Respect Your Elders And Watch This First Look At The 400th Episode Of 'Law & Order: SVU'

Most TV shows don’t make it past the pilot episode, so when a series like “Law & Order: SVU” is still delivering after 400, especially in an era of shortened seasons and limited runs, it’s time to stop and celebrate.

The long-running series reaches a major milestone this Wednesday with a brand new episode, and who better to direct than series star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay?

In this first look at “Motherly Love,” Lieutenant Benson (Hargitay) and Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish) question a woman who claims she’s been sexually assaulted by her teenaged son’s best friend. But like most “SVU” episodes, somebody’s lying, and it doesn’t take the two long to realize there’s more to this story than meets the eye (dun dun).

“I think we tried to write something that [Hargitay] could really sink her teeth into and get excited about and passionate about,” showrunner Rick Eid told The Hollywood Reporter about the episode. “We wanted to give Mariska something that we thought was complicated and highlighted her strengths as an actor, as a director and ultimately, something that was hopefully emblematic of the show itself, a worthy representation of number 400 that symbolizes all the show can do, has done and hopefully will do in the future.”

Watch a promo for the episode below.

“Law & Order: SVU” airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC‎.