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'Law and Order: SVU' news & spoilers 2016: New season to feature a 'Making a Murderer' episode

Bayani Miguel Acebedo July 28, 2016 01:40 AM EST

"Law and Order: SVU" season 18 is reportedly planning an episode based on the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Law and Order: SVU" is riding on the "Making a Murderer" phenomenon, and they're planning on making an episode centered around a man who was imprisoned for 16 years after he was wrongfully convicted of rape.

\"Law and Order: SVU\" will have an episode based on Steven Avery\'s case from the Netflix documentary \"Making a Murderer.\" | NBC/Michael Parmelee

"Making a Murderer" was an original Netflix documentary series which ran for 10 episodes, and it focused on the story of Steven Avery. Avery spent 18 years in prison after he was convicted for the sexual assault and the attempted murder of Penny Beernsten. He was exonerated after the release of a DNA test matching another man's DNA from the case instead of his.

"Law and Order" will have an episode that handles the same case, but instead of 18 years, the Steven-Avery-like character will have been in jail for 16 years before a DNA test gives him his freedom. The character will be played by "E.T.'s" lead boy Henry Thomas. Thomas' character, much like Avery, also finds himself connected to a murder after he was freed, so his newfound freedom is left ambiguous.

"Law and Order: SVU" has a reputation for making episodes patterned on headlining news, and it's considered a different move for the show to base it on a documentary this time. But then again, "Making a Murderer" turned out to be such a success for Netflix, so it was only a matter of time before "Law and Order" paid tribute to such a controversial case.

There's no clue on how the episode will end, but hopefully it pays good homage to Avery's case. It's interesting to note that after Avery was re-arrested, his nephew Brendan Dassey was also arrested and convicted for murder. Maybe the episode could have Thomas' character have a nephew who falls into the same situation.

"Law and Order: SVU" season 18 will air Wednesday nights starting Sept. 21 on NBC.

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