Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999-present 27 seasons

★ 8.1 Top 24%

(142,174 votes)

586 episodes

IMDb
This show averages 8.0, which is 0.6 points above the global average of 7.4 Top 28%
7.4 8.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IMDb Rating
All 806,989 TV Episodes
This Show (582 episodes)
582 episodes
8.0 show avg
7.4 global avg
8.3 show peak
Click to pin Pinned
L
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S13
S14
S15
S16
S17
S18
S19
S20
S21
S22
S23
S24
S25
S26
S27
E1
8.2
8.1
8.2
8.4
8.0
8.4
8.3
8.0
8.7
7.9
8.1
8.6
7.6
8.6
8.8
8.3
8.6
7.8
7.8
8.0
7.9
5.9
8.0
8.0
7.6
7.5
7.5
E2
8.0
7.7
8.3
8.2
7.9
8.0
8.5
7.7
7.4
7.9
7.9
8.4
8.3
8.6
7.9
7.5
8.6
7.7
7.8
8.1
7.5
7.5
8.0
7.8
4.4
8.2
7.7
E3
7.6
8.6
8.3
8.0
8.1
7.7
9.3
8.2
8.0
8.7
8.2
9.0
7.9
8.2
7.6
7.7
8.3
6.6
7.8
7.4
7.7
7.4
8.0
7.0
7.4
7.7
7.6
E4
8.1
8.3
8.0
7.8
9.0
8.8
8.0
8.0
8.5
7.6
8.1
8.4
8.3
7.9
8.3
8.3
8.3
6.8
8.0
8.0
7.5
7.9
8.1
7.8
8.0
7.3
8.2
E5
7.7
8.4
8.1
7.8
8.2
7.9
7.8
8.1
7.4
7.7
8.5
7.4
7.4
8.1
8.1
8.1
7.7
7.4
7.8
7.6
8.1
7.8
7.9
7.8
8.0
7.6
7.8
E6
7.7
7.8
7.8
8.5
8.6
8.9
8.9
8.2
8.0
8.0
7.6
8.4
7.8
7.9
7.7
7.5
7.6
7.4
7.9
7.8
8.5
8.4
8.4
7.8
7.4
7.7
8.0
E7
8.2
7.6
8.1
8.2
7.5
8.5
7.7
7.7
8.1
8.2
7.9
8.1
8.2
7.6
8.2
8.1
8.1
7.7
7.2
7.8
7.7
7.7
8.4
7.3
8.0
7.8
7.7
E8
8.1
8.2
8.0
8.1
8.0
8.0
7.8
8.1
7.7
8.6
8.0
7.9
8.1
8.0
8.3
7.2
7.7
7.6
8.2
7.7
7.4
7.1
7.4
7.5
7.8
8.8
7.7
E9
7.4
7.7
8.2
8.4
8.2
7.9
7.8
7.9
8.6
8.0
8.5
7.9
8.2
8.9
7.8
7.6
7.2
8.0
8.5
8.0
8.1
8.3
8.0
8.0
8.1
7.6
8.5
E10
8.2
7.7
8.6
8.2
8.1
8.2
8.2
8.6
7.4
8.0
7.8
7.8
8.6
8.0
8.4
7.9
7.6
8.5
8.1
8.7
7.9
7.7
8.0
8.0
7.6
7.6
?
E11
7.8
7.8
8.4
8.6
8.5
8.2
7.7
8.4
7.8
8.4
8.1
8.0
7.9
7.7
8.1
7.5
8.6
8.3
7.7
8.2
7.9
6.7
7.5
7.7
7.7
7.8
?
E12
7.1
7.7
7.5
8.2
8.1
8.6
8.0
7.7
8.6
8.3
8.8
8.3
8.2
8.0
7.7
7.7
7.4
7.0
6.2
8.2
8.4
7.3
7.5
7.8
8.2
7.8
?
E13
7.9
8.0
8.1
7.5
7.9
8.4
8.1
8.0
7.8
8.1
7.6
8.5
7.7
8.6
7.7
7.5
7.7
7.5
8.4
8.1
7.8
8.0
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.6
?
E14
8.1
8.0
7.9
8.2
8.3
7.4
8.0
8.1
7.9
8.1
7.8
7.3
8.0
8.1
7.7
4.7
8.2
7.8
7.9
6.1
8.2
8.6
8.0
7.8
7.3
E15
7.6
8.7
8.2
8.3
8.6
7.8
8.3
7.9
9.0
8.1
8.0
7.7
8.2
8.1
7.3
7.9
8.6
8.0
7.1
8.0
7.5
8.1
7.9
8.4
7.1
E16
8.3
7.9
8.0
7.8
8.3
8.6
8.4
8.0
7.9
8.4
8.5
8.1
7.8
7.4
7.5
6.9
7.7
8.0
8.3
8.3
7.7
8.3
7.6
7.1
7.6
E17
7.6
7.8
8.2
8.1
8.6
8.2
7.5
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.4
7.9
8.1
7.9
8.6
7.6
8.6
8.1
8.2
8.0
7.6
8.1
7.6
7.8
E18
7.8
8.7
8.3
8.6
8.0
8.4
8.4
8.2
8.2
8.4
7.9
7.9
7.6
8.2
7.7
6.7
8.4
7.4
7.7
8.1
8.1
8.2
7.5
7.7
E19
7.9
8.1
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.2
8.7
8.3
8.3
7.8
7.6
7.7
7.3
8.8
8.3
7.0
8.2
7.7
8.0
7.6
8.2
8.0
7.6
8.1
E20
8.3
8.5
8.4
8.7
8.2
8.4
7.8
8.2
8.2
7.3
8.5
7.7
8.3
8.5
8.4
7.7
7.7
8.2
7.5
7.9
7.5
7.4
8.0
E21
8.6
8.5
8.6
8.6
8.1
7.4
8.2
8.3
8.8
7.8
8.1
7.7
7.9
8.1
7.2
7.5
7.7
7.9
7.7
7.4
8.2
8.0
E22
8.4
8.6
8.4
8.1
8.0
8.0
8.8
8.8
8.2
7.9
7.7
7.7
7.4
7.3
8.5
8.1
7.1
8.4
8.1
7.4
E23
7.9
8.2
8.1
7.9
7.9
8.5
8.5
7.5
8.0
8.2
9.0
7.3
6.9
E24
8.1
8.7
7.7
8.5
8.8
8.3
7.3
7.8
E25
8.5
8.0
Avg
7.9
8.1
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.1
8.1
8.2
8.0
8.1
7.9
8.1
8.0
7.5
8.1
7.7
7.8
7.8
7.9
7.7
7.9
7.7
7.5
7.7
7.9
Excellent
Great
Good
Regular
Bad
Awful

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 3.54.86.17.48.710 Rating 59 118 177 236 295 354 413 472 531 590 Episode 10 9 8 7 6 5

Episode Engagement

Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Rating threshold:
266 Standouts
25 Infamous
258 Hidden Gems
33 Forgettable
Standouts Infamous Hidden Gems Forgettable Global: 7.5 4.45.46.47.38.39.3 Rating 68 172 435 1k 3k Votes (log scale)
Top Standout: S7E3 911
Most Infamous: S16E14 Intimidation Game
Best Hidden Gem: S26E8 Cornered

Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5). More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.

Season Trajectory

A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.

77.47.88.28.69 Rating S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 Season 7.9 8.1 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.1 8.1 8.2 8.0 8.1 7.9 8.1 8.0 7.5 8.1 7.7 7.8 7.8 7.9 7.7 7.9 7.7 7.5 7.7 7.9 10 9 8 7 6 5

Season Momentum

Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.

5678910 Rating S1 8.2 8.4 +0.2 S2 8.1 8.5 +0.4 S3 8.2 7.9 -0.3 S4 8.4 8.5 +0.1 S5 8.0 8.0 0.0 S6 8.4 7.9 -0.5 S7 8.3 8.0 -0.3 S8 8.0 8.8 +0.8 S9 8.7 8.3 -0.4 S10 7.9 8.8 +0.9 S11 8.1 7.7 -0.4 S12 8.6 8.5 -0.1 S13 7.6 8.5 +0.9 S14 8.6 8.8 +0.2 S15 8.8 8.3 -0.5 S16 8.3 8.2 -0.1 S17 8.6 9.0 +0.4 S18 7.8 7.7 -0.1 S19 7.8 7.3 -0.5 S20 8.0 7.8 -0.2 S21 7.9 7.9 0.0 S22 5.9 8.3 +2.4 S23 8.0 8.4 +0.4 S24 8.0 8.1 +0.1 S25 7.6 7.7 +0.1 S26 7.5 7.4 -0.1

Season Consistency

Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.

3467910 Rating S1 Typical avg 7.9 S2 Typical avg 8.1 S3 Steady avg 8.2 S4 Typical avg 8.2 S5 Typical avg 8.2 S6 Typical avg 8.2 S7 Typical avg 8.2 S8 Steady avg 8.1 S9 Uneven avg 8.1 S10 Typical avg 8.2 S11 Typical avg 8.0 S12 Typical avg 8.1 S13 Typical avg 7.9 S14 Typical avg 8.1 S15 Typical avg 8.0 S16 Erratic avg 7.5 S17 Uneven avg 8.1 S18 Uneven avg 7.7 S19 Uneven avg 7.8 S20 Uneven avg 7.8 S21 Typical avg 7.9 S22 Uneven avg 7.7 S23 Typical avg 7.9 S24 Typical avg 7.7 S25 Erratic avg 7.5 S26 Typical avg 7.7 S27 Typical avg 7.9 Episode Premiere/Finale

Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.

Episode Power Rankings

The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.

🏆 Top 10 Episodes Season 6 dominates (2/10)

  1. 1 S7E3 911 9.3
  2. 2 S5E4 Loss 9.0
  3. 3 S9E15 Undercover 9.0
  4. 4 S9E17 Authority 9.0
  5. 5 S12E3 Behave 9.0
  6. 6 S17E23 Heartfelt Passages 9.0
  7. 7 S6E6 Conscience 8.9
  8. 8 S7E6 Raw 8.9
  9. 9 S14E9 Dreams Deferred 8.9
  10. 10 S6E4 Scavenger 8.8

📉 Bottom 5 Episodes

  1. 582 S25E2 Truth Embargo 4.4
  2. 581 S16E14 Intimidation Game 4.7
  3. 580 S22E1 Guardians and Gladiators 5.9
  4. 579 S20E14 Part 33 6.1
  5. 578 S19E12 Info Wars 6.2
582 Total Episodes
9.3 Highest Rating
4.4 Lowest Rating
4.9 Range

You Might Also Like

9.5
Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad

2008–2013 5 seasons 2.5M votes
9.2
Sapne Vs Everyone

Sapne Vs Everyone

2023–Present 1 season 75K votes
9.4
Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers

2001–2001 1 season 584K votes
9.1
The Chosen

The Chosen

2017–Present 7 seasons 67K votes
9.1
Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry

2025–Present 2 seasons 61K votes
9.1
Aspirants

Aspirants

2021–Present 2 seasons 317K votes