‘Law & Order: SVU’ brings back key ‘Organized Crime’ character after spinoff cancellation

Rick Gonzalez is returning to the long-running crime drama, ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ for the Season 28 fall finale. He will reprise his role as Detective Bobby Reyes, which he first portrayed on ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime.’ This will be the first time he has played the character since the spin-off was canceled by NBCUniversal after five seasons. A preview was also released showing the actor in the role alongside Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson). The episode is set to air on December 3 at 9 pm ET on NBC.

Reyes was added to the ‘Organized Crime’ team in Season 3. He was an undercover expert working with Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) at the Organized Crime Control Bureau. His undercover work often involved investigations that made him an asset in the criminal division during the final three seasons. ‘Organized Crime’ ran for four seasons on NBC before moving to Peacock for Season 5. The show started airing in April 2025 and continued Stabler’s investigations. However, in April 2026, NBCUniversal announced the show's cancellation. The show was cut short after five seasons, and the characters’ stories weren’t properly concluded.

The new episode of SVU shows a little more about the case Benson and Reyes will be investigating. The story follows a woman who has been s**ually assaulted by a police officer at a club. Benson believes that people close to the suspect are covering for them. Reyes also has concerns about the officer. The clip shows the two detectives working together on the case. Interestingly, this won’t be the first time Gonzalez has appeared on SVU. He appeared in Season 1 as another character. He returned as Detective Bobby Reyes in the Season 24 finale, ‘All Pain Is One Malady,’ as part of a crossover episode with ‘Organized Crime.’ Therefore, this guest appearance will continue the connection between the shows.

This return comes hot on the heels of Christopher Meloni returning as Stabler in ‘SVU’s’ 600th episode on November 12. With both actors returning to the main show, the franchise is bringing back familiar faces to Benson’s world. ‘Law & Order: SVU’ airs on Thursdays at 9 pm ET on NBC. Episodes can be watched on Peacock the following day.