SVU Season 28 Opens as 600th Episode Nears

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit began its 28th season on NBC on October 8, 2026, with a premiere that sets up a case testing Olivia Benson’s approach and her partnership with Dominick Carisi. The season is also approaching the series’ 600th episode, expected to air in November and featuring the return of Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, according to cast and series comments. The season premiere, titled “Volition,” is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with streaming on Peacock the following day. Its preview describes a sexual assault case in which questions of consent and intoxication complicate a victim’s effort to prove her account in court. Benson pursues a controversial strategy, and a chance meeting with a jury consultant leads her toward a course of action that threatens her longstanding partnership with Carisi. The milestone episode is set for November, but an exact air date and full plot details have not been announced in the supplied information. Kelli Giddish, who plays Amanda Rollins, said the episode would feature “a lot of Mariska and Chris,” referring to Mariska Hargitay and Meloni.