When the smalltown of Chester's Mill, Maine, is surrounded by an invisible force field, the people inside must exert themselves to survive. The situation deteriorates rapidly due to the dome's ecological effects and the machinations of Big Jim Rennie, an obscenely sanctimonious local politician and drug lord who likes the idea of having an isolated populace to dominate. Opposing him are footloose Iraq veteran Dale "Barbie" Barbara, newspaper editor...

Follows the cases and the internal workings of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, headed by Acting Commander Sergeant Olivia Benson, as she and her team work to bring sexually violent criminals to justice.