NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime is adding another NYPD police officer to the team, Dennis Leary’s Officer Frank Donelly. And, as the early reports suggest, this addition of Leary’s character could have some effect on Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler; as well as the rest of the Organized Crime team.
Law & Order: Organized Crime is now halfway through its sophomore season on NBC. Fans of the franchise were eager to welcome the new series to the Thursday night lineup for multiple reasons. Along with adding a new chapter to the Law & Order universe, Organized Crime meant the return of one fan-favorite character, Elliot Stabler. Law & Order: Organized Crime also features Danielle Moné Truitt’s as officer Ayana Bell.
This has been the core team throughout the show’s first season and into the second. So, could the addition of Leary’s officer mean that the series is headed to a major storyline arc? An arc where the series will lose one of the current detectives? Could Leary’s character be replacing someone major on the cast?
Will ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Be Making Some Big Changes to the Cast
We know Law & Order: Organized Crime isn’t necessarily against taking a major character out in this fashion. Last season we learned Michael Rivera’s character, Diego Morales was offered a large sum of money to work as a mole for Dylan McDermott’s Richard Wheatley. When the team finds out a confrontation ensues, ending with Bell killing Morales. So, if Leary’s character is tagged to become a core character, could fans expect to see a major loss in the near future?
It’s possible, sure, but there are also plenty of other explanations for Leary’s addition to the popular series. So far, showrunners haven’t clarified what role Leary’s NYPD Officer Frank Donelly will have on the series. It’s very likely the officer may not even be joining the Organized Crime team. He may be a character with which Stabler – or his partner – could cross paths for a variety of reasons. This option seems to be a very plausible one as Leary’s character has been named to be a recurring character on the series – not necessarily a main cast member.
Dennis Leary’s upcoming recurring role on Law & Order: Organized Crime is joining a list of other recurring characters. Since the premiere of Organized Crime last spring, Dylan McDermott has had a recurring role in the series. During this time, McDermott has been portraying the man everyone loves to hate, Richard Wheatley. Additionally, the series has tapped Jennifer Beals to join the cast as a recurring player. In this role, Beals portrays the wife of Mykelti Williamson’s drug kingpin Preston Webb. Webb is also the head of the Marcy Corportation, Preston Webb.
