Law And Order Is Finally On The Verge Of Debuting David Ajala To Replace Mehcad Brooks, And The Star Trek Vet Already Seems Like A Solid Fit

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Since the start of its 25th season in September, the police procedural half of Law & Order has been missing a detective after Mehcad Brooks left his role as Jalen Shaw. Detectives Brady and Riley have continued working cases, but have been short-staffed following Jalen’s abrupt, off-screen departure. Soon, however, David Ajala, known for his work on Star Trek: Discovery, will join the cast as the new detective.

NBC hasn’t revealed the name of Ajala’s character yet, but he’ll be Riley’s new partner, appearing just one episode after Riley dealt with his brother’s issues. The upcoming episode, titled “Guardian,” will focus on the investigation into the murder of a high school athlete and those who were exploiting him for financial gain.

The preview shown after the latest episode on October 30th (and now available to stream on Peacock) gave viewers their first glimpse of Ajala in action.

The trailer doesn’t reveal much, but it looks like Riley thinks his new partner is inexperienced, possibly working his first murder case. David Ajala’s character is clearly disturbed by the fact that the victim was young, and seems genuinely committed to justice – he’s visibly upset when someone isn’t truthful. The show is making a point of introducing his character, even highlighting his arrival with an on-screen announcement: “DAVID AJALA JOINS THE CAST.”

It’s no surprise that Ajala won’t be using his natural English accent for his role as a police officer on Law & Order. He used the accent in his previous regular role on Star Trek: Discovery, but the Law & Order shows generally feature officers from the New York City area. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is the main exception to this.

David Ajala posted a video on Instagram showing him dressed as a police detective. The video, set to Lil Wayne’s “Mr. Carter,” features an NYPD squad car and Ajala wearing a detective’s shield. You can watch it here:

After playing Cleveland Booker in the Star Trek universe on Paramount+, it will be interesting to see Ajala take on a very different role in Law & Order, which is known for being a realistic and down-to-earth show. Bringing in new actors to a long-running series like Law & Order is often a positive change, and I’m happy to see the cast complete again.

The first episode featuring Ajala as the detective will air on Thursday, November 13th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The popular Law & Order franchise – including SVU and Organized Crime – is taking a one-week break to make room for NBC to broadcast Wicked: One Wonderful Night, a special designed to build excitement for the Wicked: For Good movie coming out in 2025.

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2025-10-31 23:08