WARNING! SPOILERS ahead forLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5, episode 9, “Off the Books.”
Law & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5 demonstrates that the gritty procedural is the opposite of everything that has made theLaw & Orderfranchise iconic, but that could be positive news. TheLaw & Orderfranchise has followed the same successful formula for over 20 years, in which the first half of each episode is dedicated to cops solving a crime and the second half involves the trial of the arrested defendant. Many of thebest episodes ofLaw & Ordertake full advantage of this format to point out weaknesses in the criminal justice system.
Law & Order: Organized Crimewas initially marketed as Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) return to the franchiseafter a 10-year absence. However, the series does not focus on the longrelationship between Benson and Stabler inLaw & Order: SVUor follow the same formula as other shows in the franchise. Most notably, most of its stories take several episodes to resolve, and there is not usually a trial aspect to the cases, althoughLaw & Order: SVU’s Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) appears occasionally if there is a wrinkle in a case.
The Law & Order Franchise Has Always Prioritized Its Cases Over Personal Stories
Personal Arcs Are Secondary To The Case
TheLaw & Orderfranchise tends to be focused more on procedural aspects than on the characters' personal lives, especially the originalLaw & Order. The series' purpose is to show both sides of the legal system and ask tough questions about how well justice is served, and personal storylines would distract from that. That said, the two other entries in the franchise do have subplots involving the characters' families, but these are usually secondary to the case at hand.
While the original series only features the characters' lives occasionally,Law & Order: SVUfocuses more on the personal. However, its decision to have the Stabler family be prominent in early seasons was controversial because that was seen as a departure from tradition. These types of stories have become less common in recent years. In fact,Law & Order: SVUseason 26has cut back on personal stories, leaving audiences frustrated and confused because Benson’s son was so rarely featured.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Officially Makes It Stabler’s Story
Every Case Is Connected To His Personal Life
While Stabler’s family has always been an important part of the franchise, his personal life has never been centered as much as it has inLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5. Stabler’s brothers were brought back duringLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4, as was his mother (Ellen Burstyn), which has led to compelling subplots in whichStabler has to navigate his complicated family relationships and his need to care for his aging mother, who has dementia as well as bipolar disorder.
His latest case makes the point even clearer, as Stabler spendsLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5, episode 9 trying to save his youngest brother from a drug kingpin.
All of theLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5 cases are all linked to Stabler. The season began with him grieving the loss of a child he was trying to save, followed by a case involving a former CI of his whose grandsons had been sucked back into mob life despite Stabler getting them all safe passage to America to start a new life. His latest case makes the point even clearer, as Stabler spendsLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5, episode 9 trying to save his youngest brother from a drug kingpin.
Organized Crime Veering Away From Law & Order’s Format Can Be A Good Thing
The Procedural Stands On Its Own Now That It’s On Streaming
Law & Order: Organized Crimeis part of the same franchise because of Stabler’s presence, as he originated inLaw & Order: SVU. However,it has been a mistake for past showrunners to try to force it into the same format that the otherLaw & Ordershows embrace. Organized crime cases are complicated, difficult to prove, and usually involve higher levels of violence than cases in standard procedurals, so trying to fit these stories neatly into a formula doesn’t work.
The procedural should continue to focus on Stabler’s connection to the cases he is solving to help separate this show from others in the genre and be more true to how organized crime cases work in the real world.
Now thatLaw & Order: Organized Crimeis streaming rather than airing on broadcast TV, it has the ability to tell grittier, more serialized stories. Thus, moving further away from the franchise’s formula to tell stories that fit its brand makes sense. The procedural should continue to focus on Stabler’s connection to the cases he is solving to help separate this show from others in the genre and be more true to how organized crime cases work in the real world.
