Plot Synopsis

LAW & ORDER is a one-hour crime procedural that focuses on the crime investigation during the first 30 minutes and the court proceedings in the last half of each episode. Set and filmed in New York City, this longest-running crime drama aired for a record 20 seasons by using storylines inspired by and ripped from contemporary news headlines, while changing details -- and often increasing the severity of crimes -- for dramatic effect. Each episode opens with the discovery of a crime, usually a murder, which launches an investigation. As the officers and detectives tackle the case, they collect as much evidence as possible while interrogating persons of interest, analyzing forensic results, addressing open questions, and apprehending the criminal. Halfway through the episode, the case is turned over to the district attorney's office, so a DA can try the criminal in court. Each episode ends with justice being served -- a verdict or plea bargain -- sometimes to the dissatisfaction of the police department. Known for its iconic clang sound effect when changing scenes throughout the episode, these tones carried over into the other series in the LAW & ORDER franchise.

After nearly a 12-year break, LAW & ORDER returned for its 21st season on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT on NBC. The series continues the classic bifurcated format that was created for its original run, once again examining "the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders." In the season premiere, titled "The Right Thing," newly acquainted partners Bernard and Cosgrove investigate the murder of a notorious entertainer. Meanwhile, a dispute over throwing out a confession creates a rift in the DA's office.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT, NBC premiered "Black and Blue," the Season 21 finale of LAW & ORDER. The murder of an off-duty NYPD detective threatens to tear the city apart. Cosgrove mourns the loss of a friend and asks Capt. Benson for help solving the case. McCoy and Price disagree on how to prosecute the culprit, sparking sharp condemnation from all sides.

Nine days earlier -- on Tuesday, May 10 -- NBC announced that it renewed LAW & ORDER for a 22nd season.