‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 18, episode 7 preview: When will Mariska Hargitay, cast return?

Tonight, “Law & Order: SVU” is airing an episode entitled “Broken Rhymes” that will feature not only a complicated case, but also a guest appearance from Wyclef Jean. There’s been a lot of scheduling chaos to get us to this point, so hopefully this episode ended up delivering for most of you out there.

Unfortunately, the bad news is that you waited a while to see this episode, and you could be waiting for even longer now to see what is next. Due to “Chicago PD” airing two episodes next week — a move necessitated in some ways by the upcoming “Chicago Justice” premiere — there is no episode of “SVU” coming up. Following that, we’re closing in on Thanksgiving and NBC has some specials planned.

While not 100% confirmed just yet, at present there are no new episodes for the Mariska Hargitay series scheduled until Wednesday, January 4. Note that this is definitely still subject to change, given the fact that “Unstoppable,” the episode inspired by the Donald Trump scandals over the past several months, was supposed to air by now but was delayed several times. It’s still on the roster of upcoming episodes, and as reported earlier, it may not be until past Trump’s inauguration when this installment ends up airing.

Yes, the wait may be long — so much so that there is not too much to report on right now when it comes to synopses — but we do expect the show to continue to deliver. There are few series out there as dramatic or as timely, and anchored by so many great performances. Hopefully, in the coming weeks NBC will solidify more of their plans, and release some more extensive details on their upcoming installments in the process.

(Photo: NBC.)