# Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001)

> A New York Major Case Squad detective team tracks murderers by probing the criminal mind as much as the crime scene.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4379

## Facts

- Seasons: 10
- Episodes: 195
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Dick Wolf
- Network: NBC, USA Network
- Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Courtney B. Vance, Julia Ormond, Eric Bogosian, Jamey Sheridan, Chris Noth, Alicia Witt
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275140/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: cerebral, tense, gritty, methodical

## What critics say

Audiences generally regard the series as a solid, well-crafted procedural whose psychological interrogations and lead performances stand out, though later seasons drew weaker ratings.

## Synopsis

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-2011) is an American network crime drama created by Dick Wolf for NBC and USA Network, the third installment of the Law & Order franchise. Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) leads the Major Case Squad alongside partner Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe), with supporting work from Ron Carver (Courtney B. Vance) and Mike Logan (Chris Noth). Its engine is the psychological chase: each episode opens with a New York murder and then focuses on how Goren reads suspects, unpicks their motives, and forces the truth out through interrogation rather than forensics alone. The format is a case-of-the-week procedural across ten seasons, built on the rhythms of the franchise but tilted toward character and mind games. Set in present-day New York City, the series carries a measured, cerebral tension, with a crisp urban atmosphere, moral unease, and an intimate focus on investigators and the people they pursue. Fans of Law & Order, Columbo and Mindhunter will find resonance in its procedural structure and its fascination with the criminal psyche.

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