There's an undeniable magic to the fourth season of Organized Crime. The exploration of the Stabler family dynamics seamlessly integrates with the overarching plotlines and has been exactly what the show was missing in season 3. New showrunner and writers, take a bow.
As the OC taskforce moves on from their previous Westbrook case, Elliot decides it's time to deal with his little brother's drug addiction problem. Elliot and Randall find drugs hidden in Joe Jr's safe, and stage an intervention with the intention of sending him to rehab. It seems punching walls is a Stabler family trait, as Joe isn't thrilled by his brothers ideas.
Joe Jr storms off to their mother's place. Poor Bernie bears the brunt of Joe's anger when she can't give him the money he asked her to keep safe some time ago. The Stabler family moments in this episode are so powerful that they overshadow any procedural aspects, effortlessly stealing the spotlight. One could even contend that these scenes could stand alone as their own episode, such is their strength and resonance.
What's particularly fun about the "Semper Fi" undercover mission is that Stabler doesn't need to fabricate much to be convincing. Drawing directly from his Marine background, he effortlessly embodies the persona of Henry, aka. Hank. He taps into his own experiences to lend authenticity to the role, and it works.
As Stabler immerses himself in the support group undercover, each narrative shared resonates with a profound sense of hopelessness. Later, revelations about Darian's father surface, prompting Elliot to grapple with the emotional weight of it all.
This latest undercover endeavor teeters between triumph and failure, contingent upon the authenticity behind the facade. As "Hank" listens to these narratives, Elliot appears to confront his own past experiences, tinged with a hint of guilt for his deceptive presence. Interestingly, he divulges little about his fabricated identity to Darian, a departure from his usual thorough undercover character construction.
However, the pivotal moment arises when Elliot authentically mentions his battalion and service in Iraq, establishing a genuine connection with Darian through shared memories of his father, despite initially denying any recollection. This connection serves as the catalyst for the true commencement of the case.
Boone presents himself as a refined Southern gentleman, yet his true nature is far from genteel. The eerie atmosphere of his farm is unsettling. Its remote location, coupled with the confiscation of workers' cell phones and restrictions on their movement, evokes a disturbing blend of a cult compound and a makeshift prison. From the outset, Boone engages in psychological manipulation, orchestrating a rivalry between Stabler and the other workers to assess Stabler's mettle.
Meanwhile, Officer Bashir vanishes. Despite Bashir's brief tenure with the team, he has already left a significant impression. His sudden disappearance underscores that the OCCB has merely begun to delve into the depths of this heroin operation, and the team try to pull Stabler from the undercover job. He refuses, and has a confrontation on his way back to the farm that lands him in hot water. As the episode concludes, Stabler is assigned a new task... whether both he and Bashir remain alive next week remains to be seen.
Organized Crime is always a fun watch, and I hope NBC decides to renew this show. It truly deserves more hype and viewership, and perhaps it would do better with a streaming home free of broadcast restrictions.
