Law & Order season 21

The twenty-first season of Law & Order, an American police procedural and legal drama, was ordered by NBC on September 28, 2021, over a decade after its original cancellation on May 24, 2010. The season began airing on February 24, 2022, as a mid-season replacement during the 2021–2022 broadcast season. Due to such status, the season consists of only 10 episodes. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a twenty-second season.

Law & Order
Season 21
Promotional poster
Starring	Anthony Anderson Jeffrey Donovan Camryn Manheim Hugh Dancy Odelya Halevi Sam Waterston
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	February 24 (2022-02-24) – May 19, 2022 (2022-05-19)
Season chronology
List of episodes

Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston returned in their roles of Kevin Bernard and Jack McCoy, respectively; and were joined by new cast members Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi. Series creator Dick Wolf returned as an executive producer, while Rick Eid was named showrunner. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television.

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Law & Order characters

Main

• Anthony Anderson as Senior Detective Kevin Bernard
• Jeffrey Donovan as Junior Detective Frank Cosgrove
• Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon
• Hugh Dancy as Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price
• Odelya Halevi as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun
• Sam Waterston as District Attorney Jack McCoy

Crossover stars from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

• Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
• Terry Serpico as Chief Tommy McGrath

Recurring

• Shayvawn Webster as Detective Dani Vertiz

Notable guests

• Norm Lewis as Henry King
• Carey Lowell as Assistant District Attorney Jamie Ross
• Alicia Coppola as Defense Attorney Audrey Keller
• Marcel Simoneau as Ryan Bell
• Rachelle Lefevre as Nina Ellis
• Jessica Tuck as Clara Newhall
• Dylan Baker as Defense Attorney Sanford Rems
• Tate Ellington as Colin Baker
• Francie Swift as Diana Marcus
• Christian Campbell as Ethan Merritt
• Josh Clark as Grant Fisher
• Patrick Heusinger as Wyatt Ackman

Episodes

See also: List of Law & Order episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S viewers (millions)
457	1	"The Right Thing"	Jean de Segonzac	Dick Wolf & Rick Eid	February 24, 2022 (2022-02-24)	2101	5.80[1]
Newly acquainted partners Kevin Bernard and Frank Cosgrove investigate the murder of a notorious entertainer. A dispute over throwing out a confession creates a rift in the District Attorney's office.
458	2	"Impossible Dream"	Michael Pressman	Teleplay by : Rick Eid Story by : Pamela Wechsler & Rick Eid	March 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)	2102	4.46[2]
The COO of a major tech company is found murdered in Central Park. Price and Maroun work to untangle a web of deceit to expose a cunning narcissist. Inspired by the trial of Elizabeth Holmes.[3]
459	3	"Filtered Life"	Milena Govich	Art Alamo & Pamela Wechsler	March 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)	2103	4.21[4]
Bernard and Cosgrove investigate the disappearance of a social media star whose case takes the internet by storm; Price and Maroun must weigh their decisions regarding the case against the wishes of the missing woman's family.
460	4	"Fault Lines"	Heather Cappiello	Pamela Wechsler & Art Alamo	March 17, 2022 (2022-03-17)	2104	4.62[5]
After a family court judge is murdered, Bernard and Cosgrove dig into the many grievances against him. When the DA's office is faced with unforeseen challenges, Maroun takes matters into her own hands to save the case. Inspired by the Britney Spears conservatorship dispute.[6]
461	5	"Free Speech"	Alex Hall	Rick Eid	April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)	2105	3.91[7]
Bernard and Cosgrove investigate the murder of a congressional candidate. Price and Maroun contend with an extremist plot hellbent on thwarting the candidate's agenda by any means necessary.
462	6	"Wicked Game"	Alex Hall	Teleplay by : Rick Eid Story by : Pamela Wechsler & Art Alamo	April 14, 2022 (2022-04-14)	2106	4.02[8]
When a young man is found dead of an apparent overdose, Dixon fiercely pursues a homicide investigation as an old unsolved case comes back to haunt her. Price and Maroun risk putting a witness in harm's way to expose their suspect and reveal the monster underneath.
463	7	"Legacy"	Sarah Boyd	Pamela Wechsler	April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)	2107	4.15[9]
Bernard and Cosgrove are confronted with several suspects in the shooting of a headmaster at an elite private school. A teenager's life hangs in the balance as Price and Maroun debate who's more culpable: the shooter or the enabler.
464	8	"Severance"	Yangzom Brauen	Art Alamo	May 5, 2022 (2022-05-05)	2108	4.23[10]
When the CFO of a Fortune 500 company is found strangled in her home, Bernard and Cosgrove work to connect multiple dead ends to find her killer. The prosecution is faced with an uphill battle as McCoy and Price butt heads over a choice that could cost them the case.
465	9	"The Great Pretender"	Alex Hall	Rick Eid & Pamela Wechsler	May 12, 2022 (2022-05-12)	2109	3.83[11]
Bernard and Cosgrove must sift through fact and fiction to find the killer of a young Manhattan socialite. The murder trial takes a turn that becomes personal for Price and puts Maroun in a compromising situation.
466	10	"Black and Blue"	Eriq La Salle	Rick Eid	May 19, 2022 (2022-05-19)	2110	3.94[12]
The murder of an off-duty NYPD detective threatens to tear the city apart. Cosgrove mourns the loss of a friend and asks Capt. Benson for help solving the case. McCoy and Price disagree on how to prosecute the culprit, sparking sharp condemnation from all sides. Final appearance of Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard.

Production

Development

The prospect of reviving Law & Order for a twenty-first season first came about in the more immediate wake of its cancellation, with talks falling through with TNT and AMC.^[13] In February 2015, it was reported that NBC was eyeing a limited series of 10 episodes.^[14] However, it never made it to active development. In July 2021, NBC scrapped Law & Order: For the Defense, a planned spinoff in the franchise they had ordered straight to series the previous May,^[15] and scheduled to lead a Thursday schedule entirely occupied by the franchise, with Special Victims Unit and Organized Crime. It was stated at the time that in its stead new spinoffs were being developed.

On September 28, 2021, NBC officially renewed the show.^[16][17][18] Despite being billed as a twenty-first season, NBC gave it the same "straight to series" order they gave For the Defense,^[19] which is typically used only for new series.^[20] Series creator Dick Wolf returned as an executive producer.^[21] Wolf signed an overall deal with NBC and Universal Television in 2020 that will keep him at the network through 2025.^[22] In December 2019, Wolf had asked former showrunner Rene Balcer to return to run the show again, but Balcer declined.^[23] Wolf then asked other former Law & Order showrunners to take the helm, but they also declined. Finally, Rick Eid stepped down as showrunner of Chicago P.D. to take over showrunning duties of Law & Order.^[a][24] Eid became an executive producer during the season and retains that role on Chicago P.D. as well.^[24] Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski will also serve as executive producers.^[25] Production on the season began on December 8, 2021.^[26] On May 10, 2022, the series was renewed for a twenty-second season.^[27]

Casting

On November 1, 2021, Jeffrey Donovan was cast as a series regular to portray a New York Police Department detective.^[28][29] At that time it was also reported that Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson, who starred in earlier seasons of the series, and additional former cast members were also in talks to return.^[30] Waterston previously stated in 2015 that he would be open to returning.^[31] Other previous cast members S. Epatha Merkerson, Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza hold starring roles on Chicago Med and FBI, series that both exist within the same fictional universe and are produced by Wolf Entertainment.^[32] On November 23, 2021, it was announced that Hugh Dancy had been cast as an Assistant District Attorney and that Anderson had signed a one-year deal to return as Detective Kevin Bernard.^[33] On December 10, 2021, it was revealed that Camryn Manheim had been cast as Lieutenant Kate Dixon, the successor to Merkerson's character Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Manheim portrayed minor characters in previous seasons of the series.^[34] On December 15, 2021, Odelya Halevi was announced to be joining the cast as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun.^[35] A day later, Waterston was announced to have finalized a one-year deal to return as District Attorney Jack McCoy.^[36] Anderson was confirmed not to be continuing beyond his one year on May 26, 2022.^[37]

Carey Lowell who portrayed Jamie Ross from 1996 to 2001, and crossed over into Trial by Jury, appeared as a guest star in the season premiere.^[38] Dylan Baker also appeared as Sanford Rems, a character he played from 2004 to 2006.^[39] Mariska Hargitay made a guest appearance as her SVU character, Olivia Benson, in the season finale.^[40]

Release

When announced, it was unclear whether the season would air in the 2021–22 or 2022–23 television season;^[41] it was later reported that it would premiere as a mid-season replacement on February 24, 2022.^[42] It aired in the 8 PM Thursday timeslot that For the Defense had been scheduled for, alongside SVU and Organized Crime.^[43][44]

Note

1. Eid was an executive producer and the incumbent showrunner on Chicago P.D. and FBI, both which share a fictional universe with the Law & Order franchise. All three franchisees are produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television

References

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Preceded by Season Twenty (2009–2010)

List of Law & Order seasons (1990–present)

Succeeded by Season Twenty-Two (2022-2023)