Regulation & Order returns after a quick break that adopted the ripped-from-the-headlines story a couple of murdered insurance coverage CEO with an episode that places Detective Riley in a tough place. The loss of life of a younger lady hits somewhat too near residence for the detective within the new installment on April 3, and Reid Scott opened up about his character being “triggered” and the way this storyline within the 2025 TV schedule helps repay on a promise from the writers.
The brand new episode airing on NBC on April 3 (and streaming subsequent day with a Peacock subscription) known as “A Excellent Household,” and Riley should work to piece collectively the ultimate moments of a pupil’s life earlier than she was thrown to her loss of life. Reid Scott spoke with CinemaBlend about how his character is about to undergo the emotional wringer over the span of an hour, saying:
This episode is a troublesome one for Riley, as a result of we have established it all through his time on the 27 that he will get moderately triggered when a case entails violence in opposition to girls. He is additionally a father, so anytime there is a case involving an adolescent, that will get to him too. He will get doubly hit by this one, when the sufferer seems to be a 12-year-old lady. Riley is the type of man who would not let his feelings bubble up an excessive amount of. He works very laborious to consciously hold them at bay, and that is one which I feel we see it actually impacts him in a manner that surprises him.
Being triggered by circumstances involving violence in opposition to girls actually makes for a personality who matches in properly in a world additionally embrace Regulation & Order: SVU, however viewers do not usually see circumstances hit too near residence for him. Riley actually felt it when Dixon departed, and his private life intersected with the job earlier in Season 24 when his brother (performed by New Amsterdam‘s Ryan Eggold) turned up. The scenario in “A Excellent Household” places stress on him differently, as Reid Scott elaborated:
I actually loved exploring and enjoying with these themes, not solely as an actor, but additionally as a father myself. I used to be capable of name on a few of my very own experiences as a father, and layer these over a few of the scenes that we had. I actually loved it, as a result of not solely are they fantastic scenes to work on, however something that colours within the backstory and the non-public facet of our characters, I simply discover actually, actually fascinating.
Regulation & Order is after all massively profitable as a procedural, at greater than 500 episodes and counting, however that does not imply episodes cannot additionally dig into extra serialized character-heavy storylines. In keeping with Reid Scott, it is a deal with for him when he will get the chance to delve into what drives his character. He shared:
That was really one thing that I might spoken to the writers and producers about earlier than I even signed on. They made it clear that that was one thing that they wished to play with a bit extra, and I actually jumped on the probability. It is a legendary present and all that, however the thought to nudge it in a brand new route, which isn’t to say that we’re reinventing the present, however we’re simply including some colours to it.
Scott’s feedback monitor with what Mehcad Brooks, who performs Det. Shaw, previewed about Regulation & Order feeling “up to date” in Season 24, and Hugh Dancy equally bought the possibility to dig into Worth’s tragic historical past earlier this yr. Riley is up subsequent! The Veep alum continued:
To be part of that motion inside this franchise, I discovered actually thrilling. True to their phrase, we discovered loads of alternatives on this season alone, beginning off with once we met my brother’s character, performed by Ryan Eggold, and that basically confirmed us loads about Riley. After which all through another episodes, we have talked about loads of details about his backstory, his household life. However then on this episode, it actually introduced it residence for me, as a result of I started working reverse a implausible younger visitor star actress enjoying my daughter.
“A Excellent Household” shall be Chapelwaite actress Justine Colan’s first episode as Bridget Riley, and Reid Scott solely had good issues to say about her enjoying his character’s daughter. He shared that having Riley’s daughter is “put it in entrance of my face in a manner that I actually appreciated, as a result of I bought to see it,” and went on:
She was simply so fantastic to work with. Actually had this nice rapport. I bought to crack my very own dumb dad jokes to form of break the ice and loosen issues up a bit. However it was nice as a result of I bought to discover a facet of Riley that I do not get to discover. We do not see him be tender in any respect, as a result of he would not actually have the chance. Mild, maybe, with the household of the deceased, however that is extra strategic {and professional}. However to see actual, real tenderness is one thing that we’ve got not seen. And I feel this case specifically leads into that place the place, regardless of his greatest efforts, that bubbles to the floor and it simply ratifies what’s essential to him, which is his household.
The brand new episode will present a unique facet of Det. Riley than followers normally see every week, and what feels like a tough case for the character was an amazing expertise for the actor. Try the preview for what to anticipate:
Watch On
Tune in to NBC on Thursday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET for the “A Excellent Household” episode of Regulation & Order, forward of Regulation & Order: SVU revisiting Carisi’s traumatic expertise at 9 p.m. ET. The 2 dramas are set for a crossover on April 17, which shall be a really huge night time for the franchise, because the Season 5 premiere of Regulation & Order: Organized Crime will air in its previous 10 p.m. ET time slot after SVU. The remainder of the season will solely stream on Peacock.