Movies

Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Big Mistake

BBG News

As a devoted cinephile, I must confess that season 5 of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” has fallen short in several aspects, highlighting the significant drop since its transition to Peacock. Frankly speaking, the Stabler-led spinoff from “Law & Order: SVU” seemed tailor-made for this streaming platform. However, the way things are unfolding now paints a different picture.

As a devoted fan, I can attest that among all shows in the franchise, “Organized Crime” stands out by weaving intricate, ongoing narratives. In this series, Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and his team confront ruthless and cunning leaders of criminal enterprises. Consequently, it’s no wonder that season 5 found its new home on Peacock instead of NBC.

In my perspective, this shift in the series brought about a number of adjustments, some of which felt less satisfying. Quite unexpectedly, Law & Order: Organized Crime’s season 5 didn’t debut until April 2025, while other franchise shows were bidding adieu for the summer. This timing only amplified my frustration with the narrative changes they made.

Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Move To Peacock Came With Fewer Episodes

There Were Only 10 Episodes In The Season

Organized Crime” season 5 combined elements of both traditional network television and online streaming services. Similar to many streaming shows, it consisted of just 10 episodes – a significant reduction from the 20+ episodes common in network TV seasons. The first episode was broadcast on television, while the remaining nine were only available for streaming.

Due to the limited number of episodes, the show didn’t have much opportunity to introduce fresh plotlines or conclude existing ones properly. It was particularly disappointing because “Organized Crime” excels at serialized storytelling, a quality that could have made it more suitable for Peacock than it appeared to be.

Regrettably, NBC and Peacock seemed to handle it more like a traditional network show that just so happened to be streamed, with the exception of having fewer episodes, as opposed to fully utilizing Peacock’s less restrictive approach to content. The plotlines resemble those seen on regular TV, but there is a greater emphasis on Stabler’s family.

The Stablers Were The Focus Of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5’s Story

However, Even This Story Was Rushed

The shift in attention might have been appropriate if it were building up to a consistent search for Joey Trotter, Stabler’s younger brother, who mysteriously vanished at the end of the fourth season of Law & Order: Organized Crime. However, what we’ve seen so far are scattered and disjointed storylines that only loosely connect to this particular plot thread.

In the final episode of Season 4, there’s a thrilling twist as the Organized Crime Bureau manages to prevent one of Julian Emery’s (Tom Payne) henchmen from transporting illegally obtained chemical weapons. However, in an unexpected turn of events, it is revealed that Joey has been handcuffed to a case similar to Emery’s, as his plane takes flight, leaving us on the edge of our seats waiting for the next season.

Season 5 occasionally deviates from the main storyline, instead leaping ahead in time. During the initial part of its brief episode run, “the investigation-based series” delves into an arc centered around Stabler and Randall (Dean Norris) questioning whether their mother’s cognitive issues are deteriorating further due to her claims that she communicated with Joey.

Joey doesn’t make his screen debut until episode 8, and he meets a tragic end at the close of episode 9. The abruptness of this ending leaves a sense of haste because the narrative leaps swiftly from a puzzle regarding whether Joey is in New York to the climactic moment. In between, most episodes feature interactions between Stabler and Randall, as Stabler’s brother persistently bothers him with frequent check-ins.

Besides the main plot involving Stabler’s son, Eli (Nicky Torchia), joining the police force and shooting a suspect that Stabler was trying to apprehend alive, there is also a subplot. Unfortunately, Eli’s story doesn’t receive much development after the shooting incident, leaving it underdeveloped. This lack of progression results in his absence during Joey’s final episode, contributing to an overall feeling that none of the family arcs are fully fleshed out, despite the season focusing more on Stabler’s family.

Organized Crime Season 5’s Changes Highlighted Its Character Absences

Bell & Reyes Were Missing For a Third of The Season

The brief duration posed various challenges, yet one standout issue was the conspicuousness of certain character disappearances. Specifically, characters Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) and Reyes (Rick Gonzalez) were absent for three out of ten episodes, leading to a significant change in focus within the series, as the engaging dynamic between Bell and her team is one of the key strengths of Organized Crime.

1) She tolerates very little rule-bending from Stabler and becomes apprehensive when agents are undercover, fearing they might be lost. Meanwhile, Bell holds a powerful position within the NYPD as a Black lesbian, and it’s disappointing there aren’t more characters like her in such roles due to a lack of representation for this specific demographic.

In a similar vein, I, too, am adept at blending into various settings for undercover work. However, during the time Bell and I are supposedly overseas, it seems my expertise is conspicuously absent from the storyline. Furthermore, the narrative becomes more puzzling as there’s no clear reason provided for our departure from the U.S., nor any subsequent debriefing upon our return.

In essence, what this implies is that Stabler has taken charge, guiding Vargas and Tanner through their investigations. This new trio certainly brings a fresh dynamic to the squad, although the change would’ve been less conspicuous if we had more episodes to watch this season.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 6 Needs To Bring Back The Focus On The Core Team

However, The Series Has Not Yet Been Renewed

If the sixth season of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” gets approved, it would be beneficial to once again place the team at the heart of the narrative, rather than focusing solely on Stabler and his family. While it’s crucial to include some storylines related to the Stablers, they should not overshadow the main focus of the show, which is its serialized cases, making “Organized Crime” distinct from other series.

The majority of its narratives showcase antagonists who are relentless in eliminating obstacles and skillful at concealing their actions. It would be more beneficial for Law & Order: Organized Crime to focus its resources and allocate its time in this direction, rather than striving to maintain the structure of a typical procedural where Stabler’s family responsibilities impede his performance on the job.

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2025-07-06 02:30

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