‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 27 Premiere Photos: Kelli Giddish Returns, Plus Meet the New Chief

The Law & Order: SVU squad is back at it with the first episode of Season 27 on Thursday, September 25, and NBC has released photos hinting at conflict during the case, some sort of event that sort of has us worried, the calm before the storm that results in Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice T) being hospitalized, and more.

The new season kicks off with “In the Wind,” which NBC teases as follows: “Danger swirls around the squad as they investigate a suspect for rape and try to protect their key witness. A new chief of detectives puts Benson [Mariska Hargitay] to the test. An off-duty Fin tries to stop an assault in progress.” This is also Kelli Giddish‘s first episode back as a series regular, and we expect her to just slot right in like she was never gone; after all, we have seen Sergeant Amanda Rollins working with the squad already in her time with Intelligence.

The beginning of Season 27 will be writing out one of Captain Olivia Benson’s squad, Detective Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano). There’s no word yet on how that will happen, but he is pictured working alongside the squad as usual in these photos. The images also show Fin seemingly at an event with the others, including Benson, Rollins, and ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi (Peter Scanavino). It looks like Fin may try to stop an assault on his way home from there, which leads to him being in the hospital in the trailer.

The photos also reveal who’s playing the new chief, Kathryn Tynan: Norma Dumezweni. We’ll have to wait to see what exactly she means for the squad and what putting Benson to the test is going to involve.

Scroll down to check out the photos from the premiere, then head to the comments section to let us know

Law & Order: SVU, Season 27 Premiere, Thursday, September 25, 9/8c, NBC