<P> On July 13, 2018, Deadline announced that Scandal's George Newbern would be guest starring over the course of the season in a recurring role as Dr. Al Pollack . Pollack is described as a charming, handsome, and wealthy doctor who is set to be a future as well as past love interest to Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish). Rollins mentions him cheating on her with a prostitute in the previous season . Days later it was reported that Dylan Walsh would play John Conway, an abusive father who rapes his own son, in the season premiere . Walsh previously guest starred in the eighth season of SVU . Mark Tallman portrays Gavin Riley, the new chief of detectives, in a recurring role . </P> <P> Carl Weathers reprised his role as his Chicago Justice character, State's Attorney Mark Jefferies, in the episode "Zero Tolerance". On August 16, 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Homeland actress Sandrine Holt would be cast in a recurring role this season, as Dr. Lisa Abernathy, a clinical psychologist that consults on cases for the district attorney's office . Holt previously guest starred in the seventeenth season . On September 27, 2018, Entertainment Weekly reported that Sebastian Roché would guest star as Arlo Beck, the charismatic leader of a female empowerment group, in the episode "Accredo", which aired October 18, 2018 . Roché previously made two guest appearances on the flagship series, Law & Order . Sasha Alexander is set to guest star as Anne Mill in the November 1st episode "Caretaker ." </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . overall </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Th> Written by </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> <Th> Prod . code </Th> <Th> U.S. viewers (millions) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 435 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Man Up" </Td> <Td> Alex Chapple </Td> <Td> Michael Chernuchin & Julie Martin </Td> <Td> September 27, 2018 (2018 - 09 - 27) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5.09 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> The Special Victims Unit are called in after a fifteen year old boy is sexually assaulted . Despite having evidence, he is too scared to name his attacker and therefore refuses to name who attacked him, making things complicated for the detectives . When it is discovered, the detectives do their best to protect the teenager from being abused again . Meanwhile, Rollins talks things out with her ex boyfriend who cheated on her with an escort and also confides in Benson that she is pregnant for a second time, who worries that she is not as strong or fast as she used to be . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 436 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Man Down" </Td> <Td> Alex Chapple </Td> <Td> Michael Chernuchin & Julie Martin </Td> <Td> September 27, 2018 (2018 - 09 - 27) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5.09 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> The case involving a teenager who was sexually assaulted continues and Stone takes the rapist to court . However, an unexpected verdict comes back in, shocking everyone involved . The victim ends up making a tragic decision which results in several people dead and injured and the Special Victims Unit must charge the victim . An upset Stone along with the rest of the squad decide to try their best to charge the boy's rapist as well in order to get justice for all the victims who were killed or injured in the attack . Meanwhile, Rollins starts having doubts about her pregnancy . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 437 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Zero Tolerance" </Td> <Td> Michael Pressman </Td> <Td> Richard Sweren & Céline C. Robinson </Td> <Td> October 4, 2018 (2018 - 10 - 04) </Td> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td> 4.21 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> A nine year old girl is taken from her mother at the US Mexico border and ends up in a child sex trafficking ring in New York, which quickly comes to the attention of the Special Victims Unit . Benson and Stone try and fight their hardest to try and reunite the girl with her family with the court system but meet many obstacles . Eventually, Stone decides to ask for help from an old friend . Meanwhile, Rollins decides to give her rocky relationship with Pollack another chance . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 438 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Revenge" </Td> <Td> Martha Mitchell </Td> <Td> Michael Chernuchin & Lawrence Kaplow </Td> <Td> October 11, 2018 (2018 - 10 - 11) </Td> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td> 4.44 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> The Special Victims Unit are called in after a seemingly random young couple is brutally assaulted by a masked pizza delivery man in their apartment . The detectives soon realise they are dealing with a serial rapist when another couple is assaulted . Eventually, the detectives discover a complicated and twisted revenge plot from one of the victims and the rapists past and dig into the victims past to reveal what could of caused someone to attack her and several others . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 439 </Th> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> "Accredo" </Td> <Td> Jean de Segonzac </Td> <Td> Julie Martin & Brianna Yellen </Td> <Td> October 18, 2018 (2018 - 10 - 18) </Td> <Td> 2005 </Td> <Td> 3.95 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> <P> The Special Victims Unit are called in after a woman who is part of a women empowerment group is found brutally sexually assaulted and murdered . The prime suspect quickly becomes her ex husband due to her violent past with him, but eventually the detectives are led to the empowerment groups charismatic male leader, who may not be as charming as he seems to be . Meanwhile, Rollins tries to keep her pregnancy under wraps to avoid desk duty and Tutuola and Carisi start wondering who the baby's father is . </P> <Ul> <Li> Episode inspired by the NXIVM case . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 440 </Th> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> "Exile" </Td> <Td> Stephanie Marquardt </Td> <Td> Michael Chernuchin & Allison Intrieri </Td> <Td> October 25, 2018 (2018 - 10 - 25) </Td> <Td> 2006 </Td> <Td> 4.22 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> The Special Victims Unit are called in to investigate the sexual assault of a young homeless woman . The squad soon realise that the woman has a dual personality which makes things complicated . However, when she goes missing, the squad becomes challenged to not only uncover her whereabouts but also her real identity . The detectives later discover that someone from her past may be responsible and that the assault may have happened a long time ago . However, the squad meet a dead end in their investigation and Benson makes a generous decision to help the victim recover from her ordeal . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 441 </Th> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> "Caretaker" </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> November 1, 2018 (2018 - 11 - 01) </Td> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> TBD </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 442 </Th> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> "Hell's Kitchen" </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> November 8, 2018 (2018 - 11 - 08) </Td> <Td> 2008 </Td> <Td> TBD </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 443 </Th> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> "Mea Culpa" </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> TBA </Td> <Td> November 15, 2018 (2018 - 11 - 15) </Td> <Td> 2009 </Td> <Td> TBD </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . overall </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Th> Written by </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> <Th> Prod . code </Th> <Th> U.S. viewers (millions) </Th> </Tr>

When does law and order svu new season start