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NBC’s Law & Order: SVU season 26 took an unexpected break this week, leaving fans curious about the reason behind the scheduling gap. The latest season of the police procedural drama premiered on October 3, 2024, and aired 8 episodes before going on fall break in November. The series returned on NBC on January 16, 2025, and continues to focus on the SVU unit as they handle complex s*xual crimes and vulnerable victims.
This week marks the second break of Law & Order: SVU this year, as the show took a break previously on February 6, 2025. Although NBC has not given an official reason for the hiatus, network scheduling strategies or production-related issues can be the reason for the delay. Fans will not have to wait long for a new episode, as Law & Order: SVU season 26 episode 15, will premiere on March 13, 2025.
NBC aired a rerun of Suits: LA on March 6, 2025
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NBC deviated from its regular programming on March 6, 2025, and instead of a new episode of Law & Order: SVU season 26, aired a rerun of Suits: LA premiere. The network did not give an official reason for this schedule change, but since Suits: LA is one of the newest shows on the channel, it can be assumed that NBC wanted to garner more viewership for the show.
Another speculation by many fans for this delay is the return of major ABC shows this week. 9-1-1 season 8, Doctor Odyssey, and Grey’s Anatomy season 21 are back on ABC after a long break, and Law & Order: SVU season 26's hiatus might be a strategic decision to avoid the clash.
This is not a new phenomenon, as networks occasionally adjust their schedule for various reasons, like political addresses or breaking news, which take priority over regular programming. Another possible reason is production delays.
In addition to this, major networks like NBC also have regular breaks throughout the season to space out episodes and ensure a steady run till May, the typical month for season finales. These breaks can align with sweeps periods when viewership ratings are measured for advertising purposes.
Law & Order: SVU season 26 returns on March 13, 2025
As stated above, Law & Order: SVU season 26 episode 15, titled Undertow, will be released on NBC on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time. The logline of the episode reads,
"A complicated case of sex and drug use divides the squad; Carisi must convince a jury to focus on the law and not the defendant's accusations."
In the trailer of the upcoming episode, Carisi says,
"A woman had s*x with a 16-year-old kid,"
After a shot of the said woman being interrogated, Benson tells Carisi,
"He slipped her ecstasy without telling her."
These lines of dialogue, combined with a tense courtroom scene, hint that the SVU team will face a moral and ethical dilemma in the upcoming episode, trying to determine who is the actual victim in the case.
Law & Order: SVU season 26 episode 15 will air at its scheduled broadcast time, and the episode will be available on demand on NBC's official streaming platform, Peacock, the following day. Live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV also carry NBC in their channel lineup.
Stay tuned for more updates on Law & Order: SVU season 26.
