Law & Order has showcased many actors coming and going throughout its run, which will continue with Season 26 this fall on the 2026 TV schedule. Among the large ensemble cast at one point was Jesse L. Martin, who starred in Seasons 10-18 in the breakout role of Detective Ed Green. He recently talked about how he landed it, with a little bit of inside info coming into play.

Martin was on the mothership drama from 1999 to 2008, and also appeared on SVU and Criminal Intent, making him one of the longest-running Law & Order actors, and Detective Green was only his second main television role, following the short-lived Fox drama 413 Hope St. in 1997. Law & Order came by word of mouth when he heard from an old friend that the cast was changing up following Benjamin Bratt’s departure as Junior Detective Rey Curtis. That news made Martin motivated to nab the opening spot himself, as he recalled to People. Here's how he said his buddy presented that info to him:

It seems like every celebrity wants a role on Law & Order, no matter what the role is (though it helps if it's more than just Corpse #1.) The fact that The Irrational star knew ahead of time that there was a rumored interest in him was probably pretty exciting and inspiring. However, despite the excitement, it still wasn’t easy to land the role, as Martin was recurring on Ally McBeal in Los Angeles at the time, while Law & Order was filming in New York. He was determined anyway, especially following a meeting with Dick Wolf:

While the meeting seemed to go well, there was just one more hurdle in the way. The Emmy-winning producer tasked Martin with a very important assignment, one that can usually make or break auditions, and that was a chemistry read with his potential partner:

Chemistry reads are usually pretty important, as producers see how well actors work together and confirm whether what’s on paper can be perfectly translated to the screen. So it’s not so surprising that Wolf wanted Martin and Jerry Orbach, who portrayed Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe from Seasons 3-14, to get together. It is surprising, though, to hear that the chemistry test never even happened, because Martin ultimately won the role before he had the chance to be put in a room with Orbach:

I, for one, am so happy that things worked out because it’s hard to imagine Law & Order without Martin. Even though he has yet to return for the revival, I’m just glad that he was on the show in the first place. He has eight seasons under his belt, which is a lot, and while he’s busy with other projects, it’s always possible that we haven’t seen the last of Detective Green.

For now, fans can watch some of Martin’s seasons of Law & Order with a Peacock subscription.

While Grant Gustin made his first big splash on TV when he recurred as Sebastian Smythe on Glee, it was playing Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash, that catapulted him to worldwide fame. After guest-starring in two Arrow Season 2 episodes, Gustin took center stage for The Flash TV series in fall 2014, which ended up airing for nine seasons on The CW (and I covered it for the entirety of that time). Looking back on this time of his life, Gustin admitted he was always confident that the Arrow spinoff would have a long and “popular” run (pun intended), but co-star Jesse L. Martin, who played Joe West, wasn’t so sure in the beginning.

Gustin recently went on the The Sackhoff Show to chat with host Katee Sackhoff, who played Amunet Black in a handful of The Flash episodes. When the Battlestar Galactica and The Mandalorian actress brought up how Gustin couldn’t have known he’d end up leading The Flash for nine seasons, the Barry Allen actor acknowledged that was true, but then explained:

On the one hand, I can see where Jesse L. Martin was coming from as an experienced TV actor. At the point in his career he was arguably best known on the small screen for playing Detective Ed Green in Law & Order, a role he inhabited for nearly 200 episodes. On the other hand, The Flash was also several years removed from Martin’s stints on the NBC shows The Philanthropist, which only lasted one eight-episode season, and Smash, which was cancelled after two seasons. He knew how hard it was for shows to get renewed once, let alone last multiple seasons, so he wanted Grant Gustin to manage his expectations accordingly.

Gustin may have been naive, but he ultimately under-predicted The Flash’s level of success. At 184 episodes across nine seasons, it was the longest-running Arrowverse show, as Arrow concluded after eight seasons of 170 episodes. He also made a good point that The Flash is a more well-known character than Green Arrow, which is even more true today thanks to Ezra Miller having also portrayed the Scarlet Speedster in the DCEU. As such, there was more material to work with and stood a slightly better shot of hooking viewers.

So Grant Gustin got to spend close to a full decade bringing Barry Allen to life, and earlier this year, he admitted that if James Gunn asked him to reprise Flash in the DC Universe, he’d accept that offer. Should that day come, we’ll let you know. Until then, The Flash can be streamed alongside Arrow and many of the other Arrowverse shows with a Netflix subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 2 premiere of The Irrational on NBC, called "Collateral Damage."

The Irrational is back on NBC in the 2024 TV schedule, and the Season 2 premiere had a kidnapping cliffhanger to resolve as well as a new season to set up. With Rose abducted, Alec was struggling to remain unbiased in "Collateral Damage" before he went and got himself kidnapped, with Kylie as the closest thing to a voice of reason that he was really open to. When I spoke with Travina Springer, who plays Kylie, about The Irrational's second season, she also reflected on the very first scene she filmed with Jesse L. Martin to establish the Mercer siblings' relationship.

While the major crisis of "Collateral Damage" involved rescuing Rose – and then rescuing both Alec and Rose – there were some important moments between the Mercer siblings. Kylie reminded her brother that she knows him better than anyone, and he admitted that he couldn't remain unbiased when Rose was the one in danger, even if he's not ready to declare his love for her. They also shared a moment toward the end of the episode at the hospital, and it paralleled a scene from the series premiere last year.

According to Travina Springer, that scene in the series premiere (which you can find streaming with a Peacock subscription) was also the very first time that she and Jesse L. Martin met in the flesh! When I noted that Kylie and Alec's relationship was one of my favorite parts of Season 1, the actress responded:

The Irrational really needed a specific kind of chemistry between the actors for Alec and Kylie to channel true sibling energy, and – as somebody with older brothers myself – I think the show nailed it with Jesse L. Martin and Travina Springer. Who else wouldn't have guessed that their hospital scene in the pilot was their first in-person meeting? Springer went on:

Of course, Jesse L. Martin was already a familiar face to plenty of longtime NBC fans, as he's one of the Law & Order actors to appear in the most episodes with a total of 202. That show also wasn't his only hit prior to The Irrational, and Travina Springer weighed in on her experiences with fans of his work:

Interestingly, it was when news broke of NBC developing a pilot for The Irrational back in 2022 that Jesse L. Martin started to step away from The Flash, although not before he put that Rent voice to good use in The Flash and Supergirl's musical crossover. As for Alec and Kylie Mercer, it remains to be seen what Season 2 has in store for them, although it looks like conflict over Alec's knack for getting into danger is on the way:

Considering that the Season 2 premiere alone included Alec allowing himself to be kidnapped, I can see Kylie's point about her brother continuing to do dangerous things! Last season, there was even a stunt so intense for Alec that Jesse L. Martin couldn't do it.

See what's next for the Mercer siblings and the rest with new episodes of The Irrational on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following The Voice. You can also catch up on earlier episodes via Peacock.

The Flash ended on The CW last year, yet I'm still getting emotional over how close some of the cast appears to be in the present day. Even now that he's off doing his own thing on the 2024 TV schedule, Jesse L. Martin is still pumped about the latest project his former co-star Grant Gustin is gearing up for. With no need to worry about The Irrational coming back for Season 2, Martin recently revealed his excitement about Gustin finally making the jump to Broadway, and it's just so heartwarming. 

Martin -- whose latest series, The Irrational, is available to stream with a Peacock Premium subscription -- recently spoke to Screen Rant about his excitement for an upcoming project starring his former television son/son-in-law, Grant Gustin. He talked about the Barry Allen actor's upcoming stint on Broadway in Water For Elephants and why he's so thrilled to see that happen: 

It makes sense that Jesse L. Martin would be excited about Grant Gustin's Broadway debut, given his past. Martin has previously performed on Broadway in Timon Of Athens, The Government Inspector, and The Merchant Of Venice in addition to being part of the original cast of Rent. It's clear he understands the accomplishment of making it to one of the world's greatest stages for theater and how much Gustin has wanted to perform on Broadway. 

Grant Gustin even expressed how much of an honor it was to star in Water For Elephants, noting it was his dream since childhood to perform on Broadway. While the actor had previous opportunities to sing on The Flash, like the musical crossover with Supergirl, there was never a ton of time between shooting seasons, so he wasn't able to pursue a theater project of this magnitude. 

It's great for me as a fan to see Jesse L. Martin cheering on Grant Gustin, and it brings me back to the great moments their characters shared on The Flash. That's especially comforting at a time in which we now know Superman & Lois will end with Season 4, presumably bringing an end to what remains of the Arrowverse that The Flash and other DC hero shows helped bolster for close to a decade. I wish it could've gone on forever, but given Gustin's life changes in the latter seasons, I get why he needed it to end. Now, both his co-star and I are thrilled about what's to come.

Those who won't have a chance to catch Grant Gustin on Broadway, you can always watch his old episodes of The Flash with a Netflix subscription. It's worth the rewatch. While you do that, we'll be sure to keep you posted on all the career updates coming from the beloved cast of The Flash.

The SAG-AFTRA actors strike and WGA writers strike may have largely shut down the entertainment industry over the summer and fall of 2023, but that didn't stop Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin from returning to primetime. New show The Irrational had already completed episodes prior to the strikes beginning, and the procedural cases each week combined with the ongoing mystery in behavioral scientist Alec Mercer's past created a hit for NBC. Now, The Irrational is set to return for a second season, after creator/showrunner Arika Lisanne Mittman told CinemaBlend what to expect in the final episodes of Season 1.

What Arika Lisanne Mittman Said About The End Of Season 1

The creator/showrunner already opened up about ending Season 1 "the way we want to" when I spoke with her this fall prior to the renewal for Season 2. The Irrational has actually been on a break since early November due to simply running out of episodes as a result of the strikes, but will return early in the 2024 TV season. When I asked Arika Lisanne Mittman how the Irrational team has approached telling the story of a new case each week while also deepening Alec's serialized story, she hyped what's in store at the end of the current first season:

One serialized element of The Irrational so far has been the complicated relationship between Alec and ex-wife Marisa, with Arika Lisanne Mittman praising stars Jesse L. Martin and Maarha Hill for bringing the characters to life. The show also approaches cases of the week in different ways than the average procedural by not always teaming the leading man up with the FBI or local cops, although one episode did draw from real-life experience with police. 

The biggest serialized story, however, is of course the church bombing that left Alec physically and emotionally scarred many years before the very first episode. Based on the creator's comments, it seems that the last couple of episodes in Season 1 will turn that B story into the A story. But will it continue beyond the first season finale?

NBC Renewed The Irrational For Season 2

Well, fans will have to wait until the 2024 TV premiere schedule begins to see for themselves how The Irrational will handle the serialized mystery, but there's no need to worry that the Season 1 finale will also be the series finale. NBC renewed Jesse L. Martin's new drama for Season 2 after it rose to rank as the #1 new show in the 2023-2024 TV season in total viewers, and is the #2 broadcast series in total viewers among Black audiences. Found, which was also renewed for Season 2 after one star commented on the drama's numbers, and The Irrational are the top two digital launches for NBC across major platforms to date. 

The Irrational is slated to run for a total of eleven episodes of Season 1, with the final four kicking off on Monday, January 29 in its usual 10 p.m. ET time slot on NBC. That's still quite a wait for the final episodes that the showrunner previewed, but fans can already revisit the first portion of Season 1 streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 3 of The Irrational Season 1, called "The Barnum Effect."

The Irrational delivered the biggest disaster yet for Alec Mercer and Co. when he was brought onto the case of a passenger plane crash, which involved more destruction and loss of life than the first two episodes. Alec and his team had to find a way to clear the name of the pilot being blamed for the crash while also cracking a conspiracy. In the process, Jesse L. Martin's character also had to deal with an emotional blow thanks to the reveal that his ex-wife Marisa is dating her colleague. The episode's director, John Terlesky, spoke with CinemaBlend about what went down and finding a "rock star vibe" for Alec despite everything. 

About halfway through "The Barnum Effect," Alec figured out a way to prove how a piece of "evidence" against the pilot wasn't at all what the FBI and investigators believed. He just needed a classroom of students to participate in an experiment to pull it off. The experiment involved the students listening to the same audio multiple times while looking at different visual cues, leading to them interpreting that audio differently each time. He made the point that everybody has their own version of reality, and he was able to get what he needed to begin exonerating the pilot and searching for the real person responsible for the plane crash.

As somebody who has been having fun playing along with Alec's experiments from my couch, I took the opportunity to ask "The Barnum Effect" director John Terlesky about the sequence. Terlesky, who already had a number of NBC directing credits (including the 200th episode of The Blacklist) before The Irrational, confirmed that the scene already had the audio for the experiment when filming and explained why he gave Alec the rock star treatment. The director shared: 

After Alec's life-or-death moment in the previous episode, the stakes in the classroom scene were less harrowing, but no less important to the case of the week. John Terlesky approached a scene that otherwise could have just moved the plot along in a way to give it a "concert" feel. The director went on:

Jesse L. Martin may not be singing in The Irrational like he did in Rent or the musical episode of The Flash, but Alec was still putting on a show for his students in this particular scene. The Irrational continues to prove that Martin isn't just playing another version of Law & Order's Ed Green, who he portrayed for long enough that he ranks on the list of Law & Order franchise actors who have appeared in the most episodes. On the whole, seeing Martin's Alec in "rock star" mode with his students was a fun part of the episode, especially since so much of the story was so heavy. 

Alec did catch a break when it comes to the latest clue about the explosion that left him scarred. The logo that he'd sketched from a memory that finally resurfaced is leading Marisa in a promising direction, even though that investigation had to be put on pause in "The Barnum Effect" due to the crash. So, even though finding out that his ex is dating another FBI agent isn't exactly what he wanted to hear, hopefully they'll still be able to partner up on cases professionally. 

The promo for the next episode suggests that he may not be able to let go of her entirely, and it seems safe to say that Kylie will have some words for him on it. Take a look: 

Keep tuning in to NBC in the 2023 TV schedule on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of The Irrational with Jesse L. Martin. If you've missed any so far, you can catch up streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. Plus, the director for the previous episode of The Irrational had worked with Martin on The Flash, and you can check out his thoughts on The CW's Arrowverse ending with The Flash earlier this year!

NBC's new drama The Irrational is only two episodes into Season 1, and it's already developing an important mystery from Alec Mercer's past while also digging into cases each week that nobody else could crack. Law & Order and The Flash alum Jesse L. Martin stars as Alec in his return to the network. Ahead of the third episode, which will deliver what is surely the biggest disaster of the series so far, I spoke with director John Terlesky about the high stakes and what sets Martin apart as lead of a TV show in the 2023 TV schedule.

Episode 3 of The Irrational is called "The Barnum Effect," and Alec and his team will be brought in after a passenger plane crashes. While the stakes were high in the pilot with Alec trying to exonerate a man convinced of his own guilt and the second episode that involved a life-or-death sequence, the sheer scale of a plane crash should make this the very biggest disaster to deal with. How Alec responds to whatever pressure he faces remains to be seen, but director John Terlesky only had good things to say about working with Jesse L. Martin.

Jesse L. Martin was already a huge TV veteran before The Irrational, with nearly 400 episodes of primetime between Law & Order and The Flash alone. John Terlesky explained to CinemaBlend what it was like to work with Martin on "The Barnum Effect" with all of the star's experience in TV: 

Martin was in fact in so much of Law & Order that he ranks on the list of franchise actors who appeared in the most episodes, but Professor Alec Mercer is definitely not Detective Ed Green 2.0. As John Terlesky pointed out, the star has a lot of scientific jargon to rattle off in each episode, and he really manages to sell that Alec has been teaching behavoral science for decades. After I mentioned that Martin's Alec seems like a professor whose class I'd want to take, the director explained one way that Martin is unlike other TV leads:

While not every lead on every show is going to have the kind of presence that people on set start walking on eggshells, John Terlesky confirmed that there's "nothing" like that with the "super friendly" Jesse L. Martin. The main character of The Irrational can't claim that there's no drama in his work, however! 

After the series started with an innocent young man being framed and continuing with a woman reporting her own death after being poisoned, "The Barnum Effect" is moving on to a plane crash. When asked about how high the stakes are for Alec and Co. in the episode, the director explained:

Personally, I hope that "puppy of the week" catches on among The Irrational fans, but only time will tell on that front! There are still far more questions than answers in mystery of the church fire that left Alec scarred, and it's already clear that this case will continue throughout the season. Terlesky continued:

Fans will have to tune in to see if and how The Irrational continues to handle Alec's mystery, but the promo for Episode 3 drops some clues about what to expect in the aftermath of the plane cash for Alec, his team, and his ex-wife/FBI agent ally. Take a look:

Tune in to NBC on Monday, October 9 at 10 p.m. ET for "The Barnum Effect" as the latest episode of The Irrational, following The Voice. If you missed the first two episodes or just want to revisit them ahead of the third, you can find the full first season so far streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 2 of The Irrational, called "Dead Woman Walking."

The Irrational debuted in the 2023 TV schedule to bring Law & Order and The Flash alum Jesse L. Martin back to primetime, and the pilot set up what Alec Mercer is capable of as a behavioral science professor on top of an ongoing mystery about his past. In "Dead Woman Walking," Alec had somebody else's mystery to solve, with a ticking clock before an old friend died from polonium poisoning. In the process, he ended up in a life-or-death sequence with bullets flying and nowhere to run. Episode director Jesse Warn spoke with CinemaBlend about what went down, and how much Martin did.

Alec wound up in a deadly situation in "Dead Woman Walking" when his mission to find the hitman who poisoned CJ led him onto a dark dock with backup still fifteen minutes away. He decided to investigate despite the danger, and paid for it when the man he was searching for was shot dead, and then the shooter turned on Alec. He had to jump for cover, and then dive into the water to survive. Jesse Warn, who had previously worked with Jesse L. Martin when directing The Flash, had nothing but praise for the actor:

Given that it took Jesse L. Martin all of one line in the pilot to convince me that The Irrational would be must-see this fall, it's not hard to believe that he was "spectacular" to work with behind the scenes! Martin and the director weren't exactly on a warm and cozy enclosed set for the harrowing marina sequence, but an outdoor location. I asked Jesse Warn about filming Alec's action sequence, he explained:

If anything, the unpleasant weather helped to sell that Alec was heading into a very dangerous situation, and might have been better off waiting for Marisa and the FBI. Filming was of course safe for the star, but TV magic certainly sold the peril for Jesse L. Martin's character. Part of that was the overhead shot that really showed how Alec was pinned down by the shooter with nowhere to run, and the director explained how he was able to get that shot:

The team behind the scenes at The Irrational may have had a lot of fun, but Alec certainly wasn't enjoying the experience. Out of options and unable to leave the way he came, the professor ran to the end of the dock and dove into the dark water. Jesse Warn explained the safe way that they found to film that sequence, and it involved a stunt that Jesse L. Martin couldn't do himself as the star of the show. I asked about the dive into the water after Warn mentioned safety precautions, and the director shared:

The actor was able (and allowed) to jump around when Alec was still on the dock, which enabled the camera to catch his expressions instead of hiding the double. The dive into dark water at night was work for a double, however! When I commented that of course they weren't going to send TV star Jesse L. Martin diving into darkness in Episode 2 of a new show, the director laughed and confirmed:

The Irrational is Jesse L. Martin's return to NBC after spending the better part of a decade on The CW as part of The Flash. While coming back to his former network wasn't to join the Law & Order revival as fans of that series might have hoped, I'd say that the show would be an intriguing new primetime option even if the fall wasn't lighter than usual on scripted shows. 

If you've missed out on The Irrational so far, you can catch up with episodes streaming via a Peacock Premium subscription. New episodes – which may or may not involve less danger for Alec than "Dead Woman Walking – will air on NBC on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, following The Voice 's very first season without Blake Shelton as a Coach. 

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS are ahead for the series premiere of Jesse L. Martin's The Irrational on NBC!

NBC is officially back in the scripted game for its fall TV schedule with the series premiere of The Irrational, which already stood out for bringing former Law & Order star Jesse L. Martin back to the network and having episodes ready to go despite the WGA writers strike. Personally, I expected the new show to be a great substitute for the Law & Order shows, but wasn't 100% convinced about the premise of a behavioral science professor helping solve crimes. Fresh off of his longtime role on The Flash, it turns out that Martin only needed about ten minutes as Professor Alec Mercer and one specific line to win me over. 

The series premiere introduced Martin as Alec Mercer, a behavioral science professor whose approach to memory and decision-making helps him to resolve situations that may otherwise be at an impasse. After proving his skills by resolving a hostage situation, Alec applied his abilities to the case of Dylan, a young veteran accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. With Dylan also the son of a senator, the stakes were high as Alec was the only person who saw a lot of holes in a very convenient confession of guilt. 

By teaming up with law enforcement, he was able to crack the case and exonerate Dylan. It all could have felt like a standard procedural, even with the hints of Alec's tragic backstory and extensive burns. It was one line that the main character dropped that made me sit up and realize that The Irrational really is taking a different approach to a crime procedural. When Dylan came right out and told a pair of cops (with Alec present) that he'd killed his ex, Jesse L. Martin's character immediately intervened by saying this: 

Even I was surprised that a three-word sentence ten minutes into the episode won me over, but the delivery helped me realized that Alec Mercer is a new kind of character for Jesse L. Martin and The Irrational isn't going to turn into Law & Order 2.0 for him. As a scripted crime drama fan, I'm used to procedurals finding reasons to keep lawyers out of interrogation rooms to keep the plot moving in a straight line, and that works for those shows.

The Irrational clearly isn't going to be one of those shows and Alec Mercer isn't just another cop trying to get a confession. I'm more optimistic than ever about a procedural starring Jesse L. Martin that isn't a repeat of what has been done before... and what he has done before, as a Law & Order veteran who makes the list of the 25 franchise actors who appeared in the most episodes as Detective Ed Green. 

Throw in the clues about Alec's backstory and the church bombing that left him scarred, and it appears that there will be serialized elements to go along with the cases of the week. In fact, the ending would have won me over if I hadn't already been sold 50 minutes earlier. I'm on board to keep watching as the 2023 TV schedule continues. 

Will I be so hooked that I, like Alec's sister, will be shipping him and his ex-wife? Will the format work on a weekly basis? And how will the show balance the cases of the week with the clues about the main character's past? Only time and new episodes on NBC (or streaming via Peacock Premium subscription) can answer that question, although I can say that I'm already invested enough that I hope Alec's beautiful car is fully restored by Episode 2. 

If you want to keep watching, new episodes of The Irrational air on NBC on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, following new episodes of The Voice with Reba McEntire replacing longtime coach Blake Shelton. 

With the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes wreaking havoc on scripted TV series this fall, NBC finds itself in the enviable position of being able to premiere a handful of scripted content. This includes a couple of new series, and Law & Order fans are likely excited to see Jesse L. Martin return to the network in The Irrational. Critics were able to screen the first three episodes of the upcoming drama ahead of its September 25 premiere, so let’s see if they think of the series and whether or not this could be a good substitute for fans who miss Ed Green.

The Irrational is based on the behavioral economics book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. The series stars Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer, a behavioral science professor whose expertise in human nature allows him to help on cases involving governments, corporations and law enforcement. According to NBC’s synopsis, the professor will meet his match in a domestic terror suspect. Let’s see what critics are saying about NBC’s upcoming drama.

Saloni Gajjar of AV Club gives it a C, saying that Jesse L. Martin is the only actor who gives a memorable performance in what is a pretty average network procedural. However, the fact that it’s filling a void amid the strikes might just be enough to gain an audience, and the story does decent justice to the mystery surrounding Alec. The review continues: 

Dave Nemetz of TV Line says that as one of the only scripted premieres this fall The Irrational has our full attention but it doesn’t quite deserve it. The critic calls it a stubbornly mediocre procedural with a half-decent hook, but says it doesn’t play to Jesse L. Martin’s strengths the way that Law & Order and The Flash did. In Nemetz’s words: 

Despite what could considered tepid reviews, many viewers still seem excited to check out the premiere, including this one who is confident that Jesse L. Martin’s involvement can elevate any script: 

Many others are excited to check out the premiere, writing on X: 

• Love Psychology Courses, especially one led by Jesse L. Martin's character, Prof. Alec Mercer!  The storyline sounds Intriguing!  👏🏾😃💯 – bjfstrgazer
• Can’t wait to see Jesse L Martin again! – SweetPeaWoof
• Fiiine NBC I'll watch it cuz Jesse l.Martin is in it😂 – MalMatt123
• JESSE L. MARTIN IN A NEW NBC SERIES BUT WILL THEY LET HIM SING???? – meatsical
• Jesse L. Martin? 😍😍😍 Yes!!! Will be watching! 💜 – Loretta24714148

If you want to see Jesse L. Martin’s return to NBC, The Irrational is set to premiere at 10 p.m. ET Monday, September 25, following the premiere of The Voice on NBC. See what other premieres are coming soon with our 2023 TV schedule. 

The ongoing WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike mean that the scripted TV pickings are slimmer than usual this fall, but some shows already had episodes banked that will be able to debut in the coming weeks. While the three Law & Order series won’t be back with new episodes, a show starring a former Law & Order regular is just days away. Jesse L. Martin returns to NBC for The Irrational, and I for one am ready to watch his new character while SVU’s Benson, Organized Crime’s Stabler, and L&O’s McCoy are MIA from primetime. 

The Irrational debuts in the 2023 TV schedule on September 25, and NBC has been hyping Jesse L. Martin’s return to the network after spending the better part of a decade on The Flash with plenty of promos. His return is great news for fans of his from Law & Order who may have been disappointed that he didn’t reprise his role for the revival despite ranking as one of the 25 actors who appeared in the most franchise episodes. So, why will his new show be a good substitute for the Law & Order series? 

Well, Jesse L. Martin’s Alec Mercer isn't a detective like Ed Green, and a recent first look even features the character cracking a joke about why he’d never want to work law enforcement. But cop or not, Alec's instincts and expertise will enable him to solve mysteries that stump others. The cases that he works include those with law enforcement (even if he's not a detective or agent himself), as well as corporations and government. He’s a behavioral science professor with an unconventional approach to his work. 

Is The Irrational going to be Law & Order 2.0, with Alec Mercer as the second coming of Ed Green? Definitely not, and not just because the new drama is based on a book – called Predictably Irrational – by bestselling author Dan Ariely. But do we really need another Law & Order, particularly when the original series as well as SVU and Organized Crime will return once the strikes end and allow shows to begin belated production? Something new but still somewhat familiar could be perfect for this fall.

Jesse L. Martin is a reliable star on the small screen for this new take on solving mysteries, and The Irrational is poised to become a new kind of drama for NBC while seemingly also delivering tried-and-true procedural-type episodes like those for which the Law & Order shows are known. The series won’t premiere until September 25, but you can see a bit more of Alec Mercer and the other characters in the first look below:

As somebody who usually spends her Thursday nights during the TV season parked on NBC for the Law & Order action, I have a feeling that The Irrational is going to be high on my list of favorite scripted shows this fall… and not just because there’s going to be a shortage of other scripted possibilities. What's not to love about Jesse L. Martin in primetime? The new series also stars Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz, and Arash DeMaxi.

NBC has also set the new drama up for success by scheduling the series premiere for Monday, September 25 at 10 p.m. ET, which places it directly behind the Season 24 premiere of The Voice. Season 24 will be the first without Blake Shelton on board as a coach, so I’m guessing that plenty of people will be tuning in to the network to check out the new era of the singing competition, and that bodes well for The Irrational directly afterwards. 

The Law & Order franchise has been a staple of network television for more than three decades, ranging from when NBC had several of the shows going strong to when Law & Order: SVU was briefly the last spinoff standing. As of 2023, NBC had a whole night of primetime devoted to the franchise with Law & Order, SVU, and Organized Crime on Thursdays. In the wake of a successful set of finales (available streaming via a Peacock Premium subscription) and another spinoff in the works, it’s worth looking back at the Law & Order cast members who have appeared in the most episodes. 

Law & Order: LA, Trial By Jury, and True Crime didn’t last long enough for any stars to make the Top 25, but the original, SVU, and Criminal Intent all hit double digit seasons, and Organized Crime's leading man already had a long history before getting his own show. While many fans can guess who has the most appearances, there are some in the Top 25 that may surprise even diehards. Grab your gavel if you’ve got one, get comfortable, and read on for the Law & Order franchise actors who have appeared the most!

25. Raúl Esparza - 93 Episodes

Raúl Esparza played ADA Rafael Barba on SVU from Season 14 - Season 19, at which point the actor decided to depart. He has returned for guest appearances since, and visited Organized Crime’s turf for an episode in 2021. Esparza also has the bragging rights of portraying three different characters across four Law & Order shows, as he played different roles on Criminal Intent in 2009 and Law & Order in 2010 before joining SVU in 2012. 

24. Stephanie March - 94 Episodes

Stephanie March just barely beats Esparza in total episode count, as she played ADA Alex Cabot as SVU’s first regular prosecutor. She had a key role after debuting as part of Season 2 in 2000, but a threat to her life in Season 5 meant entering the witness protection program. Alex would later return and resume work, but hasn’t been seen since Season 19. March never crossed over to one of the other Law & Order shows, so all 94 of her episodes were on SVU. 

23. Benjamin Bratt - 95 Episodes

Before Benjamin Bratt became known for Miss Congeniality, he was a familiar face on Law & Order as Detective Rey Curtis from 1995 - 1999. Although Curtis had to deal with some personal complications, he formed a strong bond with Lennie Brisco (Jerry Orbach). His final appearance as a regular was in Season 9, but he returned for a guest spot in 2009 as part of what was ultimately the last season before being cancelled, and long before its long-awaited revival.

22. Diane Neal - 107 Episodes

Diane Neal joined SVU in Season 5 as ADA Casey Novak in the wake of Stephanie March’s first departure, after Neal originally appeared in a one-off guest spot in Season 3. Casey was the main prosecutor until Season 9 and was a guest star on Trial By Jury before the character left. Neal returned briefly in Seasons 12 and 13; but based on Neal’s comments blasting SVU in 2022, fans may not want to count on seeing Casey again. 

21. Jamey Sheridan - 111 Episodes

Jamey Sheridan played NYPD Captain James Deakins, who was the main supervisor of Criminal Intent for the first five seasons. The character chose to retire rather than continue in his role when he was attracting attention for all the wrong reasons, and Deakins did not appear again after the Season 5 finale in 2006. Sheridan went on to roles in shows including Homeland, Agent X, and Arrow.

20. Courtney B. Vance - 113 Episodes

Courtney B. Vance played ADA Ron Carver for five seasons of Criminal Intent before he, too, was written out in the Season 5 finale in 2006. Carver has not made any further guest appearances, and Vance is another star who played multiple roles within the franchise thanks to two different characters in Law & Order episodes. He went on to win two Emmys thanks to his roles in The People v. O.J. Simpson and Lovecraft Country.

19. Vincent D'Onofrio - 141 Episodes

Years before Vincent D’Onofrio debuted his Daredevil role as Wilson Fisk, he starred as Detective Bobby Goren on Law & Order: Criminal Intent across all ten seasons. Goren’s partnership with Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) was key to the series, despite both seemingly leaving the NYPD at one point before the final season. D’Onofrio didn’t appear elsewhere in the franchise, but revealed in June 2023 that it "would be great" if he could reprise the role in the franchise. 

18. Fred Thompson - 141 Episodes

While the late Fred Thompson appeared in the same number of episodes as Vincent D’Onofrio, he was one of the most prolific stars of the franchise as DA Arthur Branch, and is therefore placed ahead of D’Onofrio. With a total of 116 episodes on the original Law & Order, he also accumulated eleven on SVU, one on Criminal Intent, and all thirteen episodes of Trial by Jury. Prior to playing Branch for the franchise, he was a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. Thompson died in 2015 at the age of 73. 

17. BD Wong - 143 Episodes

While BD Wong may be known on the big screen for playing Henry Wu in Jurassic Park and the Jurassic World franchise, procedural fans undoubtedly know him best as Dr. George Huang from SVU. Huang wasn’t originally a full-time part of the Special Victims squad as an FBI agent, but would become their go-to for criminal profiling. Sadly, Huang hasn’t appeared since Season 17.

16. Kathryn Erbe - 144 Episodes

As Detective Alex Eames, Kathryn Erbe starred opposite Vincent D’Onofrio on Criminal Intent, but accumulated more appearances across the franchise thanks to two episodes of SVU in 2012 and 2013, which followed the end of CI in 2011. Eames was promoted to lieutenant by the time she teamed up with Olivia Benson and Co.

15. Chris Noth - 147 Episodes

Chris Noth worked as a series regular on multiple Law & Order shows. From 1990 - 1995, he played Detective Mike Logan on the flagship series for a total of 111 episodes. Noth later reprised the role for 36 episodes of Criminal Intent, but has not appeared in the franchise since 2008. Given the actor’s firing from another job in the wake of sexual assault allegations, Mike Logan returning to the franchise seems unlikely. 

14. Tamara Tunie - 177 Episodes

Tamara Tunie played Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on SVU going back to Season 2 in 2000, and has gone on to appear in almost every season since. She guest-starred on Trial by Jury in 2005 and later made a notable return for SVU's 500th episode in 2021. Most recently, she had a guest appearance in Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 to reconnect with Detective Stabler. As a bonus (not counted in her L&O total), she even portrayed Warner for a rare crossover episode between the Law & Order franchise and One Chicago. Plus, Tunie had a one-off role in the seventh season of Law & Order in 1996.

13. Peter Scanavino - 201 Episodes

Peter Scanavino is still a series regular as ADA Carisi on SVU. The character started out as a detective before becoming a prosecutor, and his relationship with Amanda Rollins is a light spot in an emotionally heavy show even after Kelli Giddish left SVU as a series regular. Before debuting as Carisi in 2014, he played different characters in SVU Season 14, Law & Order Season 20, Criminal Intent Season 5, and Trial by Jury Season 1. Add three episodes Organized Crime as Carisi, and Scanavino has been all over the franchise! 

12. Jesse L. Martin - 202 Episodes

 Jesse L. Martin spent nearly ten years on Law & Order as Detective Ed Green, and ended his run just shy of 200 episodes on that series. Fortunately, some guest roles on SVU, Criminal Intent, and Trial by Jury bumped him up to hit and surpass that milestone. While Martin has given no sign that he’s reprising his role, he is returning to NBC as star of the upcoming drama called The Irrational. 

11. Steven Hill - 228 Episodes

The original district attorney of the Law & Order franchise was Adam Schiff, played by Steven Hill over the first ten seasons of the series. The actor’s departure from Law & Order in 2000 meant that Schiff’s time as DA ended before Criminal Intent, Organized Crime, and less successful spinoff attempts like Trial by Jury debuted, but he did guest star in an episode of SVU's first season before bowing out. Hill died in 2016 at the age of 94. 

10. Richard Belzer - 247 Episodes

Richard Belzer played John Munch throughout seventeen seasons of SVU, along with a handful of guest appearances across Law & Order and Trial by Jury. That said, if this list accounted for every time that Belzer played Munch, it would have to account for series including Homicide: Life on the Street, The X-Files, Arrested Development, and 30 Rock, to name just some. Were all of those appearances canon to SVU? Certainly not, but the late actor (who died at 78 in early 2023) brought humor to very serious subject matter. 

9. Kelli Giddish - 251 Episodes

Kelli Giddish debuted as Amanda Rollins in Season 13, a.k.a. the post-Elliot Stabler era of Law & Order: SVU in 2011, although she previously played a different character in Season 8. Giddish was written out as a series regular halfway through Season 24, then returned for the SVU/Organized Crime crossover finale event and as a guest for two episodes of SVU Season 25. Whether she’ll ever return for good remains to be seen.

8. Leslie Hendrix - 263 Episodes

Leslie Hendrix is the only franchise star who can boast episode counts in triple digits for two of the series! The actress played Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers for 143 episodes of Law & Order between 1992 - 2010, on top of 110 episodes of Criminal Intent from 2001 - 2011. Plus, she has nine episodes of SVU and one episode of Trial by Jury to her name. Her last appearance in the Law & Order franchise was in the tenth and final season of CI. 

7. Jerry Orbach - 280 Episodes

Jerry Orbach made his first appearance as Detective Lennie Brisco in Season 3 of Law & Order (although he played a different character in Season 2), and he would go on to become one of the most recognizable faces of the franchise. In addition to 274 episodes of the original series, he played Brisco in three episodes of SVU and one episode of Criminal Intent, as well as the first two episodes of Trial by Jury, prior to his death in late 2004. 

6. Christopher Meloni - 346 Episodes

Even though Christopher Meloni is the star of Law & Order: Organized Crime, only 52 of his franchise appearances come from OC. He has appeared in 277 episodes of SVU, with the most recent being the Season 24 finale. He famously left SVU over the hiatus between Seasons 12 and 13, before returning nearly a decade later for OC, but appeared in episodes of Law & Order and Trial by Jury before taking his long break from Elliot Stabler. 

5. Dann Florek - 381 Episodes

Dann Florek is another star who benefited from long runs on more than one show in the franchise. He started out as Captain Don Cragen on Law & Order in 1990 and would go on to accumulate 69 episodes before moving over to SVU for more than 300 episodes. Although Cragen retired in Season 15, he returned in Season 16 and then again for a cameo in the 500th episode before dropping by Organized Crime for a couple of episodes of Season 2 and two more in Season 4. 

4. S. Epatha Merkerson - 391 Episodes

S. Epatha Merkerson was a fixture on Law & Order as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren from Season 4 all the way to Season 20, which was the last until NBC revived the drama in 2022. The actress would next become a series regular on Chicago Med, which shares a TV universe with Law & Order. In fact, if total episodes across all of the nine-show Wolf Entertainment TV universe were counted, Merkerson would be at more than 500. While she played Van Buren in Trial by Jury and Criminal Minds, she never made it to SVU.

3. Sam Waterston - 410 Episodes

Although NBC celebrated Sam Waterston’s 400th episode of Law & Order with the Season 22 finale, he had actually already hit the milestone in the franchise thanks to appearances on SVU and Trial by Jury. Jack McCoy was not part of the Organized Crime hour of the three-show crossover that started the 2022-2023 TV season and only appeared in five of Law & Order's Season 23 before leaving as a series regular, so his count remains at 410 for the foreseeable future. 

2. Ice-T - 494 Episodes

Although Ice-T didn’t debut Detective Odafin Tutuola until Season 2 of Law & Order: SVU, he has outlasted every original member of the cast as series regular aside from Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson. The musician/actor also portrayed Fin on Organized Crime and Law & Order, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in early 2023. Fin has gone from the new detective in the unit back in 2000 to a sergeant by Season 25.

1. Mariska Hargitay - 561 Episodes

Is there any surprise that Mariska Hargitay has appeared in the most episodes across the Law & Order franchise? Playing Olivia Benson since the premiere of SVU in 1999, the TV icon has only missed nine episodes in the history of that series, and added to her total with nineteen guest appearances across Organized Crime, Law & Order, and Trial by Jury. With Benson going from NYPD detective in 1999 to NYPD captain by 2024, she has been investigating – to quote SVU's opening narration – ”especially heinous” crimes and “vicious felonies” for a quarter century.

All three of the current Law & Order shows are on summer hiatus, and Organized Crime will move from NBC to Peacock for its fifth season. You can find current and former Law & Order shows streaming via a Peacock subscription, and some upcoming viewing options on our 2024 TV premiere schedule. 

The CW’s The Flash was renewed for a ninth season back in March, but it will feature less of an original cast member. Jesse L. Martin, who portrays Joe West, will no longer be a series regular on the DC Comics series because of a new project. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s not a return to Law & Order.

According to THR, Martin has been cast in the new NBC drama pilot called The Irrational. Based on the behavioral economics book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely, the potential series centers on behavioral science professor Alec Baker (played by Martin), whose expertise in human nature helps in a wide variety of cases with high stakes. His world is turned around after he meets a female domestic terror suspect. 

From Universal Pictures, The Irrational is written by Arika Mittman and executive produced by Sam Baum, Mark Goffman, and Mittman. Dan Ariely is also attached as a consultant on the potential drama series. No other details are available at the time of writing, and there's no guarantee that the show will receive a series order. Still, Jesse L. Martin is a proven talent on television, so the project is off to a strong start.

If The Irrational is picked up to series, this new role means bad news for not only fans of The Flash but also Law & Order. Ahead of the highly-anticipated Law & Order revival premiere in February, Martin opened up about his interest in returning as NYPD Detective Ed Green. While he did say he “certainly” hopes he does appear, this new role may stand in the way of that. 

That’s not to say that we won’t be seeing Ed Green back on Law & Order. It’s still possible, but it may not happen for a while. It is worth noting that The Irrational is in the works at NBC, which is the network home of Law & Order, so we shouldn't rule anything out. 

As of now, the revival has yet to be renewed for a 22nd season, but given the popularity following the premiere as well as the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe, that likely won't be a problem. Hopefully, Martin still has a chance to appear on the series, but for now, we’ll just have to look forward to his new role.

Meanwhile, this doesn’t mark the first time that Jesse L. Martin will be around less on The Flash. The actor suffered a back injury in 2018, and he had to go on medical leave for several episodes. However, this seems like it could be more permanent and include even fewer episodes for Martin to appear in if The Irrational moves forward, particularly since there is no guarantee that The Flash will continue beyond Season 9. 

It will be interesting to see what will happen if the pilot moves on to the next stage of development and what that would mean for Joe on The Flash. It looks like Joe will still be sticking around in Central City, but not appear as much. Depending on how Season 8 ends and whether or not Season 9 will be the final season, Joe’s story could end sooner than expected.

The highly anticipated Law & Order revival is just weeks away and, with several OGs returning, the sense of nostalgia is strong. Season 21 of the show will feature numerous familiar faces like Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson, who will appear alongside a fresh-faced cast. Of course, there are those who've yet to be officially be confirmed for the show, like franchise veteran Jesse L. Martin, who is now sharing his thoughts on the possibility of re-entering the fold.

Jesse L. Martin, who portrayed NYPD Detective Ed Green from Seasons 10 to18, recently appeared on The Talk. With revival buzz all around, the actor was inevitably asked about whether he could potentially step back into the shoes of his beloved character and, apparently, he's as hopeful as everyone else:

While it doesn’t seem like the actor has been locked down for Law & Order as of right now, it's great to hear that he's all for a return. And of course, it would be nice to have some of those loose ends tied up. His Ed Green was involved in a shooting towards the end of Season 18 and, although the charges against him were dropped, he ultimately decided to leave the squad.

It would be interesting to see what Green has been up to since his departure and to learn if he’s kept in touch with any of his former colleagues and partners. In real-life, Jesse L. Martin has been busy playing Captain Joe West on The CW’s The Flash, so it could be a bit challenging for him to return for the revamp, even if it’s just for an episode or two. But one would think that the producers could make it happen.

The official promo for the revival was recently released and provided a first look at Sam Waterston reprising his role as Jack McCoy. The revival was announced early last fall and, as its premiere has drawn closer, stars eager about its debut have been posting videos and photos online.

The series arrives following NBC's decision not to move forward with its latest spinoff, Law & Order: For the Defense. Now, with the revival joining the Thursday lineup consisting of SVU and Organized Crime, those nights will be further filled with nostalgic court proceedings and cool legal capers, which will hopefully involve more veteran stars like Jesse L. Martin as time goes on.

Law & Order premieres on Thursday, Feb. 24 on NBC. Be sure to read up on everything there is to know about the upcoming season so you're all caught up. And check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 winter and spring TV schedule to see what else  you can look forward to in the coming months!

The Flash has featured much less of a certain character in Season 5. Joe West has been off-screen for the majority of the season so far, and he hasn't even appeared in new footage since way back in the fourth episode. The reason for his absence was actor Jesse L. Martin's back injury that he sustained over the summer hiatus, and he's been out on medical leave. Now, it has been announced when in Season 5 he'll be back: Episode 15.

Jesse L. Martin is back and filming for the fifteenth episode on the Flash set, according to TVLine. No official airdate has been announced for his big comeback episode, but the midseason premiere (which debuts on Tuesday, January 15) will be Episode 10. Assuming there are no more big breaks before Episode 15, we can probably expect it to air by the end of February. That's not too much longer to wait, all things considered. At least we'll have the show back!

Fortunately for fans, The Flash didn't put Joe in a coma or stick him in the Speed Force or have him kidnapped to explain Jesse L. Martin's absence. Joe has just been off-screen all this time, so there shouldn't be a ton of melodrama in his return. That said, showrunner Todd Helbing did tease some developments on the Joe front before he's actually back, saying this:

Based on Todd Helbing's comments, it sounds like The Flash has more in store than just saying that Joe has been hanging out with the baby 24/7 to explain Jesse L. Martin's absence. That's not to say that he hasn't been busy with his infant daughter; somebody has to be taking care of her while Cecile helps Team Flash figure out how to take down Cicada.

As for the technology aspect of Todd Helbing's tease, I have to wonder if we'll see the Flash version of FaceTime for Joe to appear without Jesse L. Martin needing to be running around. Perhaps he was able to film some stationary footage while still resting his back. That does seem a bit too straightforward for The Flash, however. We might want to expect the unexpected when it comes to Joe West's return.

Joe West fans aren't the only ones excited to have Jesse L. Martin returning. Danielle Nicolet, who plays Cecile, shared a fun video of the West family back together on Instagram:

The Flash will be the first of the four Arrow-verse shows to return in 2019, following last fall's insane multi-show crossover that revealed a huge comics-based arc already in the works for a crossover next season. The midseason premiere of The Flash airs Tuesday, January 15 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. If you love Nora, you may want to prepare yourself for a rough episode. For the premiere dates of Supergirl and Arrow, among many other shows, check out our midseason TV premiere guide.

The Flash musical was a nice departure from the typical song and dance (pun intended) the show is used to, and while not everyone was a fan, enough were that questions are being asked about another musical episode in Season 4. Jesse L. Martin discussed the possibility of another song-based episode in the show at an SDCC 2017 panel that our Head TV Editor Nick Venable was present for:

So while Jesse L. Martin isn't entirely positive whether or not another musical episode is coming to Season 4 he's got a good feeling, and he's more than down for Joe West to sing a tune or two if so! That's good to hear, as Martin has wow'd audiences of The Flash a couple times in the past with a musical number from Earth-2 Joe West in addition to the latest musical crossover. Even if another full blown musical episode isn't in the cards, maybe Detective West can have a scene where he's singing the blues in response to Barry being trapped in the speed force, or perhaps he's trying to serenade Cecile or a new love interest?

With former Glee actor Darren Criss still roaming the Arrow-verse as the Music Meister, it's certainly possible within the show canon for another musical episode to come to The Flash. Of course, it's unlikely there will be another Supergirl crossover musical involving that particular character unless Kara and the gang decide to head over to Earth-1 again. That leaves The Flash and Arrow as the primary destination for his trickery, and neither team seems in all that great of a mood at the present to have a song in their hearts. Then again, they don't really have a say in the matter. If there are private discussions currently being held between The Flash higher ups about another musical episode, hopefully they consider the wishes of fans who hoped Neil Patrick Harris was involved in the last one.

Potentially with a song in its heart, The Flash will return for Season 4 October 10th at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. For more info on Season 4, be sure to check out that heart pounding trailer that showed Iris leading the team, or read more about how Wally might be throwing on the red suit at some point. For more information regarding shows in the present that may or may not have singing, but are great either way, visit our summer premiere guide.

While The Flash trailer and CinemaBlend's interview with Carlos Valdes indicate that all of The Flash characters take Barry's absence pretty hard, perhaps few are hit harder than his adoptive father, Joe West. Actor Jesse L. Martin explained how Joe is affected by Barry's absence at a roundtable event at San Diego Comic Con, which our very own Nick Venable was in attendance for:

For Joe, it sounds things are extra hard compared to the rest of the team, as Jesse L. Martin explains he and Iris have to cover for Barry's absence from the CCPD, which is on the verge of giving his job away. Not that anyone can blame the department for wanting a new CSI investigator with Barry M.I.A. for so long and Julian Albert reportedly out for Season 4. Still, the fact that Joe is stressed and upset about Barry potentially losing his job shows his worry towards affecting Barry's future, and whether or not he will ever see him again is pretty deep.

All hope is not lost for the good detective though, as Joe still has his other son, Wally West, there to pick up the slack in Barry's absence. Joe has typically been protective of Wally in the series especially in regards to his meta abilities, but Jesse L. Martin indicates that Joe's outlook regarding his son's ability to save Central City has changed a bit. When asked if Joe is ok with Wally taking Barry's place, he said:

Looks like Wally won his dad over with his crime fighting abilities in the past six months Barry Allen has been gone, but eventually The Flash is going to realize they need more than Kid Flash to keep the city safe. Judging by Joe's "devastated, state and Iris's leadership only going so far, it sounds like The Flash is going to rescue Barry sooner or later, although exactly how remains a mystery. Let's just hope Barry isn't forced to create another Savitar to keep the speed force in check.

The Flash will return for Season 4 October 10th at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. For more information regarding Season 4 of the series be sure to check out what Tom Cavanaugh had to say about a new Harrison Wells or how this season in the Arrow-verse is poised to be the darkest one yet. For some great shows that have nothing to do with The Flash, but will give fans something to watch in the meantime, visit our summer premiere guide.

There's an exciting update on the Flash-focused Arrow spinoff. The incredibly talented Jesse L. Martin has joined the pilot, playing the role of Barry Allen's surrogate father. TV fans may know Martin best for his role as Detective Ed Green in Law & Order, while Broadway fanatics and Rent fans in particular likely associate him fondly with his role as the kind-hearted Tom Collins in the original production of the beloved 90s musical.

Barry Allen's fate hangs in the balance. If you're an Arrow fan, you know that's especially true, given how things left off for the character before the series broke for the winter hiatus, and where they picked up — or barely picked up — for him when the series resumed with the second half of its second season last week. While we wait for an update the kind and brainy scientist, we're also waiting for updates on the pilot that's in development at the CW, which would give Flash a series to call his own, assuming things work out for the project, which comes from Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns. Casting is one place Arrow has really excelled, and judging by this latest update, added to Grant Gustin's already established charm in the lead role, that may prove to be the case for the Flash pilot.

THR says Jesse L. Martin will play Detective West, a surrogate father to Barry Allen. He's described as "an honest, blue-collar cop" and "a soulful, funny and caring father to Iris — Barry's potential love interest." West's backstory also involves having been raised in the foster care system. He took Barry in after his mother was killed and his father was imprisoned. "He believes in Barry and supports his efforts to prove his father's innocent." So it sounds like Martin's character will play a pretty significant role in the story, between the family tie-in and the fact that he's a cop, which would put him in the same professional field as Allen, who's a assistant police forensic investigator in Central City.

As mentioned, Martin's credits include a starring role in Law & Order. More recently, he recurred in the second season of NBC's Smash. And going back to his theater days, he starred in the original cast of the Broadway musical Rent, playing Tom Collins, a role he reprised for the 2005 feature adaptation. Here he is singing the reprise of "I'll Cover you."

It seems unlikely that Martin's musical talents will come in handy in the Flash drama, but they're well worth noting regardless. As for the status of the Flash spinoff, at this point, all we can do is cross our fingers that it turns out good enough for CW to send it to series. If it doesn't, it's unlikely that Arrow's ratings will have much to do with that, if anything. The CW series is currently hovering in the 2.5 to 3 million viewer range per episode, which may not seem incredibly high — and it isn't, by comparison to the other major networks — but is actually in the upper end of the viewership spectrum for a CW series. For comparison's sake, Supernatural's currently bringing in somewhere in the ballpark of 2 million viewers, while The Vampire Diaries averages somewhere closer to 2.5 million. So Arrow's numbers bode well for the Flash pilot, as does the fact that Arrow scribes Berlanti, Johns and Kreisberg are developing this potential series. But nothing's set until it goes to series, so fingers crossed!

With three weeks to go on a planned nine-and-a-half week shoot, it’s being reported that production has stopped on a Marvin Gaye biopic, Sexual Healing, and various troubles have the future of the movie in question.

The report surfaced on ScreenDaily, which says that the film has “stalled” due to potential cash flow problems that might have been resolved. Well-placed sources tell the site that crew members have not been paid, and that shooting on the film stopped more than a month ago “because of scheduling and location issues.”

The role of the late Motown singer was originally supposed to go to Lenny Kravitz, but he was replaced by Law & Order co-star Jesse L. Martin before production got underway. Director Julien Temple, a music-feature director, cast S. Epatha Merkerson as Gaye’s mother, Alberta.

The film wouldn’t be a tradition Motown piece, but instead focus on a time when the singer spent years in Europe trying to curb a dangerous drug addiction. The singer’s son, Marvin Gaye III, spoke out against the script and, according to reports, convinced Kravitz to lave the production. But these financial problems are a bigger issue. According to ScreenDaily, an American investor was delayed in providing investments, and it held up the crew. They say Brendan Gleeson, who has been cast as Gaye’s promoter, Freddy Cousaert, has been paid up until this point and remains committed to the film.

Likely, the money will begin flowing on Healing soon, and the production will be able to wrap. The delays could affect when we finally see the movie, but if it ends up winning over audiences, this rocky production schedule will become a distant memory.

Even though a two-hour biopic about Marvin Gaye’s life probably wouldn’t hold a soul-and-cocaine-fueled candle to the roller coaster that was Gaye’s private life, it’s still a highly anticipated project that has been through all sorts of developmental hell. But like the man says, let’s get together and get our hopes up once again.

Deadline is reporting through the grapevine that Jesse L. Martin will suavely step into the role of Gaye in Sexual Healing, to be directed by Julien Temple, well-known for a career full of documentaries. Martin is best known for his work as Det. Ed Green on Law & Order, though he’s recently appeared in Todd Graff’s musical Joyful Noise with Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, as well as the Chris Evans-led drama Puncture. He’d actually been attached to the project back in 2008, when James Gandolfini was producing.

Sadly not a big fictional Motown reunion, Sexual Healing will follow the time Gaye spent in Europe in the early 1980s as he attempted to curb his drug addictions and get his failing career back to the heights it once reached. At the time he had the help of British music promoter Freddy Cousaert, to be played by Brendan Gleason (Safe House).

The film’s subject matter has of course already been the subject of controversy, which began last November when Lenny Kravitz was attached to the film. Gaye’s son and a friend of Kravitz since childhood, Marvin Gaye III called the film “shameful” and asked Kravitz to drop out of the film, threatening legal action if it didn’t happen. Kravitz soon left the film without much fanfare.

Sexual Healing is expected to begin filming later this month in Europe.

Smash continues to add big names to Season 2. This time it’s Law & Order actor Jesse L. Martin, who brings more to the role than the average TV actor, as he’s actually a Broadway veteran as well. Smash is looking to raise the bar for a second season that it expected to see some changes.

Jesse L. Martin joins Jennifer Hudson and Sean Hayes who have already signed on as recurring characters for the upcoming season of the musical. Martin was part of the original cast of the Broadway hit Rent and has spent plenty of time on the stage, which makes him pretty well suited for a role in a television series about a Broadway show. He’s best known for his long run on Law & Order, but recently appeared on The Philanthropist and in the feature Joyful Noise.

Deadline reports that Martin will be playing Scott Welker, the Artistic Director for a theater company on Smash in a recurring role rumored to have some connection with Julia (Debra Messing).

Smash finished out its first season amid some criticism of the direction it had gone in, and said goodbye to showrunner and creator Theresa Rebeck at the end of the season. Since then the series has been adding new cast members pretty regularly and gearing up to prove itself in Season 2. The musical, which focuses on the production of a Broadway show about the life of Marilyn Monroe, managed to get past the Glee comparisons in a hurry, and seems to have found a place of its own. Season 2’s reception will be very telling about the show’s future.

Chris Evans does have the comedy What’s Your Number? hitting theaters in the fall, but otherwise, we likely won’t see him much on the big screen as anyone but Captain America. As his final film before the July release of Captain America: The First Avenger, we have Puncture making its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The film is based on a true story and stars Evans as Mike Weiss, half of the Danziger & Weiss law firm. Unlike his more practical partner, Paul Danizger (Mark Kassen), Mike is rather reckless and harbors an intense drug addiction not only constantly popping pain pills, but indulging in a great deal of cocaine as well. Regardless, Mike manages to keep up a sound performance in the courtroom and, fueled by his success, is eager to take on Vicky’s (Vinessa Shaw) case, a Houston nurse who contracts HIV when she’s accidently stuck with a contaminated needle. Mike makes Jeffrey Dancort’s (Marshall Bell) “Safety Point” syringes fitted with retractable needles the center of his case, striving to get hospitals to stock the needles regardless of a massive healthcare GPO’s resistance.

There’s so much more to this story and, in honor of the film’s run at the festival, Evans, director Adam Kassen and his brother, co-director and Evans’ co-star Mark Kassen sat down to tell us all about the process of putting this iconic case on screen. Check out everything they had to say about making Puncture, a little about Evans’ thoughts on Captain America and what the Kassens are up to next in the video interview below.