Nobody guessed back in 1999 that Law & Order: SVU would still be going strong 25 years later.
This series and Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson have become synonymous with supporting survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
After a quarter-century of giving a voice to those who have felt unheard, has the green light, and we've got exciting news about what's ahead. Bookmark this post so you don't miss a single update!
Law & Order: SVU has always been more character-driven than its parent show; from its pilot episode, it focused both on the week's crime and how investigating heinous acts of violence took a toll on the detectives.
Ex-SVU alum and current lead on Christopher Meloni appeared sporadically throughout Season 24 as Stabler and Benson slowly drifted toward each other.
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For Bensler shippers, this process was exciting and frustrating; some fans wanted them to get together already, while others loved the slow burn.
The two took a significant step forward when Stabler turned Benson's Live, Love, Laugh present from Noah's half-brother's family into "Liv, Laugh, Love" and gave her a necklace with a compass charm.
Will there be more Bensler-centered stories during Law & Order: Season 24 alongside the powerful cases the series is known for?
Let's discuss everything we know about Law & Order: SVU Season 25!
Will There Be a Law & Order: SVU Season 25?
for two more seasons in April 2023.
The season's start will likely be delayed because of the ongoing WGA writers' strike and the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. And even before these strikes, the series faced budget cuts that necessitated rotating actors rather than allowing everyone to appear on screen during every episode.
But rest assured that we will eventually have a new season of Law & Order: SVU.
What are Some New Law & Order: SVU Season 25 Storylines?
While NBC hasn't officially announced any plans for Season 25 stories, we can make some educated guesses.
Benson has dealt with losing many of her most beloved co-workers, either through death or people moving away. She fears being abandoned and was deeply hurt by Rollins' decision to leave SVU and Stabler's ghosting her for nearly a decade.
SVU will likely continue to explore these themes. Benson is fast approaching retirement age but is still dedicated to protecting victims and getting them justice.
She may consider slowing down or retiring altogether while still wanting to be there for survivors. This story would make sense if SVU considers winding down after Season 26, but it would be powerful either way.
Benson and Stabler's relationship is not the series' focal point, but 's cliffhanger-like ending demands revisiting.
Stabler will probably continue to appear occasionally on SVU when the story calls for it, giving him and Benson opportunities to move forward with their relationship if they wish.
The series also left the door open for Rollins to return occasionally- or more permanently. Rollins is pregnant with Carisi's baby, so this will eventually affect the SVU universe.
And since Muncy checked out of the SVU unit as quickly as she jumped into it, the squad room is again short-staffed — will Benson work to get more detectives, or will they do the best they can with what they've got?
Will There Be An On-Screen Tribute to Law & Order: SVU's Munch?
Richard Belzer's death devastated fans and castmates, especially since it occurred only a few days after Fin mentioned that Munch had returned to Baltimore.
The series dedicated the next episode to Belzer's memory. Still, many fans would love an on-screen tribute to the iconic character, who transferred to SVU after Homicide: Life on the Streets ended and was featured on The Wire.
Although Munch retired from SVU in 2013, Fin and Benson have fond memories of him, and fans would love an on-screen tribute.
However, there are no announced plans for stories or scenes dedicated to the death of Belzer's fictional alter ego.
Who Will Be Part of the New Law & Order: SVU Cast?
after the Season 24 finale, but no other cast changes have been announced.
As of now, the following cast members are expected to continue on Law & Order: SVU:
- Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
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- Ice-T as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola
- Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco
- Peter Scanavino as ADA Dominique "Sonny" Carisi
There is no word yet on whether the detectives "on loan" from Bronx SVU are returning. In addition, SVU has not provided any official announcements about Kelli Giddish's Amanda Rollins, who was written out during Season 24 despite the character's fan-favorite status.
Molly Burnett's Grace Muncy will not be returning, as the character took a different job, so this could certainly leave room for Rollins to return if the showrunners decide to go in that direction.
We will likely also have recurring visits from Terry Serpico's Chief McGrath, who is often a thorn in Benson's side, and Benson's son, Noah (Ryan Buggles).
When Will New Episodes of Law & Order: SVU Air?
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We don't have an official premiere date yet for Law & Order: SVU, but we will update this post as soon as we know.
Ordinarily, this series premieres at the end of September or the beginning of October.
But the writers' and actors' strikes have delayed the beginning of production — ordinarily, the series would begin filming the new season by mid-July.
Depending on when the strikes are resolved, SVU and other NBC scripted shows may not begin airing new episodes until January or February.
How Many Episodes of Law & Order: SVU Will There Be?
NBC originally ordered 22 episodes of SVU. And then there was not one, but two strikes to condend with, and they tossed that grand plan to the wind!
Now we can say with authority that there will be 13 episodes for Law & Order: SVU Season 25.
That's now what we had hoped for, but it's a lot better than none at all!
Is There a Trailer For Law & Order: SVU Season 25?
There's no trailer for SVU, but there is a teaser for the Law & Order universe!
NBC released a trailer that sure as heck makes it seem like we will see a lot of focus on Benson and Stabler. It almost plays like a love story for their characters.
Will it be that easy? Hardly, but we're always willing to take the slow ride while we wait for the story to progress as long as it goes somewhere and isn't just one tease after another.
Tell us what you think after you take a look:
Where Can I Watch Law & Order: SVU Season 25?
Once the new season begins, new episodes will air on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c.
It premieres on Thursday, January 18 right after the premiere of Law & Order, and it's followed by Law & Order: Organized Crime. All is almost well with the universe again!
Each episode will be available to stream on Peaco*ck the following day.
You can also watch Law & Order: SVU online on TV Fanatic shortly after each episode airs.
