Tony Goldwyn, Maura Tierney lead season 24

Get out your hammer and handcuffs: “Law & Order” is back for its 24th season – and of course the show remains as captivating as ever!

Last season ended with the election of a new district attorney following the departure of the experienced Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). Meanwhile, fans are excited to see who's new, who's coming back, and what the next season will be like.

Perhaps surprisingly, showrunner Rick Eid said the series will be a little more personal. “We're making it a point this year to learn more about some of our characters,” he told NBC Insider. “It's still Dick Wolf's 'Law & Order' and there are still compelling, current cases every week and ethical and moral dilemmas every week, but we try to dig a little deeper into our people in certain episodes and see how that works “Your personal life overlaps with your professional life.”

So let's get a little more personal with the detectives and lawyers who will be fighting the criminals of New York City this season!

Maura Tierney (Lieutenant Jessica Brady)

As a newcomer – at least in the franchise – Tierney is now in charge of the detectives of the 27th Precinct. She takes over from Lt. Kate Dixon (Camryn Manheim), who was at the helm for three seasons. Eid pointed out to NBC Insider that while Brady may be in charge, he still “thinks and acts like a detective” and will be involved in the cases more than just supervising.

He added that she has an “almost photographic memory” and quickly picks up on people's small idiosyncrasies, although it is not yet clear where she developed her unique abilities. And the detectives she oversees may not necessarily get along as well with her as they do with Dixon. “It's a little unsettling when a new boss comes in that they don't know, and they don't really like bosses,” Eid explained.

Tony Goldwyn (District Attorney Nicholas Baxter)

There's a new man at the helm of the DA's office after Baxter won the election, following in McCoy's footsteps. The end of last season focused on a breakdown in his marriage, the difficult choice and his near-shooting. That's a lot for a prosecutor to deal with, and things aren't likely to get any easier. He'll likely have more verbal confrontations with his subordinate, EADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), and have to answer for the obviously politically motivated decisions he sometimes makes.

Hugh Dancy (Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price)

Price may not always get along with his new boss, but he's still in charge of the bigger cases at One Hogan Place. As the new season begins, the two get along better, but tensions and tensions can be expected to continue.

“Nick Baxter is a little different than the character of McCoy, and the relationship between McCoy and Price is different than that between Baxter and Price,” Eid told NBC Insider. “Baxter is a little more political, a little more obscure, so you don't always really know where he's coming from, so from Price's perspective it's a little more complicated.”

Odelya Halevi (Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun)

Maroun returns to her subordinate role in a disorganized office led by Baxter. Halevi told NBC Insider that she “brings empathy,” which gives her a unique “power” in the role. But that empathy can be a burden when she has to stay away from a case. In season 23, memories of her parents' escape from Lebanon caused her to falter during a case – prompting Price to call for her resignation or face the situation. Her difficult history also includes a sister who was abused and murdered, a past she brought up in the season 24 premiere during a similar case.

Mehcad Brooks (Detective Jalen Shaw)

Shaw is tough but tender, a detective who has been around for a while and knows the best way to get the information he needs to solve a case. He also has a law degree and practiced law for a few years before joining the police force. Shaw began his police work in the narcotics unit before becoming a homicide detective. He first appeared in the “L&O” spin-off “Organized Crime” as part of an unprecedented crossover event with both series and “Law & Order: SVU” as a detective in the 32nd district, then he moved to the 27th district.

Last season, he found a new partner in Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott), and the two became a truly “odd couple,” as he told NBC Insider.

“We want the same things, but we come from such different worlds and different perspectives that there's a lot of comedy,” he said, adding, “It leads to some pleasant conflict.”

Reid Scott (Detective Vincent Riley)

Brooks and Riley have camaraderie, but also two different personalities. When he moved to 2-7 last season, he was coming off a suspension for punching a police captain. (In his defense, he defended Lt. Dixon after the captain had some good words for her.) He had to deal with a dying father, a dying marriage, and a growing drinking problem at work. Dixon understood his struggle and helped him find a new home in the precinct.

In the new season, fans will meet Riley's brother, played by Blacklist and New Amsterdam veteran Ryan Eggold, NBC Insider reported.