Law & Order

Summary

A recentLaw & Orderstory disrupted the connectedness between the original serial publication and its current twirl - offs . The iconic NBC series has been a anchor on NBC for over 20 years , although there was a 10 - yr respite between seasons 20 and 21 . It is part of a three - hour block of Law & Order shows , all of which take place in the same universe and which sometimes feature crossovers with one another . This series center on homicide , whileLaw & Order : SVUtakes ravishment , incest , and child abduction cases andLaw & Order : Organized Crimefollows complex investigations into gang boss .

Shortly afterLaw & Orderwas reassert for season 24 , it beam its 500th episode . In honor of this milestone , the serial publication offered a compelling news report involve a raper who made word after only five year behind saloon and kill a healer who underpin his countersign offer within days of his dismissal . The episode addressed the aftermath ofJack McCoy ( Sam Waterson ) leavingLaw & Orderas well as featuring many of the tropes that have made the serial publication so popular . However , one aspect of the story contradict established canon .

New figure of speech from Law & Order time of year 23 reveal the show ’s newest detective on the force out , portrayed by old stager television worker Reid Scott .

Law & Order

How Law & Order’s 500th Episode Contradicted Established Canon

Price’s Involvement In This Case Contradicted The Rules

The five-hundredth episode ofLaw & Orderrevolved around ADA Nolan Price ’s honorable dilemma after a rapist he brokered a plea deal with for a curt sentence send a tearing rape / murder presently after loss . Price had agreed to a plea bargain in which the perp go only five years behind bars for worsen rape because the victim was so traumatize that she did n’t want to prove . This plot was naturalistic , considering the exploit New York City justice system . However , this narration violated a key face of how cases are prosecuted in theLaw & Orderfranchise .

WhenLaw & Order SVU ’s Dominique Carisi changed life history paths and became an ADA instead of a cop , he joined a breach of the DA ’s office that was form specifically to prosecute rapes and other SVU compositor’s case . As ADAs , Carisi and Price both report to the same district attorney . However , Price should not have prosecute this case because he does not work out for the extra dupe branch of the DA ’s office . The installment did not provide any account about this contradiction , rather proceeding as if rape cases fall under the veritable DA ’s office .

Law & Order’s 500th Episode Ignored SVU’s Existence Altogether

Nobody Suggested Speaking to SVU About a Case That Was Firmly In Their Wheelhouse

It would have made signified for Price to consult withLaw & Order : SVU ’s Olivia Benson or another member of her staff on this lawsuit . The case involved a brutal Brassica napus / homicide that Price was hold difficulty proving was connect to a previous rape . Additionally , Baxter demanded that Price homework a traumatized dupe for trial and do his unspoiled to palliate her anxiousness so she could efficaciously implicate the suspect . These exit are SVU ’s area of expertise , especially Benson , so the logical matter to do would have been to confer her about the beneficial direction to proceed .

Price ’s insistence that he had to plead the shell out to protect Chelsea from unneeded trauma would have been stronger had he consulted with Benson about the issue , as Benson is an expert in how to take a trauma - inform approach to questioning sexual assault survivors .

In the yesteryear , Mariska Hargitay has appear briefly inLaw & Orderas Olivia Benson so that Benson can suggest the detectives about a case that is in her wheelhouse . This metre , nobody involved in the pillow slip float the idea of confer with SVU about the case . Instead , the story go on as if SVU did n’t exist and the entire burden of investigating and pursue a sequent rapist was on the cops and prosecutors imply in the case . This deletion further cemented the melodic theme thatLaw & Orderexists in a separate cosmos from the rest of the franchisedespite past crossovers .

Law & Order Nolan sits second chair next to Baxter during a court case

TheLaw & Orderfranchise has not had any crossovers between any of its shows during the shortened 2024 season .

A Crossover Or Offscreen Mention Would Have Solved This Problem Without Changing the Story

Price Still Could Have Faced The Same Dilemma Even If Benson Had Helped

Law & Ordermight have omitted references to SVU because it want to focus solely on the original serial for the 500th episode . This is unfortunate because a crossover voter show would n’t have been distracting . rather , it likely would have made the story even more powerful . Price ’s insistence that he had to plead the example out to protect Chelsea from unnecessary hurt would have been stronger had he confer with with Benson about the issue , asBenson is an expert in how to take a trauma - inform approaching to questioning sexual ravishment survivors .

Benson ’s brief coming into court would have enhanced an already potent story about Price ’s ethical dilemma and his conflict with Baxter about how to handle it . The only difference would have been that Price would have had some input from Benson to bolster up his typeface that Chelsea should not be forced to prove . Benson ’s appearance could have also forecast the reveal at the end of the episode that Chelsea had been hospitalizedfor attempting to end her life-time . Benson might have warn Price about this possibility , which would have made the let out even more impactful .

If the serial publication had gone this route , its 500th instalment would probably have stand out as one ofLaw & Order ’s best crossing episodes . alternatively , this milestone episode came across as a standard episode ofLaw & Orderas well as one that negate the franchise ’s canon . This is inauspicious becausethe installment turn back a firm story that would have been more memorable hadLaw & Ordernot ignored its relevance to one of its whirl - offs .

Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley looking solemn and Sam Waterson as District Attorney Jack McCoy looking down in Law and Order

The beginning of the long-running franchise Law & Order is a crime-drama series created by Dick Wolf and launched on NBC in 1990. The series follows the day-to-day lives of detectives and legal professionals in New York who are involved in apprehending and prosecuting dangerous criminals.

There may have been logistical or fiscal government issue that preclude the theory of a crossover during the episode . If this were the example , the fib still could have restrain the SVU connection alert by having the fiber cite that they consulted Benson off - screen or depicting a one - sided headphone call . IfLaw & Orderhad used either of these options , it would have kept the serial connected to the spin - offseven if it was not possible to include a crossover appearance .

Law & Order’s Ignoring SVU Might Have Been a Callback to the Original Series' Origin

Before Law & Order: SVU’s Creation, The Original Series Sometimes Investigated Rapes

The detectives onLaw & Orderhave always exploit in the homicide unit of measurement , but beforeLaw & Order : SVUbegan in 1999 , the original serial publication sometimes investigated Brassica napus - have-to doe with homicides , missing child cases , and other cases that are now associated with SVU . Thus , the series may have resolve to have the characters inquire a rape / homicide without SVU ’s avail as a callback toLaw & Order ’s first few seasons , in honor of hit the 500 episode milepost . Unfortunately , doing this without explain its intent contradicted established canon for no seeming reasonand made it seem as if this series is set in an alternating universe where SVU does not survive .

CURRENT law of nature & ORDER SERIES AND WHEN THEY begin

serial

Law & Order Nolan speaks to a victim who is traumatized by her experience

Start Date

September 13 , 1990 ( rebooted February 24 , 2022 )

Law & Order : SVU

Benson uses a megaphone with lots of NYPD behind her in Law & Order: SVU

September 20 , 1999

Law & Order : Organized Crime

April 1 , 2021

Law & Order Shaw & Riley in the interrogation room standing over a suspect seated at the table

Law & Ordermight have want to have a standalone episode in honor of having reach 500 episodes , but just ignoringLaw & Order : SVU ’s cosmos to do so did n’t work well . The series had many option , from a full crossover to a few line of dialogue , to enhance this story by including SVU characters . what is more , it fail to explain why Price contradicted established canyon by accept a casing thatLaw & Order : SVU’sDominique Carisi should have prosecuted . exclude SVU in this personal manner severed the tie betweenLaw & Orderand its spinoffs and made it palpate as if this series was set in a disjoined universe from the eternal sleep of the franchise .

Law & Orderairs on NBC on Thursdays and streams on Peacock .

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The beginning of the long - running franchise Law & Order is a crime - dramatic event series produce by Dick Wolf and launched on NBC in 1990 . The series follows the mean solar day - to - 24-hour interval life-time of detectives and legal professional person in New York who are necessitate in quail at and prosecuting dangerous crook .

Headshot of George Dzundza

Headshot Of Chris Noth

Law & Order