Warning: This publish incorporates delicate spoilers from Thursday’s Legislation & Order: Organized Crime.
Regardless of Sgt. Ayanna Bell’s finest efforts, the lady she loves is now firmly within the clutches of a really sketchy participant.
This week’s Legislation & Order: Organized Crime discovered Denise, lawyer extraordinaire and spouse of Danielle Moné Truitt‘s Bell, accepting a job at Congressman Kilbride’s agency — even after Bell admitted that her workplace was wanting into the politician. The profession transfer left Bell feeling each responsible (Denise accepted with out consulting her, after a piece obligation made Bell unable to be dwelling when she’d promised) and nervous (as a result of Kilbride is significantly corrupt!).
TVLine chatted with Bell about what Denise’s choice means for his or her household shifting ahead, what knowledge/cautionary tales Stabler may need to share on the matter and, talking of Elliot, which Season 1 scene had the ‘EO’ ‘shippers coming for her.
TVLINE | On this episode, Bell makes a promise she doesn’t find yourself retaining, and there are some powerful conversations between her and Denise. How nervous ought to we be for them, popping out of the hour?
Bell and Denise, they’re not newlyweds, however they’ve been married, like, below 5 years. They usually’re mothers. In case you’re married and you’ve got youngsters, the dynamic adjustments between you and your companion when a baby enters the equation. And in Bell and Denise’s state of affairs, Denise is the one which carried the infant. She’s the one which stopped working and put her life on maintain, in order that they may welcome this youngster into the world. And Bell supported what Denise needed, which was to have a child.
After all, she is thrilled to have a child, however her profession is nonstop. It’s fully out of her management, a whole lot of the issues that occur, and I believe that Denise and Bell have a tough time seeing eye-to-eye and understanding the place one another is coming from.
[Regarding Denise’s job offer from Congressman Kilbride],she’s making an attempt to guard Denise. Not solely is she making an attempt to guard her bodily, however she’s making an attempt to guard her emotionally, as a result of no one needs to listen to that they’re getting used as a pawn for one thing larger. Like I stated, she’s been off of labor. She’s given delivery. She has to take care of postpartum. There’s a whole lot of issues it’s important to take care of after you’ve gotten kids, and the very last thing you have to hear is that you simply’re not being wanted in your precise expertise and who you truly are.
TVLINE | That’s the factor — she truly is sweet at what she does.
Yeah, she’s incredible at what she does. So it places Bell in a pickle, as a result of she will’t share sure particulars in regards to the case. She will’t inform sure issues. She additionally doesn’t need her to assume that she doesn’t consider in her as a result of she positively believes in her. I imply, the explanation they dwell in addition to they do is due to Denise. [Laughs] Sergeants don’t make some huge cash in any respect. All people asks, “How is Bell sporting this Burberry?” I’m like, “As a result of her spouse is a lawyer!”
So, sure, within the first scene, Bell does need to preserve her promise. She does need to assist out with Jack extra. And it’s humorous, as a result of I relate to each of those characters. I used to be a stay-at-home mother for some time, whereas I used to be auditioning and making an attempt to get my profession going and elevating two sons and feeling annoyed as a result of I needed to do extra than simply be any individual’s mother and spouse.
I needed an identification exterior of that. And so, I perceive Denise. After which I perceive Bell now, as a result of I’m away from my sons. I’m working. I don’t have management over my schedule more often than not, and I really feel a whole lot of mother guilt. I’m touring forwards and backwards from New York to L.A to be with my boys, and I battle with a whole lot of mother guilt, and I strive to not make guarantees that I can’t preserve. You recognize, by the grace of God, I’ve been in a position to preserve my guarantees to my son.
However I believe Bell, she’s in a tough place as a result of she actually does need to assist. She’s not making an attempt to skirt out on her duty. It’s simply that the duty of her job is overwhelming and unpredictable… I believe the place Bell failed was, she didn’t reply the telephone when she ought to have. When Denise known as, she ought to have answered the telephone and been like, “Hey babe, I’m so sorry. I’m right here at work. This got here up. I’ll attempt to get there as quickly as potential.” She didn’t. She despatched her to voicemail. So, there’s an absence of communication there. After which, by the point you see Bell and Denise once more, Bell is lastly getting dwelling and considering all the pieces goes to be grand between them, and Denise is like, “Oh, no, I’m fed up.”
… In that second when Bell realizes [Denise] did take the job, she’s feeling annoyed. She’s feeling scared for her household, scared for Denise, and simply doesn’t know what to do. So, we’ll see what this implies for his or her relationship and the way they bounce again from it. I really feel like they’ll. I simply assume when one individual can’t be fully open and trustworthy with the opposite individual, it makes it tougher. It makes it tougher for these two individuals to attach, No 1, after which for them to get by means of points and issues.
TVLINE | Stabler is aware of firsthand how a lot the job can have an effect on a wedding. Is that one thing you assume he and Bell may ever focus on?
I hope so. I imply, that’s one of many issues I need as we transfer into Season 3, hopefully. Bell and Stabler, they’ve an ideal rapport. You possibly can inform they care about one another. Their bond is rising, however I might love some scenes between them the place they’re speaking about their lives, their experiences.
She’s a brand new mother. He has 5 youngsters. His youngsters have grown just about now. There’s perception he may give her about find out how to navigate having a spouse and a household and navigating the job as a result of he’s been by means of it. And, such as you stated, as a result of he has taken so many hits, he may in all probability give her slightly perception about, “OK, that is the way you try this.”
I might love if Stabler checked in with Bell slightly extra about how she’s doing. She does test in with him loads. She’s all the time asking, “How are you? How are issues going?” I believe Bell does want somebody to test in on her every so often.
TVLINE | I’m a loud and proud EO ‘shipper, however I do love how Bell is without doubt one of the solely individuals saying, “Eh, perhaps you and Olivia want slightly time away from one another.” I think about you bought pushback on social media for that.
Oh my God. Sure.[Laughs] The scene the place Bell is telling Stabler “It’s worthwhile to transfer on.” They’re like, “Wait, what does that imply? I like you, however I can’t get on board with this. Transfer on to what?” It’s so humorous. They’re so related to this relationship that hasn’t actually occurred in that means.
Bell, she’s a realist. She’s very logical in her strategy to issues, and though she is caring and could be emotional, after all, however very logical of these issues. She’s like hey, we now have a job to do. There’s individuals’s lives at stake. I can’t get caught up in whether or not you all ought to be kissing, proper? [Laughs] Go on a date. Like, that’s you all’s enterprise. If it really works out, superior, however proper now, any individual may die.