It’s a sad reality for TV fans that a recent trend in casting is due to economics. Several shows, especially procedurals, have been moving to a dynamic where some characters are absent for some episodes, so the producers don’t have to pay for everyone on set at once. It’s risen thanks to the issues from residuals to the aftereffects of the 2023 Hollywood strikes affecting budgets.
Law & Order: SVU has felt that in the last few years. The start of Season 27 had Fin (Ice-T) shot in the line of duty. That kept Ice-T off for most of the season, with the actor admitting that it was due to economics, including bringing back Kelli Giddish as a regular cast member as Amanda Rollins.
Speaking to TVLine, showrunner Michele Fazekas seemed to confirm how season 28 may continue that trend, with the budget putting a tight limit on how many episodes can feature the entire cast. However, Fazekas did confirm, “I think we’ll have Ice-T more.”
Fazekas has experience with large ensemble casts, having been a showrunner on Gen V, among other series. However, she explained to TV Line that SVU is "the first time I've dealt with not having all your season regulars all the time. In the new season, we can be strategic about how we don't have everybody for every single episode — except for Mariska [Hargitay, who plays Capt. Olivia Benson], obviously."
Season 27 featured this dynamic, with some episodes explaining a cop being absent due to illness or on another case. Fazekas knows how this works, as she was a writer on SVU seasons 3 through 7 and points out how it was commonplace to break up squad members for storylines. "So it would be Munch and Fin in one episode, and Benson and Stabler in another episode, or you'd mix them up," she recalled. "So it does give you an opportunity to play with different personalities and pair people differently."
Faezkas added she enjoys this as a “fun challenge," and “it sparks different ideas, like, 'Oh, what if you put these two people together? How do they interact with each other? How do they approach things differently?'"
As an example, Fazekas cited how season 28 could see pairings like Renee Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly) and Jake Griffin (Corey Cott), as well as Rollins partnering up more with Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) to freshen the show up. Rather than being just two cops as partners all the time, it’ll be a mix-up, which will be more interesting.
As for Fin, Fazekas cited him as “the pinch hitter." The way I see Fin is almost like the Number 2 for Benson. I want to see him more in a training capacity in the next season."
This can be a good way to keep the show feeling fresher with Benson still in charge, Fin as her aide navigating cases and let the other cops pair off in differing combinations. We’ll see how it unfolds as Law & Order: SVU looks to turn this budget limitation into an advantage for season 28.
Law & Order: SVU season 28 premieres on Thursdays this fall on NBC.
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