Once again, there is “Law & Order.”

The mothership show returned to NBC last night to a healthy 5.54 million viewers. It wasn’t the 7.6 million that “Law & Order” ended with in 2010. But that was a dozen years ago.

The return of the original helped boost “SVU” at 9pm with 5.0 million. The two shows won their key demos, as well.

NBC still finished second to CBS’s “Young Sheldon” block but handily beat ABC’s “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

The show that didn’t fare so well was “Organized Crime.” Even with all the “L&O” ballyhoo, Chris Meloni’s 10pm outing still lags behind under 4 million at 3.4 million. The only upside for “Organized Crime” is that it beat its own 10pm competition since no one has any idea what “Blue Sky” is, and “Bull” is coming to an end.

“Mrs. Maisel,” season 4, episodes 3 & 4 drop Friday sometime after midnight on Amazon Prime.

SOME SPOILERS LIE AHEAD….

There’s the good, the bad, and the I don’t know.

On the plus side, which is most of it, Midge’s job at the strip club, what I would call a burlesque house in 1960, is a total hit. Tony winner Santino Fontana, the only Broadway star not in The Gilded Age, is the manager. The production values and costumes are off the charts. The girls are wonderful and I hope we see more of them.

On the downside, Midge — who is going out on dates — seems aimless. She’s treading water in these episodes, looking for a unifying theme for this season. Rachel Brosnahan is giving it her all but show creators Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman Palladino feel a little adrift. I hope they have a plan because we’re already at episode 4.

Episode 3 addresses the loss of Jackie, Susie’s roommate and the manager of their little village nightclub, the Gaslight. In real life actor Brian Tarantina died during the pandemic from a drug overdose. In the “Maisel” world, the cause of death is a stroke. His death obviously affected the cast and crew because Jackie’s death is sort of brilliantly handled and not swept under the rug. Alex Borstein’s speech/rant at his funeral is Emmy worthy. She pulls it off with aplomb. But there’s no payoff plot-wise to Jackie’s death. which is a shame. No surprise reveal or legacy.

There’s also a segment I can’t say I’ve seen before on TV and not really even in a Woody Allen movie at this length. It takes place in a synagogue at a bar mitzvah to which the main players  have been mistakenly invited. It’s right out of a Woody Allen movie and maybe the most Jewish thing I’ve ever seen on a regular TV show. It’s very funny.

There are a couple of strange things going on. Midge decides that Susie is a lesbian (Susie has never stated this, it’s just her look). Midge roams around Greenwich Village idiotically asking strangers for the name of a lesbian bar.  She finally gets it from a man on a bench played by the great John Waters. When Midge takes her there, Susie is outraged and leaves. Whatever happens next, I couldn’t figure out– she retrieves a drunk from another bar and installs him at her new office. This part was murky. Also, in episode 4, actor Reid Scott from “Veep” is credited but I could not find him. Plus, in Joel’s Chinatown bar there’s a poster for contemporary singer James Bay. Or someone named James Bay, but the poster is large and definitely there for a reason.

Episode 4 also features Jason Alexander, returning as Abe’s old friend, failed playwright Asher, who’s always a pleasure. But the episode ends an odd note that I didn’t understand. Midge falls off the stage and people just walk away as the credits roll. If this was a joke, I missed it.

Last season, Midge’s opening for Shy Baldwin was the overarching story, and it worked to carry all the episodes. This season just feels pedestrian so far. Even a pop-in from Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) was kind of wasted. But we can’t give up. The Palladinos are too smart not to have a plan. I hope.

PS I’m told that the end of episode 4 will be resolved in Episode 5, even though it was strange the way it went down. And the guy Susie snatches from the bar hearkens back to Episode 1 when she was hypnotized, but it will be explained also in Episode 5. Whew!

“Bridgerton” fans were gaga over all the sex scenes in Season 1.

The debauchery and romping, which included an orgy and gay sex, made Regé-Jean Page the “it’ guy of 2020. He got the fans through the pandemic. They were swooning at every episode.

But then came news that Page wouldn’t be in season 2, as the books this Netfix series is based on turn to Anthony Bridgerton’s search for a wife.

Anthony is played by Jonathan Bailey. I’m told that in the first episode of Season 2, Anthony is scene from behind fully as he very briefly beds whores and pays them for their services. But sources say that after that season, “Bridgerton” Season 2 is largely sexless. There’s a lot of talking and galloping. But no shenanigans, certainly nothing like Season 1.

What happened? If reports are true, and I think they are, “Bridgerton” is now more of period piece that bears no resemblance to the period it’s covering. The costumes and sets are still top notch, but the story doesn’t have the pizzazz it once did.

Strange, no? In Season 1 Anthony was humping everything in town. But in Season 2, I guess he’s given up. Maybe Simon Bassett needs to return for a cameo!

Here’s a look back: