The last new case of Law & Order aired just under six months ago, with the Season 22 finale doubling as longtime star Sam Waterston's 400th episode. At the time, the WGA writers strike had begun, but the SAG-AFTRA actors were not striking yet, and there was reason to hope that the long-running NBC drama could be back in September as usual for the franchise. Nearly six months later, the strikes are finally both over. With production on L&O Season 23 expected to begin before the end of November, I flashed back to some comments from actor Mehcad Brooks from last season, and they make me more hopeful than ever for what comes next.
First things first! The actors strike ended on November 9 when SAG-AFTRA struck a deal with the AMPTP, followed by reports that Law & Order (along with SVU, Organized Crime, and the other shows in the Wolf Entertainment franchise) was aiming to salvage a 13-episode TV season with production for the 2023-2024 lineup beginning after Thanksgiving. It's unlikely that fans will see characters like Mehcad Brooks' Jalen Shaw, Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy, or any of the other L&O series regulars any sooner than February 2024, but this is definitely progress that left me thinking about how Season 23 could pick up on Season 22, and that took me back to an interview from nearly a year ago.
