‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’: Dean Norris Debuts as Stabler’s Brother in Tense Exclusive Sneak Peek

There’s a new Stabler in town. Dean Norris makes his Law & Order: Organized Crime debut as Detective Elliot Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) older brother Randall in a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of Thursday’s all-new episode of the NBC crime drama, titled “Deliver Us From Evil.” 

It’s clear there’s tension between the Stabler brothers from the start, as Thursday’s preview begins with Elliot driving his successful real estate agent brother through the everyday hustle and bustle of New York. “God, I hate this city,” Randall notes, before turning to his brother to ask. “So how’s mom?” Elliot answers smartly, “Well, how do you think she is?” to which his brother replies, “Well if I knew, I wouldn’t have asked.” Elliot admits their mom Bernadette (Ellen Burstyn) has been thinking he is his brother, to which Randall quips, “Oh, boy. Bet that pisses you off something fierce, huh?” 

Elliot’s irritation is evident in his lack of response, and the tension only grows when Randall reveals he spent the weekend with his nephew Eli the other month – a trip Elliot had no idea about. “I flew into Colorado and took him fishing in the mountains,” Randall says of Elliot’s youngest son with late wife Kathy. “He didn’t tell ya?” Elliot explains that he was “on a job” at the time, to which Randall jabs, “Of course you were, just like that.”

Randall continues that the trip was “great” and that he even got to meet Eli’s girlfriend Becky, whom he affectionately observes is “way out of his league” and “a keeper.” Elliot’s annoyance is clear as Randall asks, “Take it you haven’t had the pleasure?” before the NYPD detective admits, “No, I haven’t had the pleasure.”

Randall continues to poke at his brother, saying it’s a “damn shame nobody ever taught that boy [Eli] to fish,” earning just a noncommittal grunt from Elliot. “You know, he’s got a knack,” Randall says, as Elliot snaps back, “Like you?” Randall confirms, “As a matter of fact, yeah,” as Elliot continues to stew as the clip comes to an end. 

Randall’s existence was first mentioned during last week’s Season 4 premiere of Law & Order: Organized Crime, when Elliot’s mom confused him for his brother. “Don’t touch me,” she told him. “I don’t need you. I need Randall. I need your brother. Where is Randall?” When Norris was first announced as playing Randall, the series revealed that Elliot and his brother have a strained relationship due to a disagreement about their father, and fans will get to see the first of their relationship on the Thursday, Jan. 25 episode of Organized Crime. 

Also during Thursday’s episode, Elliot meets with an officer who is convinced a deadly bombing that claims the life of a spiritual leader is just part of a larger conspiracy as tensions rise within the take for as Jet (Ainsley Seiger) struggles to get her team on board with Vargas’ (Tate Ellington) program. 

Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.