Law & Order: SVU recently revealed Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) season 26 team, and there are both new and old players involved. Teamwork has always been a crucial part of solving the horrific crimes that the SVU squad deals with. During its early years, some of the best Law & Order: SVU episodes involved compelling partnerships like Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) and John Munch (Richard Belzer) or Benson and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni). However, after Benson became the squad’s head, she constantly faced staffing issues, and at one point the entire team was just her, Fin, and Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish).
During Law & Order: SVU season 25, there wasn’t time to search for new detectives. Benson spent most of the year searching for missing teen Maddie Flynn (Allison Ellaine), with the help of an agent on loan from the FBI, Shannah Sykes (Jordana Spiro), Fin, and new detective Renee Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly). There was some speculation that Rollins would return for season 26, which does not appear to be happening. However, the Law & Order: SVU season 26 cast will include a full roster of detectives for the first time since her exit.
Every Member Of Benson’s Team Confirmed For Law & Order: SVU Season 26
Benson Will Have A Full Team Comprised Of Both Familiar And New Faces
Law & Order: SVU’s Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) has been more in the background in recent years than he was at the beginning, despite being one of the most popular characters in the series. Fin will be more prominent moving forward as he will likely continue to serve as Benson’s right-hand person. At this point in their careers, Fin is often the one to call Benson out for getting overly obsessed with a case or otherwise acting in an unhealthy manner. Occasionally, however, he’s the one who succumbs to the same tendencies, as seen in the Law & Order: SVU season 25 finale.
Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) has been an unofficial part of the squad since the middle of Law & Order: SVU season 24. The character was a whistleblower at the Bronx SVU. He eventually joined the Manhattan office to help Benson close some cold cases left over from his previous station. Bruno will officially be part of the team for the first time in season 26, as Kevin Kane has been upped to Law & Order: SVU series regular.
Octavio Pisano is also returning as Joe Velasco in Law & Order: SVU season 26. He is one of the most controversial members of the team. Velasco was originally introduced as a temporary team member placed by Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico) to spy on the department and report back to him about what Benson’s SVU was up to. Later on, Benson learned that he had been involved in a gang-related killing when he was a pre-teen and forced him to get the boy who pulled the trigger to come clean to keep his job.
Finally, Juliana Aidén Martinez is joining the squad as a still-unnamed detective in Law & Order: SVU season 26. Time will tell whether Martinez’s character will be another female detective who leaves after a year or less in the squad or if she will become a beloved team member like Rollins was. As there have not been any details released yet, it’s hard to tell what she will add to the squad, but hopefully, she will be a more seasoned detective like Rollins or Churlish, rather than a rookie.
How Benson’s Team Has Changed In Law & Order: SVU
She Finally Has Enough People On Staff To Effectively Work Cases
Benson’s team has been shaken up over the past several seasons, most notably by Rollins’ departure in the middle of Law & Order: SVU season 24. After Rollins left, the series introduced several female characters who did not become a permanent part of the squad. The latter half of season 24 temporarily gave Benson Detective Churlish (Jasmine Batchelor), and season 25 had her constantly butt heads with Law & Order: SVU’s Agent Sykes, who was on loan from the FBI. Bensom’s new team noticeably misses Renee Curry, an IAB agent who decided to join SVU instead.
Law & Order: SVU season 26’s team puts the issue of rotating team members to rest. Instead of borrowing personnel from other precincts, Benson will be in charge of a full roster of detectives who are expected to work for her permanently. Having four detectives under her command allows Benson to send out two teams of two on any given case. This set-up more closely resembles the original makeup of the squad room, where Cragen often had Benson and Stabler work one part of a case while Fin and Munch worked another.
What To Expect From Benson’s Team In Law & Order: SVU Season 26
It’s Hard To Predict, But There Are Some Known Quantities
While little is known about Martinez’s new character, the other team members have all been part of SVU before. Velasco will likely be partnered with the fresh-faced detective, while Fin will be working with Bruno, as he has been during the latter’s previous appearances. Fin and Bruno are both dedicated to the job and will take it seriously no matter what Benson throws at them, while Velasco has been trying to prove himself for the last several seasons and may attempt to one-up his partner or Benson herself to demonstrate he belongs in the team.
Law & Order: SVU has always centered on sex crime survivors, and the new team will help the series do that more effectively.
Law & Order: SVU has always centered on sex crime survivors, and the new team will help the series do that more effectively. Hopefully, there will be less need for Fin to call Benson out on obsessive behavior now that she has a full team of detectives ready to focus on these important cases. Bruno joining the squad full-time is welcome news, as he brings something fresh and new to the squad room. If Martinez’s new character can balance Velasco out, Law & Order: SVU season 26 could deliver a formidable squad of detectives under Benson’s leadership.
