LAW & ORDER TURNS 25: NEW SEASON PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 25 WITH BIG CHANGES AHEAD
A Milestone Season
Law & Order returns to NBC on Thursday, September 25, at 8 PM ET, marking its 25th season. The milestone underscores the enduring success of Dick Wolf’s iconic procedural, which remains one of NBC’s strongest dramas. The show will continue directly from last year’s cliffhanger and introduce notable cast shifts that could reshape the series dynamic.
The premiere will set the tone for an eventful Thursday night lineup: Law & Order: SVU Season 27 follows at 9 PM, with reruns of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 at 10 PM. Episodes of the new season will also stream on Peacock the following morning, broadening access for both live and digital audiences.
Cast Departures and New Faces
Season 25 arrives with major casting news. Mehcad Brooks, who portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw since Season 22, has officially exited. His departure, confirmed in July, leaves the detective unit without a clear replacement. NBC has yet to announce who will step into that role.
Budget adjustments across NBC’s Law & Order and One Chicago franchises also mean reduced screen time for certain regulars. Still, the confirmed ensemble remains strong: Hugh Dancy returns as Executive ADA Nolan Price, Odelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun, Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley, Tony Goldwyn as District Attorney, and Maura Tierney as Lieutenant Jessica Brady.
Storyline and What to Expect
While Law & Order is best known for self-contained stories, Season 25 will continue threads from last season’s tense finale. The new arc focuses on ADA Samantha Maroun, whose personal connection to a case placed her under scrutiny. When a suspect linked to her sister’s tragedy turned up dead, Maroun faced tough questions from Nolan Price but refused to give clear answers.
This unresolved conflict will open the new season and add pressure inside the DA’s office. At the same time, the show will explain Detective Shaw’s absence, leaving room for new dynamics to unfold. Fans can still expect the classic formula of gritty investigations paired with courtroom drama, but personal arcs will take on greater weight. This balance of episodic crime stories with serialized character drama has helped Law & Order stay relevant for decades.
How to Watch Season 25
New episodes air live on NBC at 8 PM ET every Thursday, with next-day streaming available on Peacock. Earlier seasons are spread across multiple platforms: Seasons 1–20 on Hulu, Seasons 13–20 and 24 on Peacock, and Seasons 21–23 available for purchase on Apple TV and Prime Video.
This wide distribution ensures that both long-time fans and new viewers can catch up on past episodes before diving into the anniversary season.
A New Chapter for a Classic Series
As Law & Order enters its 25th season, expectations are high. The exit of Detective Shaw, the mystery surrounding Maroun’s choices, and new dynamics within the DA’s office promise to shape one of the show’s most pivotal years yet. After a quarter century, the franchise proves it still knows how to evolve — keeping audiences eager for the next verdict.