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Captain Cragen was a staple in the Law & Order universe for over two decades. Now, Dann Florek is returning to the franchise and reprising his role as the beloved captain on Law & Order: Organized Crime, but is he coming back for good? We have all the details below.

Florek made his debut as Captain Donald Cragen in 1990, during the first season of Law & Order. He continued as a series regular for three seasons before moving over to Law & Order: SVU, which is where he really found his footing. Cragen led the SVU squad for 15 consecutive seasons, departing the series in 2013 and passing the baton to Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). In the years since his exit, he has continue to pop up within the universe, but his cameos have always been brief. The last time viewers saw Cragen was during a Season 2 episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, in which he attended an awards ceremony honoring Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni).

As promos for the upcoming Season 4 episode “Original Sin” reveal, Cragen is coming back to Organized Crime and under much dire circumstances. With Stabler’s fate seemingly in the balance, fans are wondering if Cragen will come on board in a permanent or semi-permanent capacity this time around. Keep reading to find out.

Is Captain Cragen coming back to the Law & Order franchise for good? Considering he met the mandatory NYPD retirement age back in 2013 when he left, Cragen most likely won’t be returning to the franchise for good. But we’re not giving up hope just yet!

In his upcoming return to the franchise, which airs on March 14, Florek will reprise his role as Captain Cragen to warn Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) that Stabler is in trouble. “Something’s going on with Stabler,” he tells her in the promo. Stabler is still suspended following an incident in Episode 4, in which he assaulted an armed minor, but this doesn’t stop him from continuing to investigate dangerous crimes on his own. Per the episode’s official synopsis, the squad backs up Stabler in pursuing a murder case outside of their jurisdiction as an unlikely ally provides a key piece of evidence. Plus, Bell works to find a way to get Stabler back on the job. Similar to the last episode, Stabler appears to have gone rogue and this time, it’s gotten him in serious trouble. The promo ends with a shot of Stabler pinned to several pipes, his wrists bound and bloodied.

While it’s unclear how involved Cragen will be in the action, he does know Stabler better than anyone. He could easily be the key to figuring out where Stabler is — or perhaps he’s the unlikely ally with key evidence. As for his long term future on the show, Cragen hasn’t alluded to making a full-time return, but he did tell TV Insider that he misses “the people, the sense of community, the sense of company” of filming every day. He added that he will always “be there in a heartbeat” for guest spots, and would love to do another one on SVU. “It’s been such a part of my life,” he said. “I did a couple with Meloni in Organized Crime. I’m all in. I’d be there in a heartbeat. If they come up with something, I would love to have something special with Mariska [Hargitay], you know what I mean? As the mentor father figure, because that’s kind of what it was with Chris on the other one. I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

Since leaving the franchise, Florek hasn’t done a ton of acting. Most recently, he appeared in the 2023 Disney+ movie Crater. Although his schedule is open, the 73-year-old actor is most likely done with Cragen and Law & Order, aside from the occasional cameo. He has also enjoyed handing the reins over to Hargitay, who’s character Olivia Benson is now the captain of SVU. “It’s a beautiful passing of the baton,” he told People at the premiere of SVU‘s milestone 25th season. Referencing his Season 23 appearance, he added: “I got to do one little scene, I think I shot it on Zoom, and I was able to say to her — I’m gonna cry — ‘You have no idea how proud it makes me to say Captain.’”

Law & Order: Organized Crime airs on NBC on Thursdays at 10 pm EST and streams on Peacock.