Law & Order: SVU season 19 key art celebrates show’s longevity

Law & Order: SVU season 19 is premiering on NBC Wednesday, September 27, and we’ve got a preview via the new key art!

Superficially, this doesn’t exactly give too much away: You’ve got Fin (Ice-T), Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Carisi (Peter Scanavino), Rollins (Kelli Giddish), and Barba (Raul Esparza) standing in various poses in the way you often get in promotional posters. Benson is in the forefront, and with the glare of the sirens, you get a reminder of precisely what it is these officers do: Get to the bottom of some of the most heinous crimes in New York City.

What is perhaps the most notable about this, at least to us, comes in the form of the tagline: “Still New York’s finest.” That’s a reminder of both the timeless appeal of the show and also its success. Hargitay has been around from the very first season, whereas Ice-T joined for season 2. These characters have seen the show grow and evolve, just as they have seen it take on some very serious cases and difficult topics. They’ve watched New York and the country evolve at the same time as the show.

Ultimately, SVU does have a reason to boast in the promo art, given that what they do, they do more effectively than any other show that is out there: Telling strong, compelling stories about crimes, investigations, and results. No show excels in this format quite like this one does, just as no other show provides as fertile material routinely for its guest stars. There’s a reason why SVU often attracts big names, and it’s because of the meaty roles that are available. For viewers, the show is often a reflection of where we are as a society and how we view social issues. We do wish that the country was evolving and there were less problems going on for SVU to base stories on; unfortunately, they probably have more fertile material than ever before.

What’s going on with the season 19 premiere?

The title for the first episode is “Gone Fishin'” and there is already a script page out there about it. You’re going to see Fin go slightly rogue in this episode as he decides to head down to Cuba in order to catch a very terrible man. In doing so, he makes matters complicated for Barba given that there is potential of causing an international incident. Fin may have been trying to do the right thing, but in doing so, he’ll expose the team to a minefield.

Over the next couple of weeks, we do figure that NBC will release a few more details about the overall season. The only other major news out there at present is that Philip Winchester is bringing his Chicago Justice role of Peter Stone over to the series.

What’s your take on the new key art?

As always, we welcome some of your thoughts on the subject below! Stay tuned for more news when it comes to SVU. (Photo: NBC.)