I’d Wondered If Law And Order’s ‘Betrayal’ Would Change One Key Relationship, And I’m Not Surprised By The Answer

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Be warned: the following contains spoilers for the second episode of Law & Order. You can watch it the day after it airs with a Peacock subscription, or watch it live with a YouTube TV subscription.

Law & Order unusually continued a storyline across the end of its 24th season and the start of its 25th, focusing on a single, ongoing case. The 2025 season began immediately after the spring finale, picking up the investigation into the murder of the man responsible for the assault and death of Maroun’s sister. Initially, all clues seemed to implicate Sam, leading Price to suspect her involvement. This part of the mystery wasn’t solved until roughly the midpoint of the premiere episode, and their professional dynamic was strained. This led me to consider: would their difficult relationship continue, especially given what Hugh Dancy shared about it?

A big reason for Law & Order‘s lasting success is its familiar procedural format, which started with the very first episode in 1990. This means each case is usually resolved within a single hour. However, with Hugh Dancy (as ADA Nolan Price) and Odelya Halevi (as ADA Samantha Maroun) being the only original cast members still with the show since it was brought back in 2022, they now share the longest-lasting relationship among all the characters.

Sam was furious when Price lost the case involving her sister’s killer, and then she even suspected him of murder. Price, still grieving and worried she might have committed a crime, wasn’t exactly speaking to her. When I interviewed Hugh Dancy at NBC’s Law & Order press event before the show premiered, he explained the feeling of betrayal between them like this:

As a movie lover, I’m really hooked by the central mystery – what *exactly* happened in this case? And the fact that the defendant from last year’s finale is now gone… how did that happen? Was Sam involved somehow? But it’s not just about the case itself. There’s also a really powerful personal angle – I feel terrible because I messed up the case of someone who’s connected to her, someone responsible for her sister’s death. There are so many layers to unravel, and the movie really dives into all of it.

The case was eventually solved by the end of the first episode when the show returned this fall. However, just because a storyline is finished doesn’t mean characters’ personal lives are resolved – there were significant personal moments in the last finale and the Season 25 premiere. This leaves us wondering about their relationships: are they friends, coworkers, or does one act as a mentor to the other? Hugh Dancy explained:

I believe everything I’ve said, and you’ll notice in the first episode that we’re able to communicate with each other on a personal level, not just about work. I’m able to ask her tough questions, and she feels comfortable sharing things with me, whatever those things may be. I think they have a good connection, although I do jokingly threaten to fire her sometimes. [laughs] I’m not sure what that says about our relationship, but I think they’re close.

Right after the first episode finished, a preview for Episode 2 appeared on NBC. In it, Maroun playfully teased her boss about his new romantic interest, which made me wonder if the fallout from the previous murder case would continue to affect their working relationship. As it turned out, Episode 2 didn’t feature Price threatening to fire Maroun, or any of their usual arguments. Sam has consistently found it difficult to be impartial when her sister’s case was involved, and it seems that difficulty might be gone now that her sister’s killer has been dealt with.

Essentially, Law & Order quickly answered my question about whether the disagreement at the end of Season 24 and beginning of Season 25 would affect Price and Maroun’s partnership. It appears they’ve resolved their issues, and the main conflict in the newest episode was actually between Price and Baxter. Baxter was firm that the teenage killer should be tried as an adult, but Price had reservations.

I’m not upset at all that Price and Maroun’s relationship is developing in a realistic, step-by-step way, because I’ve really liked watching their dynamic over the years – they usually work well together, but sometimes clash. Now that the issue of that supposed “betrayal” has been resolved, I’m wondering if we’ll see his new girlfriend return this season. They argued in court, but didn’t break up, so perhaps Nolan will finally find lasting love this time. I’m enjoying the slow burn! He deserves it.

Catch new episodes every Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC, before Law & Order: SVU airs at 9 p.m. ET and Law & Order: Organized Crime at 10 p.m. ET. Plus, you can watch past episodes anytime on Peacock.

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2025-10-03 06:12