Season seven of the famous crime and investigation series, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, is due to air on Universal Channel from May 21. We caught up with Vincent D’Onofrio and Katheryn Erbe who play detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames to tell us what viewers can expect in their latest offering.
Q: What’s being done this season that hasn’t necessarily been done in the past to make - or continue making Criminal Intent unique?
VD: There’s going to be some procedural type shows, because people like the crime stuff. They like to see us investigate and catch the bad guy at the end, but we’ve filled this season up with character driven things. Fans are going to get to see sides of them that has never been seen before. And to see these side of these two very distinct
characters is definitely going to be different than another show or even another Law and Order show.
Q: Actors/characters come and go on Law and Order, how important is it that you two are a team?
VD: It’s absolutely vital. I don't think either of us could do it without each other. It’s been a long time now and our relationship as actors is as tight as it could be.
KE: It’s such a difficult job and it took us a long time to figure out how to do it in a way that worked smoothly, It’s a different kind of acting than Vincent or I have ever
done.
Q: As you guys go into your seventh season, are the roles still exciting to play?
VD: Yes, I still get excited. Sometimes I even get scared and nervous while shooting certain scenes. But I like to keep things interesting so I change my acting up a bit.
Q: Kathryn, looking at the season preview, Goren and Alex are both going through some pretty heavy circumstances. How is that going to affect them individually this season and how do you think that’s going to affect their relationship?
KE: In this season they have a lot more respect for each other, they rely on each other a lot more. They’re much more of a team and they know each other a hell of a lot better because their wounds are more apparent. The season opener’s going to be great.
Q: Is there something you haven't done yet or accomplished on the show that you want to see your characters do?
VD: Yes. Well I think that we have - as far as Goren goes, we have an episode
coming up that his mental health gets tested a little bit on, and I think that's going to be
interesting for me.
KE: I'm just frankly happy to have concrete interesting stuff to do every show.
And, Eames being an important part of the investigations is really the highest priority to me. And I'm very excited about Goren’s mental health being tested. I think that that will be very interesting for Eames as well.
Q: Is there anything about the qualities of your characters that you wish you had in your own personal life?
VD: No. I have enough trouble in my personal life. I wouldn't want to trade it for some kind of troubled life like Goren has.
Q: Kathryn, being as this first episode in the season is kind of focusing more so on your personal life than in seasons past, has that caused you to change your approach of how you prepare for this character and doing this character?
KE: Well I think - and when we see the episode it’ll be clear, but I think - my hope is
that with her being forced to address this major event in her past, my feeling is that up until this point, Eames has been all about work, not really having a personal life, and has been living kind of through her family and through other people and just really focused on doing her job well, and has been somewhat rigid in her views about right and wrong and good and bad in a good way. I mean I don't think that that is necessarily a bad thing, but my hope is that she will lighten up a little bit and be able to enjoy life more.
*Season 7 of Law & Order: Criminal Intent airs on Universal Channel from May 21 at 8:50pm