Law & Order's det. Goren: StyleForumer?

[Joel_Cairo]

I've never noticed Vincent Donofrio's character on Law & Order Criminal Intent to be particularly well-dressed (nobody is, really; I hate ADA Carver's fist-sized tie-knots), but he sure knows his menswear. In an episode last night, he noticed that a perp was wearing John Lobb monkstraps, and I recall him interrogating an embezzler and calling out his Kiton sportcoat. He even knew the rspective MSRPs. Now, I guess this is all supposed to be a part of his preternaturally encyclopedic knoweldge of everything in the universe (I feel bad for his chick partner, she's such a dunce Watson), but I thought it worth mentioning here because, well, where else could it be mentioned?

 

[Full Canvas]

Originally Posted by Joel_Cairo

I've never noticed Vincent Donofrio's character on Law & Order Criminal Intent to be particularly well-dressed (nobody is, really; I hate ADA Carver's fist-sized tie-knots), but he sure knows his menswear. In an episode last night, he noticed that a perp was wearing John Lobb monkstraps, and I recall him interrogating an embezzler and calling out his Kiton sportcoat. He even knew the rspective MSRPs. Now, I guess this is all supposed to be a part of his preternaturally encyclopedic knoweldge of everything in the universe (I feel bad for his chick partner, she's such a dunce Watson), but I thought it worth mentioning here because, well, where else could it be mentioned?

For quite a few seasons now, the various Law & Order iterations have used an enormous amount of high-end quality and so-called designer fashions and accessories. One or two eBay sellers claim that many of their auctions goods are right from the sets of L&O.

As for the Goren character, I doubt that Mr. Donofrio actually writes his own character's lines or is in charge of wardrobe. I do recall an old episode in which Goren recognizes a Kiton jacket or suit that some high-rolling with someone else's money embezzler is wearing in one scene. It was so funny because the fellow was pretending to be a high level airline executive when, in fact, he was a baggage supervisor for the airline.

Don't you think this is more likely paid-for product placement or a simple nod to what drives so many real life characters today? After all, Detective Goren actually pronounced Kiton correctly!

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[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by Full Canvas

As for the Goren character, I doubt that Mr. Donofrio actually writes his own character's lines or is in charge of wardrobe.


Oh, I didn't mean to imply he did, I just thought it funny how this character seems to know everything. He has a freakishly adept recall of everything ever written, and as soon as he hears what a suspect is into (be it sinatra, dutch literature, 19th century ship-building, bird-watching, ski-jumping or engineering), he knows he's got 'em, because Goren is somehow an expert in that too. I've seen him hear an english national speak a single word of chinese, and from that evidence deduce that said englishman had learned his chinese while incarcerated in a specific prison. It's just kind of annoying, in a way, that the show calls for such a Good-Will-Hunting degree of disbelief-suspension to accept that one person can know so damn much. He's even committed the MSRPs of high-end clothing (which he can identify by brand at sight) to memory, despite the fact that he himself seems to favor sack-suits and those dark-on-dark shirt & tie combos that are so popular with Elliot and the rest of the SVU guys.

Frankly, I don't even know why he has a partner. The poor woman must feel so useless everyday. I only keep watching the show in hopes that one day, Goren's partner will realize something, and Goren will roll his eyes and mutter "four steps ahead of you, *****."

[/rant]

 

[PITAronin]

Totally random memory, but I recall the episode with the lower-level airline employee passing himself off as an exec because Detective Goren prounounced the man's jacket as "Keaton" (whereas I'd been blissfully thinking all along it was pronounced more along the lines of "Key-tone&quot. Also - again totally random - did anyone else have a question about ADA Carver's suit with two buttonholes in the lapel recently (or at least that's what I think I saw.) I know the issue of the appropriateness of wearing a pocket square as well as a boutonierre has been discussed and is open to diverse opinion. But when I saw what looked like a double buttonhole in the lapel I could only say wtf.

 

[countdemoney]

Goren's character is supposed to be a modern day sherlock holmes. And if we're thinking of the same episode (with the delectable Olivia D'Abo), it was the thai girl at the thai restaurant who tells him that D'Abo has an underclass accent. D'Abo told him of her time in thailand, and perhaps even the specific prison (calling it something else).

In other episodes, Goren has done research, bringing books into the squad room or interrogation room. Donofrio's mannerisms really make the character and I enjoy the show a great deal. His sudden inquisitive jerks are also why he often wears a tie clip.

I do think that one or more of the writers may be an SF-er as there are many references to clothes and there was Farina's character on their sister show.

Here's the creator Dick Wolf:

 

[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by countdemoney

Goren's character is supposed to be a modern day sherlock holmes. And if we're thinking of the same episode (with the delectable Olivia D'Abo), it was the thai girl at the thai restaurant who tells him that D'Abo has an underclass accent. D'Abo told him of her time in thailand, and perhaps even the specific prison (calling it something else).

That's not the episode I was referring to, but in that one, notice how the thai restauranteur mentions the name of the town/region, and from there Goren knows she's been in prison (becuase he knows the specific facility in that location). Man does this guy know his far eastern justice system! I was thinking of an episode with a James Mason lothario/con who has a harem of plastic surgeried blondes, he's the one who speaks chinese with, not a british or european accent, but the accent of the prison where he learned it.

Yes he brings in books and studies up, but where does he find the time when he's single-handedly solving like 4 cases every night, in 60 minutes each???

EDIT: And another thing, at least Dr. Watson used to hook Sherlock up with scripts for illicit substances. Goren's partner doesn't even do that. sheesh. good grief.


(I never realized I had so much resentment toward this show I enjoy watching when nothings on)