Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 3

All 23 episodes in airing order, with first-run dates and viewer ratings.

  1. 01

    September 28, 2001 · 1h

    Repression8.3

    An 18-year-old (Kelly Hutchinson) in therapy recalls being sexually abused by her father (Brian Kerwin) and presses charges against him.

  2. 02

    October 5, 2001 · 1h

    Wrath8.3

    After three murder victims are connected to Benson's past cases, it's believed that the killer is seeking revenge on the detective.

  3. 03

    October 12, 2001 · 1h

    Stolen8.3

    A kidnapping investigation links a past case with which Cragen was involved to a 12-year-old (Ian Cronin) whose adoption is deemed illegal.

  4. 04

    October 19, 2001 · 1h

    Rooftop7.5

    Stabler tries to build a case against an ex-con who's HIV-positive and preys on young girls.

  5. 05

    October 26, 2001 · 1h

    Tangled7.5

    When guests arrive for a party, they find the hosts have been assaulted, one of them fatally.

  6. 06

    November 2, 2001 · 1h

    Redemption7.5

    A brash, intense detective (David Keith) is assigned to help Stabler catch a serial rapist-killer.

  7. 07

    November 9, 2001 · 1h

    Sacrifice7.5

    The investigation of a shooting near a gay bar leads to a couple's involvement with porn movies.

  8. 08

    November 16, 2001 · 1h

    Inheritance7.5

    The search for a serial rapist leads to a case in which the defense attorney (Diane Baker) tries to blame the suspect's actions on his genes.

  9. 09

    November 23, 2001 · 1h

    Care7.5

    A computer game provides clues in the death of a physically abused little girl in foster care.

  10. 10

    December 14, 2001 · 1h

    Ridicule7.5

    The investigation of an apparently accidental death leads to charges by a male stripper that the deceased was one of three women who sexually assaulted him.

  11. 11

    January 4, 2002 · 1h

    Monogamy8.3

    A woman who's seven months pregnant is found assaulted, with her fetus removed.

  12. 12

    January 11, 2002 · 1h

    Protection7.5

    The detectives seek a woman who is on the run from her drug-dealing lover, whom she saw murder a rival.

  13. 13

    January 18, 2002 · 1h

    Prodigy7.7

    The detectives investigate a double slaying in which the female victim was dismembered.

  14. 14

    January 25, 2002 · 1h

    Counterfeit7.5

    Benson teams up with Fin to investigate the murder of a woman found under a highway.

  15. 15

    February 1, 2002 · 1h

    Execution7.5

    At the request of a murdered teen's parents, Stabler tries to get a serial killer (Nick Chinlund) who's about to be executed to admit that the teen was one of his victims.

  16. 16

    March 1, 2002 · 1h

    Popular7.5

    Stabler breaks the rules to uncover the facts when a student (Brittany Slattery) claims that she was assaulted by a teacher.

  17. 17

    March 8, 2002 · 1h

    Surveillance7.5

    The detectives investigate the sexual assault of a cellist (Emily Deschanel) and discover surveillance equipment hidden in her apartment.

  18. 18

    March 29, 2002 · 1h

    Guilt8.3

    Judith Light joins the series in a recurring role as the unit's tough new chief, as Cabot breaks the rules in an attempt to catch a pedophile (Beau Gravitte).

  19. 19

    April 5, 2002 · 1h

    Justice7.5

    In investigating the sexual assault of a 16-year-old, it's discovered that the victim is the rebellious stepdaughter of a judge (Keir Dullea).

  20. 20

    April 26, 2002 · 1h

    Greed7.7

    Henry Winkler plays a restaurateur whose wife is assaulted during a robbery at their plush Manhattan residence.

  21. 21

    May 3, 2002 · 1h

    Denial7.0

    A dark family secret surfaces after a young woman (Martha Plimpton) is raped at a party.

  22. 22

    May 10, 2002 · 1h

    Competence7.5

    After a mother (Lois Smith) reports that her mentally challenged daughter (Andrea Fay Friedman) is pregnant, the detectives try to find out who fathered the child.

  23. 23

    May 17, 2002 · 1h

    Silence8.3

    Cases include a killing at a church and an investigation that involves sexual-abuse charges against a priest.

Shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01Drama·Crime·LegalThe Good Wife2009–2016·CBSStreaming on Paramount Plus PremiumThe Good Wife follows Alicia Florrick, a wife and mother who boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him…8.1
  2. 02Drama·Crime·LegalLaw & Order1990–presentSame network — NBC·Streaming on Netflix7.3
  3. 03Drama·Crime·LegalBetter Call Saul2015–2022·AMCStreaming on NetflixBetter Call Saul is the prequel to the award-winning series Breaking Bad, set six years before Saul Goodman became Walter White's lawyer.8.6
  4. 04Drama·Crime·LegalGoliath2016–2021Streaming on Amazon Prime VideoOnce a powerful lawyer, Billy McBride is now burned out and washed up, spending more time in a bar than a courtroom.8.0
  5. 05Drama·Crime·LegalBull2016–2022·CBSStreaming on Paramount Plus PremiumBull stars Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr.7.1
  6. 06Drama·Crime·LegalThe Lincoln Lawyer2022–presentStreaming on NetflixMickey Haller, an iconoclastic idealist, runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles.8.0