Written by John Edward Betancourt
Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 409 of ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’.
One particular aspect of crime dramas that is supremely unique, is the sheer fact that the investigators and heroes that make up the genre, are well insulated from crime. And what makes that so unique is that… it’s just so outlandish in nature. Because crime is something that permeates our world, and the odds are very good that crime will impact both the lives of people who wear badges and also wait tables. Yet time and time again, detectives in crime stories just interact with those impacted by crime and if by chance they have had it impact their lives, it is the plot device that drives them to make the world a better place. Which is why once again the Law & Order franchise continues to impress and lead the way in offering up revolutionary storytelling. Because the good people that make up this franchise, aren’t insulated from crime and its impact. Sometimes they are in the thick of it and have to suffer through its impact indirectly or it outright impacts their lives, and well… that’s why this week’s episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime on NBC is of note. Because crime found its way into the family life of Detective Elliot Stabler and in doing so, offered up some powerful storytelling that spoke to why it is important to acknowledge such matters in crime themed stories. A feat that ‘Semper Fi’ accomplished by having Elliot and his brother Randall, confront the very real possibility that Joseph was using hard drugs and sadly… that possibility quickly became truth. For they found drugs in his safe at the hotel and Elliot being Elliot, he wanted to know the source and he of course, wanted to get his brother in rehab and well… all of those desires took some supremely wild paths to resolution. For Joseph wanted no part of rehab. He wanted to keep on keeping on and decided to try and forge his own path to keep using and keep the power of drugs surging through his veins, and that may have landed him in some serious trouble. Since Elliot’s unit came to discover it pushed Joseph to talk to the wrong people. People that might cause him harm, and Elliot’s choices may prevent saving Joseph in a timely manner.
Mainly because, Elliot was so infuriated by having drugs impact his own family’s course and path, that he went hard into uncovering who was behind the spread of these drugs in Manhattan and with the help of his team, he came to discover… it was being pumped into the city by veterans. Who wanted a little more than their pension check and a pat on the back for a job well done. So, he went undercover on their ‘honey’ farm to uncover the truth about the operation and how best to bring it down, and that fury present within Elliot, over them selling poison to good people, prompted him to go deep and do what must be done to integrate with these dealers, even going so far as to take a life to embed himself, a move that left us with quite the cliffhanger.
But what mattered more here, is that this episode did what seemingly cannot be done, and let crime impact the everyday life of a law enforcement officer. To showcase the sheer fact that crime impacts all of us in some form or fashion. For it is sadly, part of our society’s DNA, and it has a profound impact upon anyone that comes in contact with it. Since Elliot’s family struggled with Joseph’s need to use, and his actions to get it, and well… the importance of going this route is simple. In that, it makes these kinds of stories relatable and far more profound to a viewer. Because we can understand the helplessness of the matter and the need for justice and all of that helped to bring to life, one powerful and moving tale, one that truly has us rooting for Elliot, despite the danger now surrounding him. Because we too, would love to go the extra mile and make the criminals that impacted or will impact our lives, pay, and there’s real catharsis to Elliot’s choices here, and the wonder of this episode doesn’t end with his journey. Because this was just an engaging episode through and through. One that sold the emotion and pain of substance abuse, courtesy of some stellar performances from the cast, including Dean Norris (Randall) and Ellen Burstyn (Bernadette), and well in the end, this is an episode that genuinely reinforced why we love the Law & Order franchise so. Because this franchise simply leads the way, and it was refreshing to enjoy a story that was this raw and as human as can be. Until next time. Watch ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’
1 Comment
4/12/2024 03:36:41 pm
The best show with the best script and producers right now. The we have a black lesbian woman as the boss, white old man as the senior detective, white young woman as the tech detective who knows things, latino young man as a great detective who can be UC in any situation. They're great together! Now we have a jewish female captain, an arab young man as detective and white funny AI guy. And the show always has enough time to show personal lives so we can connect with them, care about them. Not only Stabler family, but secondary characters' too.
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