Change is on the way to Law & Order Season 23 with the upcoming departure of Sam Waterston after more than 400 episodes on the NBC drama, and a new look at the next episode (seen above) shows the detectives deducing that somebody spying via home security cameras could be a witness to a crime. The reveal plays out in a way that might have viewers double checking all their devices before bed, and Jalen Shaw's reaction couldn't be more relatable to me.
The new episode on February 8, called "Unintended Consequences," will evidently pin the hopes of the detectives on a hacker who was spying on the murder victim of the week and could have witnessed the crime. Violet – who I would love to see more of as the 2024 TV schedule continues – has to fill in Shaw, Riley, and Lieutenant Dixon about how technology meant to protect can be used against anybody who trusts it. Credit to Jalen Shaw, because he asks the #1 question that was on the tip of my tongue after Violet broke the news: if the camera was on, wouldn't there be a red light indicating so? Not in the world of Law & Order, apparently!
While viewers will have to tune in to "Unintended Consequences" for all the context, a hacker spying on a couple in bed together sounds like the kind of criminal who might usually be causing trouble for Olivia Benson over on the SVU side of the Law & Order franchise. The clip also sheds more light on the promo that has been airing on NBC leading up to the new episode.
According to the episode description from NBC, the case of the week will involve Shaw and Riley investigating the murder of a real estate agent with a list of prominent clients. An unexpected witness will turn up, and that witness seems likely to be the hacker in the new episode clip. It will be up to Price and Maroun to close the case in the courtroom, but I have to imagine there's not much legal precedent for a case involving hacked home security cameras.
You can catch "Unintended Consequences" when it airs at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 8 on NBC, with Law & Order followed (as always) by SVU at 9 p.m. and Organized Crime at 10 p.m. If you're not able to watch live (or just want to revisit other episodes of L&O), you can find the series streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now.
It's clear that Law & Order is evolving its crimes along with the times, as murder investigations can be a lot more complicated courtesy of 2024 technology than the tech available when the show first debuted back in 1990. This case comes in a season that already said goodbye to one character, with Jeffrey Donovan's off-screen departure as Frank Cosgrove ahead of Season 23, and Sam Waterston's days as the dependable DA are running out as well.
