Mariska Hargitay Returns to Law & Order: SVU October 31st  10/26/06

DETECTIVE OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) RETURNS TO THE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT ON NBC'S LAW & ORDER: SVU, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, (10 P.M. ET/PT)

Actor Vincent Spano Guest Stars

NEW YORK – After working undercover in Oregon with an eco terrorism group Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) returns to the special victims unit, on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" (Tuesday, October 31st at 10 PM ET/PT). Benson has been deep undercover in Oregon as "Persephone James" where she has been working closely with FBI Field Agent Dean Porter (Guest Star Vincent Spano) in pursuit of the terrorists.

In the episode "Infiltrated" Det. Benson is called upon by ADA Novak (Dianne Neal) to help present evidence that will strengthen the case against a brutal rapist. This case will have a dramatic impact on Benson's critical work in Oregon, but initially, her decision to testify in the rape trial is what leads her back to the Special Victims Unit. Chris Meloni, Ice-T, Dann Florek, B.D. Wong, and Tamara Tunie also star.

Spano had his big break opposite Rosanna Arquette in John Sayles' Italian-Catholic-boy-meets-Jewish-girl romance "Baby It's You." Recently, Spano guest starred on Fox's TV series, "North Shore," and after closing out 2005 playing Patricia Heaton's love interest in the highly rated Steven Schachter-directed TNT movie, "The Engagement Ring," he co-starred with Victoria Pratt in the Lifetime movie, "Her Fatal Flaw," which premiered last month on September 24th. Then he shot an independent film thriller, "Nevermore," with Judd Nelson, slated for release next year. At the end of the summer of 2006, he wrapped a Hallmark Channel mini-series drama, "Pandemic," in which he co-stars with Tiffani Thiessen, Faye Dunaway and Eric Roberts which is set to air next month in November.

"Law & Order: SVU" is produced by Wolf Films in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.

Source: NBC Press Release