Law & Order: SVU Released 2 Different Endings On Separate Networks

The second episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27 aired two different endings on October 2, 2025. One version was aired on NBC while the other was released on Peacock, and neither platform included a single trace of the other’s conclusion.

The endings both showed Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) leaving after a discussion with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). In both versions, Griffin tells Benson, “I would never go behind your back.” Then, the different endings split up and go their separate ways.

In Peacock’s rendition, Griffin knocks on the window of a car. A driver named John greets him, and after a bit of small talk, he tells the detective that Chief Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni) was waiting to speak to him. Griffin bid farewell to John and went on his way to speak to the chief.

The episode that aired on NBC shows Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) telling Benson that Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) told him that Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) was in the hospital. This ending completely omits anything about Griffin seemingly betraying Benson by speaking to Tynan.

What Law & Order: SVU’s Different Endings Mean

Griffin. Benson, Bruno, and Velasco looking straight ahead in Law & Order SVU season 27 episode 2

It’s very interesting to see two very different conclusions for the same episode. The long-running crime drama’s intention behind this decision is very unclear. Unless two different versions of the entire season were shot (which is highly far-fetched), this change doesn’t seem like it would benefit the show at all. It could even make fans believe that it was some kind of error.

Some outlets, such as TVLine, speculated that the reason for NBC’s ending was to align the show more closely with Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5, episode 2. It was released right after SVU’s second episode aired. In Organized Crime, Benson does go visit Stabler at the hospital towards the end.

Our Take On Law & Order: SVU’s Different Endings

Olivia Benson looking into the distance in Law and Order SVU

At the time of this article’s publication, it remains unclear what the real reason behind Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s strange move is. It’s incredibly unlikely that all episodes from here on out will be slightly different. However, it’s also just as improbable that this was an accident.

Maybe NBC and Peacock wanted to see what fan reactions would be to both endings. Griffin’s clip being removed wouldn’t be a super big deal if it will be the opening scene of next week’s episode. Then, the added bit with Stabler in the hospital would just be an additional clip to give audiences a clearer picture of the franchise as a whole.