Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 finale recap: Was justice served?

Law & Order: Organized Crime has spent its entire first season focusing on the murder of Kathy Stabler. But was justice served by the end of the Season 1 finale?

Elliot Stabler has spent just eight episodes investigating his wife’s murder. Even in so little time, he’s made huge progress—not just in finding out who was behind the explosion and why, but in becoming a better version of himself in the process.

Unfortunately, what those quotable voiceovers across the Law & Order universe don’t tell viewers is that, in the criminal justice system, “justice” isn’t always the right word. Unfortunately, Stabler may have had received a reminder of that cold reality in Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1, Episode 8, “Forget It Jake; It’s Chinatown.”

It didn’t matter that Stabler and Bell had done their jobs. There were other forces at play—some of the criminal variety and some of the “justice” variety, but all a part of the system.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 didn’t end with any closure

It should have been a pretty obvious case of “crime family, with tons of evidence against them, gets locked away.” But that’s not realistic.

Closing the book on such a huge case after a mere eight episodes would seem rushed to the average network TV viewer, especially those who are used to 20-plus-episode seasons of SVU. It’s also just…not how these things usually wind up working, unfortunately.

So, instead of wrapping up the Kathy Stabler case with a nice pretty, bow, Organized Crime went somewhere darker, yet more appropriate. Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, even after seeing Elliot have to do the unthinkable: Protect the very man who was responsible for his wife’s death.

Richard Wheatley may have survived the attempt on his life, but Stabler’s case against him was in danger of being thrown out completely. A federal prosecutor, Vince Baldi (played by guest star Josh Charles), was perfectly happy with letting Wheatley off if it meant frying an even bigger fish.

When Elliot’s law enforcement “family,” organized by his former partner (and “one true love of his life,” if Richard was telling the truth in Episodes 7 and 8), showed up in solidarity, it seemed as if he might at least be able to get the murder charges to stick.

"Do not use the murder of a police officer’s wife as a bargaining chip in your deal."

But then, it all went to…Well. You know where.

Angela Wheatley was a key witness in the Kathy Stabler case. But earlier in the episode, she’d been poisoned. That made her ability to provide the necessary testimony to nail her ex-husband questionable enough, but things just got worse.

You might even want to call this finale “Elliot Stabler’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”

On her way to meet Elliot at the hospital, Captain Olivia Benson arrived a little early and happened to see a familiar face: Detective Diego Morales. Except Morales was dressed as an orderly and wheeling a gurney down the hallway, which didn’t exactly sit well with Benson. (She earned her way to Captain, after all, gang.)

That led Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 to its epic non-conclusion. After a tense stand-off that included Bell, Stabler, and Benson working together as partners, Morales wound up bleeding out on the floor.

And Angela, that witness who was so vital to making sure justice was actually served in Kathy Stabler’s death? Well. Bell and Benson were frantically trying to make sure she stayed conscious while Stabler was yelling for help in an empty hospital corridor.

Not all hope is lost for Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Organized Crime

Regardless of whether or not Richard is convicted of murder, Elliot at least knows what happened to his wife. Mostly.

There’s still the issue of which version of events, as far as Angela’s role in everything goes, is actually the most truthful. Still, having any answers at all is something.

Stabler’s also “returned home” to his NYPD family and has a great new partner in Sergeant Ayanna Bell. Bonus: His old partner is very much back in his life and finally calling him “El” again for the first time since his surprise return.

We’ve already done a lot of unpacking just where that relationship seems to be going, so just…Yeah. All of that. Again. Forever and ever.

Then, there’s the most exciting news for Elliot Stabler (well, outside of…you know): He’s seeing a therapist. El admitted he had a problem, asked for help, and is actually taking his doctor’s advice. (Let’s just hope his doctor doesn’t turn out to be like that terrible excuse for a doctor on that one lawyer show.)

He’s practicing his breathing techniques and reaching out to others when he can’t get by on his own. Also noteworthy: Old Elliot might have enjoyed roughing up a wounded Wheatley, rather than saving his life. Not New Elliot—not Organized Crime‘s version of Liv’s El.

So, maybe we’re lacking injustice for Kathy Stabler. It might be really difficult to even find any outcome that feels “just.”

But for Elliot? Yeah, we’re not there yet…But there’s a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel for this guy.

Law & Order: Organized Crime will return to NBC for Fall 2021.