From the moment it was announced that Reid Scott would be leaving Law & Order, the biggest question on the minds of the fans was how the show would handle his departure. There have been many comings and goings over the course of the show’s 26 seasons, and fans have seen the show deploy many storylines to handle these cast changes.
While some exits have left the door open for potential returns, Scott’s departure was a bit more final as the second episode of season 26 saw Detective Vincent Riley die in the line of duty. It was an emotional hour that saw the team working to get justice for their fallen friend and colleague, no matter the cost. Fortunately, the jury found Riley’s killer guilty, allowing justice to be served, but just because the case is over does not mean things are about to go back to normal for those left behind.
After stepping in to lead Riley’s murder investigation, Detective Rob Calvino will officially join the 21st Precinct’s team as Detective Walker’s new partner in Law & Order season 26, episode 3, “Bad News,” and his addition to the team will come with some growing pains. It’s never easy joining an established team, but it’s a particularly difficult position to navigate when your arrival comes as the result of a fellow officer dying in the line of duty.
The ghost of Riley will continue to loom over the precinct, as evident in our exclusive first look at tonight’s new episode.
In the clip above, Calvino attempts to get settled into his new desk, but when he opens the drawer to store his gun while at the precinct, he’s surprised to find a photo of Riley and his family has been left behind. He awkwardly closes the drawer, not wanting to make a scene, as Walker walks Lt. Brady through the lab’s findings, which isn’t enough to create an independent profile, pointing them towards the victim’s killer.
Calvino suggests they head over to the offices to follow the lead and takes a swift exit as Lt. Brady pulls Walker aside to check how he’s handling the changes. He assures her that he’s adjusting to the change, as he heads out, but it’s clear the loss of his partner is weighing heavily on him and understandably so.
The loss of a partner in the line of duty is never something that is easy to overcome, and we’re sure that it’s going to take some time for Walker to adjust to his new normal. Thankfully, it seems that Calvino knows how sensitive the situation is and is looking to protect his new partner, as evidenced by the way he handled the situation with the photo left behind in the desk—though Lt. Brady clearly picked up on his cues, as we see her take the photo from the drawer after Calvino and Walker departed.
We'll see how their new partnership forms as the season goes by, but for now it's clear that Calvino is looking to give his new partner the space he needs to grieve while working their first case together, which will see them investigating the murder of a prominent newspaper editor. The investigation is one that promises to test the pair not only as new partners but also as they uncover a web of newsroom secrets that obstruct their investigation.
Don't miss a new Law & Order tonight at 10/9c on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock!
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