law and order made the decision to write out a crucial character by killing him off after an offscreen exit.
On the Thursday, October 15, episode of the NBC series, Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) was killed in the line of duty. The rest of the episode showed the team trying to track down his killer in order to give Vincent the closure he deserved.
The creative choice came as a surprise after it was announced in July that Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) would get a new partner who would replace Scott’s character. James Badge Dale joins the series this season as the new lead detective.
Deadline reported at the time that the departure was Scott’s decision and the “amicable” decision would likely leave the door open for Riley to return in the future. More recently executive producer Rick Eid teased how Scott’s character would say goodbye.
“I think it’s going to be really emotional and powerful,” Eid told TV Insider in September about the “very personal” episode. “And the approach was that we wanted to give him an unforgettable exit.”
He continued: “He’s a great character. And honestly, interestingly enough, the idea for this idea might have come from Reid himself.”
The Law & Order series is no stranger to the comings and goings of cast members.
NBC spin-off Law & Order: SVU Recently there was some shock when the news broke in May 2025 Octavio Pisano And Juliana Aiden Martinez left the series before season 27. Pisano, 40, originally joined Law & Order: SVU in Season 23, while 36-year-old Martinez came on board in Season 26.
No further explanation was given for the departures of Pisano and Martinez. Pisano eventually returned for a few episodes, but Martinez moved on to Dick Wolf FBI.
Law & Order: SVUwhich premiered in 1999, follows investigators from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sex crimes. The legal drama plays the main role Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino And Kevin Kane.
Season 27 also marked the official return of I had giddishThis is Rollins. Giddish, 46, had already left Law & Order: SVU in the middle of season 24 in 2022 after more than a decade on the show. She guest starred in various episodes in seasons 25 and 26 before being confirmed as a regular cast member for season 27.
law and order airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
