Captain Olivia Benson and her squad are back and there’s a lot to look forward to as we approach the show’s 26th season!
Where do we find the squad at the start of the season?
The SVU investigates a brutal attack on a group of law students; Benson hopes the discovery of a hidden camera will crack the case open; Carisi's best chance at conviction is catching the defendant in a lie.
"Fractured" - LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Pictured: Ice T as Sgt. Fin Tutuola, Kevin Kane as Det. Terry Bruno. Virginia Sherwood/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This summer Kevin Kane who plays Terry Bruno was promoted to a series regular which means we’ll be seeing a lot more of Bruno and an even greater evolution of his character since his first appearance in the squad.
So what can we expect from the show’s 26th season?
Kelli Giddish is back reprising her role as Amanda Rollins, who left the Special Victims Unit for a criminology professorship at Fordham University, but later returned in the season 25 episode ‘Prima Nocta’ to assist Captain Benson on a case. Audiences first met Detective Rollins in the 13th season of the show following the departure of Benson’s partner, Elliot Stabler.
According to showrunner David Graziano, Giddish will “make a bunch of appearances throughout the season”. Rollins will be taking on a role with the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit and “is going to be traveling a lot as part of that job.”
"Fractured" - LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Pictured: Juliana Aidén Martinez as Det. Kate Silva. Ralph Bavaro/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved
The squad gains another fresh face this season. Juliana Aidén Martinez joins the cast as Detective Kate Silva and while not much is known about her character just yet, we imagine that she will have to pass Captain Benson’s tests and prove herself as a valuable and committed member of the SVU squad.
The premiere is shaping up to be a fun one.
"Fractured" - LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Pictured: (l-r) Octavio Pisano as Det. Joe Velasco, Ice T as Sgt. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Juliana Aidén Martinez as Det. Kate Silva, Mariska Hargitay as Capt. Olivia Benson, Peter Scanavino as A.D.A Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Kevin Kane as Det. Terry Bruno. Ralph Bavaro/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC . All Rights Reserved
What is in store for Captain Benson’s career?
With almost 30 years of service under her belt, what does the future look like for Olivia?
Benson has fought hard for herself, for women and girls, risen up through the ranks, from detective to sergeant to captain, all while devoting her life to raising her son, Noah. If the opportunity presents itself, the 26th season could highlight a need for Benson to take her career to the next step.
What about Benson’s love life? Will a certain someone in the Organized Crime Control Bureau be making an appearance?
There has been no official word as to whether Elliot Stabler, Olivia’s longtime friend and former partner with whom she shares intense chemistry, will appear. Christopher Meloni, who portrays Detective Stabler on Law & Order: Organized Crime is writing the second episode of the fifth season and says Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) will be making an appearance. Benson and Stabler have long had an ongoing ‘will they, won’t they’ romantic dynamic and fans are hopeful that this next season will be a major turning point in their relationship. Could this be the season that Benson confronts her feelings head-on and gives herself a chance at love with Stabler? Only time will tell.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit returns Thursday, October 3 at 9/8c on NBC.
Are you looking forward to the show’s 26th season? Could there be a promotion in Captain Benson’s future? Who would you like to see make an appearance this season?
