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'Law & Order: SVU' Season 18 spoilers, plot news: Olivia to become closer to Detective Rollins; Sgt. Dodds' death leads to tension in squad

Sheanne Aguila September 21, 2016 11:05 PM EST

Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) in \"Law and Order: SVU.\" | Michael Parmalee/NBC

Tensions in the department will continue after Sgt. Mike Dodds' (Andy Karl) death caused a friction between Chief Dodds (Peter Gallagher) and Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" season 18.

Season 17 left off with an emotional finale after the SVU team lost one of its own. During a domestic violence incident, Mike was shot and killed, leading his father Chief Dodds to blame Olivia for his son's demise.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Hargitay hints that Olivia also feels responsible for what happened. "She blames herself for what happened and, as a result, will be even more protective of her team going forward," she said. As for Olivia's romantic life, Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) seemed like he was going to propose in the season 17 finale. Olivia, however, may not be prepared to take their relationship to a new level after all that she's going through. "She wants to be [ready], but the emotional fallout of Mike's death is causing her to question everything," the actress continued.

Olivia usually have interactions with male partners and a male boss, making fans look forward to seeing her with a significant female figure in her life. According to Hargitay, she personally wants to see her character forge a strong friendship with Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish), who recently gave birth to her first child.

"I'd like to see them forge a friendship in a more meaningful way â€” they're both strong, independent, feminists," she explained. "They share the same values and anxieties; it would be good way to reinforce that #WomenNeedToStickTogether."

Now on its 18th year, the long-running cop drama has undoubtedly earned a special place in the TV industry. It currently holds the spot as the longest running network drama in the country, and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" clearly shows no signs of slowing down.

"We're going to continue to tell great stories every week and you can count on that," executive producer Julie Martin told Observer.

Keep tuning in to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" season 18 every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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