Law & Order Fans Feel The Show's Accuracy Is Declining

Part of the appeal of "Law & Order" is its ability to stay abreast of the latest trends. It's not unusual for the procedural to rip storylines out of the headlines, giving the show an added air of realism. That can most certainly be the case for the most recent episode, "Almost Famous."

The latest installment of Season 22 follows some kids who don't have dreams of being actors or singers; they just want to be famous. As such, they engage in influencer-type behavior that has deadly consequences. While it's not explicitly taken from a real-life case, it does draw from what's currently trending in the zeitgeist to develop a story that has real resonance for viewers at home. 

But while one could feasibly envision a TikTok meme involving trying to kick down someone's door, there were other parts of the episode that weren't quite as realistic. And people had no problem taking to social media to air their grievances.

For any show that's gone on for over 20 seasons, it's understandable if a few plot points start not making any sense. But when it comes to a show like "Law & Order," which is supposed to derive its details directly from real-life law, it's understandable if fans get a little peeved when the law isn't followed. 

In "Almost Famous," many fans took umbrage with the judge's decisions. On a Reddit thread discussing the episode, u/freetherabbit wrote, "I really wish a show called 'Law and Order' would do a better job with the law parts. I was genuinely expecting we'd find out [the judge] took a bribe with the way she was acting in a manner that seemed so biased towards the defendant." They weren't alone in that assessment; u/actingotaku also found the judge a little off, saying, "Also why in the world would the judge allow this baseless questioning!? I feel a lot of the writing of the judges is so dumbed down in this series."

Of course, this isn't the first time fans have taken issue with the "Order" part of "Law & Order." On Season 22, Episode 6, "Vicious Cycle," fans ragged on the show because people objected to testimony without giving a reason for the objection. It's unclear how much the show's accuracy has declined throughout its run, if at all, but it seems to get the maximum enjoyment out of it at this point, it'd be best to simply look at it as entertainment.