Mind Blown! My worlds just collided!

Ok, so I love Hugh Dancy. Anyone who's been around long enough and is a professed anglophile knows him as Daniel Deronda and I adored him as the prince in Ella Enchanted with Anne Hathaway. 

Yes, I've also seen him as Will Graham in the tv series Hannibal that, for me, just didn't work. I'd rather take the movie Red Dragon any day of the week than that series and not even Dancy could save it.

What I had never in a million years expected was for Hugh Dancy to become the new lawyer for the district attorney's office in Law and Order! First off, I didn't realize until recently that they had actually started it up again after a decade hiatus. That's impressive. So, naturally, the lawyer we left off with 10 years ago isn't going to be the same one now.

Hugh Dancy as Nolan Price

But HUGH DANCY! Wow, I totally did not see that coming.

He's a good actor and always seems to give a pretty solid performance so I'm hopeful for him here.

I hear rumors, though, of the series delving more into his character's personal life, so I'm not entirely sold on that idea. The unique part of Law and Order is that they just never did that, minus the occasional personal remark that let the audience get a glimpse of who they were outside the office. I prefer that businesslike approach to the series, so we'll see what my thoughts are as they traverse more personal roads.

Linus Roache as Michael Cutter

Also because I was so partial to Michael Cutter (played by Linus Roache), I have to admit that Dancy has some large boots to fill. For me, anyway.

Cutter was incredible and I loved how he butted heads with McCoy on multiple occasions. They didn't always see eye to eye and Cutter didn't always make the right call, but he could be pretty righteous and I loved that about him.

Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy

And speaking of, SAM WATERSTON! He's back and I couldn't be happier!

I adore Sam Waterston and have for years thanks to a former friend of mine whose good opinion of him as an actor was right on the money. He's incredible and because of his role as Jack McCoy, Law and Order is what it is today.

He's very much the glue that holds it together and I was delighted to see him, a little older and more wrinkled, but still very much himself.

S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren

I really miss S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren. I understand and respect her decision to not return to the series, but her character was amazing and such a cornerstone of the show, like Sam Waterston.

The series has a different vibe to it now since Sam Waterston is the only long-standing cast member left. But I'm willing to give the revival a try. Only time will tell if the basic concept of the series is the same, allowing arguments from all sides rather than just from one side while the other side is painted with a heavily negative brush.

Fred Dalton Thompson as DA Arthur Branch

I remember Fred Dalton Thompson as the DA and he was brilliant and he was a conservative, a fairly accurate one, and he and McCoy butted heads many times, but at least they actually had conversations and could still talk to one another the next day. It's a skillset we've misplaced in America today so I'm genuinely curious if Law and Order can manage to be nonpartisan the way it always presented itself, or, at least, how I always interpreted it. Republicans are a reality and have just as many rights to their political and religious beliefs as any other political party. I hope this series continues to uphold that truth.

And if all else fails, I can always return to older seasons and enjoy them the way I always have!