On the docket for the criminally good hit franchise: new faces on the job and at home, plus a major milestone.
Reid Scott (Veep) is in as Det. Vincent Riley, following Jeffrey Donovan‘s surprise exit last fall. “Luckily, Lt. Kate Dixon [Camryn Manheim] is an ally,” says showrunner Rick Eid. “Riley has a list of powerful enemies within the NYPD. [This is his] last shot at redemption.”
(Credit: WEISS EUBANKS/NBCUNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAGES)
To mark the 25th anniversary of SVU and fan-fave star Mariska Hargitay, “we’ll spend time with Capt. Olivia Benson, reflecting on her career and her future,” says Wolf Entertainment Executive VP Rebecca McGill. Adds showrunner David Graziano: “This season is ‘The Greatest Hits of SVU,’ with folks from Benson’s past [cases] coming back.” Also, expect several new female detectives, a season-opener visit from former squad member Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Kevin Kane’s return “on a case-by-case basis,” per McGill, as wealthy, caring detective Terry Bruno, from the Bronx SVU.
In Season 4, Det. Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) deals with evolving policing (like an AI task force), his mother’s (Ellen Burstyn) dementia and — hello! — his estranged brothers Randall (Dean Norris, Breaking Bad) and Joe Jr. (uncast at press time). “His personal and work lives,” says showrunner John Shiban, “have never been more intertwined.”
Law & Order Thursdays, Returns Thursday, January 18, 8/7c, 9/8c and 10/9c, NBC
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2024 Preview. For more on other buzzy shows and must-see TV in 2024, pick up the issue, when it lands on newsstands on January 4.
