Law And Order Wasted No Time In Resolving Brady’s Job-Threatening Cliffhanger In The Winter Premiere, And I’m Underwhelmed

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heads up: plot twists from the Season 24 winter debut of Law & Order, titled “Enemy of the State,” are imminent. You can catch it streaming now with a Peacock subscription.

As a devoted movie buff, I’m thrilled to share that my favorite series, “Law & Order,” is making its grand comeback on NBC Thursday nights in the 2025 TV schedule! The Season 24 premiere was packed with high-octane action, and I was eagerly waiting for it to unravel the cliffhanger from last November about Lt. Jessica Brady’s predicament with IAB following her truthful testimony in court.

While the episode did touch upon Brady’s situation from the previous season finale of 2024, I feel that the resolution was somewhat anticlimactic, given the potential for a compelling ongoing narrative. If you weren’t particularly attentive, it could have easily gone unnoticed, leaving me slightly underwhelmed by the way this captivating storyline unfolded.

Couldn’t it be that the original series could also delve into a serialized storyline similar to ‘Law & Order: SVU’ and still maintain its procedural format? The somewhat unsatisfying conclusion to the gripping cliffhanger was surprisingly resolved just four minutes into the episode, right after the opening credits. Brady returned to the precinct, and both Shaw and Riley warmly greeted their lieutenant. Riley inquired about her “trip,” to which she replied rather unenthusiastically.

Fantastic. But I’m glad to be back and getting paid again. What do you got?

It seems that Brady’s decision to take a stand in the fall finale, understanding it would distance her from fellow cops and potentially bring IAB scrutiny, was handled off-screen with an unpaid leave for an undefined duration. To be frank, I didn’t want Brady to lose her job due to the events of the fall because actress Maura Tierney had won me over to her character on Law & Order after I’d previously admired her work as Abby on ER. Moreover, Mehcad Brooks spoke highly of Tierney joining the cast as they replaced Camryn Manheim as Lt. Kate Dixon.

However, the suspenseful finale from 2024 in an episode of Law & Order left me gripped with anticipation more than any other episode from Season 24. I yearned for a resolution that wasn’t rushed, but alas, it was over in less than a minute – about ten seconds to be precise. Had Brady not casually mentioned “getting paid again,” one could easily assume the character had simply taken a holiday break and was back now.

The episode wasn’t disappointing at all, and it featured an intriguing first case for her involving a potential terrorist threat. This made me consider the possibility of a collaboration between Law & Order and FBI on CBS once more. Fortunately, there was no actual terrorist attack, leaving the main hurdle of the winter premiere for Price as he worked to persuade DA Baxter – his superior – to testify about a controversial law he had drafted years ago.

Luckily, Price was able to wrap up the case before the winter finale, and it looks like some ER alumni are returning in the next episode. Mekhi Phifer is set to make a guest appearance, while Eriq La Salle will be directing. Here’s a sneak peek:

Don’t forget to catch NBC every Thursday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern Time for fresh instalments of Law & Order, featuring an ER reunion in the near future. As usual, Law & Order: SVU Season 26 follows at 9 p.m. ET, followed by Found Season 2, which has a Station 19 alum joining its cast as a new character, at 10 p.m. ET. You can also stream all three shows on Peacock with the latest episodes available the next day.

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2025-01-17 16:07