With seven series in the franchise and international adaptations airing around the world, Law and Order is arguably the most successful franchise in television history. Its formula of following the cops as they solve the case, then the lawyers trying to prosecute, is somehow able to stay fresh through 30 seasons of drama.
One of the signature pieces of the Law and Order puzzle is the partnerships among the detectives. Some are memorable and make certain seasons endlessly rewatchable, while others are so forgettable we don’t even mention them. To honor the procedural that started the craze, these are the 5 best and 5 worst Law and Order partnerships.
WORST: LOGAN AND FALACCI
During his tenure on Criminal Intent, Chris Noth’s Mike Logan had a few different partners come into his life. He spent the shortest amount of time with Nola Falacci. Alicia Witt joined the Major Case squad while Julianne Nicholson was on maternity leave, so her character always felt temporary.
It’s not that they were a bad partnership, it’s just that viewers never felt the need to invest in the team. Frankly, Nicholson’s Wheeler was Logan’s best partner since Briscoe.
BEST: BENSON AND STABLER
The flagship duo of Special Victims Unit, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler are the team most closely associated with the show. As one of the franchise’s best partnerships, they were able to anticipate each other’s moves and always know what the other was thinking.
Their only flaw comes from the somewhat co-dependent almost toxic nature of their relationship. There’s a definite argument to be made that they held one another back emotionally. While we miss seeing Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay work together, we also love the changes in Olivia’s life since Elliot moved on.
WORST: GOREN AND BISHOP
Robert Goren is the most unique detective in the franchise. His style is an acquired taste for the cops who work with him and most of them don’t get him. The only one who can really handle him is Eames. That became very clear when he temporarily partnered with G. Lynn Bishop in season three.
Kathryn Erbe was pregnant, so Eames became a surrogate for her sister and when she went on maternity leave, Bishop stepped in. Goren and Bishop never gelled, as Goren usually overshadowed her.
BEST: LUPO AND BERNARD
In its last few seasons, Law and Order underwent significant cast changes. Among them were the introduction of new detectives Lupo and Bernard. Jeremy Sisto and Anthony Anderson had an instant chemistry that revitalized the series for its last two seasons, giving it a ratings bump.
Like all the best partners, viewers could feel the real friendship between the two and that makes the investigations and stories more grounded. They made the final two seasons some of the series best. It was simultaneously fresh and reminiscent of previous great pairs.
WORST: JARUSZALESKI AND MORALES
Law and Order: LA was the most short-lived show in the franchise. Apparently, setting the show in Los Angeles didn’t have the same vibe as New York. The series began with detectives Jaruszaleski and Winters as the main investigators, however, when Winters was lost in the line of duty, ADA Morales returned to police work.
Despite the excellent work of Corey Stoll as Jaruszaleski and Alfred Molina as Morales, their pairing just never had the same close relationship of the previous team. Morales always felt a placeholder for the partner Jaruszaleski really wanted back.
BEST: FIN AND MUNCH
Benson and Stabler may be the headline team on SVU, but the real MVPs are Munch and Fin. Richard Belzer’s conspiracy obsessed Munch somehow fit perfectly with Ice T’s street smart Fin. They were the Law and Order equivalent of an old married couple.
SVU is such a tough show to watch that it was nice to get the occasional comedic relief the duo provided. When Belzer left the show, it created a hole in the cast that has never been filled and is still very noticeable.
WORST: STABLER AND BECK
Let’s be honest, there is no SVU without Mariska Hargitay. When the actress became pregnant and went on maternity leave, fans wondered how the show would continue to thrive. It didn’t take long to realize that her absence wouldn’t be good for Stabler.
Without Benson around to temper his worst impulses, Stabler became nearly unwatchable. During this time he was paired with Danielle Beck, played by Connie Nielsen. Knowing she was a temporary partner, it felt like the show never invested in her character, meaning she and Stabler didn’t click.
BEST: GOREN AND EAMES
From the start Criminal Intent was set up to be different from the other series, as it would follow the perpetrators as well as the cops. One of the ways they set it apart was through the non-traditional tactics of Goren and Eames.
They like to use a suspect’s mistakes and insecurities against them and it’s fascinating to watch. While Vincent D’Onofrio’s Goren tends to get more of the attention, it’s Kathryn Erbe’s Eames that’s really the glue of the team. Their two styles work as a well oiled, perfectly balanced machine, which makes for captivating TV, elevating every story.
WORST: GREEN AND CASSADY
Following the exit of Dennis Farina, Law and Order decided to shake things up by giving Ed Green young new female partner Nina Cassady. The problem was they made her so naive about being a detective, and so unlikeable, the partnership never had a chance.
Every case involved her doing something ridiculous during the investigation, then being lectured by Ed, Van Buren or Connie Rubirosa. This team never worked for even a second, so no one was surprised when she only lasted one season.
BEST: BRISCOE AND GREEN
Honestly, Lennie Briscoe was great with every partner he had, because Jerry Orbach made everyone better. His friendship with Rey Curtis made for one of the franchise’s best duos, so it would be tough for anyone to follow. However, Jesse L. Martin came in, instantly charmed audiences and made Ed Green central to the franchise.
Orbach and Martin had a “lightning in a bottle” chemistry that created some of the show’s best episodes and many of Lennie’s best one-liners. The Law and Order universe has countless partnerships, but none are as memorable or entertaining as Briscoe and Green.