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Law & Order Shakes Up Schedule, Loses Key Detective
15 Oct
Summary
- Law & Order season 26 premiered on October 8, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET.
- Detective Vincent Riley, played by Reid Scott, will exit the series on October 15.
- James Badge Dale joins as Detective Rob Calvino, replacing Scott's character.
The 26th season of the iconic crime procedural, Law & Order, premiered on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET. This marks a time slot change from its traditional 8 p.m. slot, moving to accommodate other programming. The season opener, titled "Ghost in the Machine," featured a controversial case involving AI.
Beyond the new cases, a major departure is set to impact the series. Detective Vincent Riley, portrayed by Reid Scott since 2024, will exit the show in the October 15, 2026 episode. Showrunners have teased an emotional farewell for the character.
Following Riley's departure, James Badge Dale is set to join the cast as Detective Rob Calvino. While NBC has not confirmed the exact episode count for season 26, recent seasons have averaged between 20 and 22 episodes. New episodes are scheduled to air weekly on Thursdays.
