List of Law & Order episodes


Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf that premiered on NBC on September 13, 1990. Set in New York City, where episodes were also filmed, the series ran for twenty seasons before it was cancelled on May 14, 2010, and aired its final episode ten days later, on May 24. After its cancellation, AMC Network considered reviving Law & Order for a twenty-first season; however, in July 2010, Dick Wolf indicated that attempts had failed and he declared that the series had now "moved to the history books". The series was ultimately revived for a 21st season in February 2022. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a twenty-second season. In April 2023, the series was renewed for a twenty-third season. In March 2024, the series was renewed for a twenty-fourth season. In May 2025, it was renewed for a twenty-fifth season.

Series overview



Episodes

Season 1 (1990–1991)

  • The sixth episode "Everybody's Favorite Bagman" was the original pilot made by CBS in 1988. NBC decided to air "Prescription for Death" as the first episode of the series in 1990, before airing the original pilot later in the season.
  • It marks the only release of George Dzundza who left the cast at the end of the first season. He was replaced by Paul Sorvino.
  • S. Epatha Merkerson guest-stars as Denise Winters in the episode "Mushrooms". She then joins the main cast as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren three seasons later. James McDaniel, who plays Michael Ingrams, became Lieutenant Arthur Fancy on NYPD Blue.
  • Thirteen episodes were filmed between the spring and summer of 1990 before being broadcast. Thirteen episodes were already completed before the show premiered on NBC.

Season 2 (1991–1992)

Season 3 (1992–1993)

Season 4 (1993–1994)

Season 5 (1994–1995)

Season 6 (1995–1996)

  • Benjamin Bratt joined the cast; Richard Brooks reprises his role as former ADA Paul Robinette; and Jill Hennessy left the cast at the end of the season.
  • The season finale episode "Aftershock" was the first and only episode of the entire Law & Order series not to feature a case and instead focus on the characters' private lives.

Season 7 (1996–1997)

  • Carey Lowell joined the cast as Jamie Ross, replacing Jill Hennessy from the previous season.
  • The three-part episode "D-Girl", "Turnaround," and "Showtime" guest-starred Scott Cohen, who went on to become DA Investigator Det. Chris Ravell in the spinoff Trial by Jury.

Season 8 (1997–1998)

  • This was the first of five different seasons in the series that had an unchanged cast from the previous season.
  • This is the first season to feature 24 episodes.
  • This is the final season to feature Carey Lowell in the main cast as Jamie Ross. She made a guest appearance in an episode in the next two seasons, as well as becoming a judge on the series' third spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She appeared in the show's revival 21st season premiere episode in 2022.

Season 9 (1998–1999)

Season 10 (1999–2000)

Season 11 (2000–2001)

Season 12 (2001–2002)

Season 13 (2002–2003)

  • Dianne Wiest was replaced by Fred Dalton Thompson this season.
  • This is the second season not to premiere in September.
  • "Absentia" was the first episode in the series to have more than 1 director listed.
  • With the October 9, 2002 telecast of its 279th episode, "Shangri-La," Law & Order surpassed the original Hawaii Five-O as TV's longest-running crime drama in prime-time, breaking a record that stood for 22 years.

Season 14 (2003–2004)

  • This is the second of five seasons in the series that had an unchanged cast from the previous season.
  • Jerry Orbach left the cast at the end of the season. The character Lennie Briscoe retired from the 27th Precinct and was transferred to the series' third spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, which premiered with L&O next season.

Season 15 (2004–2005)

Season 16 (2005–2006)

  • This is the third season that had an unchanged cast in between seasons, as every principal cast member who finished season 15 returned.
  • *This is Annie Parisse's first full season in the role of ADA Alexandra Borgia. She joined the cast in the 14th episode of the previous season. In the season finale episode 'Invaders', ADA Alexandra Borgia is brutally murdered. Annie Parisse wanted out of her contract, so she quit the show.
  • Parisse and Dennis Farina leave the cast after the season finale.
  • Michael Imperioli reprises his role in the episode "Hindsight".
  • Law & Order: Trial by Jury was canceled by the end of the 2005–06 season, only lasting one season. The real-life death of Jerry Orbach had done irreparable damage to the series.

Season 17 (2006–2007)

Season 18 (2008)

  • Jeremy Sisto, and Linus Roache, joined the cast.
  • Jesse L. Martin's character, Det. Ed Green, retired from detective work under messy circumstances in episode #14 titled "Burn Card". Anthony Anderson, took his place in the squad room, partnering with Det. Lupo. Martin played Det. Green for 9 seasons, from 1999 to 2008, totaling 198 episodes. He is the fifth-longest serving cast member on the show.
  • This is the first season to feature only 18 episodes
  • This was also the shortest season in the initial run of the show and the first to air mid-season until the show's revival with Season 21 in 2022.
  • Production of the eighteenth season was interrupted by the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike when executive producer René Balcer and the rest of the writing staff participated in the work stoppage, making this season the first to start in January and also caused its original twenty-two episode order to be reduced to eighteen.

Season 19 (2008–2009)

  • This was the fourth season that had an unchanged cast from the end of the previous season, and it was the first season to start in November.
  • *This is Anthony Anderson's first full season in the role of Det. Kevin Bernard. He joined the cast in the 14th episode of the previous season.
  • During this season, Law & Order: UK made its debut in the United Kingdom on ITV1.

Season 20 (2009–2010)

  • NBC canceled Law & Order on May 14, 2010. The show ran for 20 consecutive seasons and the series finale aired on May 24, 2010.
  • This was the fifth season in which the series had an unchanged cast from the previous season.
  • Benjamin Bratt reprised his role of Det. Rey Curtis in the episode "Fed".
  • Prior to the show's cancellation, S. Epatha Merkerson announced she was leaving the show in the season finale. She had played Lt. Van Buren for 16 years, with season 20 being her 17th and final season.

Season 21 (2022)

  • This season marks the show's revival after being cancelled 12 years prior on May 14, 2010, with the series finale airing on May 24, 2010. The show had run for 20 consecutive seasons.
  • Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy, and Odelya Halevi joined the main cast for the revival season. Manheim previously guest-starred as three separate characters in seasons 1, 3, & 4. Donovan previously guest-starred as two separate characters in seasons 6 & 17.
  • Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston were the only actors from the previous seasons to return.
  • Anderson left the show at the end of this season, deciding not to renew his contract.

Season 22 (2022–2023)

Season 23 (2024)

  • Reid Scott joins the cast in the season premiere, "Freedom of Expression".
  • Sam Waterston departed the series in the fifth episode, "Last Dance".
  • Tony Goldwyn joins main cast in the seventh episode.
  • Camryn Manheim departed the series following the conclusion of the season.
  • The penultimate episode of the season is the series' milestone 500th episode.

Season 24 (2024–2025)

  • Maura Tierney joins the main cast as Lieutenant Jessica Brady.
  • Mehcad Brooks departed the series following the season finale, "Look the Other Way".

Season 25 (2025–2026)

  • David Ajala joins the main cast as Detective Theo Walker in episode 530 "Guardian".