Why is Law & Order: SVU not new tonight, April 4?

Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson in a blazer in Law & Order: SVU season 24
Mariska Hargitay in Law & Order: SVU (Image credit: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)

Law & Order: SVU may be the longest-running primetime drama on the air, but Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her crew continue to find ways of keeping up the level of intrigue for fans in Law & Order: SVU season 25. Not only are viewers seeing the excitement of fresh faces in the squad room in this new season, but they are also getting treated to some riveting reminders of Benson’s 25 years in the department. So is there a brand-new episode of Law & Order: SVU tonight, April 4? Sadly, no. 

As a matter of fact, Law & Order Thursdays as a whole is continuing its break as this marks the second week in a row that Law & Order season 23, Law & Order: SVU season 25 and Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 are not premiering new episodes. Instead, NBC will air reruns of each series at their normal times. 

As of publication, we don’t have a concrete reason as to why Law & Order: SVU and its sister shows aren't airing new episodes this week. However, if we were to guess, NBC is trying to stretch out the Law & Order seasons given the limited number of episodes. 

Due to the most recent strikes in Hollywood, many shows like Law & Order: SVU have fewer than usual episodes this go-around. However, these same network series are trying to wrap their seasons by the usual April/May timeframe, likely accounting for the decrease in back-to-back new episodes.  

With all that being said, Law & Order: SVU and the rest of the Law & Order primetime line-up returns with new episodes on April 11. Here is a look at what you can expect to see when each of the three shows returns.

Law & Order season 23 episode 9, "Family Ties," airs at  8 pm ET/PT. Here is the synopsis of the episode: "When a congressman's aide is found dead after testifying in a corruption case, Shaw and Riley discover the suspect may be someone close to home. As Price solidifies his case against the defendant, Baxter proposes they go after an accomplice as well." 

Law & Order: SVU season 25 episode 9, "Children of Wolves," airs at 9 pm ET/PT. Check out this brief description of the episode: "A teenager found unconscious in the park leads to a missing persons investigation. Benson must help Noah come to terms with the past when he questions the origins of his birth."

Law & Order: Organized season 4 episode 9, "Semper Fi," airs at 10 pm ET/PT. Here is a synopsis of the episode: "Stabler leans into his military network to search for the source of a Middle Eastern heroin pipeline making its way to the US. Joe Jr. takes drastic action when his brothers try to stage an intervention. Reyes returns to the squad."

If you missed any new episodes of Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU or Law & Organized: Crime, you can watch them on Peacock

Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The CrownWandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of HarlemAnd a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.