Organized Crime Replaced and Removed from NBC Primetime

“Law & Order: Organized Crime” is returning for Season 5 — but it won’t air on NBC. The spinoff, which sees former detective Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni) battle New York mobsters and other bad guys — will now be a Peacock exclusive. Stabler will remain a part of the series. The show will be replaced on NBC’s lineup by “Found,” a procedural series entering its second season that centers on Gabrielle “Gabi” Mosely (Shanola Hampton), who runs a crisis management firm that tracks down victims who have been ignored by the police. She’s aided by Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), a serial kidnapper who once held her hostage as a child but who she now hides in her basement and uses to help her solve cases.

As for “Organized Crime,” NBC has not confirmed the return of any actors other than Meloni to the spinoff. Much of the show’s behind-the-scenes staff will also remain the same, with John Shiban continuing as showrunner and Dick Wolf, Meloni, Shiban, Paul Cabbad, Jon Cassar, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski all returning as executive producers. Season 5 will consist of ten episodes, three episodes fewer than the renewed Season 4 run, but a reasonable amount for a streaming show. There is no word on when it will be available on Peacock as of this writing.

While this means fans of the show will have to buy a streaming subscription to keep up with Elliot’s adventures, they’ll at least get a chance to spend more time with him. But the question remains: Why does “Law & Order: Organized Crime” seem to be lagging behind its brethren? There might be a reason.

Why does “Law & Order: Organized Crime” lag behind the other shows in the “Law & Order” universe? It could be because, unlike the rest of the franchise, it’s not as easy to just pick up the show and start watching from a random episode. Sure, Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) life can change from season to season on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” but the focus is primarily on the one-off case of each episode. “Organized Crime,” on the other hand, focuses primarily on Elliot’s desire for revenge and his personal life, and that requires a serial viewing experience.

It’s also the grittiest show in the “Law & Order” lineup, and that’s saying something. It tackles the subjects of drug addiction and brutal murder in an even more intense way than the other shows in the stable, making it a tough watch for even the most hardened “Law & Order” fan. It’s also possible that those who are devoted to the procedural nature of the other shows won’t be into the gangster action that “Organized Crime” delves into.

The series left fans on a major cliffhanger, with the potential departing Joe Stabler Jr. (Michael Trotter) handcuffed to a chemical weapon by his boss. Fans will find out what happens to Eliot’s brother when the series resumes on Peacock in the near future.