If anyone knows when something’s an SVU case, it’s Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). She’s been with the squad since the Law & Order: SVU series premiere in 1999. And now, in its 26th season, she has the opportunity to pass along some of that knowledge to the newest detective with the unit, Kate Silva (Juliana Aidén Martinez), in TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek from the February 13 episode.
The clip begins with Benson checking who’s next to catch a case, and when Silva speaks up, the captain tells her she’s driving. They’re going to a prep school after a student was caught with an underage nude on his phone.
Once at the school, Silva notes, “We got two 16-year-olds exchanging nudes. It’s not exactly a major crime, and chances are all we’re looking at is a de minimis violation.” Benson does agree that “some cases are too small to prosecute,” but adds, “I don’t think this is one of them.” As she explains, “When you showed up at a homicide scene, at least you had the benefit of a dead body, right? … SVU is a more subtle art.”
The two meet with the school’s headmaster, who tells them, “Whoever this girl is sent the nude unsolicited,” and the student in question says he only met her once. Watch the full sneak peek above for more about the situation, including the new app that’s being used.
In this episode, titled “Calculated,” when a high school principal busts a student for sexting, the SVU uncovers a sinister case of distribution concerning hundreds of underage students. Silva pleads for leniency for a suspect she believes is innocent.
The episode also features a guest spot from Law & Order‘s Tony Goldwyn as DA Baxter. Looking ahead to his guest spot, Peter Scanavino (who plays ADA Carisi) told TV Insider, “It’s funny when you are meeting somebody for the first time, but clearly your characters have had conversations, so you’re trying to key into that,” he noted. “But he was a perfectly, totally lovely guy and really great actor. I’d obviously known Tony Goldwyn before, and it was just great to meet him on screen and off.”
