Detective Frank Cosgrove turned in his badge.
Jeffrey Donovan, who has played Cosgrove on Law & Order since the show’s revival in 2022, will not be returning for Season 23.
Why is Frank Cosgrove departing Law & Order, and what is going to happen to Jeffrey Donovan’s character? Continue reading to discover out.
Law & Order is an NBC criminal procedural that follows the detectives of the Manhattan North Homicide Squad in the 27th Precinct and the prosecutors of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Both groups collaborate to investigate and seek justice in New York City. Dick Wolfe created the series, which aired in 1990 and generated various spinoffs, including Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime. The show was canceled in 2010 due to low ratings, however it returned more than a decade later in 2022.
Jeffrey Donovan joined the original cast, which included Anthony Anderson (who left after one season) and Sam Waterston, among others. He played cop Frank Cosgrove, a gruff Irish-Catholic cop from the Bronx. Donovan quit the series before Season 23, as revealed by TVLine in November 2023.
The episode, titled “Freedom of Expression,” explained Cosgrove’s off-screen resignation in a brief chat between Riley and Det. Shaw (Mehcad Brooks). Riley inquired about Shaw’s former colleague, to which Shaw responded that Cosgrove was a “great cop” who simply became “jammed up [about] being too honest about things people aren’t too honest about these days.”
Meanwhile, Riley and Shaw’s new cooperation was off to a difficult start when they investigated a murder on a college campus. Riley was not pleased when Shaw disarmed a man with a knife after threatening to shoot him for failing to drop the weapon.
“Don’t ever do that again,” Riley advised.
At a recent red carpet event commemorating Law & Order: SVU’s 25th season debut, Brooks defined Shaw and Riley’s chemistry as “two guys of the same generation who are different because they have different perspectives on life.”
It’s a stark contrast to Cosgrove and Shaw’s mentor/mentee relationship in Seasons 21 and 22, which frequently saw them at odds due to their age gap. However, this does not imply that the new collaboration will be without strife. Riley is keeping a deep secret, which will be revealed in Episode 4 during a serial killer investigation. According to Brooks, the hidden knowledge will change the dynamics with Shaw.
“Riley is on a redemptive path and Shaw finds that out later than he would like, and that causes some amicable conflict,” the actor said in a statement. “It leads Shaw to slow the relationship’s progress and raises some internal and exterior questions. Because of the nation of the case which [Riley’s] secret comes out, Shaw has some questions.”
Lt. Kate Dixon, played by Camryn Manheim, personally recruited Riley to the squad, and she promises that the full nature of their relationship will be revealed in the season’s fourth episode.
“They have a very tight history,” Manheim explains. “There’s a lot of challenges and adversity that happened between them, and it’s taken [Dixon] a long time to get him back over to her squad in Precinct 27.”
With Donovan’s departure, fans are curious how Law & Order would explain Cosgrove’s absence. All of the specifics about Detective Frank Cosgrove’s departure from the show are provided below.
Why is Frank Cosgrove leaving ?
Although we don’t sure precisely how Cosgrove will be written off, Season 22 did present some hints. In the penultimate episode, Cosgrove was shot and injured while investigating a missing persons and murder investigation. Although he survived, the tragedy and the threat of leaving his wife widowed left him deeply traumatized. Viewers then saw the investigator reflect on his career and whether it was worth putting his life and family at risk.
We anticipate Cosgrove will leave the force, with his coworkers learning of his resignation in the Season 23 opener on January 18, 2024. His partner, Detective Jalen Shaw (played by Mehcad Brooks), will most likely meet his new partner as well.
Why is Jeffrey Donovan leaving ?
Donovan’s departure was announced in November 2023, with TVLine stating that the actor was let go for “creative reasons.” Donovan has yet to make a formal remark about the firing, although he has already stated how important Frank Cosgrove’s role was to him. Donovan, a longtime admirer of Law & Order, told Variety Radio Online in February 2022 that he “jumped at the chance” to appear on the show. “Being a struggling actor in New York in the ’90s and watching all these great actors on TV, it was a dream come true to be on this cast,” the actor remarked.
Donovan’s replacement was revealed soon after his departure. Reid Scott, who previously starred in Veep and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, will play Vincent Riley, Shaw’s new partner, in Season 23.
Law & Order Season 23 starts on NBC on January 18, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST and is available on Peacock.
Watch ‘Law & Order’ on Peacock. $5.99+
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