Overview

• The new season premiered Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes available the following day on Peacock.
• Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T return at the core of the cast, with Kelli Giddish back as a series regular and previously announced exits for Octavio Pisano and Juliana Aidén Martinez.
• The opener featured franchise reunions with Christopher Meloni, BD Wong and Dean Winters, underscoring the show’s deep bench of returning faces.
• Fazekas, a veteran of the early 2000s era, signals a quicker pace and ongoing arcs designed to carry beyond a single case.
• Viewers reacted strongly online to the episode’s handling of a beloved original figure, as the premiere set up storylines intended to unfold over the season.