When it was announced back in March that Christopher Meloni would return to the Law and Order fold in a new series focusing on his SVU character Elliot Stabler, it seemed like a home run for the Dick Wolk franchise. Meloni coming back as Stabler after almost a decade was clearly a hit with fans.
But following the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, the spinoff series, as well as the entire Law and Order franchise, found itself under fire as criticisms began to arise around the seemingly overwhelming prevalence of police procedurals. It also doesn’t help that Meloni’s Stabler is known for his hot temper, which isn’t exactly the best look in the current climate.
In response, Law and Order producers have been moving quickly to address concerns and promise to make sure that its shows will grapple with the current “reckoning” occurring in law enforcement. This initiative includes Organized Crime, which sees Stabler returning to the NYPD after a “devastating personal loss.” Via E! News:
“However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Throughout the series, we will follow Stabler’s journey to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.”
The Stabler spinoff seems to be a lightning rod for controversy though. During the Floyd protests in Los Angeles, writer Craig Gore posted a photo of himself holding a firearm and threatening to “light motherf***ers up.” Gore was immediately fired by Dick Wolf while Meloni tweeted that he doesn’t even know who Gore is after the writer falsely claimed that he was the new showrunner for Organized Crime. “I have no idea who this person is or what they do,” Meloni wrote.
(Via E! News)