Is Law & Order: SVU new tonight? The future of season 20
The sad news tonight is simply this: There’s no new episode on the air. There’s no reason to dance around that, is there? It’s a bummer since we only recently saw the show return from another hiatus, but there is a silver lining in that it’s a short one. On the other side of this episode, you won’t be waiting too long to see precisely what is coming up next. Think in terms of April 4. It’s a one-week break to recharge and prepared for the final stretch of this season.
What we know at present is that the next new episode is entitled “Dearly Beloved” and will serve as a complicated, powerful hour of TV. It begins with an assault survivor interrupting a wedding to accuse her former therapist; from there, the events could take all sorts of surprising twists and turns. Think signature SVU across the board — smart writing, great guest performances, and more. Shiri Appleby is one of the big-ticket guest stars, and this time around there’s a big-ticket director as well in Lucy Liu — she’s done multiple episodes of Elementary, so why not come over and do another New York City-based crime show, as well? (The title is an obvious reference to the wedding that will set up everything that follows.)
On the other side of “Dearly Beloved,” there are still many more stories to be told this season. There are 24 this season overall, and through them you’ll see hardship, struggle, and victims fighting for justice that they so deserve. Some cases will be complicated, and at the end of the season, we’re going to witness a cataclysmic showdown with Titus Welliver coming back for two episodes as Rob Miller, the police lawyer who was behind the assault on Nikki Staines. This is the sort of guy who will do whatever he can to get vengeance on those he feels have wronged him, so we are absolutely concerned for one Olivia Benson and also Chief Dodds, while we’re at it. These are the two who worked in tandem to take him down at the end of “Blackout,” the episode that aired this past week.
What else is there to wait for?
We don’t think that we have to tell you at this point that there is intense enthusiasm out there for another season. We’re talking about SVU here! This show has a dedicated following like no other and the renewal chatter will likely exist until NBC makes a firm decision one way or another. (Make no mistake: We certainly see the show pulling in the direction of renewal, but we never like to count any chickens before they hatch.)
What do you want to see on Law & Order: SVU as we move forward? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: NBC.)