By: Aynonomous LAW & ORDER Addict (and President of the organization to bring back TRIAL BY JURY)
I don’t know why the TV Addict has such a hate on for one of the longest running shows in Television history, but I do think it is important we take a moment and reflect upon the impending “retirement” of Detective Green. LAW & ORDER is in its 18th season. Many reading this were barely teenagers when it premiered. Jesse L. Martin joined Law & Order in 1999 as Detective Ed Green, becoming the new partner of the legendary Jerry Orbach’s Lenny Briscoe. He is one four actors to appear on all four LAW & ORDERS and will have filmed, on just about every street corner in NYC, over 192 episodes. Not bad for a guy who found fame as the original Collins in the Tony award winning musical RENT.
I am a LAW & ORDER Addict and loved the dynamic duo of Briscoe and Green. Orbach and Martin are two Broadway performers who had the most amazing chemistry on screen. It was devastating when Orbach passed away leaving a huge void in the entertainment world and ending one of television’s finest partnerships. Detective Green has had a number of partners since Orbach’s passing and none of them have been as good as the original one. It became very apparent that Jesse L. Martin was ready to exit. The spark in detective Green had extinguished and his character was becoming more and more impatient and discontent.
Anthony Anderson, who will forever be Teddy from HANG TIME as far as I am concerned, will fill the void making permanent a guest role, Lucius Blaine, he played on several SVU episodes. With Martin’s departure and Jack McCoy behind the big desk it feels that LAW & ORDER is making another monumental change. I believe it can survive; Sisto and Cutter have been great additions. It is just a little sad to see a major part of LAW & ORDER fade away into history.
All that is left is how Detective Green will exit. Let’s hope, as Martin has suggested publicly, that the door is left open for some guest turns. We will miss Jessie L. Martin on television, but he is moving on to some exciting projects and fingers crossed a return to the Broadway stage.
I will end my lament with a note to Dick Wolf, all I ask is that moments before we see your name appear on screen please don’t out Detective Green as a politically charged lesbian. 
