Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 Review: ‘Beautiful Disaster’

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 is about as good of an episode as can be expected for what it is. This hour sets up a new investigation and introduces a new detective for Stabler and Vargas to work with. None of this is a problem. At least, not it’s not exactly an issue, even if anytime we transition into a new arc it’s a little bit of a “well, what’s next” feeling. But notice who’s not on the list of people working this case: Bell and Reyes. Their absence is a stain on an hour that, while not as perfect as some from last season, gets the job done and includes some truly brilliant emotional work.

Unsurprisingly, ‘Beautiful Disaster’ is at its absolute best when we get to take a step back from the work and focus on the people. Stabler’s family, specifically…talk about a disaster, though.

MORE: Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 2 is still the best of the season.

The Collective

When Vargas’ code signature lands him in hot water with Detective Tanner and the Counterterrorism Bureau, Detective Stabler doesn’t believe he’s part of whatever caused a delivery drone to explode and kill a man. Not even for a second. Notably, he has zero doubts, despite just having learned Kyle and his bff Randall have been hiding the search for Joey from him. It barely takes much time spent with a very nervous, yet very transparent and obviously innocent, Vargas for Tanner to realize just how innocent he is. And then, the rest is history (or whatever).

Elliot offers to help — but, of course, he has to do it in his own, Elliot way. Christopher Meloni’s delivery and timing both make an otherwise routine conversation so much fun here. He brings such an easy, natural sort of comedy to the moment. And El remains that guy who, were he anyone else being the exact same kind of smug and self-assured, we’d hate him…but he’s just too lovable. (Annoying.)

I’ll wait to form a full opinion until the arc is complete, but I will say Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 feels like a little bit of a missed opportunity. Sitting with the possibility that sweet, harmless Vargas could have another side for just a little bit longer could’ve made for some fascinating drama. Then again, I do understand there are limitations in terms of how much time can be spent on any one piece of a story. We have a short episode order and a lot of ground to cover, after all.

Admittedly, the story presented so far does make me a little bit concerned for the viewpoint this case with the Collective might have. Written with care, we could have a very meaningful, important story about how a just cause can quickly become hijacked for revenge-driven, maximalist ends. Many of the characters, like Max and Skye, probably are involved in this operation for the right reasons. A group that wants to combat wealth inequality and corporate greed sounds awesome! But, as we see, it is far, far too easy to get swept into madness by a charismatic leader who has no business leading anything.

On the other hand, there are many places where this can all go terribly wrong. Young activists depicted as clownish stereotypes, “technology bad” sorts of takes…We’re hoping not to stoop to either of those lows. Vargas’ presentation on how artificial intelligence can have uses, whereas “generative AI is a curse on creativity” (emphasis mine), is certainly a good sign. But we’ll see!

Regardless, it’s nice seeing Vargas get to use his skills to solve a problem — especially when his work was used for a purpose he would never have wanted. The Tanner-Stabler-Vargas dynamic plays out well here, too. But…again…this would be better with Bell and Reyes. Because everything is better with Bell and Reyes, and this series just isn’t the same without them.

MORE: Guess Elliot shouldn’t have joked about Jet leaving him all alone with Vargas in Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 3. Because he really, really got left with Vargas here, huh.

“Trust Elliot”

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 might have a couple of rough elements, but ‘Beautiful Disaster’ certainly ends on a high note. (And that’s saying something, considering Joey still really needs to do something about that dye job. Yikes.) Ellen Burstyn remains a gift, and her performance as a mother who’s happy to see her youngest son again — even if it’s a secret meeting in the middle of her night, interrupting her rest — but oh, so terribly worried about him and begging for him to reach out to his older brother for help is so powerful. Her tearful smile when Joey tells Bernie he loves her is everything. And the way the character grieves her son leaving again, even before he’s begun to do so, is spot on.

The final shot of Bernie just completely beside herself, the fear in her eyes giving way to this sense of having no idea what to do next, could create an hour-long episode of TV all its own. All I kept thinking was just…this poor woman. When she told Randall she’d heard from Joey, he automatically assumed she was confused. So, if she were to tell either of her older boys that she’s seen their younger brother in the middle of the night and he needs their help, she’s got to know they won’t believe her. So, that sense of hopelessness is earned, far above and beyond just knowing Joey’s involved in something he shouldn’t be.

Just gutting to think about, especially since viewers know Randall and Elliot now know Joey has called her. Would that make them more likely to believe he’s managed to get here without anyone’s knowledge but Bernie’s, slip into their mom’s room unnoticed, and slip out just as easily? Or would they be even more skeptical, somehow? There’s a very real chance they could write it off as her mixing up some truth with just an equal amount of pure fiction.

But that’s definitely Joe Jr. at the end of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 — and what a joy it is to have Michael Trotter back, even if for such a short little teaser. (And even with that dye job. Seriously, who hurt whoever did this to him???) Trotter and Burstyn create a beautiful picture of a mother and her sweet, if troubled, son. This is a man who absolutely adores his mother, gazing at her with so much love in those expressive eyes of Trotter’s. And yet, there is such a sense of sadness that hangs over the character, even as he’s basking in the glow that is Bernie Stabler.

When Bernie tells Joey to reach out to Elliot for help, saying he can trust his brother, she shows such strong, unwavering faith in him. It also calls to mind another utterly lovely scene from Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7: the one where Becky does just that — reach out to Elliot. Something about their latest interaction is incredibly moving in the way it makes use of sound, like Becky’s voice breaking the silence or the need to use hushed tones around the baby, to highlight the fragility of the moment. Additionally, the comfort Elliot gives this young woman, who’s worried she’s losing the boy she fell in love with, has got to be the closest he can get to making up for all the times he kept the mother of his children in the dark.

Kiaya Scott is brilliant here, as a new mother who’s experiencing all of this pain. And Meloni…is Meloni. Running out of words there (annoying). That hushed “hey, hey” before Elliot tells Becky what Eli needs and wants is her, the myriad ways his expression conveys that what Becky is saying resonates with him — with his own experiences, not just because of Eli’s situation — and that stricken look when Elliot is left behind with the baby all stand out. But there are so, so many other little details from both of these actors that make the scene so great.

As far as Eli himself goes…just like dear ol’ Dad says, if he doesn’t want to be treated like he’s 12, he should stop acting like it. Whenever Law & Order: Organized Crime ties Elliot’s work to his family through things like the effect it has on Bernie, or Randall being bffs with Bell and Vargas, the Joey of it all, or him trying to be there for Becky and the baby, the storytelling is exquisite. Eli’s part in all this, however, is starting to run thin. That’s a problem.

…but really, who even cares if it provides these other opportunities?

MORE: This isn’t the first time Becky has shared her concerns with Elliot. In Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 5, she confessed that she hoped the NYPD would kick Eli out.

More on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7

• This victim being all WTF at the “Zipp Chow” stalking him and playing “Oh, My Darlin’ Clementine” had me like uh, same.
• Wow. Meloni, all by himself, putting on a show there at the beginning! The shaking was the obvious big tell that Elliot is not remotely ok. But there are so many things going on in that performance — the tension to show he’s not out of whatever place the nightmare took him, the little hand motion when he sees the cabinet’s out of mugs, that annoyance after hearing Randall’s reminder, the slight narrowing of his eyes when Elliot sees that cursed cop babydoll in the garbage, just to name a few — to paint a vivid portrait of how not ok Elliot is. Not ok, trying to manage alone and in silence. Aimless.
• The camera does a great job of giving us a picture of his (messy) surroundings, too.
• Still mad Bell and Reyes aren’t here in Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7, yet grateful to at least get to hear Bell’s voice. Thank you for the voicemail budget!
• “…and you’re good until the day that you’re not.” “Someone’s been going to therapy.” The reaction shot of Meloni here. Oof.
• “Is that my Randall?”
• Check out the way that little half smile and the brightness in Meloni’s eyes both die when Elliot hears Randall mention Joey. And poor Vargas sitting there, looking like he wishes he could disappear to avoid Elliot’s eventual wrath. Then, there’s what happens after the call ends and Vargas tries to explain what he’s found. You’ve got Elliot rubbing his head, the sigh, the hard look on his face, and the stressed nod of acknowledgement after Vargas lists all the cities Joey’s popped up in.
• “If you can believe it, Baghdad.” (He can, in fact.)
• “He didn’t deserve to die.” “Sure, he did. It was a happy accident.” I…ok then. We’ll see how the arc goes!
• “And remember: power lies in creation — not imitation.”
• Tag yourself: I’m “OMG A FLOPPY!!! THE YOUTHS WON’T EVER KNOW!!!” years old.
• “I actually don’t have one question. I’m just calling bulls—t. Where is he?” Oh, he’s making a show of keeping himself under control. But he’s still mad — and firm in his demands for more information.
• “I didn’t do this.” And his cuffed hands pop out like the old school shrug emoticon dude ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
• “Is he always like this?” “I told you, he’s nervous. It’s like watching someone kick a puppy in there.”
• “So, what you’re saying is, this is organized crime and you’d like our help on the task force.” “I did not say any of those things.” “We accept.” This SOB…
• “We all know that real change comes at a price. If we have to set a few backfires to stop the world from burning, so be it.” Ok but, if you must…calculated risks and strategy, not…whatever this is?
• “You want to be a revolutionary? Then, F—king nut up and continue the fight. You want to cosplay this sh—? Then, I’ll get you a t-shirt of Che Guevara and you can go sell incense down at Washington Square Park.” …but what if I told you you’re the one who feels like a weird wannabe?
• Kind of like the part with Vargas being a “person of interest,” another place where Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 moves a little more quickly than I might like is with Skye. Show us less tells of her being uncomfortable early on to make it a surprise. Or wait for the next episode…or something.
• LOL. It’s giving Tesla fails, not targeted attacks.
• “They’re artists. Maybe they’re pi—ed off artists, but they’re artists at heart.”
• “I can’t help but feel responsible.” “I get it. Trust me, I get it.” Detective Catholic Guilt understands misplaced guilt? THAT IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION.
• “You’re going through some serious sh— right now, but you can’t take it out of the world.” I feel attacked.
• “Digital art?” “They sure like to call it that.” OMG GO OFF.
• “Sometimes, all it takes is a charismatic leader to turn a vendetta into a cause.
• “A kid died by his gun. You’re out here partying like nothing happened?”
• “Sarge, get between me and my kid again, and I’ll kick the living sh— out of you.” He would. Also: Check out Meloni’s intensity here!
• Real talk time! Is it a good idea for Detective Stabler to get up in Sergeant Hunt’s face like that? No. But was I sitting here like, “OMG ZADDY STABLER GET HIM” when he did? …guilty.
• The Elliot/Becky stuff has seriously been the best surprise of the season. Not sure I can shut up about this anytime soon.
• Here’s hoping things turn out better for Eli and Becky than for these two…
• “Look, I’m sure this doesn’t help, but. Just to let you know, to get an extreme reaction like this means we’re getting close.” It does not, in fact, help!
• Murders her, then lies about it to his followers. Sick.
• “Everything I’ve been through, every place I’ve been, as long as it led me back to here to see you. To tell you I love you. It was worth it, Mom.” My heart.
• “There’s nothing Elliot can do for me now.” Uhhhh…I’m scared?
• Stop hurting Mama Bernie! Don’t leave!
• Ok. I need the next episode in my eyeballs now. What is going to happen with Joey????

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 7 ‘Beautiful Disaster’? Leave us a comment!

New episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime stream Thursdays on Peacock.