Law & Order: Organized Crime Producers Defend Using Dead Wife Trope
The producers of Law & Order: Organized Crime defend the show’s use of the dead wife trope following the events of the crossover with SVU.
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The producers of Law & Order: Organized Crime speak out about the show’s use of the dead wife trope in its premiere crossover with SVU. Christopher Meloni has now made his long-awaited return to the Law & Order franchise. His character Elliot Stabler was a key part of SVU for its first twelve seasons. Many enjoyed his rapport with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson in particular. However, Meloni left the series in 2011, leading to Stabler’s sudden departure. In the years since, viewers have expressed their desire to see Benson and Stabler back together again, but it took nearly 10 years for it to happen.
Stabler’s return came in the form of a crossover with SVU, which set up the premiere of Meloni’s new series Law & Order: Organized Crime. The SVU portion of the episode shows Stabler’s reunion with Benson, but under unfortunate circumstances. The two join forces again due to a car bombing that eventually kills Stabler’s wife, Kathy. Her murder ultimately fuels Stabler’s work in Law & Order: Organized Crime, as he looks to find those who killed his wife. This led some viewers to criticize the show’s use of the dead wife trope, where the death of a female romantic partner exists to provide motivation for a male hero.
Per THR, Law & Order: Organized Crime showrunner Ilene Chaiken and executive producer Dick Wolf spoke about Kathy’s death in a recent call with reporters. Wolf said it’s “one of the most dramatic teasers I can remember on any show. I didn’t see anything that was critical of that storytelling choice, [but] you can’t please all the people any of the time.” Meanwhile, Chaiken, who became a part of the series following the departure of original showrunner Matt Olmstead, explained:
When I joined this show, it was a fait accompli — a premise I was given to work with. I wasn’t in any way put off by it — I was immediately drawn in. When you tell a story about a character who’s been gone for many years, a question you have to answer is ‘why now?’ [Kathy Stabler’s death] as a storytelling catalyst is one of the best ‘why nows’ I could think of.
It’s interesting to hear this take from those behind Law & Order: Organized Crime. It sounds like they didn’t think of Kathy’s death in the context of the dead wife trope, despite its prevalence in many forms of media. While the plot point did sufficiently set up Stabler’s role in Law & Order: Organized Crime, it could be argued there were other ways to get the same result. It’s worth noting Kathy was by no means a minor character on SVU, appearing in 32 episodes throughout the show’s first 12 seasons. Kathy’s death in service to Stabler’s story makes her feel more like a plot device than the dynamic character she was.
All told, it’s understandable many viewers were put off by the reason for Stabler’s return. It also shows TV has a long way to go in its use of unfortunate tropes. Bury your gays is another that remains a problem, despite many creators curbing their use of it after backlash in recent years. The only way these issues can be resolved is if tough conversations continue to happen at all levels of the industry. Hopefully, Law & Order: Organized Crime finds a way to honor Kathy after her death, making viewers feel a little bit better about the creative decision in the process.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/law-order-organized-crime-kathy-dead-wife-trope/