Something was amiss during the last three seasons of Law & Order: SVU. With Mariska Hargitay's pregnancy leave, changes in Christopher Meloni's character, the introduction and departure of some cast members, and the demotion of Detective Munch to a desk, the show seemed to have lost its way. It was tough to watch as more melodrama seeped into the show and pushed away the criminal procedurals that have made this Law & Order franchise so popular.

However, change may be on the horizon. With the first two episodes of the tenth season now under their belt, there's a feeling of normalcy that has returned to the show. A sense that the producers may be done tinkering with the program for the time being, despite the introduction of Michaela McManus as new A.D.A Kim Greylek. Some melodrama is still there - they are human beings after all - but the cases are first and foremost for the show.

Recently, we told you about James Brolin appearing in a guest role on Law & Order: SVU, as a man from Elliot's past. Now, there'll be even more development for Christopher Meloni's character when Ellen Burstyn shows up on SVU to play Stabler's mother.

Oh, and she's not your button-downed, upright all together mom. She's bipolar, which is to say that she has a serious psychological disorder.

TVGuide.com reported that it learned that Ms. Burstyn's guest role will be very dramatic -- "explosive" -- and is slated for one episode. Thinking about what's been happening on SVU, the major storyline for Elliot has been revolving around his wife Kathy having another child.

The baby has brought the Stablers back together after a separation. Could Elliot's mother be coming to New York to see her new grandchild and something else go wrong? Hmm...

Of all the Law & Orders -- and I watch all three -- Special Victims Unit is the one that indulges in more character-oriented storytelling. That's all for the better, as far as I'm concern, whether that means going inside Olivia's mind as she's struggled with knowing she was a child of rape, or suffering when Elliot's marriage was on the rocks.

When the new season of SVU returns on Tuesday, September 23, we'll be getting some more character development with a special appearance by Emmy winner James Brolin.

Richard Belzer, who plays Detective Munch, mentioned Brolin's guest appearance to TV Guide, saying, "He's a great guy; he's got a big fight scene with Stabler, so that should be fun." Brolin is playing a former military man who shares a past connection with Elliot. Hmm...was Christopher Meloni ever on Pensacola: Wings of Gold? Brolin, by the way, turns 68 this Friday, July 18. Remember when he was the hot, young motorcycle-riding Dr. Steve Kiley on Marcus Welby, M.D.?

(S08E20) Usually I would say that if Elliot Stabler gets naked, it's gonna be a great episode. I wouldn't call it "great", but it was "good". It's surprising, really, because the topic was incredibly emotional. A man killed his wife and children because his lies were getting out of hand. It's a believable premise because we've seen it played out too many times in the news media (even though L&O didn't promote this one as "ripped from the headlines").

The episode was Elliot-centric, which usually means his family is somehow involved. It was. He saw a man who was bored with his life in Staten Island, so he started making up a new life for himself complete with a fiance who thought he was a CIA agent. Of course, it imploded and, as Dr. Wong said, family killers are so narcissistic that they can't live with the shame of being caught in their lies.

(S01E13) How about that opening sequence? Before the credits, the entire cast gets to take a shot at a locomotive big guy on PCP. He throws Elliot through a window, knocks out a kid getting off the elevator and even takes a taser shot to the gut from Olivia before Fin takes him out with a chair to the back of the head. Anyway, the entire action sequence was a pretty elaborate way to write Christopher Meloni out of this week's script.

And, how unusual was this episode? The first 40 minutes had us thinking the detectives were investigating their usual child porn case, but then suddenly Olivia passes out?!? That's when the episode takes a turn from child porn to a much headier subject of chemical companies testing their products on humans. Wha? It took me a little while to catch up with the detectives as they spouted out their theories on why people in a low-income apartment building were being gassed. For a while there, I thought the theory was hair-brained and another of Det. Munch's theories. But it just kept going.

(S01E08) Well, you guys were right about the way Connie Nielsen's character was going to exit the show. Det. Dani Beck has been getting increasingly upset over the victims of SVU cases and this week's case was just too much for her to handle. Pity. I was actually starting to enjoy her character, who started out as a reckless cop with bad judgment but ended as an emotional wreck with bad judgment.

(S07E22) Well, here we are at the end of the seventh season of SVU and we delve into familiar territory; teenage sexual activity. We also focus one more time on Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) who has a good portion of screen time this episode (although A.D.A. Casey Novak (Diane Neal) has some decent screen time as well).

Sigh.

Folks, I'm sorry. I been hitting the wall with this show for the past few episodes, and actually the entire season. I've just felt that most of the focus has been on Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) this season in order to flesh out their characters a bit. As I've mentioned previously there hasn't been nearly as much of Detectives Munch (Richard Belzer) and Tutuola (Ice-T) this season. Heck, even Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) had some focus episodes in the past. No, this season has been about Stabler and Benson, whether together or solo, and I'm kind of burnt out. That may be the reason that I wasn't too impressed with the episode.