Now that Law & Order: SVU season 17 has ended, fans are anticipating for the next installment. Production for season 18 has officially started marking another period in Law & Order's long series. Its first season premiered on September 1999 on NBC.

Season 17 ended with the death of Sgt. Mike Dodds which left Lt. Olivia Benson devastated. She blamed herself for his death as she was the leader and should shoulder more responsibility. Mike's father, Deputy Chief William Dodds, was also engulfed with grief and was planning to place the death of his son to Olivia. This situation made fans guess whether they would come to a resolution and work together, or continue to place self-guilt to one's self or blame everything to the other.

In an interview with E!News with Mariska Hargitay, she said, "I think what Warren and I both value—and Julie—is evolution of character. I feel like Olivia Benson just isn't the same as she was before. This year I think she's almost learned what she can handle. I think that, all this—the last couple of years of growing into lieutenant and doing that—now I feel like she is, she can handle that…I feel like [Benson has] finally grown into that sort of leader, that's what I feel like this year is about, is not being afraid of her leadership and her power and accepting who she is, where she is and what you have to do to be a leader and how it's literally lonely at the time. I feel like it's really lonely and she's been lonely and alone. It's been elements of her and them."

The relationship that was formed between Olivia and Captain Ed Tucker could escalate. Hargitay said, "And then enter Tucker which has been such a game-changer for me because not only is he as powerful—she's such a powerful character—to have somebody that energetically matches her has been incredible. But also have somebody that understands because he's even more complicated and a leader more than her."

According to Yibada, season 18 could be aired in September 2016.