Law & Order is saying goodbye to one of its most memorable characters this week.
Sam Waterston, who has been in the sprawling procedural universe since 1994, will say goodbye to Jack McCoy for good on Law & Order Season 23, Episode 5, airing tonight at 8/7c on NBC.
Ahead of the episode airing, Waterston’s cast members are speaking out about their thoughts on their time working with him.
Mehcad Brooks, who plays Senior Detective Jalen Shaw, said in a video shared on the show’s Instagram account that he hopes he is “half the man that” Waterston is when he grows up before laughing alongside new cast member Reid Scott.
“He’s a legend,” Brooks added.
Scott replied, “Absolute legend.”
The Law & Order cast will miss Sam Waterston
“We’re going to really miss him and his energy because he’s infectious… in the best way possible,” Brooks concluded.
The official account for the show reiterated that everyone at the show will miss “this legend” that is Waterston.
Details are scarce about how Jack’s run as District Attorney ends, but the episode’s official teaser finds him in a reflective mood.
What will happen in Sam Waterston’s final Law & Order episode?
It starts with various scenes of him on the show throughout the years, accompanied by a voiceover saying he always fought for what was right.
We then cut to him in the courtroom one last time as he tells those he’s worked with it’s been a hell of a ride with a smile on his face.
It sounds like he’s ready to move on, as opposed to something more nefarious playing out.
You really never know what’s around the corner on a Dick Wolf show.
Jack McCoy is one of the most formidable characters on TV
We know there will be a void without Waterston because his moral compass has been such a crucial element of the show for so long.
Even his appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the countless other shows in the franchise have yielded significant impact.
Jack McCoy is one of those characters you associate with a show, similar to what Benson and Stabler are to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Meredith Grey is to Grey’s Anatomy.
Moving on from him won’t be easy, but we already know who’s taking on the role of the new District Attorney.
Who is replacing Sam Waterston on Law & Order?
Tony Goldwyn, best known for playing the dashing Fitzgerald Grant on Scandal, will arrive on the show imminently.
Seeing what he brings to the table on Law & Order will be interesting.
He’s such a talented actor that we’re sure this role will be unlike any other.
Law & Order airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.