Is the beloved crime drama that is part of the iconic Law & Order franchise not returning for a new season? Continue reading to find out more about Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4.
There is no doubt that despite being the seventh series in the Law & Order franchise and a spin-off of Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the series has been able to leave a mark and make a name for itself in this iconic franchise with just three seasons, even by premiering decades later than the first Law & Order series. The show’s ability to consistently deliver amazing plotlines with each new season makes it understandable why one of the most common questions from devoted viewers is whether the series’ future is in safe hands or not.
After all, people around the world have enjoyed Law & Order: Organized Crime ever since it debuted in 2021! Therefore, it is imperative that these burning questions be answered as quickly as possible to prevent the spread of more misinformation throughout the Law & Order community.
With much speculation mounting, it’s time to delve into the burning question, “Will there be another season of this beloved show or not?” For your consideration, right now we can assure the readers that you don’t have to worry as the popular drama series, which centers on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character Elliot Stabler, a veteran detective who returns to the NYPD in New York following his wife’s murder, is not going anywhere, as it was given an early renewal for a fourth season earlier this year on April 2023.
The series has been able to capture interest despite being late in the game, and there is no doubt that it is not going to wane anytime soon. For context, despite being on air for not too long, many reports in 2023 alone indicate that the show has been ranked as the most popular on-demand program for the NBC catalog. Due to this, it will continue the tale for another season, as there is no chance that a known television network like NBC will lean towards scrapping an important legacy show that has become very close to prime-time television viewers around the world!
Moreover, Law & Order: Organized Crime has been well-received throughout much of its run and has been included in various top 10 lists. Since its inception, the show has been described as a great addition to the franchise in the television “phenomenon” of Law & Order, owing to its longevity and dominant ratings, as the show features a “single-arc” storyline that takes multiple episodes to resolve. So, the fans can breathe a sigh of relief and buckle up by speculating what new adventure the next season has to offer the die-hard fans for another thrilling season!
Here is everything we know so far about NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Release Date: When will it premiere on NBC?
We regret to inform you that the eagerly awaited 4th season of Law & Order: Organized Crime will not be available on NBC in 2023, which isn’t shocking because it was never intended to be a part of 2023–24 fall broadcast season, making the fandom wait for longer than they anticipated, as it’s only been a few months since the renewal was announced earlier this year, which initially was a great update to give the fandom a heads up about the timeline, but the tables have quickly turned for NBC!
If you’ve been watching Law & Order: Organized Crime for a while, then you’ll probably know that even though the show was renewed for the 2023–2024 television season alongside SVU and the flagship Law & Order, as well as all three of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago shows. According to recent reports, the show will be taking a long hiatus this time around and is aiming for a 2024 release window on NBC, with January being the ideal release window as it is expected to keep the same time slot of releasing new episodes every Thursday at 10/9c on NBC and later on Peacock.
To top it all off, the NBC network has also confirmed their plans to air reruns of the three programs beginning October 5, 2023, at 8 p.m., to compensate for the absence of new episodes from the three Law & Order shows!
At last, the show was always anticipated to be back next year! As per Variety, Jeff Bader, president of the entertainment program planning strategy of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, told the news outlet that moving the premiere of the new season to the midseason schedule is a good idea, quote, “They will actually benefit from having a little time and the show will come back as part of the Thursday night stack in midseason.”
Hence, it is good to know that the show has been secured against the abrupt changes in its release window due to the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, as the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It has coincided with a Writers Guild of America strike in a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes that have caused major rescheduling, including the release of the other two Law & Order series.
Furthermore, Law & Order: SVU Season 25 and Law & Order Season 23 are also being shifted to release next year in the first quarter of 2024. In short, Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 was always slated to officially release next year and is not affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and the 2023 WGA strikes. Additionally, the official Law & Order Twitter handle also confirmed the release window, quoting, “Thanks for joining us for an exceptional season finale! #LawAndOrder and #SVU return Thursdays this fall, and #OrganizedCrime returns in 2024 only on @nbc and streaming on @peacock.”
Check out the official post confirming the release window below:
Thanks for joining us for an exceptional season finale! #LawAndOrder and #SVU return Thursdays this fall and #OrganizedCrime returns in 2024 only on @nbc and streaming on @peacock. pic.twitter.com/Uu9KldSi0s
— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 (@lawandordertv) May 19, 2023
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Plot: What to expect?
As stated above, this series differs from other shows in the franchise in several notable ways. Unlike the other shows, storyline arcs generally span several episodes each rather than wrap up in one or two episodes. The first story arc spanned the entire eight-episode season, and the second season will be divided into three arcs across twenty-four episodes.
The storylines featured are also not “ripped from the headlines” but instead ones that are similar to those of gangster, mafia, and crime movies of the 1970s and ’80s, most notably The Godfather and Taxi Driver. It is also the only series in the franchise to feature criminals as main characters, excluding Law & Order True Crime, which was based on true events. Finally, the show doesn’t make use of the scene card transitions used by the other shows. It is the eighth US series in the Law & Order franchise and is the seventh US series in the franchise to air.
The next season is anticipated to expand the core premise of the show, which follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they work to dismantle New York City’s most vicious and violent illegal enterprises. Additionally, we speculate that the details about the storyline might have also been kept under wraps due to the ongoing strikes, which might have caused a temporary halt in the creative team’s ability to create scripts and led to a longer break until any resolution.
“I’m pleased to continue my four-decade relationship with Universal Television and NBC,” Wolf said in a statement. Further adding, “All six shows being picked up again is the ultimate accolade to our incredible casts, producers, and writers. I’d also like to thank our loyal fans who have kept our NBC shows on the air for what will be a cumulative 84 seasons.”
“I like the serialized nature of the storytelling,” Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) told Nerds of Color. He continued, “It’s great to wake up every day and have a challenge because it is. You’re going there to fix things, it’s a rare day where you’re like, ‘Oh, the scene is perfect. Everything’s perfect.’ You’re always just fixing, tinkering, and that’s it. So that takes all your energy, and that’s interesting. But the crew, and I feel it’s reciprocated, it really is just a great atmosphere to go, and try and create in with these people. Then you get to work with the people and you get the great guest stars.”
We would like to emphasize that the exact plotlines of the new season haven’t been disclosed, as everything has been kept hush-hush! But we are certain that the fourth season will undoubtedly pick up from the final episode of the third season, “With Many Names.” The episode is directed by John Polson and written by Julie Martin, Nicholas Evangelista, and David Graziano. In the episode, the viewers got to see that as OCCB and SVU close in on a callous and desperate suspect, the U.S. Attorney benches Stabler and Benson.
Later, we get to see that Bell and Fin must lead the team on a perilous task, and Rollins confronts a witness who refuses to cooperate. While you never know what criminal organization is growing behind closed doors! We’ll just have to wait and see what direction the creators take for the next chapter. Until then, the fans are free to speculate on the character arcs and debate the significance of the third season finale episode, which will definitely pick up the plot in the new season as it is crucial to address that major cliffhanger!
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Cast: Who will reprise their roles?
The main cast members of the series who are expected to reprise their roles in the fourth season are as follows: Christopher Meloni as Detective 1st Grade Elliot Stabler, Danielle Moné Truitt as Sergeant Ayanna Bell, Ainsley Seiger as Detective 3rd Grade Jet Slootmaekers, Brent Antonello as Detective Jamie Whelan, and Rick Gonzalez as Detective Bobby Reyes.
In addition to this, Dick Wolf, Sean Jablonski, Bryan Goluboff, Barry O’Brien, John Polson, Paul Cabbad, Arthur Forney, Christopher Meloni, and Peter Jankowski serve as executive producers. “Law & Order: Organized Crime” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment. We would like to highlight that the series might get a new showrunner, as Ilene Chaiken has officially passed the baton over to Barry O’Brien.
“We understand the emotional connection our audience has with these characters and we can’t wait to bring more of their stories to the forefront next season,” Lisa Katz, the president of scripted programming at NBCUniversal and Streaming, said in a statement. Further adding, “A huge thank you to Dick and his amazing team who are the masters of producing incredibly compelling television week after week.”
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episodes: Where to stream?
As of writing this, we can assure the readers that the official episode count of the new season has been revealed by the network to be around 13 episodes with an average runtime of 40 to 49 minutes, which are expected to drop on a weekly basis. The episode count is lower due to very specific plans that are best accomplished with a reduced order. Details about the episode titles and synopsis will be disclosed later once the release date draws close in order to avoid spoilers.
When Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Season 4 is released with the entire Law & Order franchise, it will air on NBC and later be available to watch on the official website based on the user’s location. It will air alongside Season 23 of Law & Order and Season 25 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The viewers can catch up with all the seasons of Law & Order: Organised Crime on Peacock, Hulu Plus, and FuboTV, which is ideal for international viewers. The series is also available for renting or purchasing on Vudu or Amazon Instant Video, with a vast number of membership plans. On the other hand, the series can also be watched by international users using a VPN on NBC’s official website for free, where the episodes are published after they air on the TV channel.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the production status of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4?
Unfortunately, the filming has not begun as the ongoing dual strikes have halted the production of the show until a proper resolution is made. Recently, The Writers Guild said Wednesday that the AMPTP’s latest counteroffer for a new contract “is neither nothing nor nearly enough.” In a message to its members released today, the guild said it “will continue to advocate for proposals that fully address our issues rather than accept half measures like those” offered by the companies in its latest offer on August 11, 2023. The guild said that “we remain committed to direct negotiations with the companies.”
Hence, it will cause more delays in the commencement of writing and the production of the third season, as the strike is now on its 115th day!
Is there any official teaser or trailer available for Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4?
As stated previously, the new episodes have not been filmed yet! Hence, there is no official teaser or trailer for the upcoming season. Moreover, it takes time for such promotional stuff to be published, which usually begins a month or two before the premiere of the new episodes. So, there is a lot of time left for such a promotional tour to begin.
Where can the international audience stream the show?
In Canada, Organised Crime airs on CityTV in conjunction with NBC, in contrast to previous Law & Order shows with American settings, all of which have been broadcast on CTV. The direct lead-in episode of SVU was broadcast on CTV in opposition to the debut of its spin-off on CityTV at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT because of obligations to other Thursday night programs, such as Grey’s Anatomy. Lastly, In Australia, seasons 2-3 can be streamed for free on catch-up TV service 9Now.
Alert the squad! 🚨Law & Order and SVU return Thursdays this fall and Organized Crime returns in 2024 on @NBC and streaming on @Peacock. pic.twitter.com/a8FMJFKbPa
— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 (@lawandordertv) May 12, 2023
While you wait for more updates, catch up on the previous seasons of Law & Order: Organized Crime on NBC in order to recall the plotlines that have transpired so far.