Law & Order began its 23rd season without Jeffery Donovan, who was seen as Detective Cosgrove in the last two seasons, many fans were in complete confusion when they did not spot the actor in the latest episode. His absence was not addressed until more than 15 minutes into the episode.
Fans started to ask questions on Twitter, one asked, did he miss something? What happened to Cosgrove? Another one added he is late to the party, but where is Cosgrove, addressing Dick Wolf, creator and the production company.
While some viewers were aware that Cosgrove would be leaving the show, it seemed that they would be curious to learn more about the specifics of his character’s termination.
One viewer questioned, are you not going to talk about Cosgrove at all?, just give us Riley. We won’t need a little backstory… about Detective Vincent Riley, Jalen Shaw’s new partner.
Frank Cosgrove’s future in Law & Order
Season 22 offered some hints as to how Cosgrove will be killed off, though we don’t know exactly how. In the penultimate episode, Cosgrove was shot and hurt while looking into a case involving both murder and missing persons.
Although he lived, the incident left him shaken and made him worry about leaving his wife widowed. The detective then made viewers consider whether his work was worth risking his life for his family.
We believe that Cosgrove will leave the force and that his coworkers will be informed of his departure in the Season 23 premiere episode. Detective Jalen Shaw, portrayed by Mehcad Brooks, who plays Cosgrove’s partner, will probably also meet his new partner.
Why is Jeffery Donovan leaving Law & Order?
In November 2023, there was news of Donovan’s resignation. According to TVLine, the actor was fired for “creative reasons.”
Although Donovan has not yet released an official comment about the termination, he has previously discussed the significance of Frank Cosgrove’s influence in his life.
Donovan, who has always been a fan of Law & Order, said he jumped at the chance to appear on the show in 2022 when speaking with Variety Radio Online.
He said it was like a dream to be in this cast, which came true. He has watched all the amazing cast on TV since the 90s in New York
Not long after Donovan left, word leaked out about his replacement. Reid Scott, star of Veep and The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, will portray Shaw’s new partner, Vincent Riley, in Season 23.
Who is Vincent Riley?
Jalen Shaw, played by Mehcad Brooks’s detective partner, Vincent Riley, is a rookie detective in the Homicide Squad of the 27th Precinct. He was personally recruited for the team by Lt. Kate Dixon, played by Cameron Manheim. He had a past with him and will directly report to Dixon
Dixon has known Riley for a long time; as Manheim stated to TV Insider at the Season 23 premiere, he has been on the force for a long time. She’s indeed been attempting to bring him over there because of the darker circumstances. It has been difficult, but Episode 4 makes all of that clear.
Brooks also discussed the new partner for his character. He told Riley’s source that Scott is an actor is incredible, and he has a sort of redemptive path that Shaw finds out about a little later, which causes some amicable conflict, but there’s a wonderful relationship that the two characters have, he is ideal for this role.
Scott’s most well-known roles are from the last seasons of Amazon Prime’s The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel and HBO’s Veep. Along with other shows, he has made appearances in Black-ish, Will & Grace, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and American Horror Stories.
TheWrap published an exclusive first look at Scott as Detective Vincent Riley ahead of the Season 23 debut. In the video, Riley and Shaw look into a death that appears to be related to a dispute about free speech that happened on a college campus.
Several exclusive images from the new season, which see Scott suiting up and prepared to solve crimes, were also made public by TVLine. Law & Order has been airing since 1990 which makes it one of the longest-running shows, it has 23 seasons with more than 485 episodes, and you can check them out on Amazon Prime Videos.
