How will Benson handle double duty?
She and her squad are having to adjust to this new normal.
Benson will also have to deal with how this affects her relationship with Chief Dodds, Mikes father.
Credit: Peter Kramer/NBC
Practically, the squad is a man down, a sergeant down.
Fin is a reluctant second in command, so were a leader down, too.
It almost seemed like Tucker was going to propose in the finale.
Is Olivia ready for that?
She wants to be, but the emotional fallout of Mikes death is causing her to question everything.
What new challenges at work will we see Olivia face this season?
This is the first season Olivias definitely in charge of the squad room, the boss.
Shes lost Mike Dodds, a member of the squad room, whos also a second, her sergeant.
Will we continue to see Olivias therapy sessions?
Throughout last season, we saw Olivia relying more and more on alcohol.
Will her self-medication be explored in the new season?
Shes witnessed and experienced a lot of pain, and she feels alone in it.
Sometimes drinking has been numbing to her, a way for her to avoid feeling.
But the thing about Olivia is that she works through it.
Shes a seeker, and ultimately, she wants to understand herself.
She doesnt want to numb, she wants to overcome.
On the home front, what are the next milestones well see for Olivia and Noah?
Im very grateful to have worked with wonderfully collaborative showrunners.
This seasons no different.
Im always eager to dig deeper into compassion, strength and empowerment.
I think #LearnAndGrow sums it up.
And maybe Benson can start using hashtags!
What do you really want to do onSVUthis season that you havent gotten to do before?
We know Olivia has had close relationships with male partners and a male boss.
They share the same values and anxieties; it would be good way to reinforce that #WomenNeedToStickTogether.
In what ways do you thinkSVUis changing things up this year?
The goal is to keep telling important stories and keep making great television.
Within that framework, any time theres a new showrunner, things seem to transform organically.
Rick brings new interests, new layers, a new set of eyes to the show.
And its, of course, also possible that a new character or two will join us.
Youll be directing two episodes this season.
What do you hope to achieve in those hours?
Ive been bitten by the bug, and I cant help myself.
Its been really fulfilling engaging a different part of my brain.
SVUhas been able to throwback to cases from the early seasons.
Will we see more of that this year?
We havent discussed any throwback cases in particular, but its certainly a possibility.
Joe Biden is going toguest-star as himself, highlighting an issue youre both highly dedicated to.
What was it like getting to work with him onSVU?
Vice President Joe Biden sits in my pantheon of heroes, and he is a true friend.
He and I both feel very strongly about the urgent need to address the rape kit backlog nationwide.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unitreturns Wednesday at 9 p.m.
