LAW & ORDER: Raúl Esparza Sets Return for SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT-ORGANIZED CRIME Crossover
November 11, 2021 by Marisa Roffman
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT — “Sightless In A Savage Land” Episode 22006 — Pictured: Raúl Esparza as Counselor Rafael Barba — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT kicked off 2021 with a Barba return, and the franchise is closing out the year the same way: Raúl Esparza, who portrays the former ADA, will return for the big two-hour SVU and ORGANIZED CRIME crossover on Thursday, December 9 episode (kicking off at 9/8c).
Much like his last appearance, Barba will be working for the other side in the SVU hour, “People vs. Richard Wheatley“—facing off against his former colleague/friend ADA Carisi (Peter Scanavino) on a very important case.
Richard Wheatley (Dylan McDermott) was the main foe of ORGANIZED CRIME season 1, whose sole charge—after cooperating with authorities to get the others dropped—was for killing Kathy, the wife of SVU-turned-OC’s Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni).
Esparza will also appear on the OC hour of the crossover, which is fittingly called “The Christmas Episode.”
Outside of the LAW & ORDER franchise, Esparza’s recent TV credits also include DOPESICK and THE GOOD FIGHT.
Update, November 22: NBC has released the official episode descriptions:
“People vs. Richard Wheatley”: “Carisi tries Richard Wheatley for the murder of Kathy Stabler. Benson finds herself at odds with a friend when Barba agrees to take the case.”
“The Christmas Episode”: “When Eli goes missing, Stabler asks Benson and the task force to help him find his son. Wheatley considers his future.”
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC
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Filed under Law & Order: Organized Crime, SVU
Is Warren Leight trying to have us hate Barba so that we won’t miss him anymore? He keeps writing him to do everything that Barba would have never done as ADA. How could Liv and the squad respect him after this? I am so disappointed. The show has never been the same without Barba but bringing him back for this is sickening. Wheatley would have disgusted Barba in the past.
First let me say I have been a die hard fan of all the Dick Wolf shows from day one. I’ve watched the reruns over and over so many times only my mom would watch them with me. She is gone now and her and I couldn’t wait for the shows. Don’t get me wrong but I loved all the characters but since u are bringing Groundbreaking Series in its own right I think Barba should come back for good. In my opinion, the perfect set up would be Jack and Angie Harmon on the original. On SVU Barba back as Prosecutor and Creacy back as a cop again. Oh yeah we need Munch too. I wish Mr. Wolf would by NCIS: New Orleans cuz they were done awful. If u start out a show on one night at the same time and it works don’t mess with it. That’s what they allowed Mark Harmon dictate but his series never changed days it worked until he ran off all the good favs. I digress