Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Returns with High Stakes Drama

The highly anticipated second half of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) Season 26 is set to premiere on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Fans of the long-running crime drama are eager to see Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team tackle new cases, with the network releasing a sneak peek trailer on January 2 to build excitement.

The trailer, which also teased the return of Law & Order Season 24, showcased intense moments from both series, hinting at dangerous scenarios for the characters. The caption accompanying the clip read, “The countdown starts NOW. 🚨 #LawAndOrder Thursday returns January 16 on @nbc and streaming on @peacock.”

While fans were thrilled to see familiar faces like Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), and Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino), many expressed disappointment over the absence of Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). Viewers took to social media to voice their desire for Stabler’s return, particularly hoping for more scenes with Benson, given their longstanding romantic tension.

Although Stabler’s return to SVU remains uncertain, he will continue to appear in the Law & Order universe through the spinoff series, Law & Order: Organized Crime. Jeff Bader, President of Program Planning Strategy at NBCUniversal Entertainment, confirmed the show’s success, stating, “Organized Crime is a very successful show; this isn’t a show that was on the bubble. It’s a show that works across the board, and it’s very, very strong on streaming.”

Season 26 of SVU will pick up with Carisi grappling with the aftermath of a traumatic hostage situation from the fall finale, titled “Cornered.” In an interview with CinemaBlend, Peter Scanavino discussed his character’s emotional journey, revealing that he watched the episode once and was proud of the intense and well-executed storytelling. The winter premiere, “First Light,” will see Carisi struggling to move on as the suspect in his case changes his plea.

Kelli Giddish will reprise her role as Rollins, offering support to Carisi as he navigates his recovery. The promo for the winter premiere suggests that Carisi appears to be coping, but the extent of his struggles remains to be seen.

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 will air between the return of Law & Order Season 24 at 8 p.m. ET and the second season of Found at 10 p.m. ET. While no premiere date has been announced for Law & Order: Organized Crime, the series is expected to debut as a Peacock original in 2025.