Warning: spoilers are ahead for the sixth episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5, called "Red, White, Black, & Blue" and available streaming now with a Peacock subscription.
After hitting the halfway point of Season 5 in the 2025 TV schedule, Law & Order: Organized Crime is moving past the bloody twist that cut Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio from the cast. "Red, White, Black, & Blue" got off to a brutal start that might not have been possible during the drama's days on NBC, with the murders of four NYPD detectives and one ADA requiring all hands on deck. For Reyes, that meant trying to investigate while Stabler joined forces with an old friend from back in the days of dirtier dealings in the NYPD. Rick Gonzalez spoke with CinemaBlend about the big episode and Reyes' connection to a witness.
While Organized Crime always made the most of its 10 p.m. ET time slot on NBC to get even darker than Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order earlier on Thursday nights, drug lord Miguel “El Diablo” Olivas beating ADA Anne Frasier to death was an especially brutal way to start the episode. I had to ask Rick Gonzalez if he's ever still surprised by what OC can do now that it's in the Peacock era, and he shared:
No, and I'm excited for it. To me, I feel as though this is the potential for the show, especially this episode. I think this episode screams potential for our show and what it means in terms of the energy and the tone and the aggressiveness in the storyline. And I feel like this episode is indicative of that. I like the idea of the show laying out this sort of foundation. I'm curious to see what the viewers think.
Given that this was the first episode of Season 5 following the arc that culminated in Isabella Spezzano faking her own death, it's no wonder that the actor was curious about fan reactions! Gonzalez agreed that the stakes were "absolutely" high after how the episode started, and then addressed the new character who came in to complicate the investigation for Reyes:
We're introducing Detective McKenna, who's from Stabler's past. What I love about that is he doesn't represent the best parts of Stabler, or him befriending people who haven't done really great things as a policeman. So we get to see how Reyes feels about that, and how he sees Stabler and knowing that that's his friend, it just makes things really complicated and I love that for the show. I'm excited to see [it].
Even though Stabler clearly wasn't 100% comfortable with how far Detective McKenna (Jason Patric) was bending the rules to try and nail Olivas, he also toed the line a lot more than Reyes did. Rick Gonzalez's character wasn't the biggest fan of having McKenna in the mix, even when his aggressive approach delivered results. That said, the actor himself is a fan of the guest star, as he explained:
I was a big fan of Jason Patric just growing up and watching his work, and being on set was pretty intense, which I loved. There was so much tension, and the scenes sort of sang very comfortably. He brings a lot to the character, so he brings a sort of energy for this episode that I think turns this season up another notch.
It remains to be seen if McKenna will return after "Red, White, Black, & Blue," but Gonzalez only had good things to say about the Wayward Pines and The Lost Boys alum. Their characters just weren't on the same page, especially when it came to Lucero. Olivas' girlfriend was hiding some information about him, as McKenna suspected, but Reyes was appalled by how he treated the scared young woman by threatening her family.
This came after Reyes had put in the effort to reassure Lucero and make her more comfortable while she was surrounded by cops. At the same time, McKenna's approach is the one that got results from the young woman. So, how far would Reyes have gone to get answers from Lucero? I asked Rick Gonzalez that very question, and he responded:
I think what Reyes saw was an entire department sort of bloodthirsty to get answers out of this woman, and I think it was easy for him to approach it from a different perspective, because Reyes is so perceptive in that way in terms of understanding his informants and suspects and how to get information from them.
The clock was ticking and the pressure was on, but Reyes really might have gotten the information they needed from Lucero the right way if McKenna hadn't inserted himself into the situation. She was scared of McKenna, but warming up to Reyes. Gonzalez went on:
Also understanding culturally that maybe there's a barrier there that [Reyes] may be able to walk through, so he can communicate to her in a way that maybe they can't, and make her feel safe in a way that they can't and to ultimately get what he needs. It was easy for him to see that, and I think that's what's great about the show, is that we get to see what Reyes can do and how valuable he can be for the unit.
Reyes has outlasted several other detectives in the unit by this point in the show, with Whelan's tragic death at the end of Season 3 and Jet deciding to move on in early Season 5, so it's not hard to see Rick Gonzalez's point about the value his character adds to the team. I noted that it really hit home to see Reyes connecting with Lucero by speaking Spanish with her, and the actor responded:
I agree. That was an important thing that I spoke with the writers about. A lot of these lines and certain points needed to be in Spanish in order for me to let her know, 'Hey, I know I see you. I know you see me. Let's have a real conversation. I'm also not that. I'm this. Let's get that out the way, and then now we can have a conversation.' And so I think that was kind of shorthand, and being able to speak to her in Spanish was important to do that.
The case seemed closed by the end of "Red, White, Black, & Blue," so we'll just have to wait and see if Reyes encounters McKenna again this season. It was great to see the character in the spotlight after having more of a support role in the previous arc that revisited Stabler's past in Italy, so hopefully more of Reyes is on the way.
New episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime continue to release on Thursdays on Peacock. With both Law & Order and SVU airing their finales on NBC on May 15, Organized Crime is officially the only show in the franchise with episodes left this spring. I for one am also hoping to learn more about what's happening with Joe Jr. overseas, but with only four episodes left in Season 5, there are more questions than answers.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
