Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03 “End Of Innocence” is yet another win in our book. (That’s three for three so far this season, for those of you who are keeping track.) The case has enough moving parts to keep it interesting and entertaining without making everything else suffer, and the continuing Stabler family saga continues to be incredible. Throw in Bell and Stabler giving the younger members of the squad a good talking-to over their recent mess, and you’ve even got some pure fun in the middle of all that action and angst.
So, yeah. A win. Given the task of juggling multiple storylines — especially a combination of personal and professional — some procedurals crash and burn. But not this one. And we’re incredibly grateful for that at this point. It’s a breath of fresh air at 10:00, just after…whatever we watch before it.
The Brothers Stabler
Unlike in the previous episode, Randall is actually…not terrible in Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03. Sure, he’s still giving Elliot a hard time (“well, you look like hell.” “I almost got blown up last night. What’s your excuse,” if you will). But it’s actually being done out of concern and these two brothers showing emotion in their weird macho way now, as opposed to…whatever that was in the car when our boy first picked him up. All that tension Christopher Meloni and Dean Norris carried in their interactions before is gone. Mostly, at least. It still rears its ugly, testy head when Randall mentions Joe Jr. having been back in New York for months, something that clearly takes Elliot by surprise and hurts.
Meloni’s movement nearly stops, all urgency for Detective Stabler to get back to organizing crime gone, and all we’re left with is this pain and loss in his eyes. Loss of whatever relationship he thought(?) he had with his little brother and loss of…any clue what to do next. Unlike the story about fishing with Eli and meeting his girlfriend, though, it’s obvious Randall wasn’t actually trying to make El feel terrible for being out of the loop. It’s like he’s at a loss for a moment, too, to the point where he does the Elliot Stabler “deep breath out when no one’s looking” thing to gather himself and try to move the conversation back along.
(Did Norris study that one? Or does playing a Stabler automatically come with certain mannerisms? Either way, it’s insane how easy it is to be like, “oh, yeah. That’s Elliot’s brother. He’s always been here.”)
There’s something so natural here, of the older brother falling right into that caregiver mode despite having been out of touch for so long. In fact, Randall even…offers to throw a big ol’ Stabler family hootenanny, do all the cooking himself, and basically have El’s only responsibility be showing up. (A thing that’s sometimes difficult for this man, as we know.) But, at this point, Elliot himself is doing a very-and-true Elliot thing. (Namely, “Stabler pointedly doing a bad job of avoiding the issue because he’s upset and can’t deal with his shit.”)
The real bickering starts back up when Randall talks about giving Bernie a “nice send-off.” And it’s not remotely surprising that this is where things start to go wrong. Because, again, Elliot…can not deal and will do everything from outright avoidance to picking a fight in order to keep up his denial. Whatever his faults may be — and we saw them when we first met him — Randall, at least, can accept reality. Bernie wants to go. It does not matter what he wants, or what Elliot wants.
Bernie wants — needs — to go.
Later, after yet another difficult day at work, Randall arranges for the Stabler brothers to have a break. Which, first off: That is not in Elliot’s vocabulary when it comes to himself. Second, we meet a third Stabler brother – one with hair! — in Joe Jr. Adding him to the mix is fascinating, even in the very short time we get with him. In the first place, Meloni’s reaction as Elliot sees him again for the first time is…wow. Just. There is a lot going on there. But also, unlike the two older members of the Brothers Stabler, he’s not bald super upbeat and just…unfazed. Even when El starts in on him, asking what the hell’s wrong with him and how long he’s been in New York — basically acting as his parent — he’s just…all shits-eating grins and giggles.
It’s impossible to watch “End Of Innocence” and not wonder about what was and what could have been. How hard did Randall and Elliot have to work to protect Joe Jr. from all the things that made them so worn down — how much extra weight have they carried his whole life so he could be…this? And seeing all the unbothered, fun energy coming off his little brother, we get the impression that this is who El could have been, without so much being dumped on his shoulders too soon. Because he does, in fact, show that goofy side in rare, precious moments.
It’s only when Joe sees how deadly serious Elliot is, and when El brings up him not checking in on their mom, that Joe Jr. sobers up a bit. But all it takes is a repeated “please don’t be mad at me” and some puppy-dog eyes, and the tension breaks. Randall and El start shaking their heads, cracking up, and their shared look says they’ve been here thousands of times before. Then, of course, there’s the good-natured fight that feels very much like they’re all just kids again. But even as Elliot is unwinding and experiencing pure joy during their pretend bar brawl, we get that ever-so-brief glimpse of the pain and loss that’s still there underneath it all to close out the hour. Our boy has missed this, and he has regrets hiding beneath the fondness.
Again, we can’t help but bow to Meloni for putting so much into this character. And we’re again in a situation where it’s like, “ok. This is the Stabler brothers’ dynamic, always has been. Of course this is familiar,” despite really never having seen them before now. It should not be such an instant success, but it is. The baby, and his father’s namesake, has clearly gotten away with murder his whole life while the burden has been on Elliot to be…burdened with everything under the sun…and on Randall to try to “fix” it.
Oh! And we even know two more Stablers’ names after Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03: Sharon and Dee. All these things — the brothers’ dynamic, the extra information about where the siblings are/have been — just effortlessly fold into a packed episode. It all seems so easy, even though there’s plenty of evidence in the TV landscape to the contrary. Can’t wait to see more of this, even if all the talk of a “Last Supper” and being “near the end” is, uh…not fun to think about. We’re with Elliot — we don’t want to have this discussion.
“Stop making it my business”
If you want proof that an episode of television can sell “this character is getting real help in therapy” without taking an awkward, forced break in storytelling, look no further than Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03. Because Bobby Reyes is lucky to be alive after throwing that “and you would know all about that” line at Elliot. And absolutely everything about the way Meloni pauses, then moves back down the stairs, before getting right up in Rick Gonzalez’s face in that moment screams “threat.” Not only that, but we’ve seen how he used to react to challenges like that. And the slight sense of nerves Gonzalez has Reyes give away — just in the eyes and very easy to miss if you’re not looking — when Stabler does come back into his space says his character knows a little bit about those outbursts, too.
Then, there’s the way Reyes himself goes more than a little bit UnStabler in the back of that bodega when things get dangerous. Detective, that bloody pulp on the ground could’ve been you if Old Man Elliot wasn’t doing some important work on himself. Just saying.
Of course, the actual story here has a lot more layers to it. First, there’s this idea of Bell and Stabler working together, yet apart, because they’ve both noticed what’s going on with Slootmaekers and Reyes and know it needs to end. Then, the different dynamics here are just…super interesting to watch unfold. Danielle Moné Truitt and Ainsley Seiger have this moment that’s simply Ayanna being tough, yet fair, while putting just enough obvious care simmering just beneath the surface. All of this, while Jet looks nervous, apologetic, embarrassed, regretful…and doesn’t really need to say much because there’s not really much she can say. It could not be more different than the Reyes/Stabler side of this “divide and conquer” mission or even Sergeant Bell’s overall tone with Reyes when she orders him to get some help later.
And, just saying: Jet shouldn’t be the one with all the shame on her shoulders here. Bobby’s the one with the family and the obvious shitshow going on there.
Luckily, by the end of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03, things seem to be headed in a better direction. There is so much emotion coming off Seiger when Bobby comes to talk to Jet, between the obvious tension she carries while her back’s turned, trying to avoid him, to that sense of…heartbreak, almost, when he starts to apologize. Then, there’s wariness when he first mentions starting over, like she’s worried they’ll fall back into this harmful cycle or something, and the tiniest of smiles when he says “as friends.” And for Rodriguez’s part, he plays someone who is every bit as genuinely sorry as he says he is. (Which is good because, like, he should be.) The whole scene is stunning in a way it has no business being, when this entire thing initially came out of nowhere.
More on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03
- Shezi Sardar is so good at making us feel Jamal’s desperation and fear for his kid at the beginning of the episode. Even without the use of his eyes to help project that pure terror.
- Bernie is in her element, trying to get her two boys to play nice with each other.
- “Even Batman sleeps.” “Not enough.” Oh, Randall. Wait until you meet your little brother’s soulmate, who takes “personal” days to do…more work.
- Randall: “Don’t be an ass.” Me: Have you met your brother?
- “By the time you want to talk about it, it’ll be too late!” Go yell that at your brother’s ex-partner, please and thank you.
- “Either we’re off the case, or they force us to work together.” “So, lose-lose.”
- This interaction between Bell and Shah…once again asking for the enemies to lovers fic. Something about the chemistry here that gives “awkward and tense but so good and so much history, even from just the little bit of reminiscing” is just…juicy. Fantastic. The fact that it even stands out, even with so much else going on that’s a Very Big Deal™ really drives home how strong Truitt and Nicole Shalhoub‘s work is.
- Also once again hate that I’m like “give poor Jet a romantic interest that’s not being attached to work people” and then immediately am a hypocrite by rooting for Ayanna to be with someone from work…and. Well. There’s Elliot and…yeah…y’all know who.
- “Listen. These things happen. No judgement here. But when it starts to get in the way of work, then it becomes my problem.” Times have changed since Benson and Stabler were both “referred,” huh? And they still haven’t even done anything.
- “And I’ve got enough problems. You get me?” Same. So much same.
- “Don’t drag Jet into your BS” is giving equal parts “angry, concerned father” and “let me lecture you about right and wrong since I gave up my shot 100 years ago” nonsense.
- That sarcastic sigh when Reyes is playing the guy looking to get some “party favors” and asks if he’s wasting his time.
- “How many times does a refugee have to escape?” If I speak on this, I’ll be pissing off literally everyone, on every “side” of a certain current (and really ongoing) issue…
- But also: It is vitally important that Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03 tells this story the way it does. Refugees from Afghanistan and the terrible mess the U.S. helped create there, being forced to bring those emeralds into the country in this awful, dangerous way are not the problem. They are victims. The dude who looks like a knockoff Twilight character and his partners/bosses/whatever are the problem. Full stop.
- “Stabler and I talked. We think it’s the best course of action.” Partners partnering!
- Get you a proud dad type who looks at you with that beautiful mixture of confusion and pride that El lays on Jet as she talks about the emeralds.
- …do not care about AI man, do love the perfect timing with Jet.
- “He was trying to protect you.”
- “Cash and gash” sounds like a bad Nip/Tuck spinoff. Sign me up!
- “I’m afraid we don’t do hair plugs.” This man is forever being roasted about being a big, bald bitch. Love that!
- This kid is way too cute. Help.
- Elliot Stabler will always go for a faith and family approach if it has any hope, at all, of working — not a tactic, Detective Bashir, just who he is.
- Meanwhile, Bell and Shah are very much just…no and done with the gun rental lady.
- “He rented from you because he couldn’t legally own a gun. Because the courts knew he would do this.” Compare this to that brainless “we’re democrats” line about the guns on the other show. Yeah…
- Bell and Shah work really well together. Just. Wow?
- “These poor guys are expendable. One dies, another takes over.” And there are people who would have you believe they don’t deserve help. Gross.
- Love me an undercover Jet, playing a very bored and irritated cashier in a different way than her normal “bored and irritated detective” vibe.
- That ‘stache is some true villain shit.
- Oh, ok. A combination of human instinct and this dude’s tech. Hm.
- “Don’t worry. We’re the good guys” and Bashir’s little smile. Seriously, can we keep him forever?
- …so, we shot another guy…
- The dad and the kid and the reunion and my feelings.
- Elliot Stabler, grinning at that dad and kid. Help.
- “Maybe you should respond next time, you know?” Get in line, Randall.
- “Kathleen, or uh…help me out here. Maureen? One of your damn kids.” A comedy.
- “Forgot how hard it is to take care of someone other than myself, alright? And I can barely do that.” Relatable.
- Imma need to stop with the Batman references because that is Harvey Specter, not Elliot Stabler. Thanks.
- I know this bald bitch is not giving someone a hard time about being out of contact, much less being in the city and out of contact. Like, damn. Is ghosting the people you love a genetic trait? Ten years, Elliot. Ten. Years. And. Multiple. Trips. Back.
- I need one of El’s brothers to comment on how he leaves that deep V open on all his work shirts, though. If you’re going to mock the man to show your affection, please do!
- Episode 3: Three Stabler brothers. Worried, mathematically, for our safety and sanity with this current pattern…
Thoughts on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×03 “End Of Innocence”? Leave us a comment!
Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.