Law And Order: SVU’s Season 27 Death Changes The Franchise Forever, But There Was One Perk

Spoilers ahead for the Season 27 premiere of Law & Order: SVU in the 2025 premiere schedule, called "In the Wind" and available streaming now with a Peacock subscription.

Law & Order: SVU wasted no time in delivering massive twists for Olivia Benson and Co. in Season 27, and these aren't just procedural twists that will be forgotten by the next episode. "In the Wind" delivered the death of a beloved character who has been around not just since the beginning of SVU, but since the beginning of the original Law & Order. Captain Cragen himself has died, leaving a hole in the Law & Order universe despite only making sporadic franchise appearances in recent years. While it was a tragic way to start a new season, it did provide some perks for longtime viewers.

The Death Of Captain Cragen

The Season 27 premiere opened with a high-heeled Captain Olivia Benson walking to a bar for the memorial service of Captain Donald Cragen, her Special Victims captain for the first fifteen seasons of the series. The episode didn't specify what caused Cragen's death but instead focused on memorializing the character, like with the (admittedly brief) tribute to Richard Belzer's John Munch in the wake of Belzer's passing in 2023.

Dann Florek is still alive, however, and actually was credited with a "Special Guest Appearance" for what he did film for the premiere. His previous most recent episode had been in the milestone 500th in 2021, although he joined Christopher Meloni for several episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime between 2022-2024. Between SVU, OC, and Law & Order, Florek is credited for playing Cragen across hundreds of episodes and 25 years.

So, I feel comfortable saying that SVU killing off Cragen is game-changing for the entire Law & Order universe, since he's been an institution in that world going back to the start. It made for an emotional start to Season 27, especially since it seemed to lead Olivia and Fin to consider their own mortality. But there was a perk in the form of some other SVU vets who came back for the memorial.

Law & Order Reunions From The Classic Seasons (And Also Cassidy)

Dann Florek was one of four former SVU stars to reprise their roles for the Season 27 premiere. Christopher Meloni had already been confirmed to appear in the episode as Stabler opposite Mariska Hargitay as Benson, but I was pleasantly surprised to see BD Wong back as Dr. George Huang. Along with Florek and Meloni, Wong had a key role in what I consider to be the classic years of SVU: with Detectives Benson, Stabler, Tutuola, and Munch under Captain Cragen.

Dean Winters also turned up, and while he originated his role as Brian Cassidy starting back in the pilot in 1999, he didn't return in a meaningful way until Season 13 in 2012. Neither he nor BD Wong had major scenes in the Season 27 premiere, but the same fortunately can't be said for Christopher Meloni.

While Mariska Hargitay appeared in a memorable episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime earlier this year, "In the Wind" was the first time that Benson and Stabler shared a scene on SVU since 2023, and it was exactly what I wanted as somebody who loves seeing Hargitay and Meloni on the small screen together but is decidedly not a "Bensler" shipper after all the messiness.

They shared a 1:1 scene with Stabler waiting by her car rather than going into the memorial, and it was a nice combination of sweet and sad as they reflected on their good years together with Cragen as well as being in the "all-our-friends-are-dying era." As they went their separate ways after sharing a hug, Stabler dropped a "Love you" on her in some much better timing than when he messily said it on Organized Crime.

The interaction also gave me the impression that the former partners have spent some time together off screen, and the painful awkwardness of earlier seasons wasn't there. This was more like their interactions in her latest Organized Crime episode, and it was nice to see in the wake of Cragen's death. Take a look:

It remains to be seen if this will be the only time that Meloni appears on SVU this season, with the future of Organized Crime still in limbo after the Season 5 finale released on Peacock in June. For now, keep tuning in to NBC on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of Law & Order: SVU Season 27. Hopefully Fin won't have too many lingering effects from his brutal injuries in the premiere, and my fingers are crossed that the argument between Benson and Fin won't cause any problems moving forward.