Law And Order Revisited Price’s Tragic Past Sooner Than I Expected, And Hugh Dancy’s Comments About His Character’s ‘Pride’ Hit Harder Now

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Caution: The events of Law & Order Season 24 Episode 14 titled “A Price to Pay” will be revealed. This episode can be streamed the following day if you have a Peacock subscription.

In the upcoming TV schedule for 2025, an episode of “Law & Order” delved into Shaw’s past as a police officer and his old connections, particularly with Darryl Moore, who was once his commanding officer. However, unlike I anticipated, the storyline titled “A Price to Pay” didn’t extensively focus on Mehcad Brooks’ character. Instead, the detective chose to safeguard his former CO by informing him about a Marine assignment, far from New York City, to keep him out of trouble and potentially save his life from damaging or ending testimony. Remarkably, he didn’t attempt to hide his actions from Price, his partner.

In a surprising turn, the Assistant District Attorney appeared angrier than anticipated, even following the teaser in the last episode featuring Selenis Leyva. Add to that his unexpectedly early revelation about his deceased brother, recent remarks by Hugh Dancy seem significantly clearer now.

How Law & Order Revisited Price’s Tragic Backstory

As I delved deeper into the case, it was evident that Shaw grew increasingly reluctant to collaborate with the lawyers as it became clearer that Darryl held a closer connection to the drug dealer-turned-murderer than he had first led us to believe. His heartfelt argument for shielding the Marine from testifying didn’t fall on completely cold shoulders, and District Attorney Baxter recognized that Darryl wasn’t using ketamine in the same manner as the deceased movie star… yet the law is the law, and we needed his testimony to convict a murderer at trial.

Recognizing that Darryl could potentially take drastic measures if called to testify, Shaw overstepped boundaries by informing him to leave town in advance. At the same time, Price revealed to Baxter the reason behind his relentless pursuit of the drug dealer – his brother had tragically passed away due to an addiction issue. Regular viewers of Law & Order, being aware of this family storyline, were reminded of it less than a month ago. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the brother’s death to resurface so quickly in the plot, but it was far from an unwelcome twist!

Hugh Dancy and Mehcad Brooks create an engaging dynamic whenever Price and Shaw come into conflict. Their contrasting methods in handling the drug case ultimately led to Price fiercely reprimanding Shaw, expressing his disapproval verbally.

You’ve left me in the dark about your actions, and frankly, I don’t want to know more. However, what I do know is undeniable – there are individuals in that courtroom who have a right to justice. You’ve stolen that from them, but you’ve also taken it away from me! What makes this even more despicable is your manipulation of a witness. You’ve broken the law, and if I wanted to, I could have you put behind bars for what you’ve done.

Shaw expressed no regrets, asserting that he sacrificed some additional jail time for a drug dealer in order to save a man he regarded as a brother. He stands by his decision, and the story didn’t conclude with Price arresting the detective. However, Price’s anger – likely fueled by his past experiences, as he mentioned them to Baxter – seemed similar to the pride Hugh Dancy’s character takes in his work.

Hugh Dancy’s Thoughts On Price’s Pride

Hugh Dancy spoke with TopMob in January, coinciding with the episode where Justin Chatwin joined as Nolan’s brother Thomas. This episode was filled with emotional turmoil, as Nolan made the difficult decision to remove their father from life support despite the complex history involving their deceased brother. Given that Law & Order is typically focused on procedural matters, I didn’t anticipate Price’s brother would be a significant focus again so soon, especially in an episode billed as being centered around Shaw.

When I discussed with Dancy if his family decisions would influence his character in the future, the former Hannibal actor replied as follows at that point in time:

As a film aficionado, I can’t help but notice that he seems to be a dedicated worker-bee, and his role on Law & Order might just be reinforcing that trait [laughs]. It’s not like a life-altering epiphany for him, more like a gradual realization. He might make an unexpected choice here and there, but deep down, he’s still grappling with internal conflicts. His unresolved issues with his brother will continue to fester, finding solace in the familiar confines of work.

In the story “A Price to Pay,” Price managed to make some headway in coping with his brother’s demise, even saying farewell to his father. However, he didn’t magically heal all the accumulated pain from years past instantly; instead, we observe him adhering to Dancy’s advice and immersing himself in work as a means of dealing with it. The actor further added:

He’s exceptionally capable of taking on responsibilities personally. I believe he holds deep convictions about his work and feels a strong obligation to those he perceives as needing representation. Moreover, I suspect his proficiency at his job fosters a sense of self-worth, which is understandable. However, it seems that he tends to internalize most of his emotions. [laughs]

Isn’t it expected that Price would respond so dramatically when Shaw took such extensive measures to safeguard Darryl? At the same time, Shaw’s actions were quite rational and I can comprehend why the situation didn’t escalate into a full-blown confrontation or resolution, but rather ended in a standoff between them. Will the TV series Law & Order revisit this incident by the end of Season 24 for either Price or Shaw?

After the rapid return to Nolan’s sorrowful past in the show, I’m keeping all options open for future developments, and I’d be happy if Odelya Halevi gets more screen time. For the present, new episodes of Law & Order will still air on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, preceding Law & Order: SVU. It’s worth mentioning that Law & Order: Organized Crime has finally set a premiere date, but Season 5 will stream on Peacock rather than air on NBC alongside L&O and SVU.

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2025-02-28 05:38