Let’s break out the best silver. Dick Wolf‘s Law & Order, the franchise’s mothership procedural that spawned six U.S. spinoffs and one iconic theme song, is ready to celebrate its 25th season. That makes the renowned crime show the second-longest-running live-action series on primetime TV, behind only its first offshoot, Law & Order: SVU, with 27 years of service. (A quarter century is especially sweet, given that L&O took an 11-year break, ending with the show’s celebrated 2022 rebirth.)
“We’ll try to make this a season worthy of the legacy,” says showrunner Rick Eid, adding that there’s the possibility of a past favorite or two returning.
But first, something new is in order. Season 25 begins with a rare break from the tradition that each episode opens with a new unsolved murder. This time, shares Odelya Halevi, who plays Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun, “The episode is a continuation of last season’s story, and the first scene finds Maroun boxing, letting her anger out and dealing with the fear of what might happen to her.”
Fans recall last season’s cliffhanger: Carter Mills (Jordan Cox), the man Maroun was certain raped and killed her sister years earlier, was acquitted of the crime and then turned up murdered. Knowing Maroun was once close to shooting Mills, her confidant, fellow ADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), came to her home asking if she did it. Her response? Angrily slamming the door in his face.
“A lot of trust was broken in that moment,” Halevi says. “Did he really think Maroun was capable of doing that after knowing her so many years?”
Maroun was particularly disappointed with Price, says Halevi, because, “As a daughter of Lebanese immigrants who always felt like a lone wolf and could never ask for help, Sam had been learning to be more vulnerable with Nolan and letting him in.”
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The ADA is right to fear. “The evidence points her way, and she is interrogated,” says Eid. “Price is sympathetic, but she’s a suspect.” No matter the outcome, Eid adds, “There’s potential for a rift.”
Does this all signal that Maroun may be on the way out? L&O is famous for cast changes, and Mehcad Brooks’ Det. Jalen Shaw is no longer on the roster, making him the third detective to exit since the show returned. (The explanation: He transferred to another precinct.) His departure leaves Det. Vince Riley (Reid Scott) to partner with rotating detectives and an accommodating Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) until a replacement arrives. (That appears to be David Ajala, who joins as a series regular, TV Insider has learned.)
“Riley is working very closely with Brady,” Scott says, “and that’s a lot of fun because they’ve come away from getting under each other’s skin to really respecting each other. She’s giving him a fair amount of latitude.”
“Brady and Riley are also put in this precarious position of having to investigate one of their own,” Scott adds. “They have a lot of respect for Maroun, and it’s uncomfortable to look at her as a suspect. They approach it with a certain amount of grace because this is their friend, but they have to catch a killer.”
Viewers might also notice more home-based stories in this landmark season. Expect storylines about Price and his new girlfriend, Grace (Kerry Bishe), a specialist in adolescent psychiatry, along with the return of Riley’s troublemaking brother, Matt (Ryan Eggold), and an exploration of the relationship between Brady and her struggling musician son, Leo.
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NYC crime is, of course, still the fulcrum of the series. “Our goal this season,” Eid notes, “is to create a show that presents an intriguing dilemma or provokes a conversation about the right thing to do.”
To that end, upcoming stories include the murder of a biotech investor (The West Wing‘s Josh Molina), a student bullied through A.I.-generated photos, and the death of a young basketball prodigy. In Episode 2, says Eid, DA Nick Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) “is politically pressured by an old friend to handle the case of a murdered lawyer in a [less-than-ethical] way.”
And what would a celebratory 25th be without an anticipated crossover between L&O and SVU? The plan, Eid reveals, “is to have many characters from both shows in both hours, so it feels more like a movie than a handoff to a second show.” That would be something worth lighting 25 candles for.
Law & Order, Season 25 Premiere, September 25, 8/7c, NBC