A classic case of art imitating life will be featured in the next episode of "Law & Order: SVU" season 17, but fans of the show will have to wait until early November to see it.
Based on the trailer released by NBC, the episode titled "Patrimonial Burden" is based on the child molestation scandal that rocked the controversial Duggar family from TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" reality series. However, the upcoming case based on Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's son Josh's sexual offenses will be graver in true "Law & Order: SVU" fashion.
The trailer reveals that Lt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and the team will tackle the mysterious pregnancy of the 13-year-old daughter from a famous reality TV family, but it seems like the subject will give the team a hard time during the investigation.
In the middle of this, the family's matriarch Pam Baker (guest star Geneva Carr) tells Benson and the team, "You see a crime, we see it as a blessing."
Actor Raul Esparza, who portrays the role of Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba, said during a previous interview with E! News that viewers should not be surprised to see the Duggars' scandal in the long-running police procedural drama.
"I don't think there's any way the writers' room will stay away from it, but who knows what form it's going to take. It won't be that exact."
He also mentioned that while the episode will feature several events similar to real-live circumstances, the writers still have to make sure that the plot remains engaging. "We don't want to recreate what you just lived through because—we'll never live up to reality because reality's getting really bizarre," the actor added.
Aside from Carr, other guest stars during the episode include Andy Karl, who will portray the role of Sgt. Mike Dodds, Ryan Devlin as Pastor Eldon, Christopher Sieber as Frank Baker, Victoria Leigh as Lane Baker, as well as Chris Elliott, who will play Pete Matthews.
"Law & Order: SVU" season 17 episode 7 is slated to air on Wednesday, Nov. 4, on NBC.
