Greetings,
In recent years, I have come to feel really bad for the character of Ben Stone. I think it's because, outside of hardcore Law & Order fans, he sometimes is forgotten. At least, with some people I've spoken to. Even though, he was there in the beginning and for four seasons, it's hard to compete with one's successor who got to last four times as long. Especially when he clearly gets more rerun opportunities. And even if you ask someone who isn't a huge fan of the show, they tend to still know about certain characters. In my experiences, however, Ben Stone isn't often one of them. And that makes me really mad, because he deserves so much better. So, let's talk about him.
Ben Stone was portrayed by Michael Moriarty from 1990 to 1994, and he was the first Executive Assistant DA we got on the show. He was yet another Catholic, another Conservative, another Irishman and another man haunted by alcoholism. In his case, it was that of his father. Stone was pro-life, opposed to the death penalty, and he had a history of being very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He was always compassionate towards people who had disadvantages in life, believing that if he could help, he should. But if they used this as an excuse for criminal behavior, he did not stand for it. As far as his personal life goes, he was divorced and had a daughter, who we never saw. So all we can say about her and the ex-wife is that they existed.
Now, in case you couldn't tell by what I already said, Ben Stone was kind of complex as a character. I saw that as a good balance. He was quite strict and stuck to his guns when it came to his profession, which some people thought made him difficult to work with I, personally, find that to be a wonderful quality of someone in charge. At least, stuff gets done that way. He was also very passionate, yet it was conveyed in usually a very calm and even respectful way. Well, seemingly respectful. His use of the word "sir" could be a bit on the sarcastic side, and that's just another reason to love him.
When it came to Stone's departure from the show, he resigned as Executive ADA. He did so after a witness was killed under his watch, and it had a harsh effect on him. I can see how that might make a person guilt-ridden. He was mentioned in subsequent episodes, letting us know that he was apparently traveling in Europe for a while, but he didn't appear again. Now, I have heard some stories as to why Michael Moriarty left the show, and I don't really want go there with any speculation. I just heard that things may have been messy, and those things may or may not have been resolved, forgotten or forgiven over the years. So, since I admire and respect the parties that may or may not be involved, I'd like to not give it too much thought. I just hope everything worked out for everyone.
Bottom line, I liked Ben Stone and I really liked Michael Moriarty's performance. There was an authenticity to everything he did, and considering how little I see of that nowadays, I can go back and appreciate so much of it. And I am directing that to both the character and the actor.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
