What To Know
- Detective Theo Walker’s partnership with Detective Vince Riley is tested in his first homicide case, as Theo makes a decision on his own at a critical point during the trial.
- David Ajala breaks down Theo’s decision and how he feels about the ultimatum Riley gives him regarding their partnership at the end of the episode as a result.
- Ajala also discusses getting to see Theo undercover this season.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Law & Order Season 25 Episode 7 “Guardian.”]
Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) makes his mark in his first episode with homicide in the Thursday, November 13, episode of Law & Order.
His first case as Detective Vince Riley’s (Reid Scott) partner is the murder of a high school student who was a very promising athlete. It turns out that his foster father killed him because he was planning to drop him as his agent, therefore cutting him out of quite a bit of money. But the defendant claims that he acted in self-defense, and Theo doesn’t tell Price (Hugh Dancy) that there is a video showing an instance of violence in the past. Riley finds out, and Theo argues they both knew he was guilty, and he didn’t break any laws. Riley agrees and gets why he did it, but he tells his new partner he doesn’t do the long wolf thing. And so Theo has a choice: They either do this thing together, or he finds a new partner.
Below, David Ajala explains Theo’s decision, breaks down that ultimatum from Riley, and more.
Theo holds back the camera footage that proves that James is telling the truth from Price. What factored into that decision exactly? Was it because he knew this is the only way to get a guilty verdict?
David Ajala: By any means necessary. That is a very gray area, but at the same time, justice prevailed. The way in which we did it, he did it, Riley may not agree with it entirely. He would’ve maybe gone a slightly different route, but justice was served.
Will Hart/NBC
Because of that, how is Theo feeling about the verdict?
Because justice was served, because I don’t think there’s a doubt in his mind when it comes to it, I’m happy with what I did. Would I change anything? No, I wish I could have got to that answer or got to that evidence sooner, if anything, because this is a man who is big on justice letting justice prevail. But those gray areas are wonderful for character development.
Those make for the best characters.
I think so.
Where is Theo’s head at the end of this episode when it comes to him and Riley as partners?
What I like is he doesn’t make a decision on camera. That gray area is wonderful. Then we get to the next episode, and we feel like, OK, well, something’s working because Theo hasn’t left, Riley is also still there. Let’s see. Let’s try and figure out why it’s working. We don’t get to see what that conversation looks like, of Theo saying, “Hey, Riley, what you said, I get it, and I’m going to try and meet you halfway.” We become detectives, figuring out how or when did they — why is it working? What’s helping this relationship, partnership to work? That’s exciting.
That also plays into what you said before about still finding that dynamic with your fourth episode?
Definitely.
Is this directly playing into that, or any question of how much they trust each other?
Yeah, there is that because we want to keep that alive. Theo’s not saying, I don’t trust you, Theo is saying, I work a certain way, this is new to me, so you’re going to have to be patient for me to find it within me to just be more trusting because if I can, we’re both going to benefit from this. But what you need from me, I’m not going to overpromise and underdeliver, so let’s just take a minute so I can really figure out what this looks like before I commit to it properly. Because also you have to remember, he could walk away and be like, ah, homicide is not for me. I’m going back to narcotics. He has that choice, lest we forget.
Virginia Sherwood/NBC
So, what is keeping him at homicide? Is he starting to prefer it to narcotics?
Good question. I feel like it’s a new challenge that he’s embracing. What does he want out of it is a good question. What is he getting out of it is a very, very good question. Thankfully, I don’t have to answer that anytime soon.
How does he feel about Riley giving him that ultimatum so early on in their partnership?
I think he respects it because Theo is similar because in that episode, Theo establishes a few times — he establishes with Brady [Maura Tierney] that I have respect for you, but at the same time, I’m not going to kowtow to anybody respectfully. He says to Riley, yo, when you try to arrest Hollow Point, the gangster, his bodyguard was right there and you tried to just act like he was nothing. That’s not going to help you in your situation. Theo didn’t wait until the second time it happened. He saw it, and he called it out straight away. That reveals a lot of character for me. So, when Riley’s like, hey, just letting you know that lone wolf thing is not working for me, I think a part of Theo respects it to be like, appreciate you for saying that to my face and not behind my back or whatever. So I feel that there is a healthy respect that can be developed and nurtured.
Speaking of being a lone wolf, is it that he’s used to not necessarily having people have his back? When he’s undercover, he has to rely on himself. Is that also the appeal of homicide, having a team?
Yeah, very, very true. Nothing strikes me as him being somebody that quits easily. So I feel like he’s going to stick with it for as long as he can until he figures out his path, and then once he’s done that, I think he’s going to go elsewhere.
I can’t wait to hear more about his past. I feel like there’s going to be something revealed that really gets into why he came to homicide.
Yeah, I’m looking forward to — I think it happens in this season where we get to see him going undercover. I’m excited for that. That’s going to just share some parts of him that nobody’s seen.
Also probably in a different way than he was used to because he’ll also be using skills that he picked up here.
Oh, yeah, that’s true. This is true. You’re onto something.
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