‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 25 Review: TV’s Longest-Running Procedural Is Still Going Strong

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has hit yet another milestone. It’s already broken countless records, with the most episodes of any show in the Law & Order franchise (and being one of the longest-running series on television period with over 500 installments) and having the longest-running TV drama character in Olivia Benson (played by the iconic Mariska Hargitay) — not to mention its six Emmys and nearly 20 additional nominations. Now, it’s celebrating 25 years on the air. That means it’s old enough to drive, drink, buy a lottery ticket, and even rent a car without exorbitant added fees.

After a decade-and-a-half on air, one might worry that the show will start to get stale or repetitive. And while there have certainly been stronger episodes and arcs than others, Season 25 proves that it’s still as entertaining as ever, with the ability to adapt to the times and tackle unique modern issues that arise, particularly due to technology.

‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 25 Pays Tribute to the Past

SVU has always been good at denoting important anniversaries, whether it’s including an exciting guest star (like Robin Williams for its 200th episode), bringing in a case from the past (like its 300th episode “Manhattan Vigil”), or having a crossover with another show (we all remember where we were when Christopher Meloni’s Elliot reunited with Olivia in season 22’s mid-season premiere).

“Tunnel Blind” is a little more subtle than most but just as impactful, as the episode begins with a montage of past clips of Olivia being there for survivors, with a voiceover of her instilling confidence in them that she will see to it that justice be served. It feels slightly random and out of place, but considering the occasion, it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the episode. We then transition to her, Noah (Ryan Buggle), Fin (Ice-T), and Velasco (Octavio Pisano) witnessing the baptism of Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and Rollins’ (Kelli Giddish) child. SVU has started focusing more on the personal lives of its characters in recent years, and it’s nice to see this mean happy things for Olivia for once. (She’s been put through countless traumas at this point, after all — the poor woman deserves a break.)

It’s great to see Rollins again in a guest capacity, too, even if it does feel a little strange to have her make so many appearances after putting so much emphasis on her dramatic send-off just a year ago. It feels as if the show saw the backlash of writing her off and is now trying to backtrack. To be fair, they’re doing a decent job, cleverly (if a bit conveniently) weaving her into the main cases by having her provide crucial expertise in her new role as a professor, not to mention the fact that she’s with Carisi — who is still part of the squad as their ADA — making her integration feel natural.

However, her exit is part of a bigger disappointing pattern with SVU in its constant tendency to write off its female characters. Yes, Olivia is the face (and heart) of the show, but she’s often the only woman in the squad room, with newcomers like Kat Tamin (Jamie Gray Hyder) and Grace Muncy (Molly Burnett) being disposed of after just a couple seasons despite their amazing potential, while characters like Velasco stick around despite not feeling like they gel with the rest of the squad or adding much to the show. There’s a troubling lack of diversity in terms of race, too — for example, McGrath (Terry Serpico) overstayed his welcome while Garland’s (Demore Barnes) time was cut short. It’s not a great look, especially for a show that takes place in one of the most diverse cities in the country and deals with crimes that disproportionately affect minorities. Unfortunately, it seems SVU is going to continue this upsetting trend, announcing Bruno’s (Kevin Kane) return, as well as the addition of David Krumholtz. Don’t get me wrong, Bruno is a wonderful character, and I have no doubt the talented Krumholtz will be excellent as well, but it’s crickets in terms of new or returning women, such as Tonie Churlish (Jasmine Batchelor).

‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 25 Promises More Chilling Cases

SVU Season 25’s initial main case focuses on a missing teenage girl named Maddie Flynn (Allison Elaine). To complicate matters further, Olivia actually sees Maddie in the front seat of an energy drink van while driving on the road before she knows about the crime. Though she’s suspicious at the time, she doesn’t pull the car over or question Maddie or the driver, and she spends the episode wracked with guilt because of it.

Though this episode doesn’t seem to be ripped from any specific headline, there are some fun Easter eggs for those in the know. For example, Maddie smartly leaves a beaded friendship bracelet in the car so investigators will know she was there. Those bracelets have recently made a resurgence due to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour — fitting considering Hargitay and Swift have a longstanding friendship. (Swift named her cat Olivia Benson, and Hargitay recently returned the favor by naming her own Karma after Swift’s song.)

In typical SVU fashion, there are also some bizarre twists and turns and delightfully wacky side characters, including a plotline about underage sex dolls, an obsessive high school soccer fan, and a low-budget movie called Cafeteria Carnage. The weirder SVU gets, the more enjoyable it is, and it’s always a delight to have some humor in the mix to offset the dark, serious themes.

Still, SVU usually does a great job of not minimizing the true terrors it depicts, even with these moments of comedy, and this premiere is no exception. The investigation leads the squad to another missing girl named Tanya (a powerful performance by Leilany Celeste), who recounts horrific details about being drugged and manipulated on a train. Their ability to help Tanya is bittersweet, as they still struggle to find Maddie — something her mother, Eileen (Leslie Fray), is particularly devastated about, hauntingly crying out at a press conference.

If its return is any indication, SVU Season 25 is sure to be as relevant as ever. It’s hard to go wrong with long-standing characters like Olivia and Fin, even if the newer ones haven’t quite proven themselves yet. After all these years, SVU still manages to find new ways to disturb and inspire alike, with our squad determined to take down perps and give survivors the justice they deserve.

New episodes of Law and Order: SVU are available to watch Thursdays on NBC at 9 PM ET and is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.