The end of the long Law & Order hiatus is finally in sight, with all three shows set to return early in the 2024 TV schedule. The wait due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike has meant that the characters of SVU and Organized Crime haven't been seen since the spring finale crossover, and I've recently been revisiting the previous seasons to prepare for the returns. While I've been crossing my fingers for some Benson/Stabler action that seems likely, my conversation with OC's Danielle Moné Truitt during Season 3 has me hoping for more of a different duo in the spotlight together. I'm ready for some Bell/Jet focus!
I spoke with Danielle Moné Truitt almost exactly one year ago for her role as Sergeant Ayanna Bell on Law & Order: Organized Crime, and Bell was in a no-win situation as OC approached its Season 3 winter finale. With the task force on the verge of being shut down against her wishes while she was being handed a promotion, Bell had to deal with rumors spreading among the detectives, with Jet fishing for details from her boss and Stabler not being particularly helpful overall.
Join me on a blast to the past of last season of Organized Crime and my interview with Danielle Moné Truitt! After the actress explained her character's "breaking point" with Stabler at the time, I asked how Bell and Jet's relationship compared. The actress shared:
Jet is Bell's baby. She loves Jet. That's like her little baby sister. She thinks the world of Jet. She sees so much potential in Jet. She really does adore her. But I think when you're a big sister – I know, because I am a big sister – you want your little sister to kind of be on your side. If you and your big brother are going at it, you at least want your little sister to be on your side. Or even if your little sister is not on your side, just come out and say what you want to say.
While Bell is the boss of the OC task force, Stabler is the oldest member of the squad, with a history of going his own way whether or not his sergeant approves. Ahead of the Season 3 winter finale, Bell and the "big brother" of the task force weren't on the same page, and Jet wasn't exactly on Bell's side. It wasn't the strongest time for Bell and Jet's relationship, but they clearly cared about each other. Jet just didn't make the best impression by eavesdropping and fishing for info! Danielle Moné Truitt continued:
I think that's kind of Bell's mind. Jet kind of tiptoeing around stuff, instead of just saying like, 'Hey, I heard the conversation in the room. What's going on?' I think Bell would have responded better to that than, 'Is there something we should be worried about and rushing for?' [laughs] And Bell's like, 'Say what you want to say. Let's stop tiptoeing around things.' And if you're gonna tiptoe, then I'm gonna tiptoe. Like, if you're gonna say, 'Is there something we should be rushing for?' Then I'm gonna give you an answer that's in response to what you just said to me. I'm not going to come out with the truth. 'Well, actually, why we need to rush forward is because I'm going to be taking a new job.' She's not going to do that. It's not human behavior.
Bell was certainly short on allies at this point last year, and the situation with Jet was complicated. The sergeant might have approached the situation differently if the detective had been more forthright, and perhaps not been blindsided at the end of the episode by Stabler's reveal that they'd already known about her promotion and the task force shutting down. It was a tough time for Bell, but definitely an entertaining time for fans! As Truitt said:
It makes for good TV! It makes for great relational acting, and it makes things fun. But at the end of the day, you know, Bell loves Jet. That's like her baby sis. She's always gonna be there for her. That's her girl.
Law & Order: Organized Crime wasn't done exploring Jet and Bell's relationship in Season 3, with Bell passing on the promotion and taking a stand to keep the task force together. When Ainsley Seiger's character stepped into the spotlight in 2023 with Jet's harrowing undercover case, the detective struggled with Bell having a double standard for undercover Jet and undercover Stabler. There was a lot of nuance to the situation, however, and the story showcased not only the relationship between Bell and Jet, but the acting dynamic between Seiger and Truitt.
So, sign me up for more of that in Season 4! I'm as guilty as any longtime SVU fan who always wants more of Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay sharing the screen, but it already seems like a safe bet that SVU and OC will pair those two in further stories. I'm ready to stop crossing my fingers for what is likely going to happen anyway and start holding out hope for Organized Crime further exploring Bell and Jet in Season 4. For now, take a look at Truitt hyping OC getting back to work with an exciting new showrunner!
Not a whole lot is known about Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 at the time of writing, other than that the show returns on Thursday, January 18 in its usual 10 p.m. ET time slot, following SVU at 9 p.m. and Law & Order at 8 p.m. on NBC. The killer new franchise promo was definitely cinematic, but short on plot details for the new seasons.
We do know that more Stablers are on the way, and the casting of Breaking Bad alum Dean Norris to play Elliot's brother immediately left me hoping for Mariska Hargitay crossing over to OC for Benson to meet her him. As for Bell and Jet... well, more stories focused on the two of them together feels a lot less guaranteed despite the two actors as series regulars on the same show. So, I'm ready to start hoping for them in OC Season 4!
