The fall premieres of the 2024 TV schedule are coming up in the 2024 TV schedule, and that includes the return of NBC's Law & Order Thursdays. That lineup will be different starting this fall, though, with Organized Crime no longer airing after SVU and Law & Order. Fortunately, some exciting casting news feels like a step in the right direction for NBC's new lineup on Thursdays, and not just because it's bringing back an alum of not one but two of the network's hit shows. Fans, prepare to welcome The Blacklist and New Amsterdam alum Ryan Eggold to Law & Order!
Ryan Eggold is slated to appear in a Season 24 episode as a guest star with a personal connection to Detective Vince Riley, according to TVLine. Named Matt Riley, the character is the detective's brother. No further details are available about what the brothers' dynamic will be like at the time of writing, but after Riley's personal life didn't get a ton of attention when Reid Scott joined the cast for Season 23, I'm looking forward to getting to see his interactions with his brother. Plus, Eggold had a long tenure on NBC after his role on The Blacklist, the short-lived Blacklist spinoff, and then five seasons of New Amsterdam. It could be fun to see him back!
That's also not the only casting news for the upcoming season of Law & Order, and all three are what make me optimistic about Law & Order Thursdays continuing with just two L&O shows. Mariska Hargitay, a.k.a. the face of the franchise after 25 seasons and counting as SVU's Olivia Benson, will cross over to Law & Order for an October episode. Given that the shows don't return to NBC this fall until October, that means Benson will appear fairly early in L&O's new season. SVU's Elizabeth Marvel will appear in the same episode as Defense Attorney Rita Calhoun.
And while I doubt that this casting news means that the Law & Order team is making a concerted effort to change after Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 was renewed for Peacock Premium subscribers rather than NBC, delving into one character's family life as well as tying a story to SVU sounds like the makings of a more cohesive L&O world on Thursdays starting this fall. Previously, OC would be the show most likely to crossover with SVU and/or deliver brother drama. It's hard not to be encouraged by the original series trying some new things this season. I was optimistic about that way back in April after a particularly eventful episode, and I'm still optimistic about it now.
Of course, we'll have to wait and see if Law & Order and SVU are more closely tied in the 2024-2025 TV season or not, not to mention if there's a future for Ryan Eggold on the show beyond just one guest appearance. Whatever happens, there's plenty to look forward to on Thursdays even without three solid hours of Wolf Entertainment action.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Found will air in the 10 p.m. ET slot formerly filled by Christopher Meloni's Organized Crime, and it's hard for me to imagine a more thrilling NBC replacement. If you're unconvinced – or just didn't check out Found's first season in the spring – you can find every episode so far streaming with a Peacock subscription, as well as the most recent season of Law & Order.
