There are plans for Law & Order to properly write off a main character after another surprising franchise exit.
Reid Scott, who played Detective Vincent Riley, is expected to leave early on in season 26, which returns to NBC October 8. According to executive producer Rick Eid, Scott’s character will bid farewell during the October 15 episode after three seasons on the show.
“I think it’ll be really emotional and powerful,” Eid told TV Insider about the “very personal” episode. “And the approach was we wanted to give him a memorable exit.”
He continued: “He’s a great character. And honestly, I’d say interestingly enough, the genesis for the idea may have come from Reid himself.”
News broke in July that Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) will be getting a new partner to replace Scott’s character. James Badge Dale will be coming into the show as a new senior detective.
Deadline reported at the time that the departure was Scott’s choice, and the “amicable” decision will likely leave the door open for Riley to return in the future.
The Law & Order franchise is no stranger to cast members coming and going.
NBC’s spinoff Law & Order: SVU recently faced a few shakeups when news broke in May 2025 that Octavio Pisano and Juliana Aidén Martinez were leaving the series before season 27. Pisano, 40, originally joined Law & Order: SVU in season 23, while Martinez, 36, came on board during season 26.
No further explanation was given for Pisano and Martinez’s departures. Pisano eventually returned for some episodes, but Martinez moved over to Dick Wolf‘s FBI.
Law & Order: SVU, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually based crimes. The legal drama stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino and Kevin Kane.
Season 27 also marked the official return of Kelli Giddish‘s Rollins. Giddish, 46, previously departed Law & Order: SVU in the middle of season 24 in 2022 after more than a decade on the show. She was a guest star on various episodes throughout seasons 25 and 26 before being confirmed as a series regular for the 27th season.
Law and Order returns to NBC Thursday, October 8, at 10 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Peacock.
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