Law & Order: Organized Crime is in unprecedented territory. It's the first Law & Order spinoff to not air directly on NBC. The network decided to shift the spinoff to its streaming platform, Peacock, where it will resume with its fifth season.
The move to Peacock was announced last year, but details have been sparse. How will the show change? Will we still get one episode a week? Or more? Well, now we have answers. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Organized Crime will premiere on Peacock April 17. The first two episodes of the season will be unveiled that day, with the rest being rolled out on a weekly basis.
Fans who wait until NBC dramas go on Peacock the next day will not notice much of a difference. In fact, Law & Order: Organized Crime will have a leg up on the competition because it will be available to watch a day earlier than Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
Law & Order: Organized Crime returns April 17
The synopsis for season 5 has also been released by NBC, with an emphasis placed on the events of season 4. Those concerned that the show would not pick up right where it left off should be thrilled.
"Season five explores the dangerous worlds of cross-border smuggling, high-tech domestic terrorism and a crime family intent on repaying Stabler for the injury he did them in Rome," the NBC synopsis read. "As his worlds collide, Stabler will put everything on the line to protect the vulnerable and fight for justice."
Christopher Meloni, the man who plays Stabler, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming season, and how the streaming platform will actually allow Organized Crime to carve out its own path. "Our universe is slightly different than the SVU universe. So I think I feel a bit more freedom," the actor explained.
Christopher Meloni promises "intense" return
Meloni, of course, used to star on SVU, and has been part of the larger Law & Order franchise for over two decades. The actor teased the introduction of several of Stabler's old friends in season 5, though they will not be familiar faces to the audience.
"[There's a] guest star from Stabler's past — they ran together a little bit in their pre-times, let's say pre-SVU, in those days," the actor explained. "So it's kind of interesting how things go away and then resurface." Meloni also claimed that the fallout of Organized Crime season 4 will lead to ramifications, not only for his character but for NYPD as a whole.
Don't worry, fans will also get more of Stabler with his family. In fact, Meloni claimed that season 5 will dig deeper into the character's personal life than ever before. "We got the family involved," he teased. Are you as excited for Organized Crime season 5 as we are?