#jack mccoy

Persistence hunter

Adaptable, opportunistic, indefatigable

Scrappy, social, hierarchical, loud

Ruthless Eater: Runs you down, breaks your leg, rips you up and starts eating you alive, walks away 20 pounds heavier with blood and a smile on his face

"INEVITABLE DISCOVERY"

Ambush predator

Lounger-leaner, minimum effort exerted whenever possible

Quiet, dignified, solitary

Silent Assassin: calm and courteous right up until the moment he STRIKES and you're immediately super dead and he just cleans his claws and placidly strolls away because eating you would just be unseemly

the perpetrator goes free. (i'm looking at YOU, damaged)

the victim secretly liked it. (leslie harlan i am so sorry)

the victim was lying. (literally just every episode that tries to deal w rape)

!!spoilers for law and order s6 e5, s6 e16 & s8 e22 below the cut!!

!!spoilers for criminal minds s9 e23 below the cut!!

Okay, I need to scream about this for a second.

I’ve been binging OG Law & Order and… wow. Everyone hypes SVU (and sure, it’s famous), but honestly? The original is where the real magic is—especially seasons 5–9. The cases are sharp, the cast lineups are insane, and Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy?? A powerhouse. Love love love.

Why OG Works Better

What makes OG stand out is how case-driven it is. Every episode feels like two shows in one—half detective work, half courtroom drama. Tight storytelling, no filler. SVU, for all its popularity, often sidelines the cases to focus on Olivia’s personal arcs. OG sprinkles just enough personal stuff in between, so you crave the next glimpse without it overwhelming the story.

And the ensemble cast? Unmatched. Briscoe, Logan, Rey, Schiff, Claire, McCoy—each brought a generational balance. No one was overshadowed, they all played off each other, which made the show feel bigger than just “one star character.”

McCoy + Claire + Schiff = Peak

Speaking of balance, I’ll never forgive the choice to kill Claire. That trio was gold:

Schiff as the weary-but-wise authority figure,

Claire as the challenger and grounding presence,

McCoy as the courtroom firebrand.

Together, they pulled out dimensions in each other. Claire especially drew out Jack’s bratty, chaotic sides in ways that humanized him. Later ADAs often just looked up to McCoy instead of pushing back, which flattened the dynamic.

Behind the scenes, Jill Hennessy wanted out, but instead of recasting Claire, Dick Wolf decided killing her would “give McCoy more depth.” 🙄 But honestly? Wouldn’t it have been deeper to show him finally trying (after two failed marriages) to figure out work-life balance? That’s growth. Instead, they locked him into the “lone courtroom warrior” box.

The Lone Wolf Problem

And that’s kind of Wolf’s whole philosophy across the franchises, right? To be the top of your game, you have to be alone. McCoy. Olivia. Stabler. They get written into that “lone wolf genius” corner. But what if the braver choice was showing that you can be brilliant and still have connection, still have balance? That would’ve been far richer.

Later Seasons… Meh

By the time I hit season 18 with Cutter and Rubirosa… I’m bored. They’re polished and good-looking, but flat. No spark, no tension. It’s so noticeable after the electric eras with Briscoe, Logan, Rey, Schiff, Claire, and early McCoy. The later ADAs felt more like mentees orbiting Jack than equals who could challenge him.

My ADA/DA Era Ranking (aka fight me in the notes):

McCoy + Claire Kincaid + Schiff — Peak. Balance. Sparks. Chaos. Brilliance.

McCoy + Jamie Ross + Schiff — Jamie had bite and perspective. She was principled but still knew how to push back.

McCoy + Abbie Carmichael + Schiff — Abbie’s fire and sharp edges made her the perfect counterweight to Jack.

Stone + Robinette + Schiff — The blueprint. Pure, case-first storytelling.

McCoy + Alexandra Borgia + Branch — Short-lived but promising. She had heart and grit before Wolf undercut her by fridging her.

McCoy + Serena Southerlyn + Branch — Serena was intelligent, but came across as high-handed and privileged, often missing real-world grounding.

McCoy + Cutter + Rubirosa — Polished, but flat and forgettable.