The Right Thing

"The Right Thing"
←	L&O, Episode 21.01	→
Production number: 21001 First aired (US): 24 February 2022 First aired (CAN): 24 February 2022 First aired (AUS): 21 November 2023
	th of 456 produced in L&O
←	th of 456 released in L&O	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By Dick Wolf & Rick Eid Directed By Jean de Segonzac

Summary

Newly acquainted partners Kevin Bernard and Frank Cosgrove investigate the murder of a notorious entertainer. A dispute over throwing out a confession creates a rift in the District Attorney's office.

Cast

Main cast

• Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard
• Jeffrey Donovan as Detective Frank Cosgrove
• Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon
• Hugh Dancy as E.A.D.A. Nolan Price
• Odelya Halevi as A.D.A. Samantha Maroun
• Sam Waterston as District Attorney Jack McCoy

Recurring cast

• Carey Lowell as A.D.A. Jamie Ross
• Shayvawn Webster as Officer Dani Vertiz
• Alicia Coppola as Defense Attorney Audrey Keller
• Jamie Guyer as CSU Tech
• Celeste Oliva as Judge Katherine Walton
• John Hedges as Judge Hartman

Guest cast

• Lisa Arrindell Anderson as Veronica King
• Alyson Cambridge as Diane Holiday
• Jeannine Kaspar as Nicole Bell
• Josh Morgan as Martin Rixford
• Mark Lotito as Alan Conner
• Norm Lewis as Henry King
• Marcel Simoneau as Ryan Bell
• Abdul L. Howard as ECT #1
• Regina Ohashi as Forelady
• Frank Anello as Lawyer
• Ian Richard Barnes as Man in Restaurant
• Ivan Amaro Bullon as Police Officer
• Francis Mancho as Young Man #1
• Ryan O'Dell as Young Man #2
• Daniel Hirsh as Activist #3 (uncredited)

References

• Robert Payne
• Christina Maroun

Quotes

Jack McCoy: It's okay to play the hero, Nolan. As long as you win.

Background Information and Notes

• This is the first episode of Law & Order to air in twelve years after the series was cancelled in 2010.
• This episode marks the first appearances of Frank Cosgrove, Kate Dixon, Nolan Price, Samantha Maroun, and Dani Vertiz.
• Jean de Segonzac directs this episode. He had previously directed many other episodes in the Law & Order franchise, namely the pilots of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ("Payback"), Law & Order: Criminal Intent ("One"), and Law & Order: Trial by Jury ("The Abominable Showman").
  • While not a pilot episode, it can be seen as a pilot of sorts as it is the first episode of the Law & Order revival.
• The intro now has all six main cast members walking towards the camera in the end shot. Previous intros only featured the ADAs and the detectives walking towards the camera at the end and not the District Attorney or the 27th Precinct commanding officer.
• Kevin Bernard and Frank Cosgrove are stated to have been partners for two months as of this episode.
• Carey Lowell guest-stars in this episode, reprising her role as Jamie Ross, who is now once again an assistant district attorney. She does not share any scenes with her longtime costar Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy) in the final version of the episode; though a scene of them together was filmed, it was deleted and instead posted on the Wolf Entertainment YouTube channel as a bonus feature.
• Wolf Entertainment posted five deleted scenes on their YouTube channel a week after the episode aired in the U.S. The scenes include:
  • "Manifesting": Bernard and Cosgrove interview a suspect who believes he manifested the murder of Henry King.
  • "A Line You Can't Cross": McCoy talks to Ross and asks her to testify against Nicole at her murder trial.
  • "It's Over": Another scene showing the detectives getting a lead on the murder.
  • "Irrefutable Evidence": Price relates his history as a defense attorney to Maroun.
  • "The Woman Who Took Down a King": The detectives recap why they suspect Nicole is the murderer.

Footnotes

Previous episode: "Rubber Room"

"The Right Thing" Law & Order Season 21

Next episode: "Impossible Dream"