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Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere Recap “The Right Thing”

Don’t miss Celebrity Myxer’s recap of Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 premiere “The Right Thing.” Newly acquainted partners Bernard and Cosgrove investigate the murder of a notorious entertainer. A dispute over throwing out a confession creates a rift in the DA’s office. Here’s what you missed!

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Watch Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere “The Right Thing”

After a 12-year hiatus, the original, long-running show that spawned two spin-offs returns…

Warning… Spoilers below!

On Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 premiere, a man was interviewed on a daytime television show. He was recently released from prison. He pleaded that he never had non-consensual sex with anyone. Later that day, he was found dead! He was shot 4 times in the chest and once in the groin. He had been accused of raping over 40 women…

Hated By All

Detectives Benard and Cosgrove interviewed the victim’s wife but gained no intel. The cops investigated Henry King’s phone and he received a text message threat. They visited the culprit but it was a business partner claiming to ruin his life- not murder him. He claimed a gangster, Shabazz Walker, had been shaking Henry down for cash. He was in a long line of people that didn’t like Mr. King.

Benard and Cosgrove went to interview the person of interest and Cosgrove came in hot when questioning a bystander and the crowd pulled cameras. Cosgrove was upset his authority was undermined but Benard cooled him, sharing that the cameras keep cops accountable. Cosgrove agreed with the statement. The two had only been paired for two months.

They spoke with Shabazz but they felt he wasn’t the perp. He pointed them to a woman with who Henry got into a spat. Turns out, Lt. Dixon recognized the woman… she was a prosecutor, Jamie Ross (portrayed by Carey Lowell from the original Law & Order).

Detectives visited her and learned she was the reason he went to jail (and was released). She confronted him because Henry had a private investigator snooping into her life. Cosgrove flat out asked did she kill him and she got upset and kick the officers out… Benard was appalled with the blunt tactic.

Bald-Face Lies

Dixon confronted Cosgrove about the encounter with Ross and he was unapologetic about his response to the prosecutor. The team found surveillance video of Henry’s wife, Veronica, she lied about her timeline. They hauled her in for questioning and claimed to visit a bar, not wanting to return home to him after the TV interview. Of course, Cosgrove asked her bluntly if she had him murdered him and she told them if she did, she needed the satisfaction of seeing him die face-to-face. Veronica did mention that she saw someone in a hoodie on the corner watching their home.

Lt. Dixon, Det. Benard, and Det. Cosgrove investigate on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Lt. Dixon, Det. Benard, and Det. Cosgrove investigate on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Nearby surveillance footage revealed someone was on the corner and smoked a cigarette. It was a long shot but they went to retrieve the butt and it was still there. The DNA revealed it was Nicole Atkins’, she was the first woman to accuse Henry of rape!

Detectives got a warrant to invade the home. Nicole’s husband was there yet Nicole wasn’t. He was appalled she was treated like a criminal and not a victim. Searching the home, they found the hoodie in the dryer. More investigation found more breadcrumbs of Nicole stalking. They also found a gun.

Detectives hauled Nicole in for questioning and she claimed to have an alibi. Cosgrove fed Nicole bald-faced lies to see if she would confess and she did. Thereafter, she was arrested!.

I Book ‘Em, You Cook ‘Em

Supporters of Nicole chanted “Let Her Go!” outside of the courtroom. Her bail was set at $1 million dollars and the case was headline news. ADA Nolan Price went to D.A. Jack McCoy about Cosgrove lying in fear that it will collapse the case. McCoy was an advocate of the police, Price felt he needed to try the case without the confession. He was confident he could win without it.

Prices’ opening statement stuck to the technicality of the crime… that being murder. He was trying to bypass the fact that Henry raped Nicole (and many other women). Oddly, the defense chose not to open with a statement and went directly into witness questioning. When Det. Cosgrove came to the stand the defense ate him up when he tried to bring up the confession (which the prosecution wanted to be suppressed). The judge angrily hauled the lawyers into her chambers and scolded Price. The defense wanted a mistrial but was stifled.

Det. Cosgrove confronts ADA Price on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Det. Cosgrove confronts ADA Price on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Afterward, Price caught up to Cosgrove about the sabotage and he told the ADA to “go to hell!” His job is to book ’em and he cook ’em… that agreement was broken

Self Defense

Price learned from ADA Samantha Maroun, Nicole was going to claim self-defense and that Henry’s wife was flipping to the defense. Veronica was claiming that she saw Henry attack Nicole. The irony and conflict, because she confessed to the police that she was in a bar nearby. In addition, she vehement character attacked all 40 women who accused her husband.

Price tried to use the police statement against her. Price turned Veronica’s past words on her and for supporting her husband throughout the years he was accused. The questioning became hostile and portions of Price’s inquiry had to be withdrawn.

When Nicole came to the stand, she explained how she and Henry met, they were to start a business together. Even after he raped her, they remained friends. She wanted to go back to prior days before the rape. Unfortunately, he roofied her and raped her again. Years later, and after he was released from prison, she claimed he invited her over to apologize, he became hostile, she ran, and defended herself from his attack with her husband’s gun… killing him in defense!

Plead The Fifth

ADA Maroun found out Ross spoke with Nicole the morning before the murder. Price personally confronted her for the truth but she stonewalled him. So he subpoenaed her to the witness stand. When Price dug in, she pleaded the fifth amendment.

D.A. Jack McCoy on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

D.A. Jack McCoy on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Afterward, D.A. McCoy visited his assistant district attorneys to them that their crusade was futile in the direction they were going. And the jury was set on acquitting Nicole. Price felt he was hated at the moment and decided to have Maroun deliver the closing arguments.

ADA Samantha Maroun delivering the closing statements on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

ADA Samantha Maroun delivering the closing statements on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere

Maroun gave a personal story of her own sister, who was raped and can empathize with Nicole. However, she turned it towards the fact that Nicole’s act was premeditated murder. The jury listened and convicted Nicole of second-degree murder! As Nicole was being arrested she outbursted, “I did this for you… for all of you!” The crowd chanted, “Let Her Go!”

Maroun was conflicted thereafter as she became a layer to put criminals away… not the victims.

What did you think of Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1? Let’s talk about Law & Order in the comments below! Missed any of the episodes? Catch up with our recaps!

Air Date: February 24, 2022

Law & Order

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

Guest Cast

  • Carey Lowell as Jamie Ross
  • Shayvawn Webster as Dani Vertiz
  • Lisa Arrindell as Veronica King
  • Norm Lewis as Henry King
  • Mark Lotito as Alan Conner
  • Alyson Cambridge as Diane Holiday
  •  Marcel Simoneau as Ryan Bell
  • Shayvawn Webster as Dani Vertiz

Catch a new episode each week on NBC, stream the next day on Peacock, check out the listings dates below. Stay right here, stay mixed in because Law & Order Season 21 Episode 2, a rolling blackout cripples the city! Drop your email to get insights into your inbox…

Will There Be A Law & Order Season 22?

Yes! Law & Order Season 22 has been renewed. See when it will return...

Law & Order Season 21 Episode Guide

Season Episode Title Air Date
21 10 Black and Blue” Law & Order Season 21 Finale May 19, 2022
21 9 The Great Pretender May 12, 2022
21 8 Severance May 5, 2022
21 7 Legacy April 28, 2022
21 6 Wicked Game April 14, 2022
21 5 Free Speech April 7, 2022
21 4 Fault Lines March 17, 2022
21 3 Filtered Life March 10, 2022
21 2 Impossible Dream March 3, 2022
21 1 The Right Thing” Law & Order Season 21 Premiere February 24, 2022

Photo credit: NBC

About the Author
Sir Anthony is the Managing Director and Chief Editor of Celebrity Myxer. He has nearly two decades of experience as a journalist and is an expert content writer.

14 comments on Law & Order Season 21 Episode 1 Premiere Recap “The Right Thing”

  1. Gay quisenberry says:

    was the actress who played Jamie Ross the original actress?

    1. Kelvin Thorne says:

      Who is the actress that played Nicole Bell’s lawyer?

      1. Jennifer R says:

        I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out the same thing. She is SO familiar to me (I’m thinking maybe from a Criminal Minds episode). I can’t find her name anywhere.

        1. Kathy says:

          Her name is Alicia Coppola.

      2. Galvyn says:

        Ah! Someone please answer the question! I’ve seen her before but can’t remember where. Why is she not in the IMDB cast of characters but the man in the restaurant is?? 😕

      3. Kathy says:

        I FINALLY found her name ~ not easy!
        Her name is Alicia Coppola.

        1. Kelvin Thorne says:

          Well done.

        2. Dave Smiesko says:

          She was also on NCIS Los Angeles as FBI Agent Lisa Rand

  2. Michele Contreras says:

    Who played veronica king?

    1. Sir Anthony says:

      Her name is Lisa Arrindell.

  3. mark says:

    who played Nicole (Atkins) Bell? No credits give here, on screen or on imdb?

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