There are several things to remember about what Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) has been up to before the newest season ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimepremieres on Peacock. For the past four years, this show has been part ofLaw & OrderThursday on NBC. Although the first episode ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5will premiere on network TV, the rest of the series will be exclusive to Peacock, with new episodes dropping on Thursdays.
The timing has not been ideal for the season’s premiere; it is beginning nearly a year afterLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4ended. The new episodes will likely pick up with the season 4 cliffhanger, which involved Stabler’s brother, Joey Jr, being handcuffed to a chemical weapon as a private plane took off. However, Joey’s predicament is far from the only storyline that needs to be resolved as the season begins.
5Stabler & Benson’s Romance Is At A Standstill
Nothing Has Happened In About Two Years
The lack of follow-up toStabler and Benson’s romance inLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4 is disappointing. At the end of season 3, it seemed the two were headed for a relationship. AfterStabler saved Benson’s life when she was shot, he visited her in her office and gave her a compass necklace before he left on an undercover assignment. However, nothing further happened between the two and they have rarely interacted since.
According to a teaser clip,Benson will visit Stabler in the hospital after he gets into a serious car accidentinLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5. However, it is unclear how their relationship will evolve from there or how much screen time the pair will get during the season.
4Stabler’s Youngest Brother Is In Huge Trouble Thanks To Trying To Help
He Is Currently In A Dangerous Situation In A Private Plane
Stabler spent most ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4 worrying about his younger brother, Joey, as he was addicted to heroin and opiates. Stabler and his other brother, Randall, attempted to force him to become sober by kidnapping him and tying him to a bed, but Joey escaped.
Stabler will likely focus on saving his brother in Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5.
After Joey finally decided to get clean, he tried to make up for his previous behavior by going undercover to catch a major supplier, Julian Emery. After the Organized Crime Bureau came too close, Emery took off in a private plane with Joey, who was handcuffed to a briefcase holding chemical weapons. Stabler will likely focus on saving his brother in Law & Order: Origanized Crime season 5.
3Stabler Is About To Be A Grandfather
He Was The Last To Find Out
Law & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4 ended with Stabler realizing that he was about to be a grandfather, thanks to his son Eli (Nicky Torchia) accidentally conceiving a child with his girlfriend. However,the most emotional part of this story is that Stabler realized the rest of the family knew before he did.
Stabler and Eli’s relationship has been rocky since the latter was introduced as a teenager inLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 1. However, Stabler had hoped things were improving despite the argument they had about Eli’s career path. Thus, it was a huge blow to the elder Stabler’s ego to learn he was the last to find out his son’s life-changing news, and it’s unclear how he will react to both that and the pregnancy itself.
2Stabler Failed To Dissuade Eli From Following In His Footsteps
He Didn’t Want Eli To Become A Cop
Stabler was jaded about his entire career duringLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 4, so he didn’t react well to the news that Eli wanted to become a cop like him. While parents in these types of storylines typically fear for their kids' safety, that was only part of the issue for the former SVU detective.Stabler felt that police work would take over Eli’s lifethe way it took over his.
…Eli ultimately ignored Stabler’s concerns and enrolled in the police academy.
Stabler and Eli had an argument over this which ended with Stabler having to go out after getting a call from Bell about a case. When Eli didn’t appreciate Stabler walking out in the middle of the conversation, Stabler replied, “Wanna be a cop? This is what it’s like.” However, Eli ultimately ignored Stabler’s concerns and enrolled in the police academy.
1Stabler Realizes The Toll His Job Takes On His Personal Life
However, It Doesn’t Stop Him From Taking Risks
Stabler is gradually realizing that he has never been there for his family. His relationship with Eli is only one casualty of his over-dedication to his job, as he has virtually no relationship with either of his brothers, for a variety of reasons, and has had to allow Randall to take over their mother’s (Ellen Burstyn) dementia care.
Although this could be a strong area for character growth, Stabler has not internalized this yet. TheLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5 trailershows him getting into a serious accident while undercover. Thus, Stabler will likely be conflicted about the time he is spending on the job duringLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5.
