Law & Order: Organized Crime is going to look a little different now that the show has seemingly wrapped up the Richard Wheatley arc. This is due to the departure of Dylan McDermott, the actor behind the villain. Recently, ahead of his new gig at CBS, he had a sweet interaction with Mariska Hargitay regarding their mutual co-star Christopher Meloni, and it really has me missing this L&O camaraderie already.
Dylan McDermott's dangerous Richard Wheatley had been pursued by Christopher Meloni’s Elliot Stabler since Law & Order: Organized Crime began last year. McDermott is nothing like his character, though, which he proved by showing off his humor on Twitter recently. The actor tweeted a gif of Stabler giving Richard a look and suggested that the detective is obsessed with him. And right on cue, SVU's Mariska Hargitay stepped in to playfully throw a different assumption McDermott's way:
Nope. I think he’s obsessed with me… https://t.co/rDp1GTsLA0January 21, 2022
This interaction is definitely hilarious, and one of the reasons I'll miss Dylan McDermott on the Law & Order shows. While Richard Wheatley created some massive problems for Elliot, and maybe even Olivia with her car crash, it’s clear that McDermott and his colleagues got pretty close in real life. This notion was also made clear through Christopher Meloni's recent comments on McDermott's departure. On a side note, It’s also good to know that Hargitay is keeping the hope alive for all the Bensler shippers, especially since we’re starting to see some of those feelings rise up again.
The social media interaction is somewhat of an extension of the fun the cast and crew have working on the Law & Order shows. Wesam Keesh, who plays hacker Malachi on Organized Crime, recently spoke to CinemaBlend about being on the show and working with Christopher Meloni and the rest of the cast. He mentioned that it’s been “super fun” filming, and one would think that the Wheatley actor was a major part of creating that atmosphere.
On Dylan McDermott's next job, he'll be the new lead of CBS’ FBI: Most Wanted, replacing Julian McMahon, who decided to leave the series. His character isn’t expected to debut until April, so fans will have to wait a bit to see him. It'll be nice to see McDermott playing for the good guys this time around. And with the FBI and Law & Order franchises existing in the same universe, one has to wonder if the actor could cross paths with his old co-stars again but in his new role.
I, for one, will continue to appreciate the work the star did during his time on Organized Crime. And like so many, I'll reflect fondly on his back-and-forths with Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. It's hard to get past the hilarious sight of Dylan McDermott and Hargitay vying for Meloni's attention (or both simply making Meloni jealous for fun). Here's hoping we still get the occasional viral reunion down the road.
As you wait for the actor's FBI: Most Wanted debut, see Stabler and co. deal with the aftermath of Richard Wheatley's actions when new episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime air on Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC! And check out our 2022 TV schedule for more on what's coming up this year.
