9 Current Dramas From Dick Wolf, Ranked

The newest Law & Order spinoff brought Christopher Meloni back as Detective Elliot Stabler, moving from SVU to Organized Crime and working under Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) on multi-episode arcs, not all equally engaging. Things get particularly messy when it comes to Stabler’s late wife, Kathy (Isabel Gillies), whose death kicked off the series in a crossover, and his feelings for his former partner, now-Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).

It’s the One Chicago show with the most turnover, and like other medical dramas (ER, Grey’s Anatomy), the early seasons (and cast, including Colin Donnell, Nick Gehlfuss, Yaya DaCosta, Torrey DeVitto, and Brian Tee) have been the best thus far. It is impossible to ignore that Med is where it’s easiest to crossover with both Fire and P.D., which is done very well.

The series has handled something that isn’t easy quite seamlessly: the transition following a lead’s exit. Dylan McDermott has filled the hole left by Julian McMahon leaving in Season 3, and we’re as invested in the lives of the other agents’ (Roxy Sternberg, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Alexa Davalos, and Edwin Hodge) as always, but the cases that take them on the road aren’t as engaging as on other dramas.

If you’d told us we’d ever root for Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) after his introduction on Fire, we wouldn’t have believed you. Then came the police spinoff, with him leading Intelligence and with the rest of the unit (which over the years has included Elias Koteas, Jesse Lee Soffer, Sophia Bush, Jon Seda, Marina Squerciati, LaRoyce Hawkins, Patrick John Flueger, and Tracy Spiridakos), there are cases and personal stories that have us invested.

The newest of Wolf’s scripted series also brings new angles to his franchise as a whole. The Fly Team (Luke Kleintank, Heida Reed, Vinessa Vidotto, and Carter Redwood) operates overseas, dealing with protocols set by local law enforcement (which is typically where the Europol liaison, first Christiane Paul, now Eva-Jane Willis, comes in), has a canine member, and, unlike the other two FBI shows, features (not quite successful) romances between teammates.

The one that started it all returned for its 21st season after a 12-year hiatus, and while there are few returning faces from the original run (we still have Sam Waterston!), there’s no denying the formula — half police work (with Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Anderson, Mehcad Brooks, Camryn Manheim), half the trial (with Waterston, Hugh Dancy, and Odelya Halevi) — still works.

From the team in the field (Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, John Boyd, and Katherine Renee Kane) to Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) and his JOC analysts to Isobel (Alana De La Garza) in charge of them all, we have seen these agents get it done time and time again — and kudos to the writers for finding fresh ways to deal with Peregrym’s maternity leave twice in ways that weren’t just brushed aside once she returned.

From the rescues to the in-house relationships, there’s always something going on at 51, and with its first responders (which have included Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund, Miranda Rae Mayo, Eamonn Walker, Kara Killmer, David Eigenberg, and Joe Minoso over the years) to keep us watching. And no death in the world of Dick Wolf hits harder than those on here (Shay! Otis!).

There’s a reason the drama is about to be a quarter of a century old. Hargitay may be the only one around since the beginning, and we’ve watched her go from detective to captain, but there have been some great additions (such as Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Danny Pino, Stephanie March, and Raul Esparza) over the years. And while it’s sadly true, there are always ripped-from-the-headlines stories to tell.