Law & Order Organized Crime Key Art

Here is the new key art and logo for Law & Order Organized Crime starring Chris Meloni. It will premiere on April 1, 2021 at 10PM ET on NBC. 

Photos by: NBCUniversal 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

L&O SVU & L&O Organized Crime Crossover Promo

Here’s the promo for the Law & Order SVU and Law & Order Organized Crime crossover event, airing April 1, 2021 at 9PM and 10PM ET on NBC.

 

Law & Order SVU “The Only Way Out Is Through” Recap, Review, Discussion

Here is the recap, review, and discussion topic for Law & Order SVU, “The Only Way Out Is Through” which aired on Thursday, February 25, 2021. 

I had a mixed reaction to this episode.  It was certainly different from the norm,  being done in a “day-in-the-life” style.  With the exceptions of the flashback, the SVU handled 3 cases on February 24 and February 25. I wonder had they taken more time on these cases if the end results would have been less painful for all (the exception being Fin’s case as a hearing was imminent).   Maybe it’s my short attention span these days, but I found jumping back and forth from victim(s) to victim to victim very distracting and it made the episode a bit hard to follow.  It also made it impossible for  me to connect with any of the victims.   Each one of these cases could have been a compelling episode on their own.  Instead, we got a bit of mental whiplash with every scene change.  Rather than summarize the episode as it was told, I’ve broken the down by victim(s) in a attempt to set in my own  mind what happened to each one. 

Benson is quickly out of handling the cases in person. Noah has a fever and someone in his pod tested positive for COVID so she goes home to care for him. This leaves the rest of the SVU to handle three separate issues on their own, consulting Benson by phone as necessary. 

The first case involves  two sisters, Aneeka and Amani Coleman, who, as children, experienced a horrific assault at the hands of Darryl Clark. It was an old case Benson handled many years ago. As Benson left the office to care for Noah, she turns the case over to Rollins.   Benson and Rollins discuss using restorative justice as the sisters want to confront Darryl.  Benson can’t imagine Darryl would even agree to it as he’s not up for parole.  But Rollins still wants to reach out.  Later, Rollins meets with Aneeka and Amani and explains how this would work.  Darryl agreed to the meet as he’s being transferred to a federal prison and is probably hoping it would delay the transfer. Normally the session take a year to arrange. Clearly the sisters aren’t on the same page relative to who was the victim in the assault – Aneeka seems to think she was the only victim. She wants the meet to happen NOW.  It does happen very quickly, and things don’t go very well.  Complicating matters during the meet,  the prison goes on lockdown, leaving Rollins, Aneeka, and Amani stuck in the prison interview room. This gives the sisters time to fully discuss how this affected them BOTH, giving Aneeka a different view on how this has affected her younger sister all these years.  When the lockdown is done and Darryl  is ready to come back into the room, they decide they are done with him.   This is one of those times that shows there is a need for counseling in some of these cases, at least to bring out what the victim’s (or in this case, victims’) expectations are for closure. It would have likely saved them the pain of having to confront their attacker face-to-face.

Kat’s first cousin Lily claims she was assaulted by Xavier Garcia, a tech entrepreneur. Benson thinks he is a smart guy with an army of lawyers, and they don’t have enough to arrest him.  Kat gives some sass back to Benson, thinking because he is rich she has to back off.  Benson explains no;  she wants Kat’s cousin to text Xavier and see if he will meet her for coffee – Kat understands this would be a controlled meet and will get him on the record about the assault.  When Kat mentions to get Carisi involved, Benson smartly decides SHE will call Carisi. It’s unclear to me why they jumped to a controlled meet rather than actually doing an investigation or at least get another person who is not related to the victim to question her.   If it is that quick and easy to get someone to admit to an assault by a controlled meet, why don’t they do this right away and more often and forget investigating all together (rhetorical question). 

Later, at SVU,  Kat really nit picks Carisi, keying in on his “he said – she said” phrase for starters.  Carisi later complains to Fin that he must “baby sit” Kat for the controlled meet. He asks Fin if he has any tips on how to deal with her because everything he does makes her angry. Fin wisely tells him, “Then don’t do anything.”   I found Kat’s manner with Carisi  to be extremely annoying, for starters.  Why the massive chip on her shoulder?  Things get worse when Kat completely blows the controlled meet by ignoring Carisi’s instructions that it is going in the wrong direction and they need to regroup. Instead she goes in full throttle, apparently thinking she knows better and can make an arrest.   Later, at the courthouse, Lily approaches  Carisi and Kat and says she changed her mind, she doesn’t want to do it.   Kat thinks she can salvage things but Carisi tells her it is over – they have an uncooperative witness. But Kat still wants to try. She chases down Lily and Lily  thinks now she and Xavier have a real chance.  I suspect Liliy is in for a rude awakening.  I also suspect Kat will not learn her lesson and she’ll continue to be her usual impulsive and immature self. 

Fin, meanwhile, helps Nora navigate a hearing to decide if her rapist, Jimmy,  can be released from prison.  Letters that he’d been sending to her were being held back by the prison as she never requested to see them.  Nora makes  note that she can’t ask to see letters if she  never knows they exist.    When she meets with Jimmy, with Fin and a chaplain present, she tells him she was never able to trust her instincts and he took away her road map.  Nora seems to be willing to forgive, that is until Jimmy uses some of Nora’s own words about what he did to her to his own advantage. Wisely, she realizes he’s been using her.  She bravely makes a statement about what he did to her and how he’d just  used her. 

Benson gets back to work and explains to Fin and Rollins that Noah is negative for COVID.  She hears Jimmy was denied parole because Nora stood up for herself. Rollins explains the lockdown gave the sisters a chance to work things out after all those years.   (We DON’T see Benson confront Kat on her screw-up.) Fin also congratulates Benson on her “NYPD Woman in Law Enforcement” award.  She doesn’t understand why they want to honor her now with the Javon Brown lawsuit  hanging  over her head and does not think this is the time to do a victory lap.  But Fin tells her she needs to be there because she deserves it and she should own it.  He also closes by saying “And you never know who might show up.”  Benson ponders that statement as the episode closes. 

Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni Featured In People Magazine March 2021

Here’s the cover of the March 8, 2021 issue of People Magazine which will feature Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni.   The issue can be found on newsstands starting Friday, February 26, 2021!

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Law & Order SVU “The Only Way Out Is Through” Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU, “The Only Way Out Is Through” airing Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, Sydney Elise Johnson as Imani Coleman, Nicola Rossi as Lily Bustani, and Crystal Lucas-Perry as Aneeka Coleman. 

 Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Law & Order SVU Season 22 Key Art - Cast Photo

Even though the season has been underway for quite some time, NBC just now released the group cast photo for season 22 of Law & Order SVU.  

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- Season:22 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jamie Gray Hyder as Officer Katriona "Kat" Azar Tamin, Demore Barnes as Deputy Chief Christian Garland, Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Peter Scanavino as Detective Sonny Carisi, Ice T as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins 

Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2020 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Law & Order Organized Crime Promo

Here’s a promo from NBC for Law & Order Organized Crime starring Chris Meloni. The series will premiere on April 1, 2021.

 

Law & Order SVU “The Only Way Out Is Through” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU, “The Only Way Out Is Through” airing Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 9PM ET on NBC.

 

Law & Order SVU “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” Discussion Topic

Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Here is the discussion topic for Law & Order SVU, “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” which aired on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 9 PM ET on NBC. The episode featured the return of Law & Order Criminal Intent’s Annabella Sciorra as Lieutenant Carolyn Barek. 

The SVU discovers that their latest case looks to be the work of a serial rapist when they find similar cases in the Bronx. Barek is now a Lieutenant in the Bronx, and she and Benson and the SVU team have some tense moments early on as they clash about jurisdiction and control of the case.  Ultimately, the Bronx gang grudgingly cooperates.  Things get complicated when it looks like some of the previous “good girl” rapes didn’t completely match the pattern.  

I’m not sure what triggered this in my mind but it seemed very obvious early on that Sergeant Ari Moldivan was involved, either in a cover up or the rapes themselves.   This sets up a very tense scene toward the end of the episode where Rollins gets him to confess and Moldivan decides to let his gun do the talking – first on Rollins and then on himself.  Rollins, however, calls his bluff,  and he decides against it. 

This was a tension-filled,  tightly-written, fast-paced episode which utilized the entire cast.  I was never much of a fan of the character Carolyn Barek from Law & Order Criminal Intent but don’t have any issues with how she was used for this episode.    It was an hour well spent!

What did YOU think of the episode? Comments welcome - join the discussion!

Law & Order SVU “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” Photos

Here are photos from Law & Order SVU, “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” airing on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 9PM ET on NBC. The episode features the return of Law & Order Criminal Intent’s Annabella Sciorra. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, Demore Barnes, Annabella Sciorra as Lieutenant Carolyn Barek, and Rudy Mungaray as Sergeant Ari Moldivan (previous name released by NBC was Sergeant Ari Kovacs). 

Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC and Heidi Gutman/NBC 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Law & Order SVU “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” Promo

Here is the promo photos for Law & Order SVU, “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” airing on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 9PM ET on NBC.

 

Law & Order SVU “The Only Way Out Is Through” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “The Only Way Out Is Through.” 

 Law & Order SVU “The Only Way Out Is Through” Air Date February 25, 2021 (9 PM ET/8C Thursday NBC) 

Benson helps two sisters get closure from a harrowing childhood assault. Kat's cousin reaches out for help. Guest starring Crystal Lucas-Perry, Nicola Rossi, Sydney Elise Johnson and Jane Bruce. 

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Law & Order Organized Crime Premieres April 1, 2021 (Press Release)

LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME -- "What Happens in Puglia" Episode 101 --

 Pictured: Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

NBC Press Release

NBC’S ‘LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME’ HITS THE STREETS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 AS PART OF HISTORIC CROSSOVER WITH ‘LAW & ORDER: SVU’

“Good Girls” Brings the Drama on Sunday, March 7 While “Manifest” Touches Down April 1

Golden Globe Nominee Jane Levy and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” Shifts to Sundays Beginning March 28

“Ellen’s Game of Games” Moves to Sundays Starting March 7

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Feb. 4, 2021 – NBC is reuniting two of the most popular members of the NYPD in TV history with a must-watch April 1 crossover that will serve as the launch of the highly anticipated new Dick Wolf drama, “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

A two-hour television event set for Thursday, April 1, this crossover between “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m.) and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (10 p.m.) will finally bring back together Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, played by Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni.

In other scheduling news on the scripted side, “Good Girls” will make its season four premiere on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m. as Beth, Ruby and Annie get together once again as the stakes for everyone gets higher and higher.

“Manifest” is back for season three on Thursday, April 1 at 8 p.m. asking what happened to the passengers on Flight 828.

Newly crowned Golden Globe Award nominee Jane Levy and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” will go on a brief hiatus after Tuesday night’s episode and then return with a new date and time – Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning March 28.

And on the unscripted side, “Ellen’s Game of Games” will shift from Mondays to Sundays beginning March 7 at 9 p.m. before moving to 8 p.m. on March 28.The scheduling updates are as follows:

SUNDAY, MARCH 7

7 p.m. – “The Voice” (R)

9 p.m. – “Ellen’s Game of Games” (Time period premiere)

10 p.m. – “Good Girls” (Season four premiere)

“GOOD GIRLS” (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)

“Good Girls” follows suburban moms Beth (Christina Hendricks), Ruby (Retta) and Annie (Mae Whitman) who, at a loss over how to solve their various crippling financial troubles, decide to rob a supermarket in a heist that attracts the attention of a local gang leader, Rio.

The stakes get higher in season four as the Secret Service closes in on our women's counterfeit ring. When we last saw Beth, she was struggling to carve out her own criminal path separate from Rio, using her husband's spa company, Boland Bubbles, as a front. Ruby seemed to have salvaged her marriage after a rocky road, but only time will tell if her hidden secrets implode. Annie is focusing on inner love and healing as she takes the journey to rebuild independence.

Jenna Bans (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal”) serves as executive producer and co -showrunner alongside Bill Krebs, executive producer and co-showrunner. Michael Weaver directs and executive produces. Mark Wilding and Carla Banks-Waddles also executive produce.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

SUNDAY, MARCH 28

7 p.m. – “Ellen’s Game of Games” (R)

8 p.m. – “Ellen’s Game of Games” (Time period premiere)

9 p.m. – “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (Time period premiere)

10 p.m. – “Good Girls”

THURSDAY, APRIL 1

8 p.m. – “Manifest” (Season three premiere)

9 p.m. – “Law & Order: SVU”

10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (series premiere)

“MANIFEST” (SEASON 3 PREMIERE)

“Manifest” returns for a third season of action-packed drama, shocking revelations and the answer to the show’s biggest mystery – what happened to the passengers of Flight 828?

Over a year has passed since the miraculous homecoming of Flight 828 and the discovery of others who have mysteriously returned.  While the Stone family endeavors to keep their friends safe and make their enemies believe the unbelievable, new challenges will test their trust of the callings and each other. But sticking together is more important than ever, because no matter what happens, it’s all connected.  

“Manifest” stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, Matt Long and Holly Taylor.

 Jeff Rake, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jackie Levine and Len Goldstein are executive producers. “Manifest” is produced by Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Compari Entertainment and Jeff Rake Productions.

“LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME” (SERIES PREMIERE)

Christopher Meloni, reprising his role as Elliot Stabler, returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. Stabler will aim to rebuild his life as part of a new elite task force that is taking apart the city's most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.

The cast features Christopher Meloni, Dylan McDermott and Tamara Taylor.

“Law & Order: Organized Crime”was created by Dick Wolf, who will executive produce along with Ilene Chaiken, Terry Miller, Fred Berner, Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski.

The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.  

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Law & Order SVU “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release.”

Law & Order SVU “Hunt, Trap, Rape, And Release” Air Date February 18, 2021 (9 PM ET/8C Thursday NBC) 

Benson teams up with Lt. Barek and the Bronx SVU to track down a serial rapist with victims in both boroughs. Guest starring Annabella Sciorra and Rudy Mungaray. TV-14

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