‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Features Another ‘SVU’ Cameo in Sophomore Episode

The second episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime included another cameo from a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character. Mariska Hargitay appeared in one scene as Capt. Olivia Benson to help calm down Christopher Meloni‘s Elliot Stabler. In the new series, Stabler and Sgt. Ayanna Bell (Danielle Mone Truitt) are leading an organized crime taskforce, with the goal of taking down Richard Wheatley, played by Dylan McDermott.

Stabler and Benson’s scene together came after a frustrating moment for Stabler’s team. “Not Your Father’s Organized Crime” followed the task force on the trail of Wheatley’s scheme to steal coronavirus vaccines to sell to doctors with wealthy patients or for use in parties for the wealthy. They found out where the stolen vaccines were being stores, but when the team arrived, the vaccines were gone. The next day, Stabler found Benson as she was dropping Noah off at school. After Noah left Benson’s car, Stabler jumped in with a coffee for her. Benson wanted an explanation for his freaked-out appearance at the end of the series premiere. Stabler claimed he was just startled, but she didn’t buy it. Benson said she would back off if he really wanted her to. She agreed to but then told him he has PTSD. He laughed at that idea. “Your wife was murdered right in front of your eyes,” Benson reminded him.

Stabler still shrugged her off, but Benson told him that she is now a captain who makes sure her people are well. Stabler agreed to “take care of it.” But then Benson asked him if he told Bell where he was the night Whatley’s father was killed. “I don’t know where you were… I only know that you were jumpy. You looked exhausted. You have circles under your eyes… and I am worried about you Elliott.” Stabler took a deep breath and told her it “felt good” to hear that.

“Liv, you mean the world to me,” he said. “I just needed to hear you say that.” Benson was still shocked by what she was hearing. “Back off,” Stabler told her as he left her car. A scene later proved Benson right, as Stabler’s son Eli awoke to find Stabler yelling for Kathy in his sleep. When Eli woke up Stabler, he jumped up, out of breath. “Hey, we’re going to be all right,” Stabler told Eli as he went back to his bedroom. After Eli left, Stabler broke down in tears.

In the rest of the episode, Stabler and Bell did arrest a doctor who was preparing to administer the stolen vaccines, as well as a group of wealthy women who were going to get it. Later, Stabler was about to tell Bell what he really did the night Wheatley’s father was killed, but she stopped him short before he incriminated himself. He admitted to finding his body and calling it in, but just as Stabler was about to admit to taking the deceased man’s phone, Bell said she would have to arrest Stabler on the spot if he continued talking. Bell said she knows that if Stabler did take it, he took it to the police to help them get the people who killed his wife.

The episode ended with Stabler watching his son Eli arrive at their apartment, just as two mysterious masked men arrived. Stabler and the men got into a bloody fight, and they beat him to a pulp. Stabler was left bleeding on the street. We won’t know what happens next until the next episode airs on Thursday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.