Law & Order: Organized Crimehas officially wrapped its fifth season after moving to NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, after season 4. With an edgier feel than itsLaw & Ordercounterparts, and without the restriction of network television guidelines,Law & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5’s endingwrapped a gritty and dramatic 10-episode season that saw Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) pushed to the brink and back.
In its first four seasons, Elliot and the Organized Crime Control Bureau tackled some of the most aggressive and violent criminal organizations, domestically and internationally, and while some story arcs and angles, like season 2’s arc with The Brotherhood andLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5’s story arc with The Collective, are buttoned up for good,there are a handful of loose ends that still need to be addressed inside theOrganized Crimeuniverse.As word is awaited onLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 6, there are still several big unanswered questions and mysteries left after the season 5 finale.
9How Will Tim McKenna Factor Into Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 6?
Jason Patric Was A Fantastic Addition To The Show
A new character, ambiguous to the boundaries of the law, was introduced in season 5, and Det. Tim McKenna (Jason Patric) played a central role in both the capture of Miguel Olivas (Emilio Rivera) in episode 6, and the events following the death of Joe Stabler (Michael Trotter) inLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5, episode 9. McKenna, seemingly the force that would potentially drag Elliot to the edge of oblivion,became the voice of reason and allowed Elliot to have a clearer mind and approachin the hunt for Julian Emery (Tom Payne).
The dynamic between McKenna and Elliot was a great one during their shared screen time, and his rough, weathered approach to the law and to life worked well as a balance to Elliot’s balancing act as season 5 progressed. If there’s extra space for McKenna in the OCCB in season 6,he would be an excellent addition to the squad and to the story narratives, especially as the show finds its darker creative space on Peacock.
8Where is Isabella Spezzano?
Her Status Is In Question As She Remains On The Run
Through the midpoint of season 5, we were introduced to Isabella Spezzano (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), a former informant of Elliot’s while he worked in Italy, and helped him to bring down her brother and the criminal organization, the Camorra. In episode 5,it appears that she met a violent end, only for Elliot to discover that she had escaped, presumably back on the run again.
The thread of her story seems to have come to an end, as both her brother, Rocco, and sister, Lucia, met violent ends, as well as her grandson, Pietro, who allegedly took a bullet from Eli Stabler during the police raid on Roman’s brewery. However, if Roman remains in the mix, and should Rocco’s associates come looking for vengeance,we may get an answer on her whereabouts, and how she escaped, in season 6.
7What Will Happen With Eli’s IAB Investigation?
Eli May Not Even Stay With The NYPD In Season 6
In season 5, episode 4, Eli Stabler (Nicky Torchia) ends up in the brewery where the Camorra operations are taking place, and ends up gunning down Pietro Spezzano, killing him in his first police shooting of his career.Eli is placed on leave while IAB investigates, and Eli starts to see his world slide to the left as he awaits the outcome of the investigation.
No resolution on the shooting and his investigation were given throughout the remainder of the season, so this thread has the potential to be a quickly explained away item in season 6. With Eli’s wife confessing to Elliot that she doesn’t want Eli on the force,it could create another family dynamic for the Stabler familynext season as Eli transitions back, or transitions out, of the NYPD.
6Will Stabler Finally Tell Benson How He Feels?
Is It Past Time To Pay This Storyline Off Between The Two?
The relationship between Elliot and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) dates back over 20 years, and throughout the entireLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseries, a small but present thread is the exploration of Elliot’s true feelings for Olivia. This was ever present throughout the first season,where he inadvertently blurts out that he loves her during the intervention she stages with his familyfor him after the death of his wife, Kathy, and its ensuing chaos.
Olivia Benson plays a large, but not always present, role inLaw & Order: Organized Crime, and a deep dive into this thread would bring a long-term story in theLaw & Orderuniverse to a hopefully satisfying payoff for fans who want to see them together.A sixth season would allow the writers to explore this theme in more depth,layering the additional familiar narrative into a show built around the Stabler family.
5Will There Be More Blowback From The Camorra?
The Organization Is Still Mobilized, Even Without Roman Spezzano
Outside of Julian Emery,there was no more aggressive and ruthless criminal enterprise in season 5 than the Camorra, an organization older than the Mafia that appears on American soil for the first time thanks to Roman Spezzano (Alberto Frezza). As his grandmother, Isabella, works to save her grandchildren from the same fates as her family, Roman begins a turf war between multiple rival gangs in New York City, one that sees Bobby Reyes (Rick Gonzalez) go undercover in an attempt to stop a major conflict from occurring.
Although Roman is shot during the brewery raid in episode 4,his status and fate are unknown at the end of episode 5, appearing to still be in significant peril as he kills Rocco. Should Roman not return to his evil ways after his brush with death, the Camorra is still present in the streets of New York, leaving a window open for further escalations and in the crosshairs of Elliot through season 6.
4Will Randall Play A Larger Role In The Show In Season 6?
Dean Norris' Character Work As Elliot’s Brother Was The Dynamic The Show Needed
One of the best parts of season 5 wasthe addition of Dean Norris to the main cast as Randall Stabler, the older brother of Elliot who shared a strained relationship with him. Appearing first in season 4 as they work to take care of their ailing mother, Bernadette (Ellen Burstyn), Randall becomes fully integrated into the Organized Crime world, assisting Elliot in the hunt for Joe.
Dean Norris' presence on the screen and with Christopher Melonigave a welcoming presence as both a safeguard and muted antagonist to Christopher Meloni’s no-nonsense character. Season 6 provides an excellent opportunity to see Randall take on the patriarchal role in the Stabler family, especially if things with Bernadette begin to take a turn for the worse.
3Will Bernadette’s Decline Worsen In Season 6?
Her Condition Could Worsen In The Aftermath Of Joe’s Death
Law & Order: Organized Crimehas a major focus on the Stabler family, coming to terms with both the new normal with Elliot and his children after Kathy’s murder, as well as the loss of Joe in episode 9. Bernadette, the matriarch of the family and the undercurrent focus through season 5, isshowing continued signs of dementia, as her bipolar disorder gets worse.
With the fallout of Joe’s death looming large, the story of Bernadette could amplify quickly as the surviving Stabler brothers work together to keep her comfortable and settled.
Bernadette’s decline continues to provide the throughline for the Stabler family’s struggles, andit’s likely that this will be a major driving point through season 6. With the fallout of Joe’s death looming large, the story of Bernadette could amplify quickly as the surviving Stabler brothers work together to keep her comfortable and settled.
2How Will Bunny’s Death Continue To Ripple Through Elliot’s Life?
Another Life-Altering Death In Elliot’s World, One That Could Continue To Haunt Him
Elliot Stabler has experienced harrowing and life-altering moments, but one of the most impactful moments for him inLaw & Order: Organized Crimewas his undercover work in the 3 Kings operation in the first two episodes of the season. Although he worked to save Bunny (Maggie Toomey) from the grips of their sex trafficking ring,Vic Kingman (Blake DeLong) killed her after he tried to kill Elliot by running his 18-wheeler into his car as they escaped.
The final shot of episode 2 saw Bunny’s ghost with her hands on Elliot’s shoulder, his face in his hands as he processed the gravity of the situation, and the reality that he couldn’t save her.Bunny’s death could be another ripple in Elliot’s strained mental state through season 6, and she could become his guiding light while he works through new cases, much like her presence helped him bring down the 3 Kings ring.
1Will Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 6 Happen?
No Official Word From NBC Or Peacock On Its Status, But It Should Happen
TheLaw & Orderuniverse and its spinoff serieshave been mainstays on network television since the 1990s, and although some have gone the way of cancellation, others have continued through the years, and fans also saw the return of the original Law & Order to the airwaves in 2022, 12 years after it ended its initial run. While bothLaw & OrderandLaw & Order: SVUhave been renewed for more stories, there’s been no confirmation ofwhetherLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 6 will be renewed.
With its move to Peacock,some fans saw this as an opportunity to breathe new life into a show that may not have found its audience the way SVU had, while also bringing a more realistic and gritty aspect to its stories.Christopher Meloni shared a post to Instagramthanking fans for their support of season 5 while expressing uncertainty about another season ofLaw & Order: Organized Crime, but we’re hopeful that Peacock brings the Organized Crime Control Bureau back for another season of incredible stories.
