Law & Order fans will be in for a treat when SVU and Organized Crime come together again. The unofficial crossover, airing in May, will notably include interactions between the ladies of both shows. OC star Danielle Moné Truitt can barely contain her excitement about the “girl power” episodes as well as working alongside both Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni (who play Benson and Stabler, respectively).
Danielle Moné Truitt, who portrays Elliot Stabler’s new partner Sergeant Ayanna Bell, spoke to TODAY about how her character (and her relationship) bring a layer of representation to the Law & Order universe. Truitt also spoke about the upcoming crossover, making note of the heavy presence of female characters amongst the usual pairings:
I think this episode is definitely, like, I feel like it’s a girl power episode. It’s me, Jet (Ainsley Seiger), Captain Benson (Mariska Hargitay), and Rollins (Kelli Giddish). And Captain Benson, of course, is pairing up with Stabler, or whatever, but I do love there’s so many women in this episode, like on the case, getting stuff done.
Because there are, admittedly, few female characters on both SVU and OC, the it's incredibly satisfying whenever a crossover brings the women of both shows together. And there have been some memorable moments as a result. For instance, a previous episode of Organized Crime saw Benson and Bell (alongside Stabler) create a very public scene in the lobby of One Police Plaza. This situation was ultimately orchestrated in order to assist with Stabler’s investigation into the NYPD Brotherhood, a group of dirty cops.
It seems things will be different when it comes to this latest team-up, though. As Danielle Moné Truitt, this will be less about arguments (however phony they may be) and more about teamwork:
It’s kind of us putting our heads together to try to figure out how to help somebody that’s in need. Last time we were working together, too, but it’s not the whole argument stuff. It’s more of like, how can our teams come together to solve this thing? So it’s more of a feel-good kind of thing.
Law & Order crossovers are almost always exciting, no matter the context and, in this case, it'll be nice to see two groups united rather than divided. Something else that fans have seemed to enjoy for years now is the real-life friendship between Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. When Meloni returned to the L&O franchise, it was seemingly like no time had passed between him and Hargitay (as evidenced by the time they wrapped SVU Season 22). Danielle Moné Truitt seems to pleased to have the two back together, and it sounds like everyone has a great time on set:
Oh, my God, yes, they are funny. All I do is laugh at them. Like, they are so funny.
They are definitely like two peas in a pod. While Stabler has had other new partners (which has caused L&O fan backlash) and love interests, his and Benson’s relationship is always a special one. And there's a chance they still could get together.
While it's always lovely to see Benson and Stabler together, it’s going to be even better watching the former team up with Rollins, Bell, and Jet. Hopefully, this will be only the first of several crossovers that are more female-driven.
Don’t miss the Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime crossover, which begins on Thursday, May 5 at 9 p.m. EST on NBC!
