Mehcad Brooks has been fighting crime in primetime for the past two seasons of Law & Order as Detective Jalen shaw, and Shaw spent the most recent Season 23 in the 2024 TV schedule building a dynamic with his new partner and dealing with the stress of cases that hit too close to home. Now, the Supergirl alum has signed on for a very different show, and it seems like a safe bet that his new character won't be Jalen Shaw 2.0. The timing comes not too long after some big Law & Order cast changes and news of another star departing the series.
Law & Order Cast Changes
The first big cast change for Law & Order Season 23 came with the departure of Jeffrey Donovan as Frank Cosgrove over summer hiatus last year, with Reid Scott replacing him as Detective Vincent Riley. Then came Sam Waterston's much-hyped goodbye as Jack McCoy, followed by Tony Goldwyn's arrival as new DA Nicholas Baxter. Last but not least, Camryn Manheim confirmed her departure as Lieutenant Kate Dixon back in May, without the Season 23 finale giving her a farewell.
Luckily, Mehcad Brooks' Jalen Shaw didn't seem to be going anywhere as of the end of Season 23, although the finale ended with some uncertainty about Baxter's future as District Attorney. Now, Brooks has landed another show that might not have much in common with Law & Order beyond the New York City setting.
Mehcad Brooks' New Show
Brooks has joined the cast of Sex and the City's sequel series, And Just Like That Season 3, for its upcoming third season for Max subscribers. TVLine confirmed his casting, along with Jonathan Cake of The Affair and Logan Marshall-Green of Upgrade as newcomers for Season 3. Existing cast members Sebastiano Pigazzi (who plays Giuseppe) and Dolly Wells (who plays Joy) have been promoted to series regular status. Sara Ramirez left the show ahead of Season 3.
While that's great news for Brooks, does it mean that Jalen Shaw will be the next Law & Order character to leave the show? As it turns out, there's no need to worry on that front, as the actor confirmed himself with this Instagram caption:
And Just Like That… ticking off all my childhood memories 📈. So grateful that I get to save NYC on @nbclawandorder and warm hearts on @justlikethatmax.Can’t wait to make y’all laugh again. Thanks for the love @streamonmax and thank you to @nbc @universaltv and @wolfentertainment for making this work.
Mehcad Brooks wasted no time in assuring fans that he'll be pulling double duty with Law & Order and And Just Like That..., not leaving one for the other. He didn't get into detail about how it worked out, but it sounds like he got the go-ahead from NBC, Universal, and Wolf Entertainment to work on the Sex and the City spinoff despite potential scheduling complications. Only time will tell if more emerges about how it's going to work out.
As for what kind of character he'll portray on And Just Like That, we'll have to wait and see for that as well. I do think it's fair to assume that nobody will confuse his new character with Jalen Shaw, though! If you want to revisit the most recent season of Law & Order, you can do so streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. And Just Like That's first two seasons are streaming on Max.
