Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episode 3 Review: End of Innocence

The Stabler/Bashir team-up continues on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episode 3, “End of Innocence.” And what a spectacular team-up it is.

Honestly, not since the days of Stabler and Benson have I felt drawn to Stabler partnering up with someone. Usually, when he partners up with Bell or Reyes, it feels uneven, disjointed event.

But, with Bashir, there is a level of mutual respect and understanding that can’t be taught. The chemistry is natural, and considering Bashir is temporarily on loan, there is hope for further exploration of this bond.

Guns for Hire

Unlike Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episode 2, “Deliver Us From Evil,” this episode lags quite a bit and lacks the oomph and excitement previously established. While this show is typically better written and more intriguing than the other shows in the universe, “End of Innocence” ends up being one long snooze fest.

Sure, there are small moments littered throughout that jolt us to attention, but they fizzle out sooner than they should. Not even an entire plotline of an Asian woman running a gun rental/smuggling operation out of her bodega can draw us in for long.

The gun used against the Imam in the previous episode is mentioned to have a body count. Sounds exciting right? Wrong.

Unfortunately, the body count is mentioned when it’s first discovered and then again when they are questioning the Asian shopkeeper and then dropped faster than a hot potato. It’s as if the writers felt the gun rental story needed some urgency to it but then didn’t know how to adequately tie it in with the blonde assassin.

If the woman could’ve confidently ID’d the blonde assassin, then maybe this part of the plot would’ve mattered, but unfortunately, she serves no greater purpose than as a supplier. Having her ID the shooter might’ve pushed the urgency and danger of the man they were faced with, but instead, she just mentions that she doesn’t like him.

It all boils down to a case of black market guns being in the hands of dangerous people all over the city, but the OCCB and Hate Crime taskforce can’t be bothered to address that issue because they only care about one of the shooters.

Maybe this will come back again later, but I feel the lack of follow-through on this organization of gun smugglers is just lazy writing.

Father and Son

Anytime there is a kidnapping case, the various Law & Order series will create a sense of urgency and excitement around finding the missing people. Law & Order: Organized Crime manages to fudge that plot as well, choosing to mosey its way to the finish line instead of race there.

It’s a story that moves so slowly that viewers lose interest halfway through despite there being a kid involved. After all, the dad is located pretty quickly, which uncovers yet another motive for the blonde assassin, but fails to pull focus to the missing child.

In fact, for the majority of the episode, Stabler and Bashir chase down every lead they can find regarding the refugee gem smuggling ring and rarely mention why they are so focused on finding the ringleader. Sure, there is the obvious ‘we need to stop illegal activity,’ but what about the kid?

The writers also spend a bit of time showing the blonde assassin being kind to the child. It feels like the show is trying its best to have us feeling sympathy for a cold-blooded killer. 

What it boils down to is how much the viewers should care about this plot. By the end of “End of Innocence,” it is still very hard to say.

Bashir and his wife are compelling characters and welcome editions to this NYPD family, but it’s not enough to sell us the disaster that is the back half of this case.

Refugee Story Fails to Impress

On paper, a case centered on the exploitation and abuse of a group of refugees should turn heads and keep us on the edge of our seats. Unfortunately, the follow-through lacks any depth or emotional drive.

Maybe if the show had slowed down a bit more and taken the time to really immerse the viewers in the culture of this community, we could care more. As it stands, the writing throws a bunch of names — without properly introducing us to their faces — at us and expects us to care enough to follow along.

As stated before, the case of the missing father and son should be pulling on our heartstrings. But because the father is found so quickly and the boy is rarely the focus of the plot, we aren’t given enough time to sit with such emotions.

Viewers barely have time to process that the assassin has taken two hostages before one of them is found and a gem smuggling operation is uncovered. Then the story moves on to more fast-paced illicit activities and takes way too long to come back to the missing boy.

Maybe if the story had been spread out across 3 to 4 episodes total, we could’ve felt the full impact of this bombing and assassination plot. Now, the blonde man is dead without us ever getting the chance to hear his side of things.

It leaves the story feeling very superficial and unfinished.

Stray Thoughts:

• I kind of like Randall Stabler. He’s fun, despite it being extremely obvious how little he interacts with his family.
• Stabler’s face when his younger brother showed up. MY HEART! Christopher Meloni has always been great at making sure his eyes are the most expressive part of him.
• I need there to be more Bashir and Stabler because it’s been ages since someone has said they believe in Stabler.
• Grateful that Reyes is choosing to attend therapy. He desperately needs it if his actions at the bodega are anything to go on
• Reyes calling Stabler out for doing exactly what he’s telling Reyes not to do — dragging a partner into your personal crap. “You’re one to know.” 

 

 

What did you think of this episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Law & Order: Organized Crime airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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