Law & Order: Special Victims Unit/And the Empire Strikes Back

And the Empire Strikes Back
Season 23, Episode 1
Airdate	September 23, 2021
Written by	Warren Leight & Julie Martin & Bryan Goluboff
Directed by	Norberto Barba
Stream
← 22x16 Wolves in Sheep's Clothing	23x02 → Never Turn Your Back on Them
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season Twenty-Three

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And the Empire Strikes Back is the first episode of the twenty-third season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the four hundred ninety-fifth episode overall.

Starring: Mariska Hargitay (Captain Olivia Benson), Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins), Ice T (Sergeant Odafin Tutuola), Peter Scanavino (ADA Dominick Carisi, Jr.), Jamie Gray Hyder (Detective Katriona Tamin), Demore Barnes (Deputy Chief Christian Garland)

Special Guest Star: Christopher Meloni (Detective Elliot Stabler)

Guest Stars: Octavio Pisano (Detective Joe Velasco), Ben Rappaport (Congressman George Howard), Zabryna Guevara (Dr. Catalina Machado), Terry Serpico (Chief Tommy McGrath), Angelic Zambrana (Rosa Estrada), Saverio Guerra (Paulie Banducci), Ryan Garbayo (Ruben Ortiz), Aimé Donna Kelly (IAB Captain Renee Curry), Isabelle Poloner (Jenna Evans), Trian Long-Smith (Lamai Garland), Colton Osorio (Felipe)

and Glenn Fleshler (Myron Gold)

with Stephen Bradbury (Judge Colin McNamara), Carrie Kim (Céline Tatou), TJ Lee (Celia Long), Jeffrey Schecter (Counselor Art Blumfeld), Ashley Taylor Greaves (Officer Gabrielle Taylor), Kadia Saraf (US Attorney Anya Avital), Amber Ardolino (Rep #1), Tug Watson (EMT), Chrystle Anjelee (Hayden Smith), Tim Hardiman (Chief Hardiman)

Plot Overview

Benson's loyalty to Garland is tested. Rollins and Carisi try to keep their witnesses on board when the congressman is identified as a suspect.