‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ 4×12 Review: “Goodnight”

Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12 “Goodnight” is a thrilling, emotional, and intense penultimate episode of a season that has truly been far better than it had any right to be. And it’s another shining example of how, with a well-crafted and well-executed story, anything is possible. Featuring some of the most agonizing, yet also some of the most hilarious, personal moments of an already-packed season, this hour reminds us of everything we love about this series and all the potential it still has for the future. 

(Which, isn’t it nice to finally, officially know there will be a future beyond the season finale? Mazel tov to everyone involved, including us as viewers, for that!)

The heart and (crushed) soul

Easily, the highlight of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12 isn’t the case work. Or, rather, it’s not the more traditional side of the procedural element, seeing as how the personal and professional are so seamlessly blended in this arc. Obviously, the best — if oftentimes most difficult to watch — part of “Goodnight” is everything having to do with the Stabler brothers. To be clear: Chasing your youngest brother down, kidnapping him, and locking him away (handcuffs and all!) to get him clean is…not exactly the best practice. In fact, it’s very much a “kids, don’t try this at home” situation. But everything that happens once Elliot and Randall do have Joey as their unwilling detox patient makes for some powerful television.

Specifically, the performances are just…wow.

For Christopher Meloni’s part, he has to project Elliot’s “tough love” and righteous anger over everything that’s happened, all while layering in those quiet reaction moments to portray just how difficult it is for the character to see his little brother like this. Whether in the room with him, or even in the moments when Elliot and Randall aren’t right in front of Joey’s face, both balder older Stablers — through performances from Meloni and an understated, yet never under-utilized, Dean Norris — are just…very clearly struggling to hold it all together. But they’re also giving each other these wary, troubled looks — sometimes in solidarity, often when the other isn’t watching. Even knowing this is their last option to save Joey, his brothers are clearly so full of regret for the pain they’re putting us as viewers him through.

And let’s not even get into the potential for disaster if they don’t pull this off.

Meloni and Norris alone make all the family scenes exceptional, but Michael Trotter’s performance as Joey — especially in those moments when the character is suffering the most — is the true standout. Whether he’s begging to get back to his work, or leveling that accusatory “you did this to me” at Elliot, Trotter makes sure we are all as lost, in as much pain, in as faraway a place, as Joey is. We feel how small he feels, what it’s like to be trapped, to feel all the physical pain of going through the withdrawals and the emotional pain of everything else forcing its way back in.

This is a man that feels like he is on the verge of death — there is no doubt, whatsoever, about that. And when, even through all that pain, he demands, “I’m right here! Talk to me,” it’s impossible not to feel that same desperation, that same need to maintain some tiny shred of strength, that last grip on control. Although Joey’s completely powerless in the moment, it’s like he simply must take that opportunity to stand up for himself. Basically, the short version is: Trotter is the star of this episode. Hands down.

For as much as everything about the Stabler brothers’ anguish is beautifully done in Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12, the scene where Elliot confronts Joey about Sam’s death might just be the best of the best. Here, Elliot is everything we highlighted above. He’s tough, leveling all his frustration and disappointment on Joey; he’s trying to find answers, all as the younger man is barely capable of participating in the conversation. But while El’s tough here, he is so very restrained…just not for long.

Eventually, we get to the outpouring of emotion when Elliot cups Joey’s face and tells him he loves him — twice  — between his baby brother’s tears. And there’s no other word for that than gutting. It cuts right to the heart to even think about that scene, much less try to watch it again. When we point to this series as the best of the best, we can use that moment as Exhibit A.

But.

We must also highlight the actual light in all this darkness. Those little moments where Elliot and Randall joke about Joey threatening to kill them and telling them to go to hell, or when Bernie’s nurse (thank God he’s here) trolls Elliot by telling him Randall said he was paying, are exactly what we need to just keep pushing through the hour. Those little breaks are also so very human in the moment as to be nearly unbearable. This is what we do in the real world — putting one foot in front of the other and finding the moments of levity, even when it seems impossible. Which means the Stablers feel real, not just archetypes to constantly traumatize for the sake of TV drama.

There’s something here to connect with, something human. Even if we haven’t been through this exact situation, we can still relate in a lot of ways. And that’s important. We’d say there’s a message about the human condition, or art…or whatever…here. But wow, does that feel odd to say about this type of show.

Of course, living through this with the three Stabler brothers makes Joey going right back “in” with Emery that much more stressful. We just saw him at his lowest. He made it through, and the brothers were all having such a great time together. But now…this. Reality. If anything happens to Joey in the finale, we fear for both our own reactions and the surviving fictional characters’ mental health.

On the job

Even if the most memorable parts of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12 are the Stabler family scenes, that doesn’t mean nothing of note happens on the task force side of things. Quite the opposite, actually. In the first place, there’s the extremely tense scene at the server farm. Often, this series’ action sequences go to Old Man Stabler. Here, though, Jet and Bell get to be at the center of it all (with Reyes jumping in a little later for his own moment). And boy, do Danielle Moné Truitt and Ainsley Seiger knock it out of the park there. Talk about spending a whole sequence fearing for literally everyone’s lives (including our own, to be honest).

All of this immediately after Vargas’ unfettered delight at getting to go on his own adventure for once. Again with the lightness to balance out the dark.

Later, there’s the scene where the whole team is backing Elliot up while his little brother is in there with Krycek. (Still going with the spelling from The X-Files, still not sorry). It’s another great opportunity for Meloni to play an Elliot Stabler who is deeply worried and practically dying to jump in there…yet holding back because he knows it’s for the best. (We call this…growth.) With that being said, the big rush to get to Joey — which, thankfully, winds up being unnecessary for now — is really all about Truitt’s performance as Bell. Watch it back for the concerned looks Bell gives her partner when he won’t notice, even as she’s also trying to lead her team and just…keep everyone alive this time. Remarkable.

We say it week after week, but nobody does partnership like Ayanna Bell. And nobody does those in-between little reactions that say everything (and then some) like Truitt. See also: Those tiny little changes in her demeanor during Tyler’s interrogation, when she asks about Joey…and realizes just how deep he is in this mess. At that point, Bell’s trying to hide Joey’s involvement from Trisha. So, it’s again that delicate walk between projecting to the audience…and keeping everything close to the vest as the character. Genius stuff.

More on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12

• Joey really looks like a baby without the beard.
• “We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized the monsters were inside us.” Private jet, famous quote…it’s giving Criminal Minds. (Not mad about it.)
• “You and I, we change. Evolve. Adapt. We just need to keep an eye out for the monsters.” Sir. Get a mirror.
• But: I continue to love Evil Tom Payne. Still would like to keep him forever.
• The Stabler/Vargas stuff at the beginning of Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12 is such blast. Just the little details of them having the type of relationship they do, and Elliot taking pleasure in being a little bit “scary” to him (because he is a giant puppy, let’s be real), add so much life.
• …and everyone just…the awkward way Jet and Bobby stop their giggling, then everyone just…stares. A comedy!
• As in, timing is everything. Other shows should take note.
• Love me a defensive Bell.
• Actually, while I’m making demands about keeping people: Can we also keep Trisha forever? Would love to see her and Bell do more interrogations — and definitely more verbal sparring — together.
• “Doesn’t affect me anymore. I just like the taste.” And then he…is disgusted by the taste and hands it back. Cracked TF up.
• “Hey, Joey.”
• If I speak about Elliot Stabler and tying people up while he hollers a lot…
• …let me not.
• (But call your former partner and scare her straight because she is off the rails right now, Baldy.)
• “Joe, look at me… Ok. Don’t look at me. But we’re gonna talk.”
• I know I already said it but like. This whole scene with Elliot talking about Sam being there because of him, and not wanting Joey to flush his life down the toilet, and, and, and…
• Oh, ok. Bell is not having it with this ATF dude. Yes, Sarge. Ma’am. Yes, Ma’am.
• His last name is…Gutterson? Meh. I’m going with Gunderson. (If you know, you know.)
• The little Elliot Stabler “smug S.O.B.” grin when he asks the nurse if he knows what he’s getting himself into…
• “Looking pretty rough and accused me of trying to kill him twice.” “How many times has he told you to go to hell.” “13.” Dead.
• “Being a FIELD operative!!!!!” Never change, you adorable nerd, you.
• “Ugh. I hope I don’t regret this.” (Narrator: You will.)
• The lighting is giving “laser tag.”
• The way she says “Bobby.”
• “Just so you know, taking fire was not my distraction plan.” “Yeah, I figured.” Once again saying I LOVE THEM TOGETHER. More, more, more.
• If you don’t sob when you see that quilt from Bernie, where is your soul?
• “Hey, guys? Guys.” So small…and the bit about the cold…help.
• “I know it’s hard seeing people struggle this way. So. Hang in there.” <33333333
• There are too many good things to talk about and too few hours in the day. Example: Trisha and Elliot? Also great!
• “I hope he likes surprises,” and Joey’s surprising him with superhuman strength.
• Elliot. Friend. Do you not remember what happened with that kid earlier in the season?
• “Feel like I got hit by a truck.” “Close, but it was your brother.” El. Oh. El.
• Can we get a Stabler Bros™ sitcom? I don’t even need credit for the idea. (Rent money would be appreciated, though).
• “So, right now. Scale of 1-10: How much do you hate me?” “8.” “He’s back to normal.” “Pretty good.” 
• …and the fight over who Bernie’s favorite is. Hi. We have that fight about my Grannie all the time. (I always win. Undisputed.)
• “Hey…no.” He was so happy and one look at Randall’s face. Help.
• Y’all saw that look from Emery, right? He does not believe Joey anymore than Krycek does.
• Tom Payne forever.
• “What am I, 10?” “In my mind, yeah. You are.” THIS. He will always see Joey as his baby brother.
• But also: Elliot. How are you, of all people, surprised someone —and a fellow Stabler who idolizes you, at that — wants to go undercover?
• “I can do that. But she’d rather hear from you, though.” Nothing about this Bernie talk feels promising. Either something happens to Joey so he can’t tell her, or…that other thing that I’m not even going to put out into the universe.
• “Don’t you ever. Question me.” The family resemblance is family resembling.
• “I think he’s got this.” And Reyes with his proud/impressed smirk.
• “It was somethin’.” Understatement.
• Eli. Kid. You had better not be turning into your dumb AF dad. Are we going with surprise pregnancy and/or surprise, way-too-young engagement?
• Also: Dropping out of school and moving home with your girl? In this economy?
• Also also: Poor Becky. She just has to watch the back and forth like that after already experiencing the godawful dinner party.
• …oh. That…
• Anyone else both really want the finale now and also not want it at all because that’ll mean the season is over?

Thoughts on Law & Order: Organized Crime 4×12 “Goodnight”? Leave us a comment!

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