Law and Order

How do you end a show with 20 years of success on NBC? You end it the way you end every episode and that is what the writers of "Law and Order" did last night; you have closure, with only a few questions about what will they do tomorrow.

"Law and Order" used the hour format to highlight how the district attorney's office works with law enforcement. It also used a cast of characters that gave the show a sense of realism.

Lt. Anita Van Burren played S. Epatha Merkerson was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of this season. Merkerson announced that this season would be her final, after 17 years on the show, and the ending was a nice way to say good bye to her.

No, she didn’t get shot or die from her cancer. She received news from her doctor the cancer was gone and she also got engaged. A happy ending for a character that over the years remained stone for her fellow cops to rest their weary hearts upon.

If "Law and Order" doesn’t get picked up by TNT, its last case called to attention the power of teachers’ union, and teachers face in the modern schools. At times, the episode preached more than telling the story, but a little preaching is what a viewer comes to expect from the show.

And the villain was a good New York teacher upset by accusations that ended his career. He is sent to the "Rubber Room" and listens and blogs about the teachers he meets in the room. The blog is also a place for him to warn the public about his plans to make himself famous. Detectives Lupo and Bernard arrived at the school just in time to prevent the disaster.

The final scene also didn’t give any hints that it might be the end for the cast of characters, or did it grab as much media attention as the final episodes of "24" and"Lost"did. "Law and Order" didn't need the hype to get the ratings, because the ratings came with the good stories and interesting characters.