Law & Orderseason 24 introduced a new character who is following a storytelling trend that Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) started. There have been manyLaw & Ordercastchanges over its long run. Although the series initially focused more on plot elements than characters' personal lives, some characters were more popular than others, and each new character brought something different to the table, which influenced the direction of the show.
There have only been a few heads of the homicide unit onLaw & Order,and Kate Dixon (Camryn Manheim) remained in that position for the first three years of the soft reboot. However, Manheim announced that she wouldnot be returning forLaw & Orderseason 24shortly after the season 23 finale aired. Thus,Law & Orderhad to introduce a new character to take the helm in the season 24 premiere, leading to a change that continueda trend that began when Nicholas Baxter replaced Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy as the Manhattan District Attorney.
Jessica Brady’s Arrival Changes The Tone Of Law & Order Season 24
Brady Offered a New, Harsher Tone From Her First Scene
Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) sets a new, harsher tonein her first scene. While Dixon usually stayed in the squad room and directed the detectives from there, Brady arrived at a crime scene and took charge before introducing herself. She had no time or patience for the detectives' questions about what had happened to Dixon and was hyper-focused on the case at hand. Additionally, after the detectives returned to the squad room, Brady made it clear that she wouldn’t tolerate Riley’s resentment of her or his attachment to Dixon, stating unequivocally that she didn’t care if her detectives liked her.
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Brady’s leadership style is all business, which is the opposite of how Dixon ran her squad room. Her harsh tone thus drives the series in a new direction where stories are tighter and faster-paced, with less time for banter between the cops or arguments about side issues related to how one cop treats suspects as opposed to the other. This approach more closely matches thebest episodes ofLaw & Order, which focused more on cases than on the characters' personal lives or how any given case affected them.
Brady’s Law & Order Attitude Mirrors Baxter’s
He Already Took The District Attorney’s Office In This Less Friendly Direction
When Baxter took over the District Attorney’s office afterSam Waterston’s exit fromLaw & Order,he also made it clear that he valued results over personal relationships,informing EADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) that Price could quit if he did not like Baxter’s leadership. Baxter’s priorities are ensuring that victims get the best possible outcome to their cases and that his office maintains its reputation for fighting for justice without compromising its integrity. These principles often put him in conflict with Price, as Baxter’s approach risks losing specific cases to gain longer-term benefits.
Baxter reaffirmed his approach in an interview at the beginning of season 24’s premiere episode,explaining that his office must be apolitical to regain the public’s trust. This opening helped set the new tone for the season, as it not only reminded the audience of Baxter’s priorities but also demonstrated thatLaw & Orderwould return to basing stories on real cases, even ones that might be controversial or upsetting.
What Brady & Baxter’s Harsher Approach Means For The Future Of Law & Order
The Series Is Returning To Practices That Helped It Be Successful In The Past
Baxter and Brady’s insistence on putting the results they seek over personal relationships represents a return toLaw & Order’s earlier days. When the series first began, the characters were somewhat interchangeable, as the show focused on each story’s plot and depicted little, if any, of the cops' and prosecutors' personal lives.ModernLaw & Orderepisodes have been more character-based, which has thrown the show off-balance, and many episodes' pacing has suffered as a result of unnecessary side conversations or interpersonal conflicts.
The season 24 premiere demonstrated a better ability to balance personal and professional storylines with Maroun’s difficulty dealing with this case because of her sister’s death.
Law & Order’s most high-quality stories are tightly plotted, focusing on the cops' investigation and the subsequent legal proceedings without getting distracted by personal stories. The characters shouldn’t be so unrelatable that the audience knows nothing about them. However, in recent years the series has gone too far in the direction of personal stories. The season 24 premiere demonstrated a better ability to balance personal and professional storylines with Maroun’s difficulty dealing with this case because of her sister’s death.
Law & Order
Cast
Law & Order is a procedural crime drama series that premiered in 1990, featuring New York City police detectives and prosecutors as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes. The show is known for its two-part approach, dividing between the crime-solving efforts of the detectives and the legal proceedings in court.
