‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 17 spoilers: Mariska Hargitay directs ‘A Misunderstanding’

It’s easy to applaud everything that Mariska Hargitay brings to “Law & Order: SVU,” and not just because of her work as Olivia Benson or the way that she continues to promote many social causes away from the show. She also serves as a producer on the show, and has now directed multiple installments of the show.

Based on a new press release by NBC, her latest effort is “A Misunderstanding” airing on January 20. The network has gotten into a habit of not wanting to release many details about these episodes in advance this season, and the synopsis below reflects that:

“A murky he-said, she-said date rape case ruins the futures of two high school students.”

This episode will certainly mark an important moment for these students in their lives, but beyond that, it is hard to say what the long-term impact of it will be. The only thing that we do know is that in regards to timing, this is airing just one week after an episode in “Townhouse Incident” that may be the biggest showcase of Hargitay’s acting ability so far this season. She will be front and center for a violent, dangerous situation where her life could literally be on the line. It is a situation that she has probably grown accustomed to at the moment, but that probably does not make it any easier.

We’ll be back with an all-new episode of “SVU” on Wednesday, which is going to involve another shocking situation involving students: A relationship between a teacher and a young man that eventually evolves into something so much more sinister.

(Photo: NBC.)