Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Law & Order: SVU Season 25, called "Zone Rouge."
Law & Order: SVU revisited the abduction of Maddie Flynn in the latest episode, after Benson had to admit to Fin that she hasn't been herself lately because of her obsession with the case. After Maddie managed to drop a clue, Benson joined forces with FBI Agent Shannah Sykes to connect the dots and finally track the teenage girl down after her abduction in the Season 25 premiere early in the 2024 TV schedule. It was a major win that Benson really needed at this point, but it left me wondering if she's going to lose a member of the squad before the end of the season.
The squad actually grew by two people in "Zone Rouge," with Captain Curry officially joining after approaching Benson about it in the previous episode and Agent Sykes arranging a way to work with the unit without leaving the Bureau. Personally, I'm thrilled to have more women working in Special Victims after Muncy was written out at the end of Season 24, but Sykes coming in just after Curry did makes me suspect that SVU only intends to potentially keep one of them.
After all, this was the season that was originally set to cut down on episodes for series regulars, and SVU ultimately only kept one of the three newcomers from Season 24. I'm just not sure that I see both women sticking around indefinitely. And if one of them is going to be out, I'd put my money on Curry. I like how the character is prioritizing working cases over pulling rank, and it'd be interesting to see her continue to try and win over Fin, but there's already a captain in Manhattan's Special Victims Unit, and it's not the former IAB cop.
In contrast, Sykes is a character unlike any other in the current Law & Order franchise, so there's no risk of redundancy quite like two captains in one unit. Plus, SVU devoted so much of "Zone Rouge" to Sykes – complete with a tragic backstory that gives her personal stakes in investigating sex crimes – that it felt a lot like a backdoor pilot. Plus, her arrival in Special Victims means access to more cases and more resources, which isn't the case with Curry.
Now, I like Curry and loved her final scene with Benson at the end of the previous episode when she confessed why she wanted to leave IAB for SVU, and there's no guarantee that the show will add either as a series regular. It's not even impossible that both will join as series regulars, so we can only speculate at this point. But Sykes feels like she's been set up as here to stay more than Curry does to me.
It's also possible that SVU is sort of auditioning the characters to see who fans respond the most strongly to in a season already shortened by the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. In hindsight, with Season 25 bringing back Bruno with no sign of Muncy or Churlish, it feels like that's what SVU did in Season 24 with the newbies, with Bruno "winning," so to speak.
Based on the promo for the next episode, SVU could be heading into a whole new era if Sykes' arrival means an international scope for cases. If a major format change flops after 24 full seasons of one format, then perhaps she won't be around to stay after all! Check it out:
Keep tuning in to NBC on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of Law & Order: SVU, between Law & Order at 8 p.m. and Law & Order: Organized Crime at 10 p.m. You can also watch episodes next day streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
