Law & Order - Ben Stone's Last Scene

[LouieV6]

After season 3, the show got boring because of the departure of Dan Florek, Richard Brooks and Michael Moriaty. The only good character left after Logan left was Lenny Briscoe

[LouieV6]

Ben Stone boring??? This show isn't a sitcom!!! It's a drama! Moriaty's portrayal of Ben Stone resembled a real life prosecutor: always serious and ready to put scumbags behind bars.

[gsherlock]

Ben Stone seemed a more believable portrayal of an ADA, his character was very cool, crisp, and quietly menacing. With Jack McKoy it seems like some of the drama is falsely heightened or exaggerated, its more like an actor playing the part of ADA rather than living it.

[KingPuddinsdaddy001]

so sad to have seen Ben Stone leave under the circumstances that made him leave like he did.

[Sammo212]

Ben Stone, Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterson were the ones who made this show for me.

[mrjlg404]

I definitely prefer Waterson's Jack McCoy. He is much more hard nosed with that prosecutorial edge that makes rooting for him and the case so much easier. The show, to me, took off once McCoy was the prosecutor.

[DorianMichaelsIII]

@mrjlg404 Hear hear! It never helped that for me, I got into L&O well after Stone was gone and McCoy had made the ADA office his home; Stone seemed flat, emotionless...well, honestly, boring; Jack McCoy was passionate, argumentative, would do everything and anything short of flat out breaking the law directly if it meant that he would get a conviction; he was a balls-out, take NO prisoners prosecutor, and Stone simply could not compare to "Hang 'Em High" McCoy.

[Pwells1]

@DorianMichaelsIII There's a reason why TNT always shows the McCoy episodes and rarely if ever shows episodes from Seasons 1-4.

[spud814]

you guys do know that Michael Moriarty was let go of because of his drinking, right?

[whatuswattingat]

@spud814 According to Dick Wolf, Moriarty was let go because of "erratic behavior" on the set. Moriarty's explaination was that then -Attorney General Janet Reno was behind his firing because he threatened to sue her because she was supposed to be cracking down on shows deemed too violent (L&O being one of them) and that the NBC brass was "caving in" to Reno's demands. Considering that sometime later Moriarty admitted that he was "a very bad drunk" and had been sober since 2004, I believe Wolf.

[2Synnful]

Dick Wolf should reconsider and allow AMC to carry on L&O

[mitchconn]

While McCoy was a good character and had great dialogue written for him, Sam Waterston's acting always annoyed me. Very stuff and wooden. He very rarely blinked, too! If you took a drink every time he blinked, you'd be stone cold sober. It was like watching a robot.

[xreddragonx]

Agree with the praise of Ben Stone here. His portrayal is amazing and wind up getting me hooked on early L&O shows. He just has a presence about him. He's not flashy, abrasive or "hunky" like Jack McCory, but to me he's way more interesting. Less "Hollywood", more like a real attorney. He's so damned good.

[xreddragonx]

Oops, typo. I don't know how that 'r' in McCoy got there.

I should add, that this show was never the same after the departure of Stone and then especially after Logan split too. I also liked Sgt. Max Greevey from season one and really wish he had stuck around longer. To me the chemistry between he and Logan was the best of any cop partnership in the show's run.

[TeamImpactJT]

Though his character was anti death penalty (I am for the death penalty), I really liked him. I wish he would guest star on L&A UK or LA.

[sgflanders1]

Both Stone and Mccoy were great, Mccoy's summation arguments were the best, while Stone's cross examination (when he's angry) is also the best.

[littlegrass111]

Ben Stone is, yes, definitely my favorite character in L&O.

[sheriffdempsey69]

Im sorry but Jack McCoy is THE FUCKING MAN.

[REXFERAL59]

yah this went downhill seriously after moriarty and brooks left, became alot more predictable with all this ripped from the headlines crap, moriarity is damn good actor

[cartens33]

best character ever

[kirby4d]

I liked all the old guys. The first 3 seasons were the best. I havent seen 4 yet though..

[cartens33]

@kirby4d good. season 4 is werid. even stone and adam schiff get weird. the writing is bad. my favorite seasonsa are the 1st 3 but i like any season over 4.

[Gavb77ed]

what if Ben Stone never left law & order, wow it would have been a better show thats for sure.

[cartens33]

@Gavb77ed maybe. season 4s writing was weird. what if they never tried to increase ratings and didnt write off richard brooks and dann flroek and never tried to increase the ratings with strange writing. i think it got good again later but the fourth season of Law and order is by far the worst. and still nothing is as good as the fgirst 3 years.

[xreddragonx]

@Gavb77ed Definitely. I hated the senseless firings of Dan Florek and Rich Brooks, but Ben Stone would have kept some redeeming value to the show (and I know Michael M. wasn't fired).

The force-hiring of women was so ridiculous. Carolyn McCormick was there as a psychiatrist and there were several recurring female attorneys and cops. L&O was NEVER a woman-free zone. I'm sure they were well on their way to working stable women into the show, but NBC had to act like impatient children.

[6Dantes6Inferno6]

@xreddragonx

I never really liked Robinette, but I agree letting Cragen go was a horrible mistake. Oh well, at least he got to come back for SVU.

On an unrelated note; Logan was awesome, I still can't believe they wrote him out :(

[whatuswattingat]

@6Dantes6Inferno6 On the bright side, if Chris Noth had stayed, would we have Mr. Big? LOL LOL LOL!

[tball95672]

Actully I stopped watching after Chris Noth left as Detective Mike Logan,together Ben Stone and Mike Logan made that show edgy and intense, I also liked Logan's first partner. I have all of Season one on my DVR.

[nancetheteach]

@tball95672

\Mikey Logan did come back on L and O Criminal Intent.

He is still a stud!

[myfacesp]

Best character ever. did not particulary like season 4 though it was kind of a weird season. seasons 1 2 and parts of 3 arew the best!

[syriahaleb]

ben stone is well but jack mccoy is better!Le personnage de jack mccoy marque plus par sa forte personnalité et son caractère,sa détermination et son éloquence.Ben stone n'a pas le charisme de jack mccoy.jack mccoy est inoubliable et a marqué les esprits et la série,pas ben stone,ou pas autant

[tball95672]

@syriahaleb McCoy is a hesitant,Self-concious,spinles­s Baby Boomer...you would have to be French to like that.

[iloveparamore79]

@tball95672 Bringing someone's language into this is completly ridiculous don't you think?

[tefesgar]

@iloveparamore79

No

[iloveparamore79]

@tefesgar You must be Americans... >__>

[6Dantes6Inferno6]

@tball95672

Hesitant? spineless? how so? he is constantly breaking/bending the rules.

[lildwayne21]

Jack Mccoy and Lenny Briscoe and easily my favorite characters in Law and Order.

[WhatE7263]

@lildwayne21 Mine too. They both had such complex story lines. Stone was great, but McCoy was more much interesting because he was so cutthroat. I did think Stone added a lot of heart to the position, though, whereas McCoy added a lot more spontaneity.

[m0lotov89]

Ben Stone reminds me of Tom Hagen (the godfather) both favorite characters!

[tball95672]

Michael Moriarty is way better than Sam Waterston.

[myfacesp]

@tball95672 agreed such a better character

[sabonisrules]

The bottom-line is that Ben Stone was the best character ever on Law & Order. He was a cool voice of reason in the chaos that ensues after a violent crime has been committed. He had the best dialogue. For example, "Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth" when he tricks the defendant into testifying for immunity in New York County, then has him arrest by Brooklyn PD followed by, "Next time, Sir, get a better lawyer." PIMP.

[ranchump]

i stopped watching after ben stone. i loved how he called all the dirtbag witnesses/criminals "sir"

[lmswentzeljr]

Moriarty is apperntaley a nut, his political views make him look like a Nazi, no wonder Dick Wolf was glad to get rid of him.

[tball95672]

@lmswentzeljr Michael Moriarty is not a Nazi...He is however an alcoholic and TV guide interviewed him a few years ago when he was living homeless in Vancouver ,Canada.

[lmswentzeljr]

@tball95672 look up some of his views thyey are nazi like.

[RPenta]

@lmswentzeljr

Right, instead he puts in Waterson whose character is a snake.

[BigSmoke2222]

Damn... Just damn... Ben was one of my favorite (if not my DEFINATE favorite), His quotes still run through my head "You kill a cop, you go to jail, you DON'T get out." "Wrong should not win by technicalities." and many more, he was definatly an amazing character..

[Ronbo710]

When he left I quite watching. BRILLIANT Performer!

[chiknapping]

Ben Stone was my favorite character of any L&O cast. The show has never been the same without him. :(

[KOHF34]

I cried my eyes out watching this. The reason I watched Law and Order was solely because of Ben. It was really sad to watch him go. He's one of the reasons I'd love to go to law school someday - the perfect role model.

[gotch09]

I'd vote for Micheal coming back as Ben.

[shodan127]

Ben Stone was the best ever.

[MetaSynec]

Indeed he was!

[emoviebuff87]

michael moriarty and sam waterson acted together in a play.

[patswickedpissah]

Great acting on this once great show before the producers started shoving moonbat lefty politics down our throats each episode

[Jane1620]

You are right. I stopped watching Law & Order,because of the liberal left wing bias.

[AarHan3]

Steven Green sure don't know when to quit...

He'll probably get LAUGHED out of the appeals court...

[wowwow233]

Ben Stone is my favorite character in Law and Order. :(

[hamburgershoes]

Ben Stone had me fall in love with Law and Order. Easily my favorite character.

[JPPT1974]

Ben acted more human than Jack I though. Jack I thought in the early years especially, was too aggressive, had to win at all costs. And didn't seem to have a conscience. But he has become less grumpier and have more of a conscience. He loves to win, true but also now is more of a human. Than Ben was and is!

[wouldthatbeokay]

While I love Jack McCoy and Michael Cutter, I do feel Ben Stone was a fantastic character and Moriarty is a brilliant actor.

[cvvemuri]

I love Ben too (and I actually only knew him from re-runs, as I started watching the show as a first grader around '95 and he was on from 90-94. You remember it from then?

They should bring him back sometime before they decide to end the original show for good. If not here, then on one of the spin offs, such as SVU or CI, just as they did with Dann Florek.

[justmeeh2004]

would be great to bring back all the old characters... with this actor depends if he still has bad feelings to the show

[sktbd5001]

Why did he have bad feelings towards the show? He was my favorite actor !!!

[RogueLennox]

I doubt he would play a part in L&O again. He became a hardcore rightwing nut, so to speak. It is sad because his Ben Stone was one of the most balanced, caring and nice characters on the show (even in e.g. "Indifference" - Can you imagine Jack McCoy there instead of Stone?). I like McCoy too - he was passionate (e.g. "Wannabe") but sometimes way too much aggresive (e.g. "Under The Influence").

Sorry, I got carried away with my ramblings. :-)

[jmjfanss]

Michael is a Neocon.

[streetswell]

He claimed that the writers were giving in to pressure to censor the show from -- get this -- Janet Reno. Moriarty is a talented actor, but he's out of his mind.

[GeneralOlde]

Stone is awesome. He could get the job done without putting on a show like McCoy, and he knew how to put the twerps who thought they were above the law in their place. The show was just never the same after he left.

[Cyclonius49]

i think all three of the prosecutors (Stone, McCoy and Cutter) are great in their own way, but Stone will probably always remain my favourite.

[Vahzuxa]

Although my favorite character is Jack McCoy, I feel an empty space without Ben! He was amazing and this scene is so sad

[ajb8487]

Stone was truly an amazing character. McCoy was a subpar replacement in my opinion.

[deanriam]

Fuck you.

[myers82]

McCoy is BETTER

[Sufia2006]

Benjamin Stone was an amazing character. He had a lot of personality to him and did what he felt was right in the eyes of the law. He's my favorite character in Law and Order and, in my opinion, the best of all of the prosecutors I have seen. I was sad to see him leave.

[emoviebuff87]

Ben Stone, trying to help a case and then someone gets killed. its what usually happens.

[PoliticalJunkie2036]

Ben Stone was such a brilliant character. Moriarty's portrayal was so intense...he captured exactly what our idealized view of what a prosecutor should be: tough, fair minded and moral. Though Waterston will forever be the main face of Law and Order, I have always felt that Moriarty was the better of the two.

[buttonlover]

I feel the same way. Ben Stone is the reason I want to go to law school.