Law & Order Star Addresses John Oliver's Critiques of the Show

Mehcad Brooks wasn't that offended by John Oliver's critique of Law & Order. 

In response to Oliver's assertions that the franchise "makes a lot of choices that significantly distort the big picture of police" and that the show had turned into a recruitment tool for law enforcement, Brooks wondered if this was such a bad thing.

"I think he’s an incredible satirist. He goes after institutions, and Law & Order is an institution," said Brooks. "That’s his brand. But the thing that really has inspired me about what was supposed to be a hit piece, was he said that Law & Order is an extremely dynamic recruitment tool for police. Well, if, in five to 10 years, there’s more police who look and think like Jalen Shaw, great."

Brooks' character, Detective Jalen Shaw, is a former attorney whose calm demeanor helps balance out more hot-headed characters like partner Frank Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). He made his debut on the show during last week's Law & Order crossover event, establishing him as the third Black detective on the series following Anthony Anderson and Jesse L. Martin.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.