Law & Order: Organized Crime has cast Elliot Stabler's youngest brother. Christopher Meloni, who originated the character of Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, returned to the franchise as the star of the Organized Crime spinoff in 2021 following his exit from SVU after 12 seasons in 2011. Stabler canonically comes from a large Catholic family with three brothers and two sisters, though his siblings have generally not been featured in ongoing storylines.
Per TVLine, Michael Trotter has been cast as Stabler's youngest brother, Joe Stabler Jr., in the upcoming Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4. Trotter will be joining Dean Norris, who was recently cast as Stabler's older brother Randall. The character, who was dishonorably discharged from the Army, now works with a British wine seller who could potentially be involved in shady dealings that would explain his desire to keep Elliot separate from his life.
Everywhere You've Seen Michael Trotter Before Law & Order
It is currently unknown how many episodes will feature Trotter's Joe Stabler Jr. Additionally, the upcoming season, which comes eight months after the Law & Order crossover finale in May 2023, was shortened to 13 episodes after being delayed amid the dual 2023 Hollywood strikes, in which writers and then actors took to the picket lines to fight for fair pay. Regardless of the extent of his appearance, Trotter is a versatile actor who has proven his ability in single-episode appearances as well as longer-running television roles.
The list of major television titles in which Trotter has made a one-episode appearance includes Ray Donovan, Bones, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rosewood, and The Resident. He also appeared on a 2023 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, though he played a different role. His more long-running roles on television are Elden Donahue in Underground, Reno in Marvel's Inhumans, and Gus Grissom in Disney+'s The Right Stuff.
The incoming Law & Order: Organized Crime star has also held roles in several feature-length projects. The most notable of these would likely be the 2009 sex comedy sequel Road Trip: Beer Pong, in which he played Korkin. However, he has also appeared in titles including Skip Tracer, The American Dream, and Jamesy Boy. Given his experience and his prominent role as Stabler's brother, it seems likely that he will be given more than just one episode in which to bring his new character to life.
Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 premieres on NBC on January 18.
