Law & Order is all set to return with an exciting new Season 26 later this year. Interestingly, the season's release will coincide with the premiere of its spin-off show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 28. Both shows are set to debut in October 2026. However, ahead of the new season's release, fans were shocked by the news that Law & Order cast member Reid Scott had already left the series.

The actor had been part of the show for only three seasons. And following his unexpected exit, the production has already found a replacement in The Pacific star.

As Deadline recently reported, James Badge Dale is set to join Law & Order Season 26. He is expected to join the team as a senior detective following the exit of Reid Scott's character, Senior Detective Vincent Riley. However, not much has been revealed about his character, including his background or role in the series.

The actor is best known for his roles in The Pacific, The Departed, World War Z, Iron Man 3, and 13 Hours. As for Scott, he is expected to appear in Season 26 to give proper closure to his character arc. He joined the series in Season 23 and reportedly still had one season remaining on his contract. 

However, Scott's departure and Dale joining in (via Deadline) is reportedly amicable with the production. As per reports, his exit was due to the demands of regularly traveling across the country and spending extended periods away from his family. The series is filmed in New York. The series originally premiered in 1990 and has since spawned several spinoffs, creating one of television's most successful franchises. Many of those spinoffs have become just as popular as the original, running for multiple seasons and keeping viewers hooked with each episode.  

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Ahead of the arrival of new seasons, here is a look at the Law & Order shows and the right order to watch them. 

The Law & Order franchise is best watched by starting with the 1990 original Law & Order. For those intrigued by this universe of law, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which came out in 1999, is a perfect watch. This series expands the franchise to focus on several other offenses. 

The next series to watch in the franchise is Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001). This shifts the focus to the Major Case Squad and explores the psychology and motives of criminals. The next is the 2021 show, Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021), which follows Elliot Stabler's return to New York. While these can be watched as standalone series, this order of all the series is perfect for understanding recurring characters and major story developments.

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Have you watched all the series? Let us know in the comments.