Law & Order: Organized Crime’s boss has some feelings on a possible huge romance.
Speaking to the Today Show, Danielle Moné Truitt shared how her Sergeant Ayanna Bell feels about a possible romance between Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).
Truitt also shared hints at how an upcoming case could bring some issues for Bell and her wife as Season 2 continues.
Bell on the Stabler/Benson romance
Since becoming Stabler’s boss on the Organized Crime unit, Bell has been tough and not afraid to put the always-temperamental Stabler in his place.
At the same time, Bell cares for her detective, worried about him going too deep on cases and even letting a drugged-out Stabler crash on her couch for the night.
Speaking to the Today Show, Truitt discussed how Bell might feel about the possibility of Stabler and Benson getting together, which could affect the team.
“She can tell that they love each other. I don’t know if Bell is concerned about whether it’s a platonic love or romantic love, but she can see the bond that they have and I think she is going to want whatever is best for Stabler at the end of the day. I think she’s a supporter of his emotional health, his mental health, and hopefully they hook up, they get together, and it’s a great relationship.
I think Bell would definitely be on board. But Bell also has her own life, and I don’t think she’s that concerned about whether they hook up. … But if he brings it to her or wants to talk about it, I think she would be a really good friend, you know to counsel him through it. I think he’ll need a little bit of help in the relationship department.”
While Bell is concerned about a possible Stabler/Benson romance, she has a bigger problem with a massive case that could hit at her home.
What’s coming for Bell and her wife on Law & Order: Organized Crime?
A running subplot in Season 2 has been the Marcy Killers gang, led by the sinister Preston Webb (Mykelti Williamson). The man has been making moves to take over the New York underworld. At his side is Nova (Nona Parker Johnson) who’s actually undercover cop Carmen Riley.
During the investigation, Bell was shocked to discover that seemingly noble Congressman Leon Kilbride (Ron Cephas Jones) is in cahoots with Webb on moves like a “library” that’s really a long-term scam.
“The last eight episodes of our second season are about the Marcy Killers, and he’s very much a part of that whole story. It’s going to get, it’s going to get real crazy,” Truitt explained.
Complicating matters is Bell’s wife Denise (Keren Dukes) has been seeking Kilbride’s help with a lawsuit against New York City and counts the man as a friend.
Truitt indicates that can be messy as “Denise is so starstruck by Congressman Kilbride. There might be a little rift in there because of that. We’ll see, though!”
More insight was brought by Ainsley Seiger, who plays wisecracking hacker Jet Slootmaekers. She admitted to Today that the sardonic Jet “has come to care a lot more for Bell and Stabler both than she ever thought that she would in season one when she was originally asked to do this job. I used to always say I don’t think working on a team was her specialty or that she was very good at it or even knew how to, but I think that’s really changed in the past season-and-a-half.”
Seiger added that Jet “isn’t worried about [Stabler] because he is a grown man, and he can take care of himself. I think she feels very protective over Bell and Stabler and wants to keep them out of harm’s way as much as possible and I think that’s why at the end of the day she does what she does.”
While the possibility of Stabler finding love is challenging, Truitt’s words show Bell has a bigger problem with her own marriage as Law & Order: Organized Crime moves to the final arcs of Season 2.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 returns Thursday February 24 at 10/9c on NBC.