Law & Order: Organized Crime Review: Forget It, Jake; It’s Chinatown (Season 1 Episode 8)
Several shootings, a poisoning, and a brief cameo of Olivia Benson sum up Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 Episode 8, “Forget It, Jake; It’s Chinatown.” As far as season finales go, this one is mediocre at best.
We know Richie Wheatley has it in him to kill as we still are not over the shocking death of Gina. However, it is startling to know that he can also get a hit put out on his father, all while sitting in a jail cell.
What does not make sense in this scenario is that Richie lacks the tenacity to pull off ordering a hit on someone from prison. It is clear that his father does everything for him in life. But magically he can now pull off a feat like this? It is more plausible that Richard orders a hit on Richie to keep him quiet.
What makes more sense is to have Richard’s wife try to kill him. She is the only one in the family not in prison, so it would be easy for her to pull this off. Though we do not see much of her on the show, it is clear Pilar is a strong and independent woman.
Having Pilar run Richard’s illegal activities is a fun way to include her more on the show. She could definitely use her art of seduction to get away with any crime. Seeing another powerful woman of color on the series will make this bright series stand out even more among the competition.
Having Richie leave the series is fine, but seeing him in prison can make for an interesting story to tell. If he keeps these antics up, he will continue to try to have his father murdered and that will make for entertaining television.
If written properly, this story could lead up to a great Season 2 mid-season finale with Richie meeting his demise at the hand of his father. Once Richard finds out Richie is the one trying to murder him, he is not going to show any remorse for his son.
Also, is anyone else confused about what happens to Angela Wheatley? It is not made clear if she is trying to commit suicide in the hotel, or she is poisoned by someone else.
It is more logical that Morales is the one behind the poisoning because he is the one trying to kill her in the hospital. But the poisonous chemicals came into the hotel because of Washburn? Perhaps Morales is behind the tapping of Washburn’s phone, and when she didn’t die, he went to the hospital to seal the deal.
Hopefully Morales survives his gunshots and is able to tell the entire story in Season 2. There is no clear proof he is dead, so there could be a future interrogation where we learn exactly how Wheatley is able to convince Morales to go against the Organized Crime team.
It is daunting to see Morales as a bad guy on the series. On Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 Episode 7, “Everybody Takes a Beat Sometime,” Washburn and Morales are starting to get more presence on the show. They should be the next Fin and Munch, but it is very unlikely that is going to happen now.
A great possibility for Season 2 is for Washburn to now partner up with Jet Slootmaekers. Again, Jet has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene, so this will allow for more screen time by the team’s top techie.
It is always a pleasure having Olivia Benson on an episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, but her appearance isn’t really necessary. Sure, Richard’s comments prove Olivia is who he admits Elliot truly loves, but this storyline does not move forward.
In order for there to be more friction in the relationship between Olivia and Elliot in Season 2, Angela Wheatley cannot die. Her survival most certainly means a reconcile with Elliot and a potential relationship — one that can help Olivia admit her true feelings for Elliot.
An Angela/Elliot love story will be upsetting to Elliot’s children and make for an interesting dynamic in this love triangle. Elliot’s kids can show their father that he is meant to be with Olivia, someone they know and care for strongly.
Though Olivia is central to the stories on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in order to build the bond between her and Elliot, she will need to be more prevalent in future episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Failure to do this could result in a drawn out romance with Angela and Elliot that no one wants to see.
What did you think of the Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 finale? 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.