Law and Order SVU season 20, episode 18 synopsis and promo: Blackout

What’s happening in this week’s episode of Law & Order: SVU? Find out about the next episode with the SVU season 20, episode 18 synopsis and teaser.

The next installment of Law & Order: SVU brings back an excellent recurring character, according to NBC‘s official description of the episode and the promo they’ve released for it.

Thursday’s episode “Blackout” features the return of Nikki Staines, the defense attorney played so wonderfully by Callie Thorne (Necessary Roughness, Homicide: Life on the Street). But this time is a lot different: she’s not defending the perpetrator, she’s the victim. Things are even more terrible because of who the suspects are!

Can Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) come to terms with the fact that a police officer might have been the person who attacked Nikki? Or is there someone else who committed the crime? Either way, how will it be when Benson and company have to find justice for someone who’s been one of their toughest adversaries?

This is the kind of thorny drama that Special Victims Unit excels at, and this should be an excellent episode, since Callie Thorne always turns in great performances and will have more to do than just cross-examine people this time. Plus, Titus Welliver (Bosch, The Good Wife) is here too, and Peter Gallagher (The O.C., The Gifted) returns. It’s a star-studded SVU episode that every fan should tune into.

Here’s how NBC officially describes the episode:

"When defense attorney Nikki Staines is raped after a police charity event, Benson reluctantly looks to her own for a suspect"

And here’s the promotional spot that’s been airing ahead of the episode:

For the latest SVU season 20 spoilers and news, plus more on all of Dick Wolf’s other series, follow the Dick Wolf category at One Chicago Center.