Law & Order is gearing up for a major crossover event. The flagship show will join forces with Law & Order: SVU for a two-part special on Thursday, April 17. These two episodes will then be followed by a new episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Given the franchise's knack for melding characters from different shows, and the scheduling of three Law & Order titles in a row, fans are understandably confused as to why Organized Crime will not be part of the crossover.
It would make sense, on paper, to have all three shows connect for a storyline the same way NBC recently did with One Chicago. The more the merrier, and given that all of the Dick Wolf shows that have staged crossovers stem from Law & Order, it only seems right that the franchise follows suit.
Organized Crime will stop airing on NBC after April 17
The reason Law & Order: Organized Crime is being isolated from the other two shows, however, is its recent shift to Peacock. The spinoff may be airing its season 5 premiere on NBC, but the season was made with the network's streaming platform in mind. It's still connected to the Law & Order universe, of course, but it will no longer be viewed alongside the other two shows on Thursday nights. It will be airing exclusively on Peacock after the premiere.
The decision to air the season 5 premiere on NBC makes sense in terms of getting eyes on the show, but the fact that Organized Crime is not connected to the April 17 crossover suggests that this was a decision made after the production started, and after the other two shows decided to join forces. It's sad to see NBC's Thursday night lineup splinter, but it also makes sense from a ratings perspective.
Law & Order: Organized Crime has consistently performed better on streaming than it has on NBC. It came in behind the other Wolf Entertainment shows in terms of ratings, but its serialized storytelling and emphasis on character over cases-of-the-week has led to it excelling on streaming, where it can be binged.
OC has future Law & Order crossovers planned
Don't worry, though. Organized Crime may not be part of the April 17 crossover, but there will still be crossovers taking place during season 5. Christopher Meloni, the Organized Crime star who formerly co-led Law & Order: SVU, told People that he's written an episode with a special SVU cameo in mind.
"I know [Olivia] Benson will be with OC for a moment there," the actor explained. "I'm going to have an opportunity to... I'll tell you what. Hopefully, uncover, peel away a little bit more of the onion or uncover a little more depth of feeling between them."
As much as we would have liked to see all three shows connect, we're eager to see what transpires between Meloni's Stabler and Mariska Hargitay's Benson as Organized Crime season 5 gets going.