Law & Order: SVU is on the verge of returning to NBC after a few weeks of reruns, and the March 23 episode promises to revisit the tension within Special Victims on top of the case of the week. While the team investigates the internet dating site that is the source of terror for a woman, two of the detectives aren't going to be getting along in the fallout of the Velasco situation. In a first-look clip at the new episode (seen above), Benson and Fin have to deal with dueling detectives.
While Velasco himself doesn't appear in the clip following Benson's ultimatum in the episode directed by Mariska Hargitay, Muncy is clearly ready to fight his battles when it comes to arguing with Churlish as the woman who recorded his "confession," such as it was. Muncy escalated what had been a fairly professional discussion when she said that her fantasy was of Churlish going back to the Bronx, while Churlish called her out for being mad about Velasco and loyal to him.
Fin asked Benson if they should give the two detectives a time out, while Benson –who is probably missing Rollins more than ever right about now – settled for splitting them up to chase different leads. Muncy has a lot of nerve for starting that fight in front of both the sergeant and the captain, and I can't help but wonder if Benson is going to have words with her before the end of the episode.
The case of the week sounds like it will require all hands on deck, so it certainly makes sense that Benson is going to prioritize the investigation over giving the detectives what Fin (who didn't have nearly this kind of trouble when joining forces with Bruno) dubbed a "time out." In the episode – called "The Presence of Absence" – the team has leads to chase for a catfishing situation, while Velasco's absence affects Muncy.
Velasco's absence affecting Muncy to the point that she's struggling to work alongside Churlish shows yet again that SVU is following stories from week to week more than in past seasons that were much more procedural. The gang arc that saw Benson and Noah targeted and a fellow NYPD captain murdered is still affecting the characters, even though it remains to be seen how SVU will handle Benson and Stabler's relationship after their moment at the end of that arc.
For now, fans of Law & Order: SVU can look forward to "The Presence of Absence" as the next new episode on Thursday, March 23 at 9 p.m. ET, between Law & Order at 8 p.m. and Law & Order: Organized Crime at 10 p.m., all on NBC. You can also revisit earlier episodes of SVU's current Season 24 streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now. For some more viewing options now and in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
