Mourning . . . what you do when something you love is gone

Last night I watched the finale of Law&Order, so today I’m in mourning. I’ve watched that show for twenty years, so things won’t be the same without it. I don’t think it was meant to be the last show ever, but the network decided it would be. It was a good show. S. Epatha Merkerson had several shifts with an MRI for her cancer, but in the end it turned out just fine as apparently she had good news. She’d been planning on leaving the show before they decided to cancel it anyway. She’d been battling cancer all year, but show-biz cancer, not the real thing. She had a neat boyfriend who helped her through it. I had cancer but it was the real kind, and I didn’t have a neat boyfriend to help me through mine – not even a douche bag boyfriend. Epatha was a Broadway and television star before and during all this. She came during the 4th episode and stayed til the end. Last night’s show ended at a bar where all of her crew were holding a fundraiser to help with her doctor bills. All the stars of the show were there, and it was really neat. But it made me wonder if NYPD personnel have no health insurance or really crappy insurance. Shouldn’t something be done about that?

Jerry Orbach was one of the first detectives on the show, joining in l992 and staying until 2004. He left during the 14th season as he had prostate cancer which he’d had for 10 years but never made public. He had starred on Broadway, movies, television and worked steadily all his life. He was loved by everyone, and his role as the world-weary detective on L&O was perfect. When he died, they dimmed the lights on Broadway which isn’t done that often. He was known for his sarcastic quips right before the actual show begins, after the prelude. I remember the one, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” I loved that . . . but I just realized he didn’t say it; Patrick Swayze did in “Dirty Dancing.” But Jerry was in that movie and in that scene, so I gave him credit for it. I seem to get mixed up sometimes!

Sam Waterston came to the show early. As the others, he was an actor who had established himself many years before. He played the ADA for years, just recently moving up to the District Attorney position. Chris Noth, “Mr. Big” played a detective early on, but didn’t stay. I could go on and on, but if you don’t know the people I’m talking about, it won’t interest you. To me, Law & Order was like comfort food – sort of like macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies and wine. I’ll certainly miss it.

But GLEE is on tonight, so that will help a lot!!