Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05 “Missing Persons” doesn’t kick Elliot Stabler while he’s down — it completely and totally crushes him. Even so, he still does have people who show up for him throughout his one-man quest to find Rita Lasku. Given the way the hour ends, everything about the team’s strength, care, and commitment become so, so much more important than ever. And with how much bigger this case just became, one can only hope to see every single member of the team get a chance to work, in their own way, on uncovering the truth.
Because for as much as Christopher Meloni shines here, and for as much as this personal search needed to be just that — personal — for Elliot to kick off the arc, there’s no way letting Detective Stabler try to do it all on his own can end well. Been there, done that. Now’s the chance to show what growth looks like. And we think, we might actually get it.
The extended Stabler family
Even from the very start, Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05 does an excellent job of showing two things. And both of those ideas carry on throughout the entire hour, their depictions getting stronger and stronger as we go. First, we have an Elliot Stabler who can’t work and is just…like a caged animal. We see that in the way he paces around his home while he’s on the phone, offering to help with Bernie even though the whole reason she’s away is because it’s best for everyone right now, smiling in adoration even as he’s dealing with his frustration and anxiety. It’s also a really nice touch to show that he can’t even properly take the trash out without getting frustrated.
Which, of course, leads him to realizing someone at the failed dinner party was dumb enough to bring drugs into a cop’s home — something he immediately feels the need to “investigate.” But that’s mostly as a father and brother, not completely as a cop. Even after he goes to question “Joey Joe” (there’s a ridiculous nickname, if ever we heard one), he still can’t sit still. Off he goes to visit Ayanna in the hospital. Because he cares about her, because he feels responsible for what happened to her, and because he can not stand to be alone. Which, of course, he isn’t. Not really. And, somewhere in his thick skull, he even gets that (finally, as far as the years following Kathy’s death go?) because he does reach out to all these people.
Sergeant Bell knows her partner, though. So, she tries — knowing she’ll fail — to make just one request of him (besides to give her that teddy bear): “I know this isn’t part of your nature, but um…I need you to see how this one plays out. Sit on your hands for a while.” As fate and its cruelty would have it, El does not even get a chance to try. (Not that he would have anyway.) But we’ll get to the cruel part down below.
We did, after all, say the early parts of the episode make two things clear, and we’ve only covered Elliot’s “side” of things. The second, absolutely indisputable, fact of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05 (and the series in general) is simply this: The task force family is strong. They stick together; they have each other’s backs. Even the newest team members are already all in. We see it when IAB is trying to get someone, anyone, to say something — anything — negative about the Detective Stabler. Jet’s tight lipped and staring daggers (more than usual). And Bobby stands by his conviction that he can’t answer anything about the use of excessive force since he wasn’t there. When the investigator tries to press him, he’s firm: “I. Wasn’t. There.” (Absolutely iconic delivery from Rick Gonzalez there.)
Notably, Sam Bashir is already fiercely loyal to El, too. And when IAB tries to get the newly-promoted detective to speculate about Elliot possibly drinking before arriving on the scene, he gives that question all the respect and consideration it deserves: None. His smirk when he cracks a joke about how he and El “don’t have that kind of relationship” over being asked if he could smell any alcohol on Detective Stabler’s breath is everything. Then, we have Jet: She offers her real opinion after being dismissed: “You don’t know him. He was just trying to protect everyone” and is utterly, completely deadly about it.
From there, everyone has their disgruntled conversation about Shah “planning to get comfortable” in Bell’s office. And Jet and Reyes have their side conversation about how “it’s crossing Ts to keep tabs on him.” (Which, ok. Stalking your colleague is, in general, not a good idea. But this is Elliot Stabler, who is not to be trusted to color inside the lines on the best of days. So. Eh. Seems legit.) Of course, then, it all spirals from there, with the team showing up in Elliot’s hotel on Long Island and trying to follow him to the bunker when he tries to protect them…
And on, and on, and on it goes.
“Someone I thought I’d saved”
And now, we get to the excruciatingly painful part of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05. From the moment Heidi approaches Elliot, the stakes are just…way too high. But it’s those extreme emotional stakes that make what would’ve always been a strong case and episode that much more powerful. (And that isn’t even us trying to begin to get into the “oh, my God. This man is always on alert and ready to rough someone up” of it all. Down, boy. Ayanna just told you to not.)
We, as viewers, know what Rita Lasku means to El. And that little touch of Rita’s friend bringing The Count of Monte Cristo as proof that she really does know her is everything. It really shows that the people working behind the scenes on this series respect us as viewers and are here to honor both our investment in the series and the series’ early foundations. The material is there, and instead of abandoning it, they’re using it. To hurt us. Badly.
“Missing Persons” doesn’t just display care toward Organized Crime’s earlier seasons, though. No. It also acknowledges that, yes, Detective Stabler — at least the one we know — has his origins at Special Victims. And what he learned there, the human element to how he worked those cases and with those witnesses, can never leave him. So, when Rita’s missing, it’s not even a question of whether or not he’s going to go look for her. Similarly, there’s no need to worry about him judging her for her line of work. Same goes for Heidi, so when she tells him that her gut is on the “nice” guy being the one to look out for, he trusts her.
Sure, he’s like “that’s a problem????” (extra emphasis on the question marks, folks) and all, but even with everything he’s seen, that can’t immediately make sense in his head. Because, well, Elliot’s nice, isn’t he? Didn’t he, even while undercover, show a bit of extra care toward Rita? What could possibly be wrong with that?
Also on point for characterization: When he finds out another girl is missing, of course Elliot adds her to the list of people he feels responsible for. And of course, he spots Christine’s younger brother and is able to coax him into helping. This is, again, just who — and what — Detective Stabler is. On the complete opposite side of things, there’s his very dark, very intense demeanor when he speaks with his suspect. He’s not even angry or flying off the handle, not exactly. Just…determined and displaying his potential for lethality should that become necessary. And don’t even get us started on that shot of him putting his hood up in the drunk tank. It should absolutely play as a little bit too much. But we have Meloni here, and we have all this history with this character. So, much like everything else, it works.
Then, there’s the big fight at the end, and the…ice cold knife to the guts when we find out what, ultimately, happened to Rita. As horrifying and heartbreaking as Rita’s story is, it’s also depressingly truthful. A man like Detective Stabler, no matter how much Rita saw him as her hero — and, with regards to at least that one situation, he was! — can not fix all the world’s problems alone. And, far too often, without actual structures and supports in place for girls like Rita, the system often forces them right back into danger like this. Even if she chose her clients this time around, she never really had much of a choice. No one person can fix a tragically broken world, and making a TV cop seem like someone who can do that, every time, for every case, does us a disservice.
Law & Order: Organized Crime hasn’t been shy about its gray areas. It’s grappled with some hard truths — moreso than other series of its kind, at least. “Missing Persons” is no different. It tells us that sometimes, a temporary victory is just that — temporary — rather than lie to us. That — along with the nod to our Officer Monte Cristo not being some lone savior — and the always-phenomenal work of the cast, is what makes this yet another episode where it’s obvious this series is the best the franchise has to offer. It might even be the best the genre does, though we’re hesitant to say that since there are so many wildly different ways to be part of it.
More on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05
- “They’re never sweet. They just pretend to be.” Zero lies detected…except, eh. Baldy’s ok. When he wants to be.
- “The right one normally doesn’t come with baggage.” Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, King and Queen of Baggagetopia, would beg to differ!
- Getting Rita’s point of view in that opening sequence is beyond disturbing. Well done. But let’s not make it a habit, ok?
- This man is smitten when he talks to his family. Look at those smiles, even when he’s aimless, and sad, and lonely! Ugh. It is. Unfair.
- “Coffee — coffee first.” This was written for me, personally.
- I know this man is not ignoring Olivia Benson’s phone calls while he’s on suspension and under investigation for excessive force. Again. Schmuck.
- Then again, at least Liv returns his phone calls on this, the series that actually cares about things like continuity and realizing two characters who exist in the same universe know about these things when they happen.
- Someone remind me never to cross Ainsley Seiger. Like, legit. Master of the “let me press to see how hard I have to try to get my looks to kill” look.
- Poor Eli. Dad only calls him when he is clearly messed up. With that being said, that little phone call gives us so much information about the core of that father/son relationship still being intact. Both Elliot Stablers just kind of…can figure each other out, over the phone.
- “Would you stop being weird? You’re freaking me out!” Kid, when has your dad ever not been weird?
- “She’s beautiful, man; she’s a 10. Out of 10.” Guess the Stablers go for the same type of women.
These days, at least. - It’s the fatherly “yeah, right” kind of look when “Joey Joe” is trying to scam him for me.
- Mr. Meloni, your eyes are too expressive. Stop. And how many different ways to smile does one dude need?
- “All for show. Everybody likes to pretend they care.” Too real.
- “How many times has Jet called?” “Too many.” “And Reyes? I know he stopped by.” “They don’t follow orders very well.” “Wonder where they learned that from.” Hm. It’s big and bald and…rhymes with witchy…
- Just…one giant I LOVE THEM to the entire back-and-forth with Bell and Stabler in Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05. All of it. What’s even left to say about the way Danielle Moné Truitt and Meloni work together?
- Also: Give her the bear, you butt.
- “If you’re ok, you never say you’re ok. If she really was ok, she would’ve told me to suck it.” Friendship. Also: Elliot should know, from having worked with Detective “I’m Fine” for all those years, that this is true.
- Did they have to make me feel old with that “1000 years” nonsense, though?
- “Do you think she’s ok?” Uh. That face says, “I’ve worked too many of these. Absolutely not.”
- The Vargas/Stabler bits are…a lot, really. First off, a comedy. That wry look El gives him over the whole “honored you came to me in your time of need” conversation and “get your feet off my coffee table” are perfect moments to give us a quick escape from the darkness. Second: Sorry (not sorry), El. But it…is kinda a big deal you asked him for help.
- Me, the whole episode: “Isn’t that that awful security guy from Dollhouse?” (Answer: Yes.) Also me: “Cahill? Is he related to Sean Cahill??????” (Answer: Only in my TV-rotted brain.)
- “I am the cop.” Girl, please.
- “I got a thing for eggs.” Eggs and coffee. Give them both to Liv. Yes.
- No but of course he goes looking for answers in diners. Remember how he met Rita? (Crying.)
- “I’ll let them know Detective Stabler’s coming by.” Meloni playing El clueless as to why a journalist would know his name, when his name and face have been all over the news, always…a comedic choice! (Thank you for that, Sir. Big, dumb Elliot really is bigly dumb, huh?)
- Flip phones and digital cameras. Honey, I’m old.
- …does he think he’s Liam Neeson or.
- The shot of Elliot when he can’t sleep at night.
- And the flashbacks?! Rude.
- “I hadn’t thought that far in advance.” Elliot Stabler’s life story in a sentence.
- “Well, I brought you the phone, Chief.” Get her.
- “We’re the cavalry. And that’s the end of it.”
- …a beach house. And the shot of Rita in the trunk at the beginning…the parallels are
having identical slopesparallel-ing. - The little moment with Elliot opening the door just as everyone’s getting ready to follow, even though he already told them no…SNL could never.
- How does it feel to have someone ignore your orders, Elliot? Hmmm????
- The “you’re safe” voice. He is so soft…and then he is so rough when the mystery perp.
- Going to have nightmares about this man’s many, many different variations on yelling “no,” sure. But the one you can barely hear? That’s the worst.
- His face.
- Pain.
- Bell is calling him from her hospital bed to check in. I LOVE THEM.
- “Don’t wash away with the sea…” Ok but what? Can we wash away in the sea of our tears, at least?
Thoughts on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×05 “Missing Persons”? Leave us a comment!
Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.
