Greetings,
By Season 11, Law & Order was pretty much cemented as an iconic part of pop culture, not to mention that it had been as acclaimed as a show could be. So, it takes a special actress to come along to make the audience say "Wow, they got her to be a regular!" Such was the case when the character of Nora Lewin was introduced.
Nora Lewin was portrayed by Dianne Wiest for Seasons 11 and 12. Yeah, two-time Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest. You know, I always imagined that, if she ever got into an argument with anyone on the show, she could just win by saying "How many Oscars do YOU have? That's what I thought". Okay, she probably didn't do that, but she was an impressive get for the show. Not that we weren't impressed by some of those legendary boys, but, again, girl power and all that. Anyway, Nora Lewin came in after Adam Schiff left to be the New York City District Attorney. She was the only woman to ever hold the title on the show, which is a step farther than reality since NYC had never had a woman DA, apparently. Gee, New York, I thought you were progressive. What's up with that? Now, Nora was a law professor before this job, so some people assumed she wasn't qualified, saying that, while she was knowledgeable, she had no hands on experience. I suppose I can understand that, since teaching law and practicing law in that setting is a bit different. Although, if memory serves, Rudy Guiliani walked her into the office on her first day. That has to be worth something. Especially considering their differences politically.
Yes, Nora was a Liberal, something that caused disagreements with her colleagues, like Abbie Carmichael and even Jack McCoy every now and then. So, you know she had to be hardcore, and she was. Still, it never was to an obnoxious degree. She was one of the best examples of how Law & Order kept things balanced very well politically. One thing that was brought up on occasion was Nora's opposition to the death penalty. However, she was forced to face making a decision in its favor, mostly because of the case and for the hopes that her office would not look as though it was easy on crime. Once that label gets attached to you, the criminals start getting ideas. I really liked that particular episode because you could see how conflicted she was about it. Nora was one for standing up for her beliefs, but you see her truly realize that it's not always just about her. She was representing the people of an entire city, working for their safety. I think the toughness of these types of decisions may have been why she left.
After Season 12, Nora departed the DA's office, deciding not to run for the office, as she was an interim appointed by the governor. They never actually addressed why she left. She just kind of fell of the show, as they say. But Dick Wolf mentioned in one of his books (yes, apparently, there are tie-in books) that she just didn't want to to it anymore. Understandable. Dianne Wiest kind of went through the same thing in real life, deciding that she was done with the role and wanted to move on. Understandable as well.
I have to say that, despite our many differences, I had to admire the character of Nora Lewin. She made her voice known and did her best not to back down from what she thought was right. Even if I thought she was wrong, at least she stood by her convictions. Better than apathy. And, I mean, come on! It's Dianne Wiest, for crying out loud. Do you think she was ever not great in her weekly performances? Yeah, that's right. I consider it an honor that, even for a short time, she graced us with her presence.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
