Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27
First female showrunner; return of Amanda Rollins as regular.
The twenty-seventh season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit aired on NBC from September 25, 2025, to May 14, 2026. It marked the first time a woman, Michele Fazekas, served as showrunner in the series' history. The season consisted of 21 episodes and saw the return of Kelli Giddish as a series regular.
Quick Facts
- Season number
- 27
- Showrunner
- Michele Fazekas
- Starring
- Mariska Hargitay
- Ice-T
- Peter Scanavino
- Octavio Pisano
- Kevin Kane
- Aimé Donna Kelly
- Kelli Giddish
- Corey Cott
- Episodes
- 21
- Network
- NBC
- First aired
- 25 September 2025
- Last aired
- 14 May 2026
Facts from the source article.
Production
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was renewed for a twenty-seventh season on May 8, 2025, with NBC announcing a September 25, 2025 premiere that July. Michele Fazekas succeeded David Graziano as showrunner, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the series' history; she had previously worked as a writer-producer from the third to seventh seasons. Norberto Barba and Julie Martin exited as executive producers, while Brenna Malloy joined as an executive producer and directing producer. Fazekas described the lack of a female showrunner for 26 years as "crazy, in a way" and not totally surprising, citing Mariska Hargitay as a reason for accepting the role and stating her intention to freshen the series while keeping its roots. On January 12, 2026, the tenth episode "Corrosive" was removed from the schedule three days before its airdate after arrest warrants were issued for guest star Timothy Busfield. NBC advanced the eleventh episode to January 22, later recast Busfield's role with David Zayas, and rescheduled "Corrosive" for February 26.
Cast and characters
Noma Dumezweni appeared as Chief Kathryn Tynan, and Norma Kuhling recurred as Assistant District Attorney Cindy "CJ" Jones. Former cast members Dean Winters, BD Wong, and Dann Florek made guest appearances as Brian Cassidy, George Huang, and Donald Cragen, respectively. Christopher Meloni appeared as Elliot Stabler in the premiere. Tony Goldwyn, as District Attorney Nicholas Baxter, appeared in several episodes. David Ajala, Hugh Dancy, and Maura Tierney featured in the ninth episode, part of a crossover with the flagship series. Molly Griggs and Michael Cassidy guest-starred in early episodes. Drew Garrett played Paul Ellis in the sixth episode. Greg Germann returned as defense attorney Derek Strauss in the ninth episode. Ethan Cutkosky reprised his role as Henry Mesner in the eleventh episode, with Kelli Giddish expressing excitement about working with him again and Peter Scanavino noting the episode showcased character growth. Sean Patrick Thomas appeared in the thirteenth episode as a father seeking reunion with his daughter, played by Milan Marsh.
Reception
The season premiere drew criticism from conservative media for its depiction of ICE agents as "cold-hearted villains" who hindered an SVU investigation. Elise Ehrhard of Media Research Center's NewsBusters condemned Hollywood for fueling attacks against ICE agents and facilities, calling it irresponsible. Katie Miller accused the series of being responsible for ongoing attacks after the episode aired. Megyn Kelly called the episode "propaganda. The Trump Administration also criticized the series for villainizing ICE. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, stated in a Fox News statement that the episode further villainized ICE law enforcement shortly after an attack on ICE officers, calling it irresponsible and pathetic.
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