‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ 3×21 Review: “Shadowërk”

As a penultimate episode and a kickoff for a major crossover to finish out the season, Law & Order: Organized Crime 3×21 “Shadowërk” is a frustrating episode of television. The hour features a collection of moments that, as a fan, it’s impossible not to want to watch over and over again. But, looking at more of the big picture, those scenes just don’t hold up to scrutiny. The case is fine enough, and there are some really fun lines of dialogue…but they simply don’t do enough to make up for what the story — no, the full season, for both this series and SVU — lacks.

Here’s hoping, as we dive into this one, that there’s some kind of magical fix coming in both shows’ season finales. But no, we’re not holding our breath.

As EO burns

God, what a mess. Or, if you prefer: WTF is the reason?

For all the personal moments that Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler could’ve had to start Law & Order: Organized Crime 3×21, we had to go with…this. EO have this sweet little moment, all full of promise — or as much promise as these two complete dopes ever have, at least — to end the SVU hour and get the crossover party started. And then…Kathy has to Kathy — and needless drama has to needless drama.

Let’s break Olivia’s heart all over again, doubtlessly making her relive the whole “Kathy’s pregnant” fiasco that struck when a tiny glimmer of hope might have set in years ago. Time for a fresh layer of hell for Liv, having to simultaneously clock the ring, ask about it, be supportive, and try not to break. Earlier on in this never-ending saga, a corny stunt like this — like where we figure it’s going, even — might have worked. But not now, no. Detective Clueless has been back for a couple years now, and we’ve had just about zero in the way of personal conversations, even as these two characters have gravitated toward each other in that way they’ve never been able to avoid.

So, sure. The logical step is another walk back. Actually. In some ways? A walk back for Liv makes sense. For the bald guy…no.

Have we had anything, whatsoever, in the way of dealing with Olivia’s trauma — either here or on the series that’s supposed to be her point of view? Absolutely not. So, more pain is clearly the solution. Then, throw in a line about the consequences of not dealing with your trauma — completely rich, given the lack of, you know, dealing with Olivia’s trauma on SVU or here — and rub salt in that Elliot-shaped wound. Why not? Can’t have any smidgeon of progress, after all.

Basically, it’s more of the same: Traumatize Liv, then make her advocate for someone else’s healing. Trauma and healing!

…anyway.

Possibly even more frustrating, the Benson and Stabler partnership just…resets itself to business as usual — as if nothing ever happened. Despite the barely held back emotion and the particular way Mariska Hargitay’s voice cracks when Liv notices her big, bald complication’s wedding ring back on his finger, the partners just…keep doing their thing. It’s like watching them in the old days again, except you can’t just decide to take viewers back to the old days at this point. I mean, you can. And here we are. But it…doesn’t work.

There’s a formula to it — a very simple formula! (Bonus points if you get that reference.) And it goes a little something like this: Olivia hurts; Elliot struggles with guilt. Then, instead of working through it, Benson and Stabler just work through it. The great crime-fighting duo rides right back into battle. As partners, as something with great potential…and as nothing else. For now. Whatever “for now” even means at this point.

Olivia shows up all leather-clad (a wardrobe choice after…that), more confident than ever, and quick with the quips. Elliot admires her, steps in as needed (and sometimes when not called for…more on that below.) We get all the usual beats of brilliance, of the way there’s just something more about each of them as individuals whenever they’re together, as a unit. Even after Elliot has clearly — unintentionally! — doled out yet another slice of heartbreak, Olivia’s still somehow more herself than ever with her man idiot partner by her side. Elliot, too, has a certain extra shine.

Because that’s who they are! That’s what they do…and that’s what viewers keep coming back for, no matter how many times we’ve been burned. It’s fun in all the usual ways, sure. But, at the same time, the decision to drive yet another wedge — really the decades-old one — between these two characters now is senseless. For the ridiculously small amount of information we have on where Benson and Stabler stood leading up to this episode — and ridiculous doesn’t even begin to cut it — only to get Kathyed from beyond the grave, plainly, sucks.

We don’t have a better word for it. Or, at least, the desire to try to find one seems lost. If the storytelling is going the cheap and lazy route, there’s no need for the analysis thereof to go searching for high-quality word choices.

But, wait! There’s more!

Part of the investigation brings Oscar Papa back into the mix. Because why not return to what should’ve been a completely finished plot point, one which was not handled well from an EO standpoint from the jump. Sounds like funsies, right? At this late hour, let’s do a fan service! (Actually loathe the phrase, but basically, it works here for lack of a better way of putting it. And, again, not wasting effort.) As in, let’s try to (over)correct some of the missteps from the BX9 arc! How? By having Elliot in full protective beast mode, physically assaulting a prison inmate (mostly) unprovoked.

Totally logical. Evidently, that’s who Detective Stabler (again) is. And, as usual, Captain Benson puts herself between him and whatever he’s pounding on, magically flipping a switch by saying his name, because that’s brand new information!

Let’s not think too hard about how, with Papa who he is and completely capable of carrying out hits from in prison, we shouldn’t be poking the bear. That’s especially important to not consider after he and Olivia had already come to some sort of agreement. And, while we’re at it, let’s not think too hard about how Elliot not knowing what happened and trying to come bust some heads when the attack first happened still makes less than zero sense. (From a real-world standpoint, sure. Maybe getting a shot of Meloni’s melons was too difficult at that point. But include a line or two of dialogue about blowing off his calls.)

Whatever you do, don’t consider how, while still a bit against Stabler’s development and not really in line with 2023 ideas around policing, that “rawr. Elliot smash” moment would’ve made much, much, much more sense in the middle of the actual BX9 arc. When the terror was fresh, when the threat was still present. And when Elliot was making moves on Olivia — as opposed to just after hallucinating the dead wife and bringing yesteryear’s accessories back into the mix for Olivia to see (and suffer from).

(Fashion faux pas, Baldy. Fashion. Faux. Pas.)

Even putting all of that aside, this is a terrible move and doesn’t fit the character anyway. Elliot Stabler, even when flying off the handle, has always had enough sense to know when getting involved could actually hurt the people he loves. Has, since his return, not only respected Olivia’s rank but also somewhat had a thing for it. So, attacking Papa now makes the very smart, methodical, strategic side of his character suddenly just…disappear. (At least the disappearing act is on brand?)

There’s no way, without any real danger, he’d undermine Captain Smitten’s authority and make it look like she needed a savior like that. He knows what kind of criminal he’s dealing with, and while Elliot Stabler is one of the dumbest bitches alive, he’s anything but that when it comes to the job and when it comes to protecting his partner. Especially 2023 Elliot, who has grown so much…but even when he and Liv were equals, he’d do his silent, supportive brute thing while she handled her business until it was necessary to haul ass which it was not here.

Again, not saying Stabler’s not one to fly off the handle at all. Or even that he always listens (he does not). But the stakes here are too high, Papa wasn’t actually putting Liv in jeopardy, and Liv more than had things handled. (And, yes, it was pretty hot to witness as a viewer, so imagine what this man thought in his fictional parallel hellscape.) Instead of admiring all that power and deferring to her, like he normally does in these situations, he…needlessly made Olivia look weak and, potentially, put a new target on all the Benson-Stablers’ backs. Also, no way in hell Elliot Stabler specifically mentions Woodstock, thus making Noah’s “safe” place less so. Come on.

So, yeah. Large scale, it’s all ridiculous. Senseless, problematic, and — yes — out of character. Elliot Stabler is the dumbest bitch a live in a lot of ways; this is not one of them.

Small scale? Well. If you love to see how quick Olivia is to assure Elliot that she’d kill anyone who threatened him, we’re right with you. Honestly, maybe we’re even a little guilty of enjoying seeing El rough Papa up — to some extent. And yeah, we appreciate everything about the downright lethal way Stabler stalks his prey, or the particularly quiet and intense tone of voice Christopher Meloni uses when El asks this guy if he’s the reason he had to go get Noah.

But it’s out of place and feels like an attempt to move backward — to have onscreen “fixit fic” — rather than just working with where the story already was. If some viewers are like “woo! Yay! Fixed it,” great for them. But that’s no from this one. This ain’t Doctor Who. The timey-wimey does not wibble-wobble.

Rollins and Stabler, intellectuals

Then, there’s the other weird EO complication in Organized Crime 3×21: Elliot’s conversation with Detective Amanda Rollins. Are Meloni’s heart eyes and gorgeous little blush when his character is discussing one Olivia Benson as swoon-worthy and, frankly, hot as ever? Never a doubt there. But what even is this “same quandary” conversation?

No, Elliot. What you did to Olivia wasn’t at all the same as Amanda taking another job. And no, you haven’t tried to get the lines of conversation flowing again…like, at all. See also: Remember when you ghosted her again by going undercover, just after your little flirty not-wedding moment? Get your head checked if you don’t, old man.

And all of this is difficult to have to say because, first of all, any time we actually get to see EO interact, it’s magical. It really is. When it comes to these characters, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni will never do any wrong in my book, and everything they do so incredibly well is amplified — gonna get nerdy AF here — on an infinite level that is at least on par with the cardinality of the power set of an uncountable set when they’re together. Period. That’s why people keep coming back for more, no matter how badly this relationship arc has been managed since the big return.

Additionally, having Kelli Giddish back is, at least so far, is mostly not what we feared. But it is very much in danger of going there. But that’s tough to say, as well, because the appearance is, in other ways, fun.

Setting the migraine-inducing part of the Elliot/Amanda conversation aside, actually, Giddish and Meloni have a really intriguing onscreen dynamic. There’s also something to be said for Elliot just showing up in a college classroom like that — and being the kid in the back with the answer to the teacher’s question. The only old man kid in the room who will speak up with a theory, in fact.

We know that, despite being absolutely horrible in the logic department when it comes to his own life, Detective Stabler is fairly intelligent. Brilliant, even, with some of these connections he makes in his cases. So, it’s no surprise that he has a really thoughtful answer to Amanda’s question during her lecture. It also makes you think of all El might’ve missed out on, who he could’ve been, if not for how things turned out for him at 17. Kind of bittersweet there, sure. But it’s something that would’ve been fun to explore, if only there were time.

It also shouldn’t come as a shock that Elliot picks up on Amanda’s boredom. Again, he’s good at his job. But this is also a mixed feelings sort of situation because, while it’s a good nod to El’s skills, there’s so much more that the Rollins/Stabler interaction could’ve accomplished. Most notably, it almost makes one wonder if, instead of making the logical fallacy of “same quandary” with respect to Liv, Elliot had pointed out that he knew Amanda would be bored after leaving SVU because he had been. As in, it’s yet another missed opportunity to take a look into those missing 10 years.

On the purely bad side of this conversation, we learn that even Rollisi isn’t as stable as we’d like to think. (Evidently, no relationship is safe from…whatever this crossover is.) Lying to your loved ones, even if you think it’s to protect them, doesn’t work. And, honestly? Pretty sure all Carisi wants is for Rolins to be happy, so if she’s not happy at this job, the only heartbreak would be over her. And he’d want to be supportive in helping her get to a better place.

So, uh. Yeah. Good luck there, I guess.

But. Again. Kind of a fun little sequence of events to get to see Stabler and Rollins interact like that. These two very important people in Liv’s life clearly have a good rapport at this point, unlike Amanda’s constant warnings when Elliot first came back. That’s a good thing — though, girl, please smack him over the ring foolery. Someone needs to, and Liv won’t — and it’s a fitting enough way of bringing Rollins back into the casework mix. The way Meloni’s eyes bounce back and forth as El watches Liv and her girl catch up near the end is also pretty sweet.

Although, did Amanda really come up with a profile that quickly? How much time has it been? Five minutes? A day? What? And…have she and Liv really just not talked since she got a new job? Come on.

I also could really, really have done without the weird white boy serial killer images. Let’s stop memorializing those dicks, ok? At any rate, this isn’t Criminal Minds so. Let’s just…not with the inserts.

The Organized Crime team!

Now that all of the botched personal dynamics are out of the way, we can talk procedural things. “Shadowërk” features an interesting enough case, and watching Stabler’s Bell’s team work together in their various capacities to solve it isn’t exactly the worst way to spend an hour. As sickening as the whole concept is, the setup and explanation for the revenge-for-hire business are both refreshingly…in tune with the youths, if you will. Even with all the talk of decentralization and, eh, basically “Uber Eats for crime,” the episode never falls into the “old people writing youths” schtick that some of the more social media/technology related SVU cases have in the past. Grateful for that? Uh, yeah.

The details are good, too. There’s scared-shitless Josh, whose mommy still coddles him even when he’s 27 and attempting murder. And our target, Gary Longo, is utterly hilarious. Honestly, an entire episode of just the task force trading one-liners with this guy would’ve been great all on its own. While we’re on the subject of comedy and the Gary of it all, Rick Gonzalez totally kills it on those stairs. The sandwich is a great touch, as is Bell’s reaction to “all the chewing.”

…but, unfortunately, Bell is where things start to break down here. Basically, this is where it’s time to, once again, say there’s something about Bell — and, more to the point, Danielle Moné Truitt — that’s going to waste as of late. She’s there, and she has her moments. When she gets them, they’re as great as ever! But it’s just like there’s something about the emotional core, in terms of material, that’s just still not there the way it was earlier in the season. It’s honestly a true testament to the entire cast, Truitt especially, that there’s still plenty of Bell even when there’s…kinda not.

She just kind of feels more like Stabler’s subordinate than the other way around right now. And that’s weird. Like, great that Elliot gets to take the lead on certain things and all…but Ayanna’s both his partner and his boss. Bare minimum, they should feel like equals — which, traditionally, they have. Something’s off in the balance right now, though.

More on Law & Order: Organized Crime 3×21

• There’s so much about the EO of it all (not just the Papa scene mentioned above) that just feels out of sequence. Appreciate the intent…but no.
• “Kinda smells, doesn’t it?” “Yeah, it does. Kinda like a…cop who hasn’t showered in a couple days.” They’re insufferable, actually.
• Detective Bernie. Both adorable and kinda a “WTF. Captain Liv doesn’t have something to say about that?”
• “You’re doing that with the eyes, with the head cock and the dime-sized pupils.” “It’s called empathy.” Flirting for the emotionally immature and totally lost.
• No but really. Don’t put your feelings about your dead wife, who should’ve been your ex-wife over a decade ago anyway, on the person you’re supposedly in love with.
• “One thing that I’ve learned after all these years, it’s that uh..if we don’t deal with our trauma, the world will.” Imagine if this were a lead in for any of the conversations The Old & The Restless need to have.
• Olivia Benson. Leather jacket. That half drawl. I am suddenly 20+ years younger and less bitter…Also, time for the obligatory look at her moment.
• “You are like ASMR for the soul.” I’m sure an incarcerated gang leader would know this term and just randomly drop it. Mindfuckingly ridiculous that this is how we get a mention of something that was discussed on social media as supposedly being a thing for the “healing” plan.
• “I wish you hadn’t done that.” “If someone tried to kill me—…” “…I’d kill him.” “Well, then, compared to you, I showed remarkable restraint.” She doesn’t even give him a chance to finish his statement. And then, the “remarkable restraint,” considering some of what she’s had to do while he was away…yeah. That.
• “Protect the case. Not me.” Captain Benson, stepping in to make sure Olivia doesn’t catch too many feellings or let her guard down too much. So true.
• Can’t put my finger on it, but Bell and Jet talking to the rape victim…your SVU Captain is right there? But I guess all the womenfolk do the womenfolking, and it’s all the same and fine.
• “30 years of human depravity.” A summary of EO’s inability to get their shit together.
• …a woman hiring a rapist for “purely vindictive” reasons to attack another woman…nah.
• “I’ll let Benson know.” I mean, of course.
• Treasurer having Shabbat dinner to plot a murder over something petty…doesn’t sit right with this here Jew watching this. Jews in finance, plotting conspiracies…hard pass. (And still WTF on the “Chanukah lights” fiasco.)
• “…but the neighborhood didn’t think it was ready for a lesbian president.” Ohhh, but the look from Bell. I see you, Danielle.
• “The neckbeard weapon of choice.” “Neckbeard?” “The kind of guy who lurks on Reddit all day, fingers coated in a faint patina of Cheeto dust.” AI could not write this — and let’s not even begin to think about how much worse AI would screw up EO. Pay your writers.
• “It’s decentralized, bouncing off multiple computers.” We in the Fediverse would defederate from every single one of them.
• “What’s the matter? Coffee’s no good?” The true organized crime.
• That “can you believe this guy” and “that a confession.” I love one (infinitely irritating) man.
• “Bell and El Shit-Talking in Vans” is a spinoff I’d watch. 10/10.
• “It’s attempted murder, Josh. Not the express checkout line.” Love of my life, actually.
• What I love is we know who Elliot is on the phone with because Meloni’s voice takes on a certain kind of “big ol’ softy sixth-grader in love” quality. But what I hate is we…couldn’t have one-sided phone calls all along. Ball. Dropped.
• “A fate worse than death.” Jet has some of the best lines. (And she’s 100% right about Florida.)
• “Does Liv know?” Smooth as your bald head, this is.
• Amanda’s “how can I help you” could’ve had a double meaning…if only.
• I actually hate this man for the look on his face when he discusses Liv, actually. Just. Stop. (And…when he put his stupid ring back on after seeing a stupid ghost, no less. Complete and total headassery.)
• “…like a toddler knocking down a block castle. You know? They get to feel in control.” Or, like an old, bald man smashing a felon’s face into some bookshelves.
• “You, of all people, should know how she reacts when people leave her.” I mean, you — of all people — should know what he didn’t have to see when he left her. Tell him about it.
• “El. Ayanna.” El…
• Liv and Amanda are so cute/awkward? But also, y’all. There’s a dead judge here. Get to work. Be cute later.
• …and why is Elliot walking in the middle? Shouldn’t Liv be the center mark? She’s the connection between the two of them, after all. Or are we making El central because it’s “Meloni’s show.” Eh.
• Ok but where is this going, and how mad am I going to be about it?

Thoughts on Law & Order: Organized Crime 3×21? Leave us a comment!

Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.