The upcoming episode of Law & Order, titled “No Good Deed,” airing on NBC on Thursday May 9 has been touted as the 500th episode of the series. However, a closer examination reveals that this milestone is not as straightforward as it seems.
“No Good Deed” is indeed a significant episode, but it is the 500th episode of the mothership series or the original Law & Order show. It is the 12th episode of the current 23rd season.
The episode sees Detectives Jalen Shaw and Vincent Riley investigating the death of a therapist with a long list of troubled clients. Meanwhile, a disturbing connection is uncovered during the trial, leading to Executive ADA Nolan Price being replaced by DA Nicholas Baxter.
The confusion regarding the 500th episode may stem from the fact that the Law & Order franchise includes multiple shows, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), and each show has its own episode count.
The actual 500th episode of the entire franchise was the aptly named “The Five Hundredth Episode” of Law & Order: SVU, which aired in October 2021. This episode brought back familiar faces and paid tribute to the series’ legacy.
The SVU episode featured the return of former main characters, including Nick Amaro and Donald Cragen, and addressed a long-running thread about Captain Olivia Benson’s past relationship with an older man.
So, while “No Good Deed” is indeed the 500th episode in the long-running Law & Order series, it is not the 500th episode when considering the entire franchise.
Law & Order: No Good Deed airs on Thursday May 9, 2024 at 8.00pm on NBC.
