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Everything We Know About Tony Goldwyn’s New Law & Order DA, Nicholas Baxter
New Law & Order district attorney Nicholas Baxter is a man with a “political dynasty pedigree" who isn't afraid to make changes.
There’s a new man in charge at the district attorney’s office on Law & Order.
Tony Goldwyn’s Nicholas Baxter has officially been sworn in as the new Manhattan district attorney, and he made a memorable first impression in his first episode of the criminal justice procedural on Thursday, March 14.
The politically connected prosecutor dropped in on a crime scene, surprising detectives, and laid out his expectations for the district attorney’s office in his first few hours on the job, proving this is one man eager to make his mark.
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Baxter will undoubtedly have some big shoes to fill after taking over for Jack McCoy, who was at the helm of the DA’s office for years. McCoy handed in his resignation and said an emotional goodbye in a February 22 episode after Sam Waterston, who portrayed the dedicated prosecutor since 1994, announced he was leaving the show.
While there’s still plenty to learn about Baxter in the weeks ahead, Thursday’s episode dropped some telling clues about the attorney’s past and what makes him tick.
Who is Nicholas Baxter, Law & Order’s new district attorney?
One thing we know for sure about the new leader portrayed by Goldwyn, is that he is “excited” about the job.
Just 30 minutes after he was sworn in as the new DA, he stopped by a crime scene and found Detectives Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) on the job.
“I was just walking uptown and saw the swirling lights and got excited,” he confessed to the surprised investigators. “I thought I’d pop my head inside. I haven’t been to a crime scene in over 30 years, couldn’t help myself.”
As for his background before joining the DA's office, Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) described him to ADA Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi) as an “ambitious” attorney with impressive political ties.
“Do we know anything about him?,” a curious Maroun asked.
“Other than his uncle’s a senator and his father’s on Clinton’s speed dial?,” Price quipped.
Aside from the “political dynasty pedigree,” as Maroun called it, Baxter also seemed to be well-liked by his former colleagues.
“I have a few friends who worked for him at the U.S. Attorney’s office, they say he’s the real deal,” Price said. “They like him.”
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What can we expect from Nicholas Baxter as district attorney?
Baxter may not have been in office for long, but he’s already made it clear he wants to mend fences with the mayor’s office after McCoy “ruffled some political feathers” on his way out of office.
“A top priority of mine is gonna be to get people back on the same page,” he told Price in their first sit-down together. “This office is part of a system and that system works most effectively when it works together, especially when it comes to my senior staff. I need to know that I have a team I can trust.”
Baxter echoed a similar message about his desire to have a good working relationship with police to Shaw and Riley during his surprise drop in on their crime scene.
“I want you all to know that I’m going to do everything in my power to create a constructive and transparent relationship with the police,” he told the officers on the scene.
To accomplish his goals, it’s clear that Baxter isn’t afraid to make a few changes. One district attorney's office staffer was seen carrying his belongings out in a cardboard box after being let go.
“Baxter started calling senior staff in for meetings this morning,” Price told Maroun as they watched the unlucky employee walk by.
“I know it’s not uncommon for an incoming DA to make changes, but this guy’s not wasting any time,” Maroun replied.
RELATED: Sam Waterston's Final Law & Order Episode Reveals Why Jack McCoy Has to Leave
Odelya Halevi, who plays Maroun, told NBC Insider in February that Goldwyn will bring a “totally different dynamic” to the show in the new role.
“I will say, his character is very political and just a different dynamic," Maroun said of what fans can expect this season. "[He is] very self-assured, very confident, sort of shaking things up in the office, you know, making us question ourselves even more."
As for the actor himself, Halevi called Goldwyn a “legend” who “fits right in” with the cast.
“I’ve shot one episode with him and I love that man,” she said in the February interview. “He is just so grounded and he’s a hard working actor and he just brings so much to the table and is very challenging and, in a way, also intimidating because he’s such a great actor.”
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The staff roster isn’t the only thing that could look different at the district attorney’s office in the weeks ahead.
Baxter was also already making plans to re-decorate McCoy’s office to make it “more contemporary.”
"I suppose it’s going to take some time to figure out how to do that," Baxter told Price of his design plans. "Jack McCoy was an icon. He was here for what, 30 years?"
To learn more about just how the new DA will fit in, watch Law & Order Thursdays at 8/7c p.m. or stream it the next day on Peacock.
