The dedicated detectives of the SVU squad are back, and Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 1 introduced a new one. TV Fanatic writers Jasmine Blu, Laura Nowak, Sara Trimble, and Jack Ori got together to discuss their first impressions of new detective Kate Silva.

SVU season 26 premiere. It's clear that she has some secrets, and they could connect to why she went from Homicide to SVU.

The investigation uncovers that the victim had been attending women’s empowerment meetings and practicing saying no—to the suspect. Between a video testimony from the victim herself and ADA Sonny Carisi’s ( Peter Scanavino) questioning of the suspect on the stand, they get a unanimous guilty verdict.

The verdict is in: Kate Silva was a great addition to Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 1. She’s smart, tough, and determined to be judged on her own merits and not her relationship with her father. If Silva had gotten more airtime and SVU had avoided some bad habits it needs to get rid of, this would have been a perfect season premiere.

There is something interesting about Detective Kate Silva in Law & Order: SVU Season 26. And we’ve only just met her. Juliana Aiden Martinez gives us a look at the character and teases things to come in this exclusive interview.

Hey SVU fans, the wait is officially over! Season 26 has finally arrived, and there’s a lot in store as Captain Olivia Benson leads her dedicated squad through intense cases and courtroom drama like we’ve never seen before.