On September 22nd, Sgt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) teamed up with the legal backbone of law & order, Law & Order: Organized Crimeand Law & Order: Special Victims Unit See justice in an explosive crossover premiere event. (The event served as the season opener for each show.)
What happened in the three-parter law & order premiere event?
What begins as a simple murder case quickly unfolds into a borderline terrorist operation in the three-hour special. Detective Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) witnesses 15-year-old Ava being shot dead in cold blood on the street. Cosgrove later discovers that Ava was sexually trafficked by crime boss Mark Sirenko. Sure enough, that puts the 27th Precinct in the same rest area as the Organized Crime and Special Victims Units, so Cosgrove joins forces with Stabler and Benson.
It turns out that Stabler has been busy for six months investigating Sirenko’s drug deal. The murder investigation complicates his ongoing undercover mission, risking Sirenko becoming suspicious and the OC unit losing the chance of a drug arrest. Through the investigation, they discover that Sirenko is connected to a drug operation and sex trafficking ring emanating from the yacht Ava was operating from (as well as her murder).
Stabler continues to investigate Sirenko for his involvement in the murder and discovers video footage of Sirenko, Ava, an unidentified gentleman, and a young girl on the yacht. Benson and the Special Victims Unit track down the girl, 15-year-old Nicole, as a witness and bring her into the investigation. Nicole reveals to Benson that Ava was hunted down and murdered by Sirenko after recording a conversation with Sirenko’s mysterious colleague.
Based on Nicole’s testimony, SVU, OCU and the 27th Precinct raid Sirenko’s home and discover the makings of a bomb. After a hideous car chase, Stabler and Benson discover that Sirenko is planning to blow up a convention at a downtown hotel. Cosgrove and new detective Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) evacuate the building while Sirenko flees on foot. Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish) tracks down Sirenko’s whereabouts and Stabler eventually arrests him.
Benson talks to Nicole about Sirenko’s mystery boyfriend on the yacht, and they find out he’s Daniel Rublev, a senior liaison to Vladimir Putin and leader of an international crime ring. Ava recorded her interaction with Rublev that led to her attack and murder. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and ADAs Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) and Samantha Moroun (Odelya Halevi) unveil this key piece of evidence and realize that Sirenko is just a cog in Rublev’s schemes. Rublev is responsible for orchestrating the murder, sex trafficking ring and hotel bombing.
Interrogating one of Rublev’s partners, Stabler and Nolan get their hands on Ava’s phone. Her phone contains valuable footage of Rublev telling Ava and Nicole that Russia has “big” plans with a “very loud boom.” Rublev realizes that Ava recorded the conversation about the bomb, which led Sirenko to kill her.
Not surprisingly, Rublev and Sirenko have a great lawyer. He has the footage inadmissible in court because of her confidential informant. Samantha begs Benson to get Nicole to testify, and Benson reluctantly agrees.
Meanwhile, Nicole was placed in a safe house during the trial. Rollins stops by to tell Nicole that she needs to go back into town to speak to the authorities. As Rollins and Nicole leave, they suddenly hear gunshots as they are attacked by masked gunmen. Rollins is shot amid the chaos and Benson rushes to the scene. Nicole admits she had a hidden cell phone, which led to Rublev’s organization being able to track down her location.
After the traumatic events, Benson pulls Nicole off the case and tells Nolan that she was transferred to Toronto to have a fair chance at a normal life. This forces Nolan and Samantha to make a deal with Sirenko to get the evidence needed to track Rublev. Ultimately, Sirenko is just as responsible as Rublev, but they agree to have Sirenko’s sentence reduced to 20 years if his testimony puts Rublev behind bars.
To prove their case, Nolan and Samantha question Rublev. Amazingly, Rublev reveals that the chain of command doesn’t end with him: there is an even greater Boss with terrible plans. Rublev requests immunity to provide the ADAs with more information, but Nolan declines. As Rublev leaves the meeting, he is gunned down in the street, a blow to the gut for their entire investigation.
how does it work law & order end of premiere?
Rublev’s mysterious murder immediately ends the process. The ADAs must face the unfortunate reality of what happens to Sirenko after Rublev is dead. In the final moments of the episode, Sirenko’s associates are arrested and his sex trafficking victims rescued, but Sirenko will only be served 20 years for his actions as a result of the deal. Rollins wakes up in the hospital from her injuries, Benson is assigned to place Nicole in town, and Cosgrove reflects on the lack of justice surrounding the events. “We do the things we do can do,” Cosgrove tells his daughter. “Like rescuing the victims and making them feel safe, whole. We’re doing our best to arrest the criminals and predators so they can’t hurt anyone.”
“There is still a lot of good in this world,” concludes Cosgrove. “So we have to remember that. The world isn’t perfect, but it’s still beautiful.” That law & order Premiere Event examined the complex nature of fighting crime on a large scale and the many compromises required along the way. While Benson, Stabler, and the 27th Precinct didn’t see the ending they preferred, the most important thing, as always, is that the survivors are safe at the end.
watch law & order, Law & Order: Organized Crimeand Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays on NBC.
Every series is available on Peacock and NBC.
NBC Insider is your all-access pass to some of your favorite NBC shows. Go behind the scenes, keep up with breaking news, hang out with the stars and more.
