Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 7 of Law & Order: SVU Season 27, called “False Idols” and available streaming with a Peacock subscription.
Law & Order: SVU delivered the usual sexually-based offenses that are considered especially heinous on NBC, with vicious felonies for Captain Benson and the rest of Special Victims to investigate. The good news for the cops this time around was that Fin returned from his medical leave due to his injuries in the Season 27 premiere in the 2025 TV schedule. He reunited with Rollins, gave Griffin a hard time as the new guy, and shared some honest scenes with Benson… all of which unfortunately led to him leaving again. Luckily, Ice-T shared some peeks behind the scenes that bode well for the 2026 TV schedule.
Fin’s Long-Awaited Return (And Quick Departure)
While Fin insisted to the unit at large that he was back at his best and ready to go back into the field rather than ride a desk, he expressed some private doubts to Benson about whether he would have been injured (and had his gun stolen) when he was a younger detective. While there still seemed to be a bit of distance between them after her sense of betrayal in the Season 27 premiere, she assured him as best she could that he was ready to be back.
Then, Fin realized that he actually wasn’t as ready to return to work despite being in excellent physical shape. The breakthrough happened after he nearly drew his weapon when the situation definitely wasn’t bad enough to call for it, only stopped by Rollins. He broke the news to Benson that he needed to take some more time away, and she assured him that “there’s always going to be a place here” for him when he’s ready. So, fans got the bad news that Fin’s long-awaited return was short-lived.
There is good news, however, courtesy of Ice-T on social media.
While Fin was pretty glum when he realized that he wasn’t ready yet to come back to the job, Ice-T sported a smile on Instagram when he shared a video message with fans on November 4. He acknowledged that he’s “not on the show as much” this year while he’s been doing “a lot of other things on the side.” He went on:
But I am still on the show. I am still #2. Right now, we are in my dressing room, so I figured why not, since I am filming today, take you on a little walk behind, behind, behind the scenes.
He went on to show what goes on behind the cameras on Law & Order: SVU, complete with the writer of the episode that he was filming on that day. He went on in his message:
Although I haven’t been on the show as much as usual, I’m still on the show. Don’t panic. And when Fin shows up this season, it’s always a treat. Keep watching the show. Season 27, we’re in the mix, and there will be a Season 28 if I got anything to fucking do with it.
Is this a guarantee that Law &. Order: SVU will definitely, totally, 100% be back for Season 28 for the 2026-2027 TV season? Maybe not, but I am least am pretty thrilled to see how excited Ice-T still is to be part of the show. The sentiment echoes what he said back in early 2025 about not seeing why “SVU can’t go 30 [seasons]” as long as Mariska Hargitay keeps coming back as Olivia Benson, and SVU just wouldn’t feel right without Ice-T right behind her in the credits. Check out the full video for yourself:
For good measure, Ice-T also posted a photo that revealed Fin will make a crossover appearance that unites him with characters from Law & Order Season 25, posing with Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley and newcomer David Ajala (who debuted in the episode that aired ahead of “False Idols”) as Detective Theo Walker.
Since Ice-T posted his behind-the-scenes looks at the Law & Order world in action in November while the SVU fall finale airs just one week after “False Idols,” I think it’s a safe bet that this episode was the last that fans will see of Fin in 2025. Still, the future seems bright for 2026 and Ice-T as the #2 name on the call sheet, so be sure to tune in to the last episode of the year on Thursday, November 20 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.