Law & Order: Organized Crime is on the verge of returning after a brief break, and the new case brings in none other than Fear the Walking Dead and Legacies actress Karen David to play a diplomat in very real danger. This means Stabler and the rest of the team will be working to get to the bottom of an assassination attempt with some sky-high stakes. The actress spoke with CinemaBlend about making her Organized Crime debut, including the perks of working with the legendary Christopher Meloni and joining the Law & Order universe as a longtime fan.
Karen David plays Diya Laghari, a UN diplomat from India who came to New York City with a mission on behalf of her country in the new episode, called “A Diplomatic Solution.” With roles in shows like Fear the Walking Dead and Legacies, David has plenty of experience in dramatic projects, but is also known for her performances in the musical comedy Galavant and her festive turn in the When Christmas Was Young TV movie. The actress opened up about coming to OC to play a very different kind of character than she's played before:
As an actor, I feel so grateful to be able to play completely different characters. That’s the dream, isn't it? To just be able to be a working actor, to be able to play different characters is so joyful. I've always been a huge fan of the Law & Order universe. Certainly my family has. I know some of my dearest friends, when they're having a tough day, the one thing that they can rely on is just gather all the girls and we just binge-watch episodes of the original Law & Order or Law & Order: SVU, so it's kind of been part of my life in some way.
Plenty of fans can undoubtedly relate to the comfort of watching episodes of the long-running Law & Order and SVU to unwind. While fans of OC (currently only in Season 3) will have to wait until the new episode on April 27 to see everything that’s in store, it seems safe to say that Diya Laghari is not going to be confused with Galavant’s Princess Isabella! The actress continued:
To actually finally be part of the Law & Order universe, guest-starring in this episode has just been so much fun and such a joy, and to be playing a very different character from what I've played before is just a bonus. To work with Chris Meloni and the whole gang, and Danielle Moné Truitt, it’s just such joy.
All signs point toward a visit to New York that is anything but a joy for Karen David’s character, but the actress only had good things to say about joining a TV universe she was already a fan of and working with the cast, led by Christopher Meloni and Danielle Moné Truitt as Det. Stabler and Sgt. Bell. When I noted to David that it’s rare to find somebody with as much TV experience as Chris Meloni, she responded:
Oh my gosh, yes. I mean, he's a legend! [laughs] And of course, some of my dearest friends, and my mom and my sister, they all fangirl over him. So they're like, 'Oh, my gosh!' They're living sort of vicariously through my adventures. And Chris is – you know, what can I say? He knows this world all too well, and was so lovely and so welcoming [when] welcoming me into the family and I could not have asked for a better scene partner. I mean, he's kind of ruined me. [laughs] Him and the gang, coming in and doing this episode with them really was so much fun.
Between Law & Order: OC and SVU alone, Chris Meloni can boast more than 300 hours of network television, so it would be strange if he wasn’t an expert in the world of Law & Order! While Stabler may not always be the most warm and open guy in primetime (unless you’re Olivia Benson and he’s trying to make amends), that clearly wasn’t the case with the actor welcoming Karen David as a guest star.
Karen David of course didn’t spoil all the details of everything to expect from the episode on April 27, but her mention of Meloni as a scene partner suggests that some interesting scenes between the diplomat from India and the NYPD detective are on the way. The actress previewed how high the stakes are with the arrival of Diya in New York and the assassination attempt:
The stakes are very high in this episode because it is an international storyline. I love that they've introduced this character who comes into town and, to say the least, her being there really shakes things up. The stakes are very high in a sense because she is on a mission. She's been told that she has to carry out this speech on behalf of her government, and being a diplomat is really tough. I often kind of pull similarities between – God rest her soul, our former queen – Queen Elizabeth, in the sense that you have to be quite neutral, and you have to think about what's best for the greater good and for your country and for relationships, and international relations. Diplomats may make it look easy, but it's never easy.
Detective Elliot Stabler has been called many things over the 20+ years since he debuted on NBC, but “diplomatic” probably isn't the adjective that comes to mind for most fans! It should be interesting to see what he and Diya make of each other, since they clearly have very different parts to play in “A Diplomatic Solution.” Stabler doesn’t always have the most patience for politics; how will he deal with a diplomat?
Fortunately, the wait for the answer to that question and the arrival of Karen David as Diya Laghari isn’t too much longer. The “A Diplomatic Solution” episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime will air on Thursday, April 27 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Law & Order: SVU at 9 p.m. and Law & Order at 8 p.m. For a taste of what’s on the way, check out the promo:
You can revisit earlier episodes of Law & Order: OC streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now. The show was officially renewed for Season 4 earlier this month, although with a shorter episode count that raises some Law & Order universe questions. Another crossover with SVU is also on the way to reunite Chis Meloni’s Stabler and Mariska Hargitay’s Benson again before summer hiatus, so keep staying tuned to NBC’s Law & Order Thursdays!
