Reparations for Crimes Past

[freifraufischer]

So this is outside of the monthly theme. I just wanted to celebrate a television show taking a step back from storytelling crimes past.

The most criminal thing the Law and Order franchise has ever done to a female character was the departure of ADA Casey Novak from Special Victims Unit. For reasons beyond understanding she lied to a judge and

Comments

[angelqueen04]

I was never pleased to lose Diane Neal from the show either. (Though, I admit that I've loved her guest spots on NCIS, so there was a small upside to it.) The reasons they wrote for her departure were ridiculous! Casey Novak had more ethics than Alexandra Cabot did (who I loved too and also miss).

Will be crossing my fingers in the hope that we'll get to see Casey again next season.

[freifraufischer]

I've loved her on NCIS, but I don't think they are going to bring her on as a regular. I don't know if they will do it on SVU either, but at least they did some repair work on the idiotic way they wrote her out.

Yeah, an ethics violation was just way out of character for her. I like Cabot but I think it's clear Stephanie March doesn't want to do a full season.

[krazykitkat]

I always wondered why she left. Couldn't really find any details on a search of the net either. Adored Casey and Diane Neal. Also really loved her character on NCIS, hope she pops up once a season.

[freifraufischer]

Before this week we had heard that she had been disbarred from a short lived regular character named Greylick. She was the ADA in the season right after Neal left who decided to do a CSI:NY right before the start of her contract without asking Wolf first. CSI:NY was in direct competition with one of the Law and Order shows and Wolf did not take kindly to it, and the actress was fired midseason.

[krazykitkat]

Ooops, meant the reasons behind why Diane Neal left.

[freifraufischer]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Officially she said that it was about wanting to move on to other projects but the fact that she was fired became public pretty quickly. The weight stuff floated around right around that time.

[ariestess]

I didn't necessarily like Casey Novak all that much, but hearing the reasons behind her "disappearance" are horrible! Didn't Diane Neal have a baby somewhere around that last season, too, which may have contributed to Neil Baer's misogynistic view of her weight?

[freifraufischer]

I can't find any internet evidence that she has had a child, but I only searched for a bit. As for if the weight thing was the only reason, I don't know for certain. Apparently she and Baer had difficulties on and off for a year or so. The weight buisness was just a recurring theme in the rummors about why there was supposed to be a problem.

I have screencaps from her entire time on SVU and I don't see any time when she's being hidden or shot in the ways that one hides a pregnancy.

[ariestess]

Oh, I don't doubt that I might be wrong about it. Or maybe that was a rumor over "weight issues" for her at some point? No idea. Either way, weight is NOT the sort of thing to get rid of a longtime actor for.

[freifraufischer]

It's not, but in this case it was utterly rediculous. She is probably a bit heavier than most hollywood actresses, but still likely on the light side of healthy weight. I think it's mostly her round face. Oh and that she's freakishly tall. When you see her in group shots they always have her leaning against things or sitting down. She did all her court scenes in flip flops.

[lavidaessueno]

I've had some major issues with the L&O folks since the completely ridiculous departure scene they forced on Elisabeth Rohm.

[freifraufischer]

Yeah, that has to be the biggest nonsequator in TV history.

[melyanna]

True fact: the firing of Serena Southerlyn was the first episode of L&O I ever saw. It was years before I gave the franchise another try.

[lavidaessueno]

To this day I won't watch L&O:TOS. After that episode, I was done. I can't bring myself to stop watching SVU; for certain personal reasons, I find it extremely therapeutic.

I was surprised by how much I came to like the Casey Novak character. At first I couldn't stand her, but as time passed, I really warmed up to her. I do think TPTB need to find a permanent cast member for that slot, though; it's had an impact not only in stunt casting, but also in their storytelling, and I am not a big fan of letting meta influence canon (Dana Scully eating bee pollen, I'm looking at you).

[anything_can_be]

Just have to say that I stumbled across this community by accident, but finding Diane Neal as the most recent topic of conversation (followed by the marvelous Maggie Smith) has more than made up my mind to stay. :) Thank you for this. I am absolutely thrilled that they gave DN another appearance on SVU. A long-time SVU fan, Casey's departure was heartbreaking. I really loved her character!

For anyone interested, Diane Neal tweets (@DianeNeal) and has a website www (dot) dianeneal (dot) com. She's very friendly with her fans and enjoys interacting with them.

[freifraufischer]

Well, your welcome to join the community and pass it on to your friend. Basically this is a community to celebrate female characters in any fandom, founded after yet another one of those female bashing memes went around the net about eight months ago.

Every other month or so we run a theme, recent ones have been "women i'd take with me into a fight" and "under appreciated women" and the members post about one (or more) women that fit that theme broadly. Most of our membership procrastinates so we'll get most of the responses to the current theme "Women you'd hatch a conspiracy with" near the end of April.