Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 22)

The twenty-second season of the American crime-drama television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was ordered on February 27, 2020, by NBC.[1] Set to air during the 2020–2021 television season,[2] the season is produced by Wolf Films and Universal Television; the showrunner is Warren Leight. The season premiered on November 12, 2020.[3]

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 22
Season 22 promotional poster
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes6
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseNovember 12, 2020 (2020-11-12) –
present (present)
Season chronology

Cast and characters
See also: List of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters

Main

Recurring

Special guest stars

Episodes
See also: List of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 22 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [6]Prod.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
4791"Guardians and Gladiators"Norberto BarbaTeleplay by : Brendan Feeney & Denis Hamill & Monet Hurst-Mendoza
Story by : Warren Leight & Julie Martin		November 12, 2020 (2020-11-12)22013.02[7]
The Special Victims Unit are called in after a black man (Blake Morris) is accused of sexually assaulting a man as well as harassing a woman and her son. Despite being accused, the man claims he is innocent. When a new suspect is found, the man is acquitted but he quickly files a lawsuit against the Special Victims Unit, which soon makes the case extremely difficult with the community losing trust in law enforcement.
4802"Ballad of Dwight and Irena"Martha MitchellTeleplay by : Brendan Feeney & Julie Martin
Story by : Brendan Feeney & Monet Hurst-Mendoza		November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)22022.95[8]
When a boy (Athan Sporek) is found with bruises at school and his mother (Riki Lindhome) is found unconscious and beaten in her apartment, the Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate a likely domestic and child abuse case from the hands of the mother's boyfriend (Christopher Cassarino) with the mother's son being the main target of the abuse. Things take a sudden turn when the abuser is murdered and the boy confesses to killing him but things do not appear as they seem. Elsewhere, Tutuola battles on giving his deposition on a case he previously handled fatally shooting a man with his son watching.
4813"Remember Me in Quarantine"Juan CampanellaJulie Martin & Warren LeightDecember 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)22034.18[9]
The Special Victims Unit are asked for assistance from the Italy police department when a young Italian woman (Brittany Conigatti) is reported missing for a month. When the woman is found dead, suspicion falls on her immature, party throwing roommate and her drug dealer friend (Jordan Lane Price), who threw a party the night the woman went missing but both have no memory of that night. Meanwhile, the entire SVU squad starts to lose their patience with lockdown and quarantine as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
4824"Sightless in a Savage Land"Norberto BarbaMatt Klypka & Denis Hamill & Julie Martin & Warren LeightJanuary 7, 2021 (2021-01-07)22043.86[10]
On New Year's Eve, the Special Victims Unit is forced to investigate the possible kidnapping of a teenage girl. When she is found after being raped, the girl’s father murders her rapist. Carisi takes the father to court only to find that he is being represented by former ADA Rafael Barba (Raúl Esparza). Meanwhile, Tutuola plans to propose marriage to a former colleague, Sargeant Phoebe Baker (Jennifer Esposito) who he previously dated but finds himself nervous about what she might answer.
4835"Turn Me on Take Me Private"Juan CampanellaTeleplay by : Monet Hurst-Mendoza & Victoria Pollack & Julie Martin & Warren Leight
Story by : Victoria Pollack & Monet Hurst-Mendoza		January 14, 2021 (2021-01-14)22053.83[11]
The Special Victims Unit are called in after a pornographer (Eva Noblezada) is raped during a live cam session. The detectives soon discover that the rapist (Alex Brightman) is one of her viewers who also works at the pornographer’s fathers retirement home and provides care for her father. As the case goes on, the rapist’s harassment and obsession towards the victim increases, which intimidates the victim. Meanwhile, Tamin and Carisi’s conflict reaches a new high as both clash over the case.
4846"The Long Arm of the Witness"Martha MitchellTeleplay by : Denis Hamill & Warren Leight
Story by : Denis Hamill & Micharne Cloughley		January 21, 2021 (2021-01-21)22063.74[12]
When a powerful judge (Josh Stamberg) dismisses a rape case and announces a run for New York Attorney General, Carisi investigates the judge's own history of sexual assault. However, he and the rest of the Special Victims Unit have difficulty getting some victims to come forward after their careers are threatened.
4857"Hunt, Trap, Rape and Release"[13]TBATBAFebruary 18, 2021 (2021-02-18)2207TBD

Production

Development

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was renewed through its twenty-fourth season on February 27, 2020.[1] The season will mark the return of former main cast member Meloni as Elliot Stabler since the season 12 finale.[4] Meloni is also set to star in the new Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime.[14] He was expected to appear in the season premiere of the twenty-second season[4] but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the premiere of the spin-off was pushed back to 2021,[3] delaying his appearance to the mid-season.[15]

In the wake of the rise in awareness of police brutality towards people of color and racial unrest in America, show runner/executive producer Warren Leight said that he has been making changes in the SVU writers' room, stating that "change will start taking place on TV shows individually. There will be lip service paid". In addition to bringing on new voices, including people of color and those who have extensive history covering and writing about crime in New York, Leight said that "[They've] tried really hard in the last year to show how class and race affect the outcomes of justice in society, but I'm beginning to suspect "really hard" wasn't enough. This has to be a moment where people make themselves uncomfortable, where people in power have to make themselves uncomfortable".[16]

On October 6, 2020, it was announced that Barnes would be promoted to main cast as Deputy Chief Christian Garland; he previously had a recurring role on the previous season.[17]

Filming

Filming for the season started on Monday, September 14, 2020.[18] Two days prior, Hargitay posted two photos on her Instagram of the SVU cast and crew doing a read-through of the premiere episode script on a Zoom chat and of the script itself with the title of the episode, "Remember Me in Quarantine".[19] On September 14, Hargitay posted two more pictures to her Instagram, one showing crew and cast members waiting in line to get COVID-19 tests and the other a photo of herself in the makeup chair with a gowned and masked makeup artist doing her hair and makeup.[20] NBCUniversal developed a comprehensive return to work playbook, which is being followed by all of the company's series. It involves reducing shift hours and adding days to shoots to accommodate strict COVID-19 protocols.[21]

Storylines

The twenty-second season is expected to cover the pandemic, which led to reports of an increase in domestic abuse in New York. "We're going to reflect New York in the pandemic" and "what happens to someone who is sexually assaulted during the height of the coronavirus outbreak", said showrunner/executive producer Leight.[16] The pandemic had a direct impact on the cast and crew, as the show lost a member of the costume department, Josh Wallwork, who died at age 45 of complications due to COVID-19.[19]

Leight told TV Insider that in the sixth months that the series had last filmed (March 2020), New York City is "a city that has lost faith in the NYPD and the DA's office", and that the season premiere episode starts with an assault in Central Park that "quickly turns into a racially volatile situation, and [the unit] confronts how their own racial bias affects their judgment". After a case about domestic violence, the episode "Remember Me in Quarantine" turns to what happens after extended social isolation and quarantine due to COVID-19 — or, Leight said, "how close people get to their breaking points". He also told TV Insider "we hope to bring back some [more] past regulars this season", in addition to Christopher Meloni's guest return later in the season.[22]

The series is also expected to cover the rise in police brutality towards African Americans, namely the death of George Floyd (where an officer held his knee to Floyd's neck for over eight minutes and he subsequently died) and the global protests that followed after his death. Leight weighed in back in June 2020, that "we will find our way in to tell the story. Presumably our cops will still be trying to do the right thing but it's going to be harder for them and they're going to understand why it's hard for them". Co-star Ice-T also weighed in, "This one was just too brutal. This is what they call a tipping point. This is a point where people go, 'Enough!' This is a battle for humanity and human rights, it's not black and white people fighting, you know". According to Ice-T, the SVU writers have been "touched by this" incident and he thinks their emotional connection to it "is going to show up in their writing".[16]

Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 22
No. Title Air dateRating/share
(18–49)		Viewers
(millions)		DVR
(18–49)		DVR viewers
(millions)		Total
(18–49)		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Guardians and Gladiators" November 12, 2020 (2020-11-12)0.6/33.02[7]0.72.561.35.58[23]
2 "Ballad of Dwight and Irena" November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)0.5/32.95[8]0.62.171.15.12[8][lower-alpha 1]
3 "Remember Me In Quarantine" December 3, 2020 (2020-12-03)0.6/34.18[9]0.62.371.36.55[24]
4 "Sightless in a Savage Land" January 7, 2021 (2021-01-07)0.7/43.86[10]0.62.301.36.17[25]
5 "Turn Me on Take Me Private" January 14, 2021 (2021-01-14)0.6/33.83[11]0.62.241.36.07[26]
6 "The Long Arm of the Witness" January 21, 2021 (2021-01-21)0.7/43.74[12]TBDTBDTBDTBD
7 "Hunt, Trap, Rape and Release" February 18, 2021 (2021-02-18)TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD

Notes
  1. Live+7 ratings were not available, so Live+3 ratings have been used instead.

References
  1. "Dick Wolf's Three "Chicago" Series and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Receive Three-Season Pickups on NBC". The Futon Critic. February 27, 2020.
  2. Goldberg, Lesley (June 16, 2020). "NBC Plots Business as Usual "Fall" Schedule". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020.
  3. "It's Go Time as NBC Kickstarts the Season with Everyone's Favorite Series". The Futon Critic. August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  4. Huff, Lauren (May 1, 2020). "Christopher Meloni to return for Law & Order: SVU season 22 premiere, showrunner says". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. Roots, Kimberly (January 14, 2021). "Law & Order: Annabella Sciorra to Reprise Criminal Intent Role on SVU". TVLine.
  6. "LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)". The Futon Critic.
  7. Pucci, Douglas (November 14, 2020). "Thursday Final Ratings: ABC Rules Non-Sports Networks in All Key Figures with 'Station 19' and 'Grey's Anatomy' Season Premieres Crossover". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020.
  8. Pucci, Douglas (November 20, 2020). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Supernatural' on CW Rises to its Biggest Total Audience in 19 Months with Series Finale". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020.
  9. Metcalf, Mitch (December 7, 2020). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.3.2020". Showbuzz Daily.
  10. Metcalf, Mitch (January 11, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.7.2021". Showbuzz Daily.
  11. Metcalf, Mitch (January 15, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.14.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  12. Metcalf, Mitch (January 25, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.21.2021". Showbuzz Daily.
  13. "(#2207) "HUNT, TRAP, RAPE, AND RELEASE"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  14. Andreeva, Nellie (March 31, 2020). "Christopher Meloni As 'SVU' Character Elliot Stabler To Headline New Dick Wolf Drama Series For NBC". Deadline Hollywood.
  15. Warren Leight [@warrenleightTV] (27 August 2020). "For now, we won't reintroduce Stabler until the night of his Organized Crime premiere" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. Lambe, Stacy (June 5, 2020). "'Law & Order: SVU' to Address George Floyd, Protests and Portrayals of Cops on TV in New Season". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  17. Andreeva, Nellie (October 6, 2020). "'Law & Order: SVU' Promotes Demore Barnes To Series Regular For Season 22 Of NBC Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  18. Mariska Hargitay [@therealmariskahargitay] (September 12, 2020). "It's official! The bands back together! We had our first read thru today. #zoom Remember me in quarantine.#SVU22 We start shooting Monday. 2️⃣2️⃣". Retrieved September 12, 2020 – via Instagram.
  19. Newcomb, Alyssa (September 13, 2020). "Mariska Hargitay shares 1st glimpse of the next season of 'Law & Order: SVU'". Today. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. Gordon, Diane (September 14, 2020). "Law & Order: SVU Season 22 Is Officially in Production". TV Guide. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  21. Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2020). "'Law & Order: SVU' Begins Filming As Dick Wolf's 'FBI' & 'Chicago' Dramas Gear Up For Production Restart". Deadline. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  22. Rudolph, Ileane (October 15, 2020). "'Law & Order: SVU' Season 22 Could See More Returning Faces Than Stabler". TV Insider. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  23. Thorne, Will (November 24, 2020). "Live+7 Ratings for Week of Nov. 9: 'This Is Us' and 'Grey's Anatomy' Tussle at the Top". Variety. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.
  24. Pucci, Douglas (December 19, 2020). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: Four ABC Dramas Lead in Raw Adults 18-49 Boosts". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020.
  25. Pucci, Douglas (January 21, 2021). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'This Is Us' Winter Return on NBC Tops Overall Raw Lifts". Programming Insider.
  26. Pucci, Douglas (January 27, 2021). "NBC Dramas are Four of the Top Five Gainers Among Adults 18-49". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021.
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