Twenty-five seasons in, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit shows no signs of slowing down. Series regular Ice-T, one of the longest-running male leads in TV history, suggests the procedural could extend to Season 30. In an interview with US Weekly, he expressed his high hopes for the show’s future.
The Season 25 finale aired last month, but the cast and crew are already gearing up for the next chapter of the legal drama, which focuses on investigations conducted by the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit. NBC has announced the renewal for Season 26, although the official release date remains under wraps. The show is expected to return later this fall and continue through 2025. Ice-T praised his longtime onscreen partner, Mariska Hargitay, as the driving force behind the series’ longevity, suggesting the show would likely end if she ever decided to leave. However, Hargitay appears committed to her role as Captain Olivia Benson, despite already breaking the record for the longest-running actress in scripted TV.
Earlier this month, while accepting her Anniversary Tribute at the Gotham TV Awards, Hargitay shared her gratitude for helping survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault feel less alone through her character. She also expressed her pride in Law & Order SVU’s success, which has paved the way for more women’s stories to be heard. She affirmed that the series would continue to highlight survivors’ accounts in its upcoming season.
As Law & Order SVU prepares for Season 26, there’s much to unpack, especially after the dramatic Season 25 finale where Fin (played by Ice-T) was shot. Though he survives the injury, the close call left fans worried about his fate. Ice-T admitted he was apprehensive when reading the script, especially since it wasn’t the first time Fin had been shot. After surviving a gunshot wound in Season 6, Ice-T confessed to Entertainment Weekly that he reads every script with bated breath, hoping his character isn’t killed off. He humorously noted, “When I get a script, I’m just looking at it, making sure I didn’t get shot and bleed out. But I don’t know the arc of the season.”
With the anticipation building for the return of Law & Order SVU, fans can rest assured that the series will continue to deliver gripping stories and highlight important social issues, driven by the stellar performances of its dedicated cast.
