How Long Will ‘SVU’ Last? Mariska Hargitay Weighs In

Law & Order: SVU, currently in its 27th season, has aired in three different decades (it premiered in 1999). It’s getting hard to imagine there will be a time when it’s not on TV, but shows can’t last forever. This is also one that we cannot imagine continuing on without Mariska Hargitay, who has played Olivia Benson since the series premiered; she started out as a detective and is now the captain. But how long does she see the show continuing for? It has already been renewed for Season 28.

Hargitay told Deadline on April 22 that she can see the series reaching 30 seasons. “I love my show. I love my cast. I love my showrunner, my writers, my producers. I feel like the luckiest, happiest actress. I love Dick Wolf, and I’m so challenged still,” she shared. “I don’t want to go anywhere right now. It’s been amazing. The show really knows how to work with my schedule — I shot my movie, I figured out how to do it, I’m going to do a play now on Broadway.”

But she’s not ready to give the OK for 35 seasons just yet, she said, focusing instead on that 30 — and the rest of 27.

Hargitay called the current seasons “the best” and “my best” when speaking to Deadline. “What a way to finish a season after 27 years.”

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She expanded on her thoughts about the finale in an interview with Extra. She said she’s “incredibly proud” of the finale (and the season). “It’s an episode that everyone is so good in,” she noted, adding praise for the directing and writing and the way the show continues “pushing the envelope and going next level.” She credits that with why SVU remains on the air.

There are still four episodes in SVU Season 27 left to air the next four Thursdays. First, on April 23 is “Gimmick,” in which “A mysterious death in a hotel leads the squad into the world of professional fighting. Benson tries to convince a victim to come forward for the sake of his friend.”

Then, on April 30, “An unconscious and injured teen abandoned outside a hospital sends the SVU on a search for the people who left her there. Benson faces serious consequences when she chooses to protect a victim’s secret under the pressure of cross-examination.”

Official descriptions of the May 7 and May 14 finale episodes have not been released. The former is titled “Old Friends,” which certainly has us wondering who will show up.

How long do you think SVU will and should last? Let us know in the comments section below.

Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC

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