On April 1st, 2021, producer Dick Wolf launched the fifth spin-off of his most famous television series, Law & Order. The new series is called Organized Crime and stars former Law & Order Special Victims star, Christopher Meloni.

The first season got a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and a 69% audience rating. Despite these low numbers, I would still say the show has done exceedingly well for the first season; NBC must agree with me because they’ve already renewed the show for a second season.

 Why are fans so excited about this series?

For starters, fans of the show’s sister series, Law & Order SVU, are excited that Christopher Meloni has returned and reprised his role as Elliot Stabler. Meloni left SVU back in 2011, leaving longtime followers of the show disheartened.

The reaction was no surprise since Meloni had been a star of the show since it aired back in September 1999; however, there was another reason fans were so sad to see him leave. The other reason was that several fans had been rooting to see him get together with his partner Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay. I know that’s one reason I was upset.

Of course, seeing Stabler and Benson get together isn’t the only reason this show is popular.

Meet the New Characters:

The key thing that sets Law & Order: Organized Crime apart from other Law & Order spin-offs is that they have one main villain leading a pack of antagonists instead of random bad guys appearing in each episode. What do I mean by that exactly? That’s right, I’m talking about the Mafia. 

So who is this big baddy that has everyone shaking in their boots? Richard Wheatley is his name, played by Dylan McDermott, and let me tell you, he puts the P in psychopath. In each new episode, the viewers get to see more of Wheatley’s dark side, making everyone eager to find out what happens next.

                          [Image Owned By: Entertainment Tonight]

Richard Wheatley isn’t the only new character to take the stage as producer Dick Wolf made Stabler’s new boss one heck of a baddy. If you’ve watched the show, then you know exactly who I’m talking about. That’s right, Sergent Ayanna Bell.

Ayanna Bell, played by Danielle Mone Truitt, is the full package. If you’ve watched Law & Order SVU, then you know Stabler is no stranger to strong women who aren’t afraid to put someone in their place. Sergent Bell has already shown viewers she’s not afraid to take on the bad guys, making her the perfect fit to watch over Stabler.

Ayanna Bell also feels like the reincarnation of captain Anita Van Buren, played by Sharon Epatha Merkerson. The two share some striking similarities: number one is that they are both female police officers who are in charge of their precincts. Number two is they both have that awesome pixie hairstyle. Three, they both will go to any lengths to make sure their city is a little safer at night.

On top of being similar, they are also different. For one, Ayanna is younger. In fact, I will say she appears to be the youngest captain Wolf has introduced so far. The second difference is that Ayanna spends a lot of time in the field instead of behind her desk, like other captains. I’m really looking forward to seeing how her character develops through the series.

                                                 [Ayanna Bell]

High-profiled villains aren’t the only thing that sets this show apart from the rest.

The overall theme of the show plays a huge role in changing things up. For example, while most of Law & Order has an original case each week, Law & Order Organized Crime has a recurring storyline. That gives the show a whole different vibe from all the others. 

I would also like to add that I feel this is the darkest version of the show yet, and that’s saying something considering SVU solves sex crimes. Now it isn’t as dark as Criminal Minds, but it’s darker than any of the other shows Dick Wolf has produced, which, to me, is refreshing.

Where Can You Watch Law & Order Organized Crime?

If you haven't watched the first season yet, don't worry there are plenty of ways to catch up before season 2 premiers on September 23rd. You can watch Organized Crime on Peacock, Hulu, and NBC during weekdays. Also, if you have cable, you should be able to watch it for free on-demand. 

My Predictions for Season 2.

No one knows what’s going to happen in season 2, but I have a few predictions. The first one being that Elliot will dive deeper into the mob, taking down Wheatley’s crime connections one by one.

My second prediction is that producer Dick Wolf will focus on Stabler getting help with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the start of season one, it was obvious that the job and losing his wife had taken their toll on Elliot. So my hope for season two will be to see him finally get the help he deserves.

My third prediction is that Elliot and Olivia will explore a romantic relationship between them. I’m hoping Mr. Wolf and the actors won’t get our hopes up with that one. 

In conclusion, though, I’m seeing great things in this series future. The only thing I see threatening that besides the ratings is the cast and how long they want to play this out. I hope they take it as long as they can.