‘Law & Order’ Season 26 Episode 4 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and Preview
‘Law & Order’ returns next Thursday with a new case, and the release date, time and streaming options are now clear even though the story itself is still under wraps. The fourth episode of the current season is titled ‘Property’ and is listed to air on October 29 on NBC.
This guide covers when and where to watch the episode, how the Thursday schedule is laid out, and what can be said about a preview so far. It also looks back at the previous installment, because that episode introduced a new pairing in the squad room.
Release Date for the Fourth Episode
‘Property’ is scheduled for October 29 and was written by Jennifer Vanderbes. Rotten Tomatoes lists the same date for the episode and credits Dick Wolf as the creator. It follows ‘Bad News’, which aired on October 22.
In ‘Bad News’, the murder of a prominent newspaper editor sends the detectives into a tangle of newsroom secrets that complicates their investigation. The episode also asked Price to weigh the public’s right to know against a journalist’s duty to protect a source.
The season premiered on October 8 on NBC. It opened with ‘Ghost in the Machine’, which featured Vincent Kartheiser as a tech visionary working in artificial intelligence. Because the series builds its cases from the headlines, that opening focus fits the show’s long standing approach.
The series was created by Dick Wolf and debuted in 1990, running for twenty seasons before an eleven year hiatus. It was revived in 2022 and remains set and filmed in New York City, with each episode split between a police investigation and a prosecution.
Time Slot and Schedule on NBC
The series airs on NBC on Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern and 9 p.m. Central. That has been its slot since the season premiere on October 8. The fourth episode keeps to the same schedule.
The time is a change from the earlier 8 p.m. Eastern slot, with ‘The Traitors’ now opening the night and ‘SVU’ remaining in the 9 p.m. hour. That places the original series after ‘SVU’ on the Thursday lineup.
The renewal came in May and was described as an eleventh hour decision following budget cuts and a shift in scheduling. Lisa Katz, who oversees scripted content for NBC and Peacock, said there was never a question over whether the show would return and that the issue was working out where everything fit. Rick Eid serves as showrunner.
Where to Watch Online and Abroad
In the United States, the episode airs live on NBC on Thursday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Viewers who watch the broadcast see the case first, before any streaming window opens.
New episodes are available to stream the following day on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. That gives viewers who miss the broadcast a way to catch up before the next installment arrives.
In Canada, the series airs on Citytv on Thursdays at 10 p.m. In Australia, it is expected to stream on BINGE after its debut on NBC. Viewers in other regions should check local listings for availability.
Preview of ‘Property’ and the Story So Far
No detailed plot summary for ‘Property’ had appeared in the listings reviewed for this piece. The Rotten Tomatoes page for the episode carries only the series’ general description, which says detectives and prosecutors pursue justice in cases ripped from the headlines. For now, the title, the date and the writing credit are what can be confirmed.
What can be said is where the story left off. Detective Rob Calvino joined the squad as Detective Walker’s new partner in the previous episode, an arrangement that came about after a fellow officer died in the line of duty. In a clip released ahead of that episode, he finds a photo of Riley and his family left behind in his new desk, and he appears intent on giving his partner room to grieve.
A first look at that episode showed District Attorney Baxter planning to compel a reluctant witness to cooperate. Whether those courtroom tensions carry forward into the next case has not been confirmed.
The main cast for the previous episode includes James Badge Dale, David Ajala, Maura Tierney, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi and Tony Goldwyn. The fifth episode, ‘Rage Bait’, follows on November 5. With that installment a week behind it, would you rather see ‘Property’ give Calvino and Walker another case that tests their new partnership, or hand the spotlight back to Price and Baxter in the courtroom, and which direction would you want to debate in the comments?
