Law & Order is still months away in the 2025 TV schedule from premiering the milestone 25th season, but not all of the Season 24 series regulars will be back. The drama is continuing its trend of losing stars over summer hiatuses without getting a proper goodbye in the previous finale, with another regular exiting. While Odelya Halevi might have seemed most likely to leave after Maroun was very heavily implied to have shot the man who murdered her sister, another one of the detectives is out: Mehcad Brooks as Jalen Shaw.
The news of Brooks' exit reminded me of my conversation with a Law & Order guest star who was very interested in reprising his NYPD role back in the spring, but first things first!
Mehcad Brooks Is Leaving Law & Order
Mehcad Brooks is not returning to Law & Order to reprise his series regular role as Detective Jalen Show in Season 25, according to Deadline. The decision reportedly has nothing to do with any bad blood, but a mutual call with the Supergirl alum exploring post-Law & Order opportunities. The rest of the cast is set to return, with Tony Goldwyn and Reid Scott renewing their contracts following Season 24 and Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, and Maura Tierney on board.
Brooks leaving also means that Law & Order is continuing the trend of losing one series regular between each one of the revival seasons so far. Anthony Anderson left after Season 21 as Detective Kevin Bernard, followed by Jeffrey Donovan after Season 22 as Detective Frank Cosgrove. The exit after Season 23 was one my personal favorites: Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon. The aftermath of Season 24 was evidently the time for Brooks – who filled Anderson's shoes when he arrived in Season 22 – to bow out as Jalen Shaw.
A replacement partner for Reid Scott's Detective Vincent Riley hasn't been cast yet, but I think I know of an actor who would be game to have a more prominent role on the NBC drama if he has the chance.
Jesse Metcalfe Would "Love" To Return
In a casting twist of fate, Desperate Housewives vet Jesse Metcalfe happened to guest star on Law & Order as Sergeant Danny DeLuca in an episode that didn't feature Mehcad Brooks' Jalen Shaw, so his scenes in his Season 24 episode were largely with Reid Scott as Detective Riley and/or Maura Tierney as Lieutenant Brady. When I spoke with Metcalfe ahead of his March episode, he shared that he would "love to see the character of Sergeant Danny DeLuca expanded" and "Maybe he could end up becoming a detective."
Having seen the episode, I asked Metcalfe what it was like for him to team up with Reid Scott to film an action-packed episode across Manhattan, and he shared:
It couldn't have been a better experience working with Reid. He was just so warm and welcoming and supportive. And I think he that he's a great actor, and a lot of people commented on set, including several of the producers, that we sort of had an instant rapport. And I think people are going to really see that on screen. The chemistry was great.
The episode, called "Folk Hero" and available streaming with a Peacock subscription now, had a "ripped from the headlines" style of story with an insurance CEO as the victim of the week and the citizens of New York deliberately getting in the cops' way of tracking the killer down. Riley and DeLuca were ultimately successful and the case was handed over to the legal team of DA Nick Baxter (Tony Goldwyn), ADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), and ADA Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi).
So, would Jesse Metcalfe be interested in working with Reid Scott and the rest of the cast again if given the shot despite a slightly embarrassing moment while filming? He didn't need even a moment to think when he answered my question, saying:
Absolutely. I would love to reprise this role, and if given the opportunity, build out the character even more.
In a fun twist, Jesse Metcalfe was already only a couple degrees of separation from Law & Order even before he arrived as a guest star, going back to the days on a short-lived drama elsewhere on the network. He shared:
I'm definitely a fan of the original show, and all of the spinoffs as well… I have worked with Kelli Giddish, who was on Law and Order: SVU. We were on a short-lived procedural drama on NBC called Chase, about U.S. Marshals, so I would tune in to see some of her work from time to time. I'm just thrilled to be a part of such a storied franchise with a tradition of exceptional guest stars. And I really feel like Law & Order has one of the most talented and accomplished ensemble casts on television, so this is an incredible opportunity for me.
If you're not familiar with NBC's Chase, that's not too surprising! The procedural starred future TV powerhouses like Kelli Giddish in her pre-Law & Order: SVU days and Cole Hauser years before Yellowstone, but only ran for a grand total of 18 episodes over one season from 2010-2011. Giddish actually is returning to SVU as a series regular in the fall for the 2025-2026 TV schedule; could Metcalfe return to primetime for Law & Order as well?
All we can say for sure is that he enjoyed his experience as a guest star and would be very happy to return as Sergeant Danny DeLuca. I'm not sure how it would work for a Sergeant to partner with a Detective, but if I've been willing to overlook NYPD ranks when it comes to SVU with Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Fin (Ice-T), and Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly), it'd only be fair if I did the same for Law & Order.
Law & Order returns without Mehcad Brooks as a series regular this fall, and I'm already wondering if NBC will go big to celebrate the milestone of Season 25. I wouldn't count on NBC transforming Rockefeller Plaza in NYC like the celebration for SVU hitting 25 seasons, because Law & Order doesn't have a star like Mariska Hargitay who has been on board from the very beginning. For now, you can find both Law & Order and SVU streaming on Peacock.
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