Olivia Benson returns: 3 Law & Order premieres on TV

Olivia Benson is back on Universal TV on Tue (20): new seasons of SVU and Law & Order debut, plus Toronto joins on Thu (22).

Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) leads a major week for Dick Wolf’s long-running franchise. On Tuesday the 20th, Universal TV airs back-to-back premieres: Law & Order: SVU season 27 and Law & Order season 25. Then, on Thursday (22), the lineup expands with Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

First launched in the 1990s, Law & Order remains one of the longest-running productions on U.S. television. Its staying power comes from storylines that reflect social change while preserving the franchise’s signature structure.

SVU opens with grief and a power shift

The season 27 premiere, “Ao Vento,” airs on Tue (20) at 9:30 PM. The episode puts Benson in a symbolic, emotional moment as she attends the funeral of Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek), a legendary figure in the department and a key mentor early in her career. The fallout is expected to ripple through the season.

Nostalgia quickly collides with change: Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni) arrives as the new head of detectives. According to the release, she is positioned as Benson’s main antagonist, clearly aiming to undermine her authority. That tension escalates when Tynan places Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) inside the squad, set to act as an informant starting in episode two.

Much of the premiere’s intensity centers on Finn Tutuola (Ice-T). He is robbed and brutally assaulted on his way home, and the attackers take his service weapon. The theft—and its emotional impact—will linger for a while.

Law & Order picks up right where it left off

At 10:20 PM on Tue (20), “Justiça de Rua” opens season 25 of Law & Order and continues directly from last season’s finale. The case revolves around the suspicious death of Carter Mills (Jordan M. Cox), a man accused of rape and murder who had just been acquitted in court.

Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) and the prosecution find themselves in a deeply personal, increasingly complex situation: one of Mills’ alleged victims was the sister of ADA Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi). Matters get worse when the murder weapon is traced back to Maroun, who says she got rid of it because she feared losing control after the acquittal.

The pressure lands on Executive ADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), now facing what the release calls one of the biggest ethical dilemmas of his career.

Toronto arrives with a crypto disappearance case

On Thu (22) at 10:20 PM, Universal TV premieres season 1 of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. The series follows an elite Canadian police unit targeting high-level criminals, with Toronto as its main backdrop.

In the first episode, Detective Sergeants Henry Graff (Aden Young) and Frankie Bateman (Kathleen Munroe) investigate the disappearance of a crypto investor on Lake Ontario. He left no trace, yet reportedly walked away with millions of dollars from clients. The show blends action sequences with suspense and drama and, per the release, has been winning over franchise fans since its 2024 launch.

Service

Law & Order: SVU (Season 27) — Tue (20), 9:30 PM — Universal TV

Law & Order (Season 25) — Tue (20), 10:20 PM — Universal TV

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (Season 1) — Thu (22), 10:20 PM — Universal TV

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