Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay is paying tribute to her crew. The star and executive producer of NBC's long-running police drama took to Instagram to mark the end of season 18 with a post dedicated to her cast and crew.
Accompanying the picture below, which was taken before the cast and crew wrapped for season 18, Hargitay wrote: #SVUCrew: I love you, I love acting with you, I trust you. You ALWAYS bring it, I'm immeasurably #Grateful. #NextSeasonNextLevel #Onwards#SquadGoals ❤️ Lieu."
"Lieu" is of course referring to her character's title on the series, Lt. Olivia Benson, head of the SVU squad.
SVU will return for a season 19 on NBC this fall. When E! News spoke with Hargitay at her gala for The Joyful Heart Foundation, the organization she started after working on the series, she said working on the series was her calling.
"Every day I get on my knees and thank God for this opportunity. It's not lost on me that God gave me this opportunity, this platform to speak about these issues. I really feel like it was a calling, it's not an accident I came on this show," Hargitay told E! News. "I always wanted to be on service, but it's hard. You say, ‘What do I do? How do I be of service?' and this was an opportunity."
SVU's renewal wasn't announced when NBC picked up the other Dick Wolf shows, like Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, but it came later.
"It's been a gift from God," Hargitay told us about the renewal. "I think it's supposed to be that way. I think the show has turned into something else. I think the show provides hope and joy and justice and fairness and a new way to see these issues."
Law & Order: SVU will return to NBC this fall, Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)