Why Law & Order: Organized Crime's Short Season 5 Has Viewers Talking

Warning: SPOILERS for Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5, episode 10, "He Was a Stabler."

It may not have lasted very long, but there’s a reason Law & Order: Organized Crime is so much shorter in season 5 than in most previous seasons. The hunt for Julian Emery to take down Redcoat in Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 took Elliot Stabler further down the ethical rabbit hole than he may have ever gone before. But although Stabler’s main conflict briefly put him at odds with the FBI, things wrap up cleanly enough that he’ll have no problem keeping his shield in Law & Order: Organized Crime season 6 .

For all the intense drama that it delivered, however, fans may have felt like the Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 finale arrived a little sooner than expected. Season 5 is the second-shortest season to run since the series first aired on NBC in 2021 , and the first season since the series moved to Peacock isn’t longer than the very first season by much. In fact, should the series receive a green light to continue, fans can likely expect future seasons to embrace similarly reduced episode counts.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Only Has 10 Episodes

Only 1 Season Has Had A Lower Episode Count

Considering Law & Order: Organized Crime ’s reviews have been generally positive throughout the series’ run on NBC (with solid ratings to boot), a shorter episode run shouldn’t be seen as a punishment. Nonetheless, Organized Crime dropped from 13 episodes in season 4 to only 10 episodes in season 5 . The only shorter season to date was the very first, which had a slightly more truncated run at just 8 episodes in total. Seasons 2 and 3, meanwhile, clocked in at a much meatier 22 episodes each.

Although Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 manages to cover a lot of stories in just 10 episodes, it’s easy to wonder what the season might have looked like with a higher episode count. Certain aspects of Stabler’s legal takedown of Emery wound up feeling rushed at the end , something that additional episodes might have prevented. Furthermore, fan service such as Dylan McDermott’s potential Organized Crime return would slot in well with a longer season’s fall finale. But as long as the series remains Peacock exclusive, don’t expect longer seasons any time in the near future.

Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Move To Streaming Determines Its Short Season

Shorter Seasons Are Common Among Streaming Services

Between Isabella’s fate and Tamara Tunie’s Law & Order return as Melinda Warner , it’s clear that Organized Crime can still accomplish a lot in one season with relatively few episodes. The previous two examples both took place in the span of just one episode, something the series has to do well since Law & Order: Organized Crime ’s reduced episode count stems naturally from the show’s move from network TV to streaming . There are a number of reasons for this, but they mostly revolve around the manner in which audiences engage with different kinds of media.

Many modern viewers prefer being able to save up several episodes to watch in a single binge, which means that tightly written stories with compelling twists and cliffhangers fare better on streaming than the average police procedural . When comparing the events of season 5 to the major story beats of Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 , it’s evident that shorter seasons can still effectively craft more complex and engaging narratives. Considering the marketability and storytelling advantages, the fact that shorter seasons also cost less money to produce is merely the icing on the cake.

Why Law & Order: Organized Crime Moved To Peacock From NBC

The Move To Streaming Maximizes The Series’ Success

Fans may not get to spend as much time with the Law & Order: Organized Crime cast per season anymore, but the series’ move away from network TV was unwittingly determined by those who watch the series most. Organized Crime maintained consistently high ratings throughout the first four seasons, with an average of more than 5 million viewers per episode. However, there were also additional views from delayed watch on Peacock than from episode premiere ratings on NBC . With fans already choosing Peacock as a preferred method of watching the show, the move was a logical decision.

The move to Peacock also benefits NBC because they know they can pull the series from the network while still drawing in net gains from high rates of streaming engagement. This means freeing up a major prime time slot for newer programming. While Law & Order: Organized Crime continues its successful run on Peacock, NBC can use its previous time slot to test out fresh potential hits. For Peacock users as well as those profiting from the show, it’s essentially a win-win scenario.

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