During the first two seasons of Law & Order: Organized Crime, Dylan McDermott’s Richard Wheatley was the main foe of Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), and was a prime suspect in the murder of the detective’s wife, Kathy. With McDermott returning to Law & Order: Organized Crime in season 2, Stabler’s focus shifted to chasing Wheatley to unravel and take down his criminal enterprise, which ended with the villain’s (apparent) death in episode 14 of season 2.

Although it appeared that Wheatley had died along with his ex-wife, Angela, Stabler remained unconvinced that his nemesis was actually dead, as the police didn’t find his body. With the cancellation of Dylan McDermott’s FBI: Most Wanted in March, however, Law & Order: Organized Crime now has the opportunity to bring back his villain for another run, with the potential of injecting a new old dynamic back into the show.

Dylan McDermott Can Reprise His Law & Order: Organized Crime Role Now That FBI: Most Wanted Is Finished

McDermott Can Now Easily Step Back Into The Role And Quickly

While there was still mileage left on the blood feud between Richard Wheatley and Elliot Stabler, Dylan McDermott opted to take the FBI role over Law & Order to allow fans to see a different side of him after portraying a villainous crime lord for almost two seasons. Thus, at the midpoint of Organized Crime season 2, Richard Wheatley was written out of the show in a dramatic fashion, opening the door for new storyline narratives on the show while giving McDermott the out he needed to move on to his next role.

McDermott, praised for his portrayal of the cold, calculating Wheatley, stepped into the role of Remy Scott on FBI: Most Wanted for four seasons that brought out a different version of him, one that was previously seen when he played Bobby Donnell on the ABC drama The Practice. With FBI: Most Wanted officially wrapped up, McDermott can now return to the character that pushed Stabler to the limit in the search for his wife’s killer.

Wheatley’s Storyline On Law & Order: Organized Crime Left The Door Open For A Potential Return

Stabler Doesn’t Believe Wheatley Is Dead, And Neither Do We

At the midpoint of Law & Order: Organized Crime season 2, Angela Wheatley drove her vehicle off a cliff with Richard after finding out that he had murdered their son, Richie, earlier that night. While the police recovered her body, Sgt. Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) informed Stabler that they didn’t recover Richard’s, leading Stabler to believe that his nemesis had gotten away once again.

Without his body or firm proof of death, Stabler must assume that Wheatley is still at large, somewhere in the shadows, waiting for his next chance to attack Stabler. Organized Crime now has the perfect opportunity to reintroduce the original villain back into season 5 while the power vacuum takes hold of New York in the wake of the Camorra/Los Santos war. Wheatley could easily slot into that narrative and stir things up.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Can Benefit From The Return Of Wheatley

Stabler’s Main Villain Can Bring An Exciting New Old Story Back To Life

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Law & Order: Organized Crime has not followed the traditional procedural format of its sister Law & Order properties, which has allowed it to tell some compelling, long-term story arcs throughout the course of the show. Richard Wheatley was the main antagonist for the first two seasons, and the chemistry between him and Stabler played a major role in the initial success of the show, their cat-and-mouse dynamic a well-worn trope but a compelling one.

With Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5’s move to Peacock, this season has had the opportunity to tell more cinematic stories in a way it couldn’t on linear broadcast. Reintroducing Wheatley to the new format could allow Dylan McDermott to explore a much darker version of the character while giving a boost to the show and giving Stabler the opportunity to bring him justice. With this being the last season of Law & Order: Organized Crime, bringing their story full circle would be an incredibly fitting way to close out the show.