Law & Order: Organized Crime Review: Everybody Takes a Beating Sometime (Season 1 Episode 7)
The first jaw-dropping scene starts within seconds on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 Episode 7, “Everybody Takes a Beating Sometime.” Lucky for us, they continue throughout the entire hour, making this episode the best of Season 1.
It is official. Gina is dead. Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 Episode 6, “I Got This Rat,” did not show her dying, which gave us hope that she was going to reappear unscathed.
However, unless Dick Wolf is delving into the world of zombies, Gina is gone for good.
We can still hope for a flashback in the future that depicts Gina before her death. We love seeing her and would appreciate some closure.
Closure to Gina’s character is necessary because it’s clear she has a close bond with Bell.
Bell’s reaction to Gina passing alludes to there being more than meets the eyes with her. We are unaware of how or why Gina is picked to go undercover to catch Wheatley, and unearthing that reason is the missing puzzle piece to this fascinating character.
If you are having Gina withdrawals, check out Chicago Fire Season 5. Charlotte Sullivan plays Anna Turner, Severide’s girlfriend who needed a bone marrow transplant.
Since Gina is no more, the Organized Crime Unit is getting even more screen time trying to catch Wheatley. Slootmaekers is clearly awesome at her job and the most entertaining member of the team. Not only is she a tech guru, but she is quick on her feet.
This type of character is similar to that of Sheldon Jin from Season 1 of Chicago PD, and we want to see more of her outside the squad room helping the team crack the case. This breaks the mold for this type of character, which is generally shown only behind a computer.
A techie like Slootmaekers is common in many procedural cop shows. With technology being so advanced, it is not believable that Elliot can catch the bad guy and also know how to install hidden cameras and voice recordings.
The show is incomplete without her.
Witnessing Morales and Washburn assist in the arrest of Wheatley at the subway station is great as well.
Going forward, it will be important for these two to partner up and take center stage when catching the criminal of the week. They clearly have a humorous side to them, which is lacking on the show currently.
This show is a drama, but an occasional laugh to lighten the mood could be what these two characters showcase every week. Washburn plays the drunk tourist really well, so he could be the lead undercover detective with Morales as his unwilling sidekick. They are the Fin and Munch of the Organized Crime Unit.
The addition of more humor could lend the opportunity for Meloni to show off his comedic side.
Sooner or later, Elliot is going to need to get over Kathy, and joking around with his team could be exactly what the doctor orders. Subtle humor is something that SVU has found a niche for during its successful run, so it can work here too.
Hopefully, the story involving Wheatley’s kids clears up quickly. Now that Gina is gone, Richie does not have a storyline that can go any further.
Also, we’re not sure why Dana Wheatley’s character is a presence on the show. If she goes to jail, her character is easily forgotten. Angela rarely interacts with her too, especially now that she is in jail.
This family is crazy to watch onscreen together, but boring at the same time. Less of Wheatley’s kids means more screen time for everyone else. The series has so many action-packed moments. However, when Wheatley’s children arrive on the scene, it is time for a nap.
We either love our TV characters, or we love to hate them. The Wheatley kids, unfortunately, do not fit into either category.
Wheatley mentioning that Olivia is Elliot’s true love is the definite foreshadowing of a future relationship. However, the two do have a long way to go before they confess their feelings. If Wheatley knows that Elliot is pining for Olivia, it is only a matter of time before others start catching on to this.
If Olivia returns in future episodes, which is highly likely, it may lead to Elliot’s team asking more about their past relationship. It could even be Bell who helps Elliot admit that he loves Olivia and pushes him to explore a romantic relationship with her.
An Olivia/Elliot/Angela love triangle is a great story arc to explore during Season 2. It is clear Angela is crushing on Elliot, and her cooperation with the case against her ex-husband could show us that she was not really behind the hit on Kathy.
Elliot could forgive Angela and start dating her. Then maybe, Olivia admits her love for her former partner despite it being too late. Sure, this type of story is used so much in television, but it keeps us wanting more!
The season finale of Law & Order: Organized Crime is next week. Here are some events we hope occur:
- Olivia Benson comes back.
- An Olivia/Elliot dream sequence with a kiss.
- Gina Cappelletti is back from the dead.
- Richie Wheatley goes to jail forever.
- Angela Wheatley is found innocent for the hit on Kathy Stabler.
- Richard Wheatley escapes from prison and causes a nationwide manhunt.
- Elliot Stabler is shirtless the entire time.
—
What did you think of this episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Tim Gerstenberger
Tim Gerstenberger received a BA degree in communication from Saginaw Valley State University and a MSA degree in human resources from Central Michigan University. His past work has been published on Yahoo!, Examiner and TV Overmind. He has had a passion for TV since an early age and some of his favorite shows include: Friends, The Office, Parks and Rec, Saved by the Bell, Happy Endings, Schitt's Creek, Friday Night Lights, Law & Order: SVU, The Good Wife and The One Chicago franchise. He currently works in Public Relations at Ally Financial and resides in Michigan.