Organized Crime’ Leans Into More Of What Viewers Want

The Law & Order franchise has been around since 1990, and with it we’ve seen a number of different characters, themes and evolutions in the show’s approach. Season five of the newest edition to the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime recently went live on Peacock.

The series’ new home has provided the show the freedom to explore a different, grittier format and push boundaries it previously wasn’t able to do on network television.

One of the ways Law & Order: Organized Crime is continuing to evolve is by leaning harder into representation. Increasingly, consumers want to see themselves represented in the imagery and stories the brands they engage with and buy from put forth. That desire for representation extends to entertainment. One study showed that 74% of consumers say that representation in marketing is important to them for the brands they engage with and buy from.

How ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Is Leaning Harder Into Representation

Actress Danielle Mone Truitt plays Sargeant Ayanna Bell on the series. Truitt shared that she is thrilled to be “one of the first Black women to be number two on one of these shows.” Bell added that it was an honor for her to represent both Black women, and the LGBTQ+ community, of which her character is a part of.

LGBTQ+ representation on the Law & Order franchise has been a topic of discussion by fans, with even a Reddit thread of fans wishing for more positive LGBTQ+ primary characters.

Fans have also had lots to say about the way the franchise has historically portrayed Black characters in the past. Many felt they leaned into common stereotypes that weren’t an accurate or full portrayal of what life is like for many people within the Black community.

Truitt shared this is a common problem in Hollywood, and one that she’s experienced personally. She explained that Black women, “we’re not given a full life. We’re not given, depth in our characters. There are certain tropes that are put upon us.” She went on to add, “a lot of times Black women or people of color are not put in a position to see the full spectrum of who they are as a person.”

As a lead character on the Law & Order: Organized Crime series, Truitt’s character is able to have that depth as fans are able to see and know more about her life.

During our brief chat, Truitt brought up another important area of representation, that impacts the authenticity of her character and whether or not fans are able to see themselves in her, is in how Sgt. Bell’s hair is styled.

Sgt. Bell’s hair is a hit, because the styles and vision for the styles are co-created with Truitt. The actress explained, “I have my hand in as far as my character’s concerned is my hair. Okay…I think that Black women being able to have agency over what they look like on screen is very, very important.”

Truitt’s involvement in her character’s hair has been an evolution. She shared, “I’ve had to have many conversations with the department and the producers and networks and staff of just talking about Black hair, Black hair care, how I can keep my hair on my head.”

In one study on representation in marketing, respondents had a lot to say about the poor job many brands and entertainment studios do with presenting Black women’s hair. One respondent even when so far as to say she wished brands realized, “how bad it hurts that no one knows how to do African American women’s hair on television or images I see online while these actors are on set. We always get left with dry hair that is never done.”

While progress is being made in both Hollywood and by brands working to engage a broader consumer base, there is still more work to do to do an even beter job with representation.

It is good to see shows like Law & Order: Organized Crime listening to viewers and making strides in the right direction. It’s also time for more brands to listen to customers, and make more significant progress with representation to make more authentic, rather than keeping it at a superficial level.