‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ Season 28 Episode 5 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and Preview
The Jalen Brunson episode of ‘Special Victims Unit’ is set to air on Thursday, November 5, on NBC. It has quickly become one of the most discussed hours of the procedural’s new run, largely because the story and the guest role are being kept closely under wraps.
This guide covers the confirmed release date, air time and streaming options for the upcoming ‘Special Victims Unit’ installment. It also looks at what is known about Brunson’s appearance and where the season stands as the date approaches.
Release Date for the Jalen Brunson Episode
NBC has scheduled the episode for Thursday, November 5, at 9/8c. The network announced Brunson’s casting on September 17, and the date was attached to that news from the start.
The date happens to fall on an off night for the New York Knicks, which lets fans of the team watch without a scheduling conflict. Brunson opens the Knicks title defense on October 20 against the Philadelphia 76ers, so the television appearance sits inside a busy stretch of his calendar.
The casting has been building since the summer. Brunson said in July that he would love to appear on the series, and Hargitay told Variety in August that it was “definitely happening.”
Air Time on NBC
The episode is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern on NBC. That means 8 p.m. Central for viewers in that time zone.
The series opened its new run on Thursday, October 8, at 9 p.m., and it has kept that slot since. The premiere was up 21 percent from the previous season among viewers ages 18 to 49, which gives the Brunson hour a healthy audience to build on.
Brunson will appear alongside series regulars Mariska Hargitay, Peter Scanavino, Kelli Giddish, Kevin Kane, Aimé Donna Kelly and Corey Cott. The full ensemble is expected to be part of the story, though the details of the case have not been shared.
Where to Watch the Episode Online
New episodes air on NBC on Thursdays and stream the next day on Peacock. Viewers without a cable login can therefore catch the Brunson hour on Friday if they miss the broadcast.
Peacock is not a free option. Viewers need a Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus subscription, and episodes can be downloaded for offline viewing with Premium Plus on supported mobile devices.
The pairing is not new to NBC audiences. Brunson already appeared alongside Hargitay in the prerecorded opening of the Emmys telecast she hosted, and he also hosted the ‘Saturday Night Live’ season premiere on September 26.
Preview of the Guest Role and the Season So Far
Exact character details are under wraps, so it is unclear whether he will play himself, a police officer or something different altogether. He was photographed on the show’s Brooklyn set with Hargitay on September 16.
Hargitay has said she sees very little Brunson cannot do, which suggests real confidence in his screen presence. Brunson grew up watching the series with his father, Rick Brunson, a former Knick and current team assistant.
The season has leaned into difficult territory. The premiere centered on what legally counts as consent when someone is intoxicated, and Benson turned to a controversial strategy after a victim struggled to prove her account in court. J. Smith-Cameron joined as jury consultant Gwen Sharpe, someone Benson can talk to about feeling disillusioned with the work.
A later episode put Benson at odds with federal agents, and in an exclusive conversation with NBC Insider, Kevin Kane described Bruno being sidelined after taking “one for the team.” Stephanie March is also set to return as Alexandra Cabot in the ninth episode, airing December 3. With so much going on around the squad, do you think Brunson will play himself or a character, and which moment with Hargitay’s Benson are you hoping the episode saves for him?
