Elliot Stabler Is Back and Better Than Ever After His Procedural’s Move to Peacock

After a nearly year-long hiatus, Law & Order: Organized Crime has officially returned, as Season 5 begins a new chapter for the Dick Wolf procedural, now airing exclusively on Peacock. The fifth season of the Christopher Meloni-led show has promised that things will get personal for Detective Elliot Stabler (Meloni) as he becomes entangled in drug and human trafficking, all while his son Eli (Nicky Torchia) enters the police force. In Season 5 alone, the crew of the Organized Crime Control Bureau investigates cross-border smuggling, domestic terrorism, and someone out for revenge against Detective Elliot Stabler. While viewers and cast alike have been anxiously awaiting its return, suffice it to say, Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 is definitely worth the wait.

What Happened Last Season on ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’?

Season 4 ramped up the family drama that Organized Crime has been known for, as multiple main and recurring cast members sharing the last name Stabler, including Elliot’s older brother Randall (played by Dean Norris) work to undo the absolute mess of things that Joseph “Joe Jr.” Stabler (Michael Trotter) has created. Elliot, par for the course, headed back undercover, this time as a man named Harry Drummond, to tackle a heroin smuggling ring. The situation, of course, became bigger than initially anticipated as an anonymous figure known only by the name “Redcoat” was revealed to be behind the larger operation.

In addition to Joe Jr.’s nonsense, Elliot Stabler received some bombshell news at the end of Season 4: He’s going to be a grandfather, again. The news itself wasn’t a huge surprise, since he already has two grandkids through his daughter Maureen; instead, the shock was born from learning that his 18-year-old son, Eli (Nicky Torchia) — aka Elliot Stabler Jr. — was the father. The character, first born in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 9 episode “Paternity,” is now repeating history and becoming a young dad himself. To really drive that point home, Eli is also planning to join the NYPD, and Season 5 kicks off with him starting his training on the force while living with his girlfriend in his father’s apartment.

‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Season 5 Returns With a Solid Start After a Long Wait

The first two episodes provided for review serve as a strong foundation for the series that has now become a Peacock Original. While there is a tonal shift away from the crime-of-the-week format that fans of other Law & Order shows may expect, Organized Crime Season 5 doesn’t feel all that different from its preceding years, and that’s a good thing. The show isn’t immediately jumping into dark and gritty with the shift to Peacock, or more fully leaning into the “MA” rating, though that may also have to do with the fact that the season premiere, “Lost Highway,” will also be telecast after the upcoming Law & Order and SVU crossover. With Stabler now dealing with the type of baby furniture he’s likely not seen since the very reason for it was a child, there’s an opportunity for the character to lean into a softer side that is often underused but always welcome. Stabler may also finally be learning his lesson in his reluctance to go undercover, but unfortunately, the pull of his job and the ongoing desire for justice have always been too important to him.

The choice to start Season 5 with Stabler already working undercover was the right move, and Meloni shifts seamlessly between gentler family man and hardened cop. Despite his time away, he immediately jumps in not only to bust the operation that is linked to human trafficking, but also takes it upon himself to form a special bond with a victim — and because he can’t help himself, this bond is what puts him in grave danger. As Stabler progresses in his undercover operation, Sgt. Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt), along with Detective Jet Slootmaekers (Ainsley Seiger), Rick Gonzalez as Detective Bobby Reyes (Rick Gonzalez), and Detective Tim McKenna (Jason Patric), work with the FBI back at OCCB. Though they’re not as visible in these first two episodes, it’s stil nice to see them all back.

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On the more personal front, Elliot’s relatives are also back and better than ever, and Season 5 strikes the perfect balance between family and crime drama once again, thanks to Norris as well as Ellen Burstyn‘s Bernadette “Bernie” Stabler. While the main focus revolves around Elliot and his undercover operation, Norris and Burstyn’s scenes, both together and separate, are can’t-miss. Meanwhile, on the OCCB side of the story, Seiger is a standout who makes her screen time count, delivering an active and engaging performance that will have viewers experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions until Episode 2 wraps up.

We’ve Got To Address the ‘EO’-lephant in the Room on ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Season 5

Yes, we have to talk about the “EO” of it all — but without giving too much away, since it’s already been confirmed that Mariska Hargitay will guest-star as Captain Olivia Benson in the second episode of Season 5, “Dante’s Inferno.” From the trailers and the sneak peeks, we know that Elliot ends up in the hospital after being hit by a truck, but that also sums up how the fandom may feel after watching. Overwhelmed is the best feeling to describe finishing the episode as a ride-or-die for one of the longest-running slow burns in television history. Expectations should be measured given the 26-year-long journey these characters have been on, but at one point, heads may also be turning at breakneck speed to confirm exactly what Christopher Meloni did write into the episode. One thing is clear: he knows these characters inside and out.

In fact, there’s enough of a shift between the first and second episodes that makes it clear that Meloni understands Stabler and Benson on a deep level. He isn’t simply sticking them in a room together again; there’s a nuance in the way that Meloni has written their relationship that will leave viewers satisfied. Meloni needs to be in the writers’ room as often as possible, quite frankly, and if he’d like to lend his pen and paper over to SVU, this author will not have any complaints. After an excellent premiere, Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 is already laying a strong foundation for itself in its new streaming home.

The first two episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 are now available to stream on Peacock.

Law and Order: Organized Crime

Law & Order: Organized Crime returns with a strong start after a long wait for Season 5.

Release Date

April 1, 2021

Network

NBC, Peacock

Showrunner

Bryan Goluboff

Directors

John Polson, Jean de Segonzac, Jon Cassar, Stephen Surjik, Sharon Lewis, Simón Brand, Bethany Rooney, Jonathan Brown, Milena Govich, Ken Girotti, Gonzalo Amat, Tess Malone, Alex Hall, Anna Dokoza, Brenna Malloy, Monica Raymund, Sarah Boyd, Nelson McCormick, Leslie Hope, Rob J. Greenlea, Oz Scott, Michael Slovis, Alex Zakrzewski, Kate Woods

Pros & Cons

• Christopher Meloni delivers a classic Elliot Stabler performance.
• Elsewhere, Ainsley Seiger’s Jet Slootmaekers keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.
• Moving to Peacock provides a tonal shift, but not enough to lose the audience.

• There’s a lot packed into such a short time ? even across two episodes.
• The lack of OCCB’s dynamics may come in later episodes, but is missing here.