Why Fans Think Mehcad Brooks’ Shaw Is Leaving Law & Order

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Are you curious about the whereabouts of Mehcad Brooks’ character, Detective Jalen Shaw, on Law & Order? Following two consecutive episodes without the beloved investigator, the viewers were given an update during the April 3, 2025 episode. A brief dialogue between Riley and Lt. Brady hinted at Shaw’s ongoing health issue, and also provided hope that his return to the series is imminent.

Here’s what we know about Shaw’s absence, his illness, and when he returns to the 27th Precinct.

Is Mehcad Brooks’ Detective Shaw leaving Law & Order and where is he?

In a more conversational style, it can be said: Actor Mehcad Brooks, portraying Detective Jalen Shaw on Law & Order, wasn’t absent from the show. Instead, he missed the episodes on April 3, 2025 (“A Perfect Family”) and March 20, 2025 (“Folk Hero”) due to an illness.

Shaw’s absence was acknowledged in both episodes. In “Folk Hero,” Lieutenant Jessica Brady raised a point, “We truly think Jalen is ill or did he simply want to avoid the longest CompStat meeting ever?” To which Detective Vincent Riley responded, “He’s genuinely sick. The large man had too much.

In my fandom, Riley shared that Shaw endured a prolonged wait in the ER for a “scan of his chest.” In the heart-wrenching drama “A Perfect Family,” Brady communicated to me, Riley, at a crime scene that “Jalen’s health issues persist, leaving just you and me.

When will Jalen Shaw return to Law & Order?

In the upcoming episode of Law & Order, entitled “Inherent Bias,” which is set to air on April 10, 2025, we find Detective Shaw back in action. He had taken a brief hiatus because of an undisclosed health issue.

As a fervent admirer, I can’t help but express my delight in the captivating chemistry between Mehcad Brooks, portraying Det. Vincent Riley, and his on-screen counterpart Reid Scott. This magnetic bond will once again unfold as Shaw makes his comeback. In an October 2024 interview with CinemaBlend, Brooks shared a heartfelt sentiment: “Reid is like my long-lost brother from another mother. We were somehow separated at birth and yet I’ve never clicked so instantly with someone before. He feels the same way.

He mentioned, “Our humor is quite similar, leaning towards the sarcastic and sardonic side. We share many common interests. We’re both born under the sign of Scorpio. As people, we seem to understand each other well, and we put in a lot of effort at our respective jobs.

Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c p.m. on NBC.

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2025-04-04 07:10