‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 18, episode 7 video: Carisi in danger

NBC’s really made you wait for a long time for the next chapter of “Law & Order: SVU” season 18 to air, and that is why there’s probably a certain degree of irony to the fact that the show’s return is entitled “Next Chapter.”

Judging from the first promo below for the show’s January 4 return, however, it seems like all irony is going to be lost on some of the characters. This promo hypes up a dangerous situation where a woman is threatened by a man with a gun; Benson and Carisi are on the scene, and she advises him to be careful to the best of his ability. Maybe he doesn’t listen to her, or maybe he does and it’s still not enough to spare him from being in a life-threatening situation. Either way, this promo ends with a gun pointed in the character’s face.

Given what we saw happen with Dodds at the end of season 17, this is not a show that would shy away from killing a major character, and there is a certain degree of fear you should have for Carisi right now. Do we hope that this is a fake-out? Sure, but even if it is, it obviously still signals a potentially life-changing moment for the character. This is a position that Benson herself has been in countless times over the course of the series’ run, so at least there is someone nearby who is probably going to be able to understand more of what Carisi is going through and relate to his struggle. Maybe this brings the two closer, since when you undergo such a harrowing experience it does tend to bring you closer to people who can relate.

Based on some of the other information that is already out there for this episode, we know that we’re going to be seeing a potentially lighter story given that Tucker is going to be considering retirement and a future with Benson — though the operative word there is “potentially.” It’s possible that he makes a decision that turns out to be rather heartbreaking, as well. (Do we really need more heartbreak, 2016?)

(Photo: NBC.)