Fans of anything Law & Order related probably can’t wait for September. There’s the start of SVU’s 23rd season. And then l get a double dose with Organized Crime, all packed together on Thursday nights.
And the official Law & Order Instagram account teased fans with clips Thursday all to hype up the premieres, set for Sept. 23.
“One night. Two squads. Thursdays are for SVU and Organized Crime on NBC. “
Law & Order Social Media Leans Heavily on Benson and Stabler
Of course, the Law & Order social media account will lean heavily on Mariska Hargitay, the face of SVU, and Christopher Meloni, the star of Organized Crime. Together, they’re Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, the one-time partners on SVU. Hargitay has been with the show all those seasons.
Meloni left SVU after the first 12 seasons. He had a contract dispute with NBC. When the network gave him a final offer for money, Meloni said he’d take it, so long as he could appear in fewer episodes. NBC said no way and wrote him off the show. That was in 2011. A decade later, he’s back.
Meloni is definitely having a moment. You can say most of 2021 for the 60-year-old Meloni has been one, big extended moment. That’s all because Law & Order: Organized Crime became a Law & Order spinoff in April. Four months later, Meloni now graces the cover of Men’s Health. He also did a workout video for the magazine.
“It’s cool as sh*t,” says the star of Law & Order: Organized Crime. “The aspect of age comes into play as far as the cover of [this magazine] and how I feel about it. A friend of mine said, ‘Did you ever think in a million years you’d be on the cover of Men’s Health?’ I said, ‘Certainly not at age 60.’
SVU Confirms Hargitay Won’t Be on Crutches
Meanwhile, Law & Order writers will have to tweak Hargitay’s role, at least to start season 23. Hargitay broke her ankle in July. She slipped on wet pavement after the premiere of Black Widow. She was supposed to host an after-party at her home. Instead, she spent the rest of the evening in the emergency room. Hargitay loves to share with her fans, even when she’s gimpy. When filming started for SVU, she shared a snap of her walking on crutches.
TVLine reported that Law & Order will address Hargitay’s leg injury in the premiere. But Olivia Benson will not be on crutches. TVLine also noted that Hargitay is showing up in clips of season 23 wearing the same dark floral dress from the season 22 finale. That’s when she was attending Fin and Phoebe’s wedding. So it’s likely there won’t be a time jump.
There is other Law & Order news. Organized Crime announced the addition of several characters this week. The first is a familiar face. Ellen Burstyn returns as Stabler’s mother, Bernadette. Plus, Ron Cephas Jones, formerly of This Is Us, will portray Congressman Leon Kilbride. Vinnie Jones will portray Albi Briscu, a gangster from Eastern Europe.
Stay tuned.
