Dun-dun!
We're finally getting our first in-depth look at the highly anticipated return of Law & Order.
The first trailer for season 21 of NBC's hit legal drama was just released on Feb. 17, giving fans a sneak peek at the new and returning stars fighting for justice when the procedural premieres Thursday, Feb. 24.
Law & Order O.G.'s Sam Waterston (District Attorney Jack McCoy), Anthony Anderson (Detective Kevin Bernard) and Camryn Manheim (Lieutenant Kate Dixon) are all reprising their roles after 11 years off the air alongside newcomers Hugh Dancy (Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price), Jeffrey Donovan (Detective Frank Cosgrove) and Odelya Halevi (District Attorney Samantha Maroun).
The preview promises more criminal and courtroom stories "ripped from the headlines," from murder to sexual assault. There will also be plenty of drama among the detectives and prosecutors as they get to the bottom of more shocking cases.
"Like it or not, we're partners with these guys," Manheim's character tells Donovan's. "So you better stay above the fray."
Meanwhile, Dancy's Assistant District Attorney asks his boss (Waterson), "When you asked me to come here, you said, 'I need someone who sees the world through a different lens with the guts to make hard decisions."
Waterson replies, "It's okay to play the hero, as long as you win."
Check out the Law & Order season 21 trailer for yourself before the premiere on Feb. 24. Scroll through the photo gallery below for everything we know about the hit series' return.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)
Law & Order will be back on Peacock starting Thursday, Feb. 24. The revival comes 11 years after the police procedural—which premiered in 1990—went off the air in 2010.
"Law & Order is quite simply one of the most iconic shows in television history, and the idea of continuing its legacy and partnering with Dick on an all-new season is nothing short of exhilarating" Susan Rovner, Chairman for Entertainment Content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a press statement. "This is great news for NBC as well as TV fans everywhere."
Sam Waterston will return as District Attorney Jack McCoy, the character whom creator Dick Wolf calls "the ultimate conscience of the show."
Anthony Anderson also will reprise his role of Detective Kevin Bernard. "With both Sam and Anthony returning, it shows that the 21st season is merely a continuation of where we left off," creator Wolf explained.
McCoy may be getting a new friend...or foe. Hugh Dancy joins the cast as yet-unnamed Assistant District Attorney.
Of course after 20 seasons, it's also time for some more fresh faces. New cast members include Jeffrey Donovan as an NYPD detective, Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon and Odelya Halevi as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun.
Dann Florek has been popping up on Law & Order: SVU as former captain Kragen, so perhaps he may join the Law & Order reprisal.
And, in a February Variety article, Waterston teased that "there is a person coming back in the first show." Though the Law & Order veteran didn't name the returning performer, he did call the actress one of his "favorite people on Earth," adding, "you'll be glad when you see her."