Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21: Release date & time, where to watch, what to expect, and more
NBC's Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21, titled Aperture, will air on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The upcoming episode of the police procedural drama series centers on a complicated case where a witness calls the cops after an assault in the building next to him. Throughout the episode, viewers can expect the SVU to navigate the fine line between innocent observations and voyeurism.
Law and Order: SVU debuted as a spin-off of the main series in 1999 and centers around the SVU unit as they deal with s*xual offenses and vulnerable victims. The show stars Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, with support from Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Octavio Pisano, Kevin Kane, and Juliana Aidén Martinez this season.
When will Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21 be released?
As stated above, Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21, titled Aperture, will be released on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time.
Below is a list of select release timings for the upcoming episode:
Where to watch Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21?
As mentioned, NBC will broadcast Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21 on May 8, 2025, during its scheduled time slot. For subscribers of NBC's streaming service, Peacock, the episode will be available on May 9, 2025. The Peacock Premium plan is priced at $7.99/month, and the Premium Plus plan costs $13.99/month.
NBC is also available on live streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV. Individual episodes can be purchased on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, or Vudu.
A brief recap of Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 20
In Law and Order: SVU season 26, episode 20, titled Shock Collar, the squad investigates the abduction of a young girl, Haley Greene. The case begins when her mother, Cady, briefly leaves Haley in the car during a food delivery and returns to find both her car and daughter gone.
Olivia Benson and Amanda Rollins, reunited on the case, uncover surveillance footage showing a masked woman stealing the car and waving at Haley in the back seat. Initial suspicions fall on Haley’s father, Dylan, who is unresponsive and off the grid. However, he is eventually cleared.
The investigation takes a dark turn when footage of Haley appears online, showing her being shocked with a collar as part of a sadistic livestream operation. A breakthrough comes when detectives notice large dogs in the background of the video, leading them to a dog breeding facility run by Dennis and Nicole Carwood.
The Carwoods are exposed as the creators of the abusive content, and Haley was abducted to replace their deceased daughter, the original victim of their exploitation. Haley is ultimately rescued from a greenhouse, and the Carwoods are arrested, facing a lengthy prison sentence for their crimes.
Preview of Law and Order: SVU season 26 episode 21
The logline of the upcoming episode reads:
"When an assault at gunpoint is witnessed through a neighboring window, the squad scrambles to locate the victim to confirm she's safe; a threat to extort the victim's family leads to a shocking suspect."
In the teaser for episode 20, the SVU is called to the scene after a neighbor witnesses a woman's assault through a telescope. The episode hints at a voyeuristic observation spiraling into a complex case of extortion and shifting suspicion.
In the last scene, Benson doubts that the witness may be more involved than they appear. Echoing Hitchcock’s Rear Window, this penultimate episode of the season promises suspense, twists, and moral ambiguity.
Stay tuned for more updates on Law and Order: SVU.
