Where Was Mehcad Brooks’ Detective Jalen Shaw on Law & Order? (March 20, 2025)
Viewers may have noticed that Det. Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) was absent from the latest episode of Law & Order, leaving his partner to pair up with another NYPD employee. Here's why.
Pulse-pounding foot chases through the streets of New York City are just a regular part of the job for the detectives of Law & Order — but the latest race to track down a killer was missing one major component.
Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) usually hits the ground running with his partner and frequent confidant, Det. Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks), but this time, Shaw was noticeably missing in action.
The seasoned detective not only skipped out on the intense chase to apprehend a man suspected of killing an insurance executive, but he didn’t appear at all in the Season 24 episode “Folk Hero," which debuted on March 20, 2025.
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Instead, Sgt. Danny DeLuca — played by guest star Jesse Metcalfe — stepped in to hunt down the suspect alongside Riley.
While fans undoubtedly missed the quick-witted banter and camaraderie that’s an essential part of the partnership between Shaw and Riley, it turned out that Shaw had a very good reason to sit this one out.
Where was Mehcad Brooks’ Detective Jalen Shaw on Law & Order's March 20, 2025 episode?
Even the good guys need to take sick days once in a while and that’s exactly what kept Det. Shaw from playing a role in solving the controversial murder at the center of Season 24's “Folk Hero" episode.
Shaw’s absence was first explained as Riley and Lieutenant Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) were driving back from a meeting that was off-site from the 27th Precinct station house they normally work out of.
"Do we really believe Jalen’s sick or did he just want to miss the longest CompStat meeting in history?” Brady jokingly asked.
“No, he’s really sick,” Riley replied. “Big guy got hammered.”
Riley went on to add that his partner was “waiting for a chest scan” and had to "wait in the ER for 11 hours” just to get the care that he needed.
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Just moments later, the U.S. healthcare industry — and criticism surrounding it — came into even greater focus when a health insurance executive was gunned down on a Midtown Manhattan street by a masked killer and Brady and Riley raced to the scene.
As Brady took control of the chaotic crime scene, Riley and DeLuca ran through the streets trying to catch up to the elusive shooter, who managed to evade them for hours before he was taken down by the duo just as he tried to shoot another insurance executive.
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DeLuca proved to be a good stand-in for the missing Shaw, but Law & Order fans don’t need to worry about Riley and Shaw being apart much longer. They'll be together again soon enough.
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What has Mehcad Brooks said about working with Reid Scott?
Partners Shaw and Riley have slipped into an easy rapport with one another since they began working together at the start of Season 23. It’s a dynamic that’s extended to the actors’ real-life working relationship and friendship.
Brooks offered up some high praise for his frequent scene partner in a 2024 interview with Bakersfield, California-based news outlet KGET.
“He can do it all. He’s funny. He’s sardonic. He can lock in and bring the drama and the tension,” Brooks said of Scott. “He’s so dedicated and versatile in his acting that he often does things you are not expecting.”
According to Brooks, Scott has even helped him elevate his own acting skills.
“He makes me better,” he added.
To find out which case the pair will take on once they’ve reunited, watch Law & Order on Thursdays at 8/7c p.m. on NBC or stream episodes on Peacock when they become available the next day.
