Reid Scott Leaving ‘Law & Order’ — James Badge Dale to Replace Him

Meredith JacobsThu, July 23, 2026 at 10:36 AM UTC

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- Virginia Sherwood/NBC; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Paramount+

Since returning from the 12-year break between Seasons 20 and 21, Law & Order has been switching it up when it comes to the police investigating the crimes, and it will do so again for its 26th season, premiering on Thursday, October 8. (The series is making another big change, moving to 10/9c, airing after Law & Order: SVU, rather than leading into it.)

Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) will be getting a new parter in Season 26, with Reid Scott (Detective Vincent Riley) set to exit and James Badge Dale replacing him as a senior detective, Deadline reports. However, there is something different about this exit than previous ones — Anthony Anderson (Detective Kevin Bernard), Jeffrey Donovan (Detective Frank Cosgrove), and Mehcad Brooks (Detective Jalen Shaw) — at the start of a season.

While in the past, character exits have been explained in-episode with a couple lines of dialogue, Scott is going to be in “a few episodes” during which Riley will be written out. Given that him leaving is said to be Scott’s choice, due to the series filming in New York, and “amicable,” according to Deadline, we have a feeling that Riley won’t be killed off so the door is open for a future return.

What will be interesting is seeing if Scott crosses over with Dale at all in Season 26, since that has yet to happen with the aforementioned exits and replacements. There’s also the possibility that there are some episodes between Scott’s exit and Dale’s debut in which we’ll see Walker working with Lieutenant Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) in the field, much like we saw Riley with her before Ajala’s debut in Season 25.

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We’ll also have to wait to see what Walker’s dynamic is like with Dale’s detective. After all, he and Riley didn’t get off to the best start. The circumstances under which Riley leaves and the new character joins is sure to play a role in that.

How do you think Law & Order will write out Riley? Let us know in the comments section below.

Law & Order, Season 26 Premiere, Thursday, October 8, 10/9c, NBC

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”