Warning! Spoilers ahead for Law & Order: SVU season 26 premiere.Olivia Benson’s new team has just been introduced inLaw & Order: SVUseason 26, but the premiere already sets up one member to leave. It has been years since Benson became the captain of the Manhattan office’s Special Victims' Unit, but this is the first time that she gets an expanded roster of subordinates that could, hopefully, make their job easier. Not that their efficacy as a team dipped when they were undermanned, but it’s better overall for Benson andLaw & Order: SVUseason 26’s storytelling to have a solid ensemble around Mariska Hargitay’s TV hero.
As the longest-running scripted series on the air,Law & Order: SVU’s ensemble has seen a lot of changes in over two decades. Out of all the characters who were introduced in its earliest years,only two remain – Benson and Ice-T’s Fin Tutuola. Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler is also back in the franchise, but he spearheads a different series,Law & Order: Organized Crime. Because of this, cast changes are nothing new for Wolf Entertainment’s arguably flagship series. That said, it’s still disappointing thatBenson’sLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 teamwill eventually change, as suggested in the premiere.
Curry Is Still Part Of Benson’s Team In Law & Order: SVU Season 26 (But She Won’t Be Moving Forward)
Benson Officially Only Has Four Members In Her Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Team
Based on theLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 premiere, “Fractured,“Benson has five members in her team: Fin, Octavio Pisano’s Joe Velasco, Kevin Kane’s Terry Bruno, Aime Donna Kelly’s Renee Curry, and their newest member, Juliana Aidén Martinez’s Kate Silva. The outing opened with Hargitay’s Captain arranging a brief gun-range meet-up, so the squad could bond. It is cut short, however, when they are called for a case. Throughout the episode, all members of Benson’s team are given their respective roles and everyone seems to get along.
In the Law & Order: SVU season 26 opener, Curry is still active in the job, but as revealed by Hargitay’s behind-the-scenes image in August 2024, she only has Finn, Velasco, Bruno, and Silva in her official line-up.
That said, a previously released roster for the Manhattan SVU reveals that Curry isn’t actually going to stay with the squad for long. For context, she started working with Benson in season 25 until she decided to officially join the elite squad. In theLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 opener, Curry is still active in the job, but as revealed byHargitay’s behind-the-scenes image in August 2024, she only has Finn, Velasco, Bruno, and Silva in her official line-up. This means that in the next couple of episodes,Curry will have to leave Special Victims.
How Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Can Write Out Curry
Curry’s Exit Can Give Her A Better Fate Or A Tragic One
While she’s a fairly new member to the team, losing Curry will still have a big impact on Benson and her subordinates. It’s difficult to say when and how she will leave, but the officialLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 castsheet from NBC reveals that Kelly won’t be part of the core cast. There are several possible options of how she can be written out, however.
Tragic as it may be, Curry can be injured during a call or a victim herself, resulting in her stint with SVU being cut short.
For starters,Curry could decide to move on from Special Victims towards a better job. It’s worth noting that she technically ranks as a Captain, meaning she can spearhead her own squad. Secondly, she can also be at the center of a case. Tragic as it may be, Curry can be injured during a call or a victim herself, resulting in her stint with SVU being cut short. Understandably, this latter option is heavier, but it givesLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 an interesting story to tackle.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Cast
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
