| Law & Order | |
|---|---|
| Season 24 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | October 3, 2024 – present |
| Season chronology | |
The twenty-fourth season of Law & Order , an American police procedural and legal drama, premiered on NBC on October 3, 2024. [1]
On March 21, 2024, the series was renewed for a 24th season. [5] Near the end of the 2023–2024 broadcast TV season, it was announced that showrunner/executive producer Rick Eid would be departing the FBI flagship series to focus solely on running Law & Order and creating new projects. "After six years of running two, or more, shows, and CBS now picking up FBI for three more years, this was the perfect time for me to step back and focus my efforts on running Law & Order and developing new projects," Eid stated. Creator of both franchises, Dick Wolf, said in a statement, "Rick has been a core member of the Wolf family for two decades. We thank him for all the work he did on FBI to get the series launched and look forward to continuing our creative partnership on Law & Order and beyond." [6]
Production on this season began on July 11, 2024. On July 22, 2024, it was announced that Maura Tierney was joining the cast this season, portraying a new police lieutenant. Tierney replaces Camryn Manheim (Lieutenant Kate Dixon), who departed at the end of the previous season. [2] Showrunner/executive producer Rick Eid described Tierney's character, Lieutenant Jessica Brady, as "a real straight shooter," further stating that, "She's results oriented, and she's a little idiosyncratic and kind of does things her own way." Eid also noted that Brady and the detectives will be "feeling each other out" at the start of the season, describing that their relationship is "not too great early on." Eid also teased fans will learn what happened with Dixon in the premiere episode. [7]
In the second episode of the series, Mariska Hargitay and Elizabeth Marvel will be portraying their roles as Captain Olivia Benson and Defense Attorney Rita Calhoun from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , respectively. Showrunner/executive producer Rick Eid told Give Me My Remote, that Hargitay is "a really integral part of the episode," and that she would have meaningful scenes with Hugh Dancy, Tony Goldwyn and the newest addition to the cast, Maura Tierney. Eid citing the scenes are "pretty intense, and there's a lot of conflict going on." Marvel – who previously portrayed a different defense attorney in the original series run as well as multiple different characters across the original, Criminal Intent and even SVU series' – will be reprising her role as Rita Calhoun, her last appearance being in SVU's twenty-second season episode, "The Long Arm of the Witness." Eid further noted that it was Olivia Benson's presence in the episode that prompted the move to bring Calhoun to the flagship. Eid previewed, "[Benson]'s got a relationship with the defendant. We were thinking about casting the attorney, and given the facts of the case – and what's really going on in the case – we thought that character that Elizabeth plays would be perfect, especially given that she's got a pre-existing relationship with Benson. It just felt like a natural thing to do, so we're excited about that." [3]
In another upcoming episode the series has cast Ryan Eggold, star of NBC's crime drama The Blacklist and NBC's medical drama, New Amsterdam , as Matt Riley, brother of Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott). Rick Eid teased, "[He's got] one foot in the criminal world. His brother ends up being involved in the case [they're investigating], and we ultimately need his help to solve the case." [3]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [8] [9] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [8] [9] | Prod. code | U.S viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 502 | 1 | "Catch and Kill" | Eriq La Salle | Rick Eid & Art Alamo | October 3, 2024 | 2401 | 3.64 [10] |
Brooklyn prosecutor Macy Harper is found brutally beaten to death in the home of clothier Dylan Phipps to whom she was engaged. Shaw and Riley track her whereabouts prior to the murder and discover she had been staying at a shelter for battered women, making Phipps the prime suspect. Phipps, however, has a seemingly solid alibi from his friend and right-wing news site owner Kenneth Lane. Surprising video evidence soon emerges, prompting Maroun and Price to go after Lane as an accessory. When an eyewitness "lawyers up" Maroun takes drastic action, and Price tries to keep her from destroying herself and her career. With a new lieutenant, Jessica Brady, in charge of the 2-7, Det. Riley struggles to adapt to her command style.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7. | |||||||
| 503 | 2 | "The Perfect Man" | David Grossman | Scott Gold | October 10, 2024 | 2402 | 3.45 [11] |
Tyler Miller, the founder an AI-infused dating app called E.L.I. (Enigmatic Love Interface), is shot dead in Central Park. Shaw and Riley try to understand who and why would anyone kill a "hopeless romantic" like Miller. When evidence provides DNA, but it is not found in CODIS, Lt. Brady tells Det. Riley to run it through the local database, which Lt. Dixon said to avoid. The suspect is found and arrested, but Capt. Olivia Benson from the Special Victims Unit visits the 2-7 and protests that the suspect is a rape victim, not a killer. ADAs Price and Maroun are surprised when Rita Calhoun calls Benson as an expert witness for the defense, raising an ethical debate over using the local DNA database to prosecute victims as perpetrators. Benson calls for Judge Roberta Hines' opinion, and Price tries to mediate between Benson and Brady. The trial sparks a New York Journal article, "Can Crime Victim's DNA Be Used Against Them?" | |||||||
| 504 | 3 | "Big Brother" | Alex Hall | Rick Eid | October 17, 2024 | 2403 | 3.09 [12] |
College basketball coach Nick Walsh is robbed and murdered. Shaw and Riley track down and eliminate suspect after suspect while the motive remains elusive. Det. Ray Wallace calls Riley about his brother Matt, who is jammed up on a gun dealing charge. Matt agrees to become a CI, but reneges on his deal to testify. Price is forced to impeach his own witness on the stand to reveal the defendant's hidden motive. | |||||||
| 505 | 4 | "The Meaning of Life" | Leslie Hope | Jennifer Vanderbes | October 24, 2024 | 2404 | 3.33 [13] |
When a pipe bomb goes off in a brownstone, Shaw and Riley must determine which of its inhabitants was the target; the author of Playing God, Christopher Heartwood, or fertility doctor Sarah Heartwood (Erica Sweany). Price and Maroun pursue a charge of first degree murder against the suspect, despite the fact that Sarah is still on life support, albeit brain-dead. Defense attorney Brian Lee calls Dr. Matthew Calhoun to testify as an expert witness on Lazarus syndrome to infer that no murder has occurred. Just before closing arguments, Maroun discovers that Sarah has a DNR clause in her will. | |||||||
| 506 | 5 | "Report Card" | Néstor Carbonell | Pamela Wechsler & Ajani Jackson | October 31, 2024 | 2405 | 3.62 [14] |
Thirteen year-old foster child, Anthony "Ant" Turner, is accused of killing his middle school teacher, Walter Rhodes. Baxter wants to try him as an adult to send a strong message about the penalty for killing public servants. But Price and Maroun want to plea bargain Ant's sentence down in exchange for his testimony against Principal Sykes for not following prevention policies. They propose that his reckless inaction amounts to manslaughter, in that he failed to perform a proper search, did not warn the teacher who was threatened, and did not contact the police. Shaw's attempts to help Ant are undermined by Ant's own culpability. | |||||||
| 507 | 6 | "Time Will Tell" | Milena Govich | Rick Eid & Scott Gold | November 7, 2024 | 2406 | 3.49 [15] |
Dean Meredith West of the prestigious Ellsworth Academy prep school is beaten to death. Shaw and Riley discover a toxic system of pressure on parents and students alike to succeed, given the cost of rigging the system to receive "extra time" accommodations. An anxious student confesses, then her mother confesses to protect her daughter. Detectives and prosecutors must determine who to convict. D.A. Baxter is a school board member, presenting a conflict of interest. | |||||||
| 508 | 7 | "Truth and Consequences" | Fred Berner | Pamela Wechsler | November 14, 2024 | 2407 | 3.35 [16] |
Journalism professor Charles Bennett is beaten to death in his home. His wife, Judge Madeline Bennett is called to testify, but refuses to take the stand to hide her own secret that threatens not only her job, but her past rulings as well. The Mayor intercedes, and Baxter instructs Price to offer the killer a plea bargain to protect her reputation. Maroun is likewise challenged with protecting another witness from being deported. Thomas Norton (Liam Aiken), fired by the judge for his pro-Palestinian political beliefs, takes a lesser sentence after he allocutes to the crime. | |||||||
| 509 | 8 | "Bad Apple" | Michael Smith | Art Alamo | November 21, 2024 | 2408 | 3.76 [17] |
Sergeant Jordan Harrison, an officer from the 2-9 Major Case Narcotics squad, is shot in the back after a fentanyl bust worth more than a half a million dollars. Brady returns to her old precinct to investigate along with Shaw and Riley. The slug matches the gun of Eddie White, who got away during the raid, but White claims a cop took the gun with a bag of drugs and money. Harrison's body cam confirms the story, and Brady investigates who in the squad might be dirty. The suspect is found and Baxter wants to charge murder one to send a message, but Price and Maroun hit the "blue wall" trying to find any fellow officers who will testify. | |||||||
| 510 | 9 | "Enemy of the State" | Alex Hall | Scott Gold & Ajani Jackson | January 16, 2025 | 2409 | 4.16 [18] |
Raymond James Clark is pushed in front of a subway train. Shaw and Riley look for a motive, with only video of a unique bracelet as evidence. Noah Turan, an American-born son of an Uyghur Muslim restaurant owner, is found with what looks like a C-4 bomb. The whole squad mobilizes for a terror attack, presumably by Daesh. The suspect is detained and he proffers his jihadist handler, Karim. At trial Price must convince Baxter to testify to the uses and abuses of the 2006 JTTF legislation that Baxter crafted; "Operation Lure and Trap." | |||||||
| 511 | 10 | "Greater Good" | Eriq La Salle | Teleplay by : Rick Eid & Ajani Jackson Story by : Rick Eid | January 23, 2025 | 2410 | 4.33 [19] |
A respected music mogul Wes Morgan is found shot to death. Shaw and Riley find video and question a woman seen with Wes outside a club, who reveals that she is Detective Vanessa Washburn with the Security Services Unit, and that Wes is under investigation for sex trafficking. A suspect is found who was trying to protect his daughter. Price and Baxter disagree on how the reputations of the accused versus the victim might influence the jury's verdict. Washburn is pressured to testify, and Shaw must impeach her on the stand. | |||||||
| 512 | 11 | "The Hardest Thing" | Michael Pressman | Art Alamo | January 30, 2025 | 2411 | 4.12 [20] |
Charles Harper, wealthy creator of the Inherit-Ed DNA site, is executed in his home. Brady, Shaw and Riley begin investigating the obvious motive, greed, suspecting first his son, then his daughter. What began as murder for money turns into the possibility of assisted suicide to preempt death by Pick's disease. Price and his brother Thomas have their own debate about their father's failing health. | |||||||
| 513 | 12 | "Duty to Protect" | David Grossman | Pamela Wechsler | February 13, 2025 | 2412 | 4.19 [21] |
A teenage girl is found bludgeoned and strangled to death, and before identification, motive remains elusive. Her computer search history leads Shaw and Rielly back to her step-father Ronald Lawson. Her movie star mother Michelle Burns provides Ron an alibi, but DNA puts him at the scene. At his trial, a video by Kaitlyn Lawson reveals his motive; he had sexually abused her since she was fourteen. Ronald takes the bailiff's gun and shoots himself. Baxter and Price wonder if and why Michelle failed to protect Kaitlyn. Brady re-interviews her to determine what she knew and when, and then arrests her. A new trial begins with Michelle as the defendant. Defense attorney Virginia Hogan wants to present testimony from psychologist Dr. Lisa Mankin that Michelle was incapable of ending the abuse as she herself had been sexually abused since she was nine, and has developed dissociative disorder as a result. Because of the manner of the death of Maroun's sister, she sympathizes with Burns, and thinks the testimony should be allowed. The judge sides with Price, so Maroun argues with Price to make a plea bargain.
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). It's free, confidential, and available 24/7. | |||||||
| 514 | 13 | "In God We Trust" | TBA | TBA | February 20, 2025 | 2413 | TBD |
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Catch and Kill" | October 3, 2024 | 0.4/4 | 3.64 [10] | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | "The Perfect Man" | October 10, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.45 [11] | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | "Big Brother" | October 17, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.09 [12] | 0.1 | 1.27 | 0.4 | 4.37 [12] |
| 4 | "The Meaning of Life" | October 24, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.33 [13] | 0.1 | 1.30 | 0.4 | 4.63 [13] |
| 5 | "Report Card" | October 31, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.62 [14] | 0.1 | 1.22 | 0.4 | 4.84 [14] |
| 6 | "Time Will Tell" | November 7, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.49 [15] | 0.2 | 1.35 | 0.5 | 4.84 [15] |
| 7 | "Truth and Consequences" | November 14, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.35 [16] | 0.1 | 1.37 | 0.4 | 4.72 [16] |
| 8 | "Bad Apple" | November 21, 2024 | 0.3/3 | 3.76 [17] | 0.1 | 1.31 | 0.4 | 5.07 [17] |
| 9 | "Enemy of the State" | January 16, 2025 | 0.3/5 | 4.16 [18] | 0.1 | 1.34 | 0.5 | 5.49 [18] |
| 10 | "Greater Good" | January 23, 2025 | 0.3/4 | 4.33 [19] | 0.1 | 1.27 | 0.4 | 5.60 [19] |
| 11 | "The Hardest Thing" | January 30, 2025 | 0.3/5 | 4.12 [20] | 0.2 | 1.23 | 0.5 | 5.35 [20] |
| 12 | "Duty to Protect" | February 13, 2025 | 0.4/5 | 4.19 [21] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Preceded by Season Twenty-Three (2024–2025) | List of Law & Order seasons (1990–present) | Succeeded by TBA |