Riley Shared a Rare Update About His Brother Matt on Law & Order: “If I Could…”
While Law & Order has long been hailed for its adrenaline-fueled investigations and explosive courtroom showdowns, it packs just as much heart as it does grit, and viewers just got a gut-wrenching update from Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) about his hospitalized brother.
Season 25 has been serving up all of the hallmark suspense worthy of Law & Order‘s milestone season. From the arrival of Riley’s new partner, Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala), to the drama unfurling within his family life outside of the precinct, Riley has been kept on his toes this season as he tackles whatever heinous case or personal setback comes his way. Riley can always be trusted to go above and beyond to secure justice, and he hasn’t missed a beat despite all of the hurdles he’s navigated this season.
Season 25’s “Never Say Goodbye” saw the fearless 2-7 investigating the mind-boggling murder of a retiring pilot, and viewers got some updates from Riley about his brother, Matt Riley, played by The Blacklist and New Amsterdam alum Ryan Eggold, along the way.
Detective Vincent Riley revealed his brother Matt remains in a coma
After a retiring pilot named Mark Turner was shockingly shot and killed, Detectives Riley and Walker struggled to nail down a potential motive for the homicide. Many people coveted Turner’s money and assets, sending the cops on a winding manhunt, but they got the break in the case after connecting Turner to an FAA report he’d produced that ruled the death of another pilot, Brian Leavy, as a pilot error after Leavy died in a crash.
Leavy’s wife, Kate, left grief-stricken and furious by her husband’s death, killed Mark Turner due to feeling that he’d made a mistake in his report. Kate confessed to the detectives, eventually revealing that she’d been swayed to commit the crime after seeking counsel and comfort in an AI-driven legacy avatar in the late Brian Leavy’s likeness, who communicated notions of conspiracy within the FAA.
The detectives later updated Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney) on, Memory Branch, an AI app that created hyper-realistic simulations of deceased loved ones for a monthly subscription. Kate had spent hundreds of hours speaking with the AI avatar of the late Brian Leavy, and it swayed her actions the night of Turner’s death.
Brady struggled to wrap her head around it as Riley explained Kate had spent endless time on the app talking to Brian’s avatar about meal options, movies, and as they correctly suspected, murder.
“That sounds terrible,” a dubious Brady said.
“I mean, kinda, but I don’t know,” Riley shrugged. “Part of me also gets it. My brother’s in a coma. If I could talk to an avatar of him about the Yankees or something, I don’t know, maybe that would help.”
How did Matt Riley end up in the hospital on Law & Order?
Before Matt’s hospitalization, Riley and his brother Matt didn’t always have the best relationship. Matt’s history of criminal behavior clashed with Riley’s justice-driven demeanor, eventually leading Matt to be incarcerated in Season 24. Upon his release in Season 25’s “Brotherly Love,” Matt ended up being entangled in a gruesome homicide case after a good friend of his was killed, leading Riley to rely on him as a testifying witness.
Matt was hesitant about testifying due to the threats involved, at one point even being followed by a perp. Still, Riley urged him testify, in part to make up for his previous unreliability as a criminal informant. Matt agreed, but failed to show up to court after being brutally stabbed by someone trying to stall his testimony.
Matt was rushed to the hospital for extensive surgery, at one point waking up for enough time to testify virtually and secure the arrest. However, just after landing the verdict, Riley learned that Matt’s condition worsened. Riley rushed to the hospital to be by his brother’s side, learning that Matt had been placed in a medically induced coma.
“You did good, Matty,” a tearful Riley told his brother. “You did really good. I love you.”
Law & Order fans remain hopeful of Matt’s eventual recovery. Stay caught up with the Riley brothers by watching Season 25 of Law & Order on Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.