Well, I’ve been in denial for a few months now. I’d heard rumors, scuttlebutt if you will, about Chris Noth’s (Detective Mike Logan’s alter-ego) impending departure from Law & Order: Criminal Intent. But now reality is knocking at the door and if the countless commercials on USA Network are to be believed, the rumors are true and the departure is imminent (read: next week).

Before I cry endlessly over the end of Detective Mike Logan, let me explain what a Law & Order, or as I call it L&O (pronounced “lo”), junkie fan I am. I’ve watched from the beginning, but L&O didn’t make me high resonate in my soul til Jack McCoy came on the scene. When people ask how long I’ve been using viewing, I tell them since that salt & pepper charmer came to New York in 1994. He’s a little more salt than pepper now, but he’s still got it.

Was it hard to fill the other six nights of the week? Sure, but eventually there were re-runs as syndication marks were achieved. Those kept me warm for awhile, but like any addict will tell you, the more you get, the more you won’t.

Ah, but Dick Wolf, dealer extraordinaire, sensed the hollowness that was my remote, took pity and gave me more to OD on.

There have been many L&O spin-offs, but out of respect for your time, I’ll only hit on the ones currently in production. You’re welcome.

First, there was Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU). Christopher Meloni. That’s all you really need to say about that show. Christopher Meloni. Sometimes I don’t even have the sound on. I’ll admit, occasionally the subject matter is tough – but the drama, I can’t get enough of it. And Christopher Meloni.

Later, Dick offered us a new hit with Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Vincent D’Onofrio sizzled in that show for years (didn’t you just love love love him in Mystic Pizza?).

Then they introduced a second team of detectives and rotated storylines back and forth. It was at this point that we saw the return of Detective Mike Logan.

See Logan had originally been on Law & Order – I believe almost from the very beginning. But then bigger fish appeared, needing to be fried, and he left the show. Bitter and betrayed, I managed to warm up to his replacement and carry on. I still had Lenny and McCoy afterall, it was rocky, but we made it work.

(Of course when I realized Noth left L&O to become Mr. Big all was forgiven. Yummy in an Armani suit? Logan, I never knew you could be so stylish.)

Life went on and L&O settled down. It wasn’t the high-grade ganja, like before, but you could still get a buzz. They had some great characters come and go, but my heart always belonged to Logan. I was over-the-moon to see him return as part of the Criminal Intent cast. He was the guacamole to D’Onofrio’s tortilla chips. And you know what a snacker I am. We were happy, really happy. Or at least I thought.

Now all is lost. Noth ends his run next week. I guess because he is a selfish bastard has other projects he wishes to pursue. That blows (and not in a good way). I should turn my back and refuse him, but we all know I don’t have it in me. I’m whipped, he knows it, I know it, you know it. He’s got me wrapped around his little finger.

The question remains, will the franchise survive this break-up? Will I? Too soon to tell, but I gotta believe that my heart will go on.

PS: Maybe this whole post was just an excuse to post a punch of pictures of cute boys? Oh, and chips.

PPS: Any impression you might have that I support or condone drug use (for the purpose of post material or otherwise), is incorrect. Drugs are expensive bad. So pull a Nancy (Reagan, not Botwin) and JUST SAY NO. Unless you can get them free. From a safe source. And you get enough to share. Do you need my address?