As Law & Order prepares to say goodbye to Reid Scott, the long-running series has confirmed that Ryan Eggold will make a return appearance in season 26 of Law & Order timed to Reid's exit.
Eggold plays Detective Riley's troubled brother, Matt. The actor's return has been timed to Scott's exit from the show at the start of the new season, with showrunner Rick Eid telling TVLine, the show will give Scott a "very emotional" and "really powerful" departure the screen time. The episode will see Riley reunite with his brother Matt, who has "recovered" from his stabbing and subsequent coma, marking his first time back on the show since October 2025.
Eggold made his first appearance as Matt in season 24. The character became embroiled in a murder investigation following the death of a basketball coach. Matt had been seen talking to the victim the day before he was murdered, so Riley was forced to question him regarding his involvement. It became clear that his younger brother knew more than he let on, and Riley and his partner eventually traced everything back to Matt's boss, Costa.
The prosecution tried to get Matt to testify against Costa for the murder, but Matt ultimately proved hostile on the stand. As a result, Riley had charges reinstated against Matt for his prior crimes, sending him to prison.
The brothers' story didn't end there, however, as Matt reappeared in season 25 after being released from prison. He tried to turn his life around by getting a job at a restaurant, but trouble followed him. Matt witnessed a murder at a high-stakes poker game and eventually agreed to testify against the killer. However, he was later stabbed by an assailant and put into a coma.
Suffice it to say, the Riley brothers have quite the history.
However, in an April 2026 interview with TVInsider, Scott said he hoped Eggold would eventually return as Matt.
“I believe, and I really hope. and I think that the plan is to get Ryan back for more because that’s just been such a fun relationship to play with,” Scott shared. "He brings so much to the show, and I know the audience really loves to see these Riley brothers go at it. My overall hope is that we get Ryan back at some point before the end of the season.”
Scott implied that a reconciliation would not only go a long way towards fixing the brothers' relationship but also easing Riley's guilt.
"He’s got a very fraught relationship with his brother, as we’ve seen. He feels a bit responsible for putting his brother in harm’s way. His brother’s in a coma. Riley carries the world on his shoulders. He is the very definition of a bit of a weary warrior, but he doesn’t know anything else."
Hopefully, Riley will get the chance to make everything right ahead of his departure from Law & Order.
Law & Order airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC and is available to stream the following day on Peacock.
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