Not Another One! Mehcad Brooks Just Got One Step Closer to Leaving Law & Order
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Mehcad Brooks, who has captivated audiences on Law & Order as Detective Jalen Shaw, has an exciting new project in the works, but will it affect his future on the long-running procedural? Keep reading to see if Mehcad Brooks is leaving Law & Order.
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Is Mehcad Brooks leaving Law & Order?
Since its reboot in 2022, Law & Order has undergone several significant cast changes. In just three seasons, Camryn Manheim, Anthony Anderson, Sam Waterston and Jeffrey Donovan have all bid farewell to the long-running procedural. Fans are now worried that Mehcad Brooks, who joined the cast in Season 22 as a replacement for Anderson, could be next to leave.
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The actor was recently cast in Season 3 of And Just Like That, the Max revival of the hit HBO series Sex and the City. Set 11 years after the events of the 2010 film Sex and the City 2, the streaming show follows Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) as they navigate the complicated reality of friendship, family and New York City in their 50s.
The series has also experienced significant turnover, with Grey’s Anatomy alum Sara Ramirez, who played comedian Che Diaz, exiting in February 2024, and Karen Pittman, who starred as professor Nya Wallace, following suit one month later.
Along with Brooks, Season 3 will also feature newcomers Rosie O’Donnell, Jonathan Cake and Logan Marshall-Green. Additonally, Sebastiano Pigazzi, who plays Giuseppe, and Dolly Wells, who recurs as Joy, have been promoted to series regulars.
It’s unclear what role Brooks will be playing on the show, but Law & Order fans are more worried about if he will still appear in the procedural’s upcoming 24th season. According to our sister site TVLine, Brooks’ new role will not interfere with his gig on Law & Order, so viewers can expect to see Detective Jalen Shaw back in the 27th precinct when the series returns this fall.
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Brooks announced his new role on Instagram on June 27, and made it clear in the caption that he intends to film both shows. “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,” he wrote alongside a press release. “Can’t wait to make y’all laugh again. Thanks for the love @steamonmax and thank you to @nbc @universaltv and @wolfentertainment for making this work.”
Both series are filmed in New York City, and since the third season of And Just Like That won’t be released on the streaming platform until 2025, the filming logistics shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge for Brooks.
Brooks is a relatively new addition to Law & Order. Season 24 will mark his third season on the show as Detective Jalen Shaw, a lawyer-turned-police officer who worked in the Narcotics Division for five years before switching to Homicide. His character was originally paired up with Detective Frank Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan), but following Donovan’s departure, Shaw began working with Detective Vincent Riley (played by Reid Scott).
As of this writing, Scott is also expected to return for Season 24, along with Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi and newcomer Tony Goldwyn, who plays DA Nicholas Baxter.
Law & Order is available to stream on Peacock.
Watch ‘Law & Order’ on Peacock
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