LAW & ORDER: SVU returns for its seventeenth season with a dark case. When a body washes up on a beach that was used by serial killer Gregory Yates (first introduced in the SVU/Chicago PD & Fire crossover) as a burial ground, the squad is divided as to whether Yates killed this woman as well. But it becomes clear that something more sinister may be at work here.
The retirement of Detective Amaro in the last season finale means that the squad is trying to adjust to their new work environment with one man down (which means extra work hours for the others). Detective Rollins, in particular, is feeling adrift now that her close friend and former lover is gone. She’s the one who approaches Yates once the body is found, hoping to see if he’ll confess to the murder or point them in the right direction and it’s clear that Benson is worried about her state of mind and thinks that Yates is playing her.
Yates is surprisingly cooperative and is willing to work with the SVU squad on this murder. Of course, he doesn’t want to make things too easy for them, but one of his tips does lead to the discovery of another body and then he makes the detectives arrange him a conjugal visit with his fiancée before agreeing to give up more information.
Suspicion is soon cast on someone high up in the civil service in Manhattan. But could it be? Could a prominent official have been hiding a double life as a killer right under the noses of everyone? If you’re a fan of the documentary THE JINX or have followed the recent news about Robert Durst, then you’ll notice similarities with one of SVU’s suspects. But when Yates get pulled into the situation, we’ll see who is more clever. Is Yates manipulating the entire situation or is there really something else here at play?
LAW & ORDER: SVU returns with a two-hour premiere beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesday, September 23 on NBC.