Law & Order: SVU Season 28: Everything We Know So Far
In the criminal justice system, there's one procedural drama that will outlive us all. That show is Law & Order: SVU, and it's heading into Season 28 this fall.
The most recent season of "SVU" found Capt. Olivia Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay) in a months-long battle with her superior, Chief of Detectives Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni). Tynan didn't approve of the way Benson ran her squad, especially how Benson often was in the field rather than taking a more administrative approach to policing. Tynan placed Det. Jake "Griff" Griffin (Corey Cott) in SVU and tasked him with feeding her intel about Benson.
But Griff soon realized that Benson was the real deal, and the type of police officer he wanted to emulate. Later, when Benson and Griff uncovered dirt on Tynan — the chief and her old partner, Griff's father, covered up some wrongdoing on his part back in the day — Olivia and her newest employee used it as leverage against Tynan. By the end of the season, it seemed that Tynan was no longer a threat, and Benson was in the clear. (Read a full finale recap.)
Elsewhere in the season: Capt. Donald Craven died, and a bunch of familiar faces attended his wake (one of them said "love you" to Liv!), Fin took a while to recover after he was attacked by a couple of criminals, Det. Joe Velasco left the New York Police Department for a position with the Drug Enforcement Agency (though he showed up a few times, anyway), and Sgt. Amanda Rollins rejoined the squad. Also of note: Season 27 was the first with Michele Fazekas ("Gen V"), who'd been a writer on the show in the early years, serving as showrunner.
NBC renewed "SVU" in April. And even though long-running series won't be back for a while, we figured the summer would be a good time to pull together a jacket on the upcoming run of episodes. Read on for everything we know so far about Benson & Co.'s next chapter. We'll update this post with information about the new season as soon as it becomes available, so make sure to come back often.
Which cast members are returning for Season 28 of Law & Order: SVU?
While NBC has not yet released the official Season 28 cast roster, it's likely that series regulars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Aimé Donna Kelly, Peter Scanavino, Kevin Kane and Corey Cott will return.
In May, showrunner Michele Fazekas told TVLine that she planned to use Ice-T more in Season 28 than she had in Season 27, and that she was viewing budget constraints (which dictated character presence in Season 27) as a creative challenge.
"In the new season, we can be strategic about how we don't have everybody for every single episode — except for Mariska [Hargitay, who plays Capt. Olivia Benson], obviously," she said, adding that she'd like to have more scenes that pair Curry and Griffin, and Bruno and Rollins. And Fin "is like the pinch hitter" whom she'd like to use "almost like the Number 2 for Benson."
Who is joining the cast for Law & Order: SVU Season 28?
NBC hasn't released any casting information for Season 28, but we'll make sure to update this post as soon as new intel becomes available.
When will Law & Order: Season 28 be released?
"Law & Order: SVU" Season 28 will be released in fall 2026 and will air Thursdays at 9/8c, but NBC has not yet announced an exact premiere date. We'll update this post with that information as soon as it becomes available. (Get your handy guide to what will air — and when — this fall.)
How many episodes will Law & Order: SVU Season 28 have?
NBC hasn't yet announced how many episodes will be in Season 28. For context, most of the show's regular seasons (aka not affected by pandemics or strikes) have consisted of 21-24 episodes.
Is there a trailer for Law & Order: SVU Season 28?
There is not yet a trailer for the new season, but we'll be sure to post it here when there is.
Now that Law & Order: Organized Crime is done, will Stabler show up more on SVU?
The recent cancellation of Chris Meloni's "SVU" spin-off "Law & Order: Organized Crime" begs an obvious question: Will Meloni's character, Det. Elliot Stabler, return to his original series in any capacity?
Show boss Michele Fazekas recently told TVLine that she'd like to bring Meloni back when his schedule — and the story — will allow.
"When I was on the show, it was Benson and Stabler," she said. "I want to use him as much as he can, but also, I don't want to stunt it, or do it for no reason. It has to mean something."
Are you looking forward to "Law & Order: SVU" Season 28? Let us know in the comments!