Spoilers ahead for the latest episode of FBI: Most Wanted on CBS, called "Winner."
The latest episode of FBI: Most Wanted saw LaCroix and his team join forces with Amy Carlson's Jackie Ward to chase down a man who escaped before his trial and went on a murder spree, and in the process delivered a connection to Law & Order. Yes, the youngest Dick Wolf show just included a cameo from the Dick Wolf show that started it all on the small screen, but not necessarily how fans may have expected.
Since a crossover between Chicago P.D. and FBI effectively created one gigantic Dick Wolf universe, FBI: Most Wanted shares the same TV universe as Law & Order. So, a Law & Order cameo on Most Wanted wasn't out of the realm of possibility considering the size of that cast over its twenty seasons on the air, even though Law & Order and FBI: Most Wanted are just about the most separate shows in the entire franchise.
Well, a Law & Order cameo did indeed come to Most Wanted, but not in the form of any actors reprising their roles or plots resurfacing. Take a look at what FBI: Most Wanted delivered for eagle-eyed Law & Order fans:
Hello, Law & Order DVD box sets! In "Winner," LaCroix and the team's investigation took them to the home of Travis Russel, who earned his spot on the Most Wanted list for murder and running from prosecution. Travis' home is more or less a gigantic mess, but his belongings make it clear that he's a big fan of law enforcement TV, and that includes a few seasons of Law & Order. Dun dun!
Of course, those don't seem to be the real box sets of the real Law & Order series, so FBI: Most Wanted didn't just rupture the Dick Wolf space time continuum by including Chris Noth or Sam Waterston or Jerry Orbach on the covers. This was just a fun Easter Egg courtesy of the FBI: Most Wanted team, and it definitely put a smile on my face.
And in fact, this wasn't the only tie between FBI: Most Wanted and a Law & Order series in "Winner," although it would have taken more than just sharp eyes for fans to catch on to the other. Take a look at what you, like me, may well have missed:
The co-writer of FBI: Most Wanted's latest episode wrote for the first season of Law & Order: SVU! In fact, Wendy West is credited as the writer of SVU's "Wanderlust," which aired back in 1999 as the fifth episode of a show that would go on to run for at least 24 seasons. This connection means that the youngest current Dick Wolf show (for another month or so, anyway) shares a writer with the oldest current Dick Wolf show, with SVU outlasting the original Law & Order.
None of this is to say that FBI: Most Wanted's agents are suddenly going to start hanging out with Olivia Benson or spending tons of time with the cops in Chicago or even investigating crimes with Maggie and OA on FBI on a regular basis despite the possibilities, but the Easter Egg and shared writer serve as reminders of not just how expansive the Dick Wolf universe is, but also how long it has been running. In fact, if you need a refresher on how all these shows connect, take a look at our breakdown:
New episodes of FBI: Most Wanted air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following new episodes of FBI. Law & Order: Organized Crime will soon take Most Wanted's place as the youngest Dick Wolf show on the airwaves, but another FBI spinoff may be in the works to follow Christopher Meloni's return to his old Law & Order stomping grounds.
