‘Law & Order: SVU’ Sneak Peek: Demore Barnes Returns & Asks Benson for Help (VIDEO)

Welcome back to Law & Order: SVU, Demore Barnes! He reprises his role as Christian Garland in the April 28 episode, “Tangled Strands of Justice,” and TV Insider has an exclusive first look at his reunion with Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). So what’s he been up to since we last saw him?

The former deputy chief was the one to reach out to Benson, and after their hug, she checks in on how he’s doing. “So nice to hear from you. How have you been? How’s the family?” Benson asks. He just got back from a week in Orlando, he shares, but they’re not just there to catch up. In fact, he has a case he needs her help with. Watch the clip above to see what Garland has to tell Benson.

In “Tangled Strands of Justice,” Garland asks Benson to reopen a missing persons case he worked as a rookie officer. Plus, a victim in one of Carisi’s (Peter Scanavino) recent cases is arrested.

Prior to this episode, Barnes was last seen as Garland in the two-part Season 23 premiere. He sort of left his job on his own volition, but that came after Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico), who has been serving as his replacement, hung him out to dry. The higher-ups didn’t see him as a team player since he disagreed with how police misconduct was being handled, and while they wouldn’t fire him, but Garland took his father’s advice: “Move on. Truth is you’ll be more dangerous to them outside the department than in.”

Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC