOOOO right, Tori! Harmon: Paperbag, acting, can’t get out.
The working relationship btw Robinette and Stone was the best. Second favorite would be Carey Lowell.
What about the British L&O – that assistant Crown Prosecutor is hot: Freema Agyeman.
Yeah she’s great. Plus she has really good chemistry with both James Steel (Ben Daniels) and Det. Devlin (Jamie Bamber).
I didn’t start watching Law & Order until 1993, but I thought they hit three home runs in a row with Claire, Jamie, and Abby – all very different personalities, but great in their own way. And then came a bit of a slump with Serena and Alex, but the show bounced way back up again with Connie. As for a favorite, though, I would have to go with Jamie – Carey was a great actress and was given some of the best material to work with on the show (during its mid-1990s incorporation of personal stories for the main characters).
I agree with that. Jamie was really good. They all where good I thought.
Hennessy was always my favorite. Why they killed her off was really dumb!
Harmon always seemed unconvincing as a lawyer. She sounded like a cheerleader.
Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) from SVU FTW!
YEAH! Cuz they’re the same show!!
yeah if I they were asking for favorite ADA in the entire L&O franchise Alex Cabot TOTALLY gets my vote. something about those glasses…
She will always be my favorite!
She is one of my favorites too!
I agree with you! although I voted for Jill Hennessy, I think that Stephanie March’s character is the best DA on in the show’s history!
I agree!
I agree, I voted for Jill Hennessy. I also thought Stephanie March was perfect for the SVU DA.
Angie Harmon, duh. She’s the only one I remembered first off. I think that says something.
I only remembered Angie Harmon and Richard Brooks. The rest kind of run together.
Abbie Carmichael is my girl! Also, loved Jill Hennessey’s Claire Kincaid
Abbie Carmichael FTW.
Serena Southerlyn was the worst. I don’t think she was interested in the role. And the way she left…I still cringe at it.
What I find amazing is that each successive ADA they cast after Kincaid made me appreciate the one before. I never like Lowell until Carmichael showed up, but when snooze-fest Serena appeared, I missed Abbie desperately. Borgia was so bad I just stopped watching.
Jill Hennessy is my all time favorite. I liked the chemistry between her and Jack.