With only four episodes left on the twentieth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, fans can't help but wonder if the series will return for another season.
There are already talks of renewal earlier this year. But, it was only a few days ago that a new installment had been sealed. And yes, fortunately for the SVU fans, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is renewed for another installment breaking its record as the longest-running non-animated NBC series in the history of television.
As of the time being, the show's latest season is still ongoing. It's still on its one-week break and just about to return on April 4 for its nineteenth episode. But while the series is currently on air, NBC has already dropped the renewal updates for the show. And this not surprising at all considering the apparent strong fanbase and remarkable ratings of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
According to Mashable, the network has revealed that the American crime drama series maintains its millions of viewers weekly. As it appears, the previous episode got 4.3 million viewers. This is quite impressive warranting the fact that the series is now on its twentieth season. And for any show of this age that still have this kind of number in terms of viewers, renewal is not entirely a thing to doubt about.
Aside from being the longest-running live-action television series, Mariska Hargitay's character, Lieutenant Olivia Benson, is now the longest-running female role in the history of live-action series. Hence, it is no wonder why Mariska has become an iconic figure for many women after three decades of being in the series, Dick Wolf, the show's producer, and creator shared in a statement.
The recent achievements of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit have been a great way as well for the actress to reveal her sentiments. She felt that the series continues to connect with the viewers. And this makes her feel "humbled" and "grateful," Mariska Hargitay shared with E!
But while Mariska is excited to return for another season, Philip Winchester, on the other hand, shared his "sadness" on Twitter as he is no longer returning next season. His character, ADA Peter Stone, joined the cast in Season 19. But as to how he will make an exit, NBC has yet to return comment about the matter. And the same applies to the other details of the new season.
This is only fitting, though, as the series is still ongoing. So, fans and viewers could expect more details to come when Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 20 wraps up.
