At first I was hesitant to start watching this show. I am a survivor of rape and sexual assault, so I was afraid that this would be triggering for me. However it has actually been the opposite. Watching SVU has helped me heal and find closure with my past. I love that they are always actively combatting rape culture, and reminding that every one is worth a damn.
419 Reviews
Ever since Kelli Giddish left, this show is tanking.
Top_Dawg_Critic31 March 2023
As a huge fan and follower of this show for many, many years, I had rated it 10/10, and never missed an episode. But this new season ever since Kelli Giddish left the show, it seems the casting and writing has left the building as well.
I'm not saying that Giddish made or broke the show, but it seems with her leaving, the writers and casting directors left with her, because most of the new characters are just not believable, or offer up any reason to relate or sympathize with them, and the writing has become stale, ridiculous and mostly boring.
We see much less of the regulars like Tutuola, except for Benson, who seems to be on a power-trip all of the time all of a sudden, and Carisi, who seems lost since his love interest left her position. All the new cast seem to be entangled in too many nonsense personal dramas, and are just not convincing in their roles.
For the first time, I look more forward to seeing L&O-OC instead of L&O-SVU, as they've upped their writing and the show has become more suspenseful. Thus I've dropped my rating to a 8/10. Hopefully the writing improves with the upcoming episodes and the new characters as this season progresses.
I'm not saying that Giddish made or broke the show, but it seems with her leaving, the writers and casting directors left with her, because most of the new characters are just not believable, or offer up any reason to relate or sympathize with them, and the writing has become stale, ridiculous and mostly boring.
We see much less of the regulars like Tutuola, except for Benson, who seems to be on a power-trip all of the time all of a sudden, and Carisi, who seems lost since his love interest left her position. All the new cast seem to be entangled in too many nonsense personal dramas, and are just not convincing in their roles.
For the first time, I look more forward to seeing L&O-OC instead of L&O-SVU, as they've upped their writing and the show has become more suspenseful. Thus I've dropped my rating to a 8/10. Hopefully the writing improves with the upcoming episodes and the new characters as this season progresses.
Has really gone downhill
AnnabellaWilliam11 May 2018
SVU used to be one of my favourite shows. There's been some incredible, edge-of-your-seat episodes like "911", but now it's mostly he-said she-said's and statutory rapes between two willing participants (i.e. 15 year old girl and 16 year old guy). Yes, it's more realistic and true to life, but that's not why I watch TV like this. If I wanted realistic crime shows I'd watch Highway Cops or something - not Law & Order.
The political agenda pushing that's become central to the show is beyond aggravating. As the most liberal, feminist, pro-immigration, anti-racist, anti-fascist person around, having the views I already believe in forced down my throat every time I'm trying to chill out and watch TV is frustrating. It's also even more frustrating knowing how pointless it is - SVU is a crime show, it's not going to make anyone reconsider their politics, and it's dumb to isolate people from a show they've enjoyed for decades just because their politics differ to yours. The way it's all approached feels really patronising and tacky too - and the "my way is the right way" attitude is unhelpful in creating any positive political discussion.
Season 19 has been better than the past few seasons - there's been a few more engaging plot lines. It's still not even close to how it used to be though, where virtually every episode was an 8/10 with 9's being a common occurrence. Now it's more like every episode is a 5/10, and we're lucky if we get a 7.
I don't watch the show regularly anymore; I just resort to it when there's literally nothing else I can think of to watch. It sucks because it was so good, and I don't even think the new cast is too bad (yeah, they're not the OG's, but I can deal with it if the plots are good). It seemed to get a lot worse when Mariska Hargitay took over as Executive Producer.
Bring back engaging plots please and stop the political tripe. :(
The political agenda pushing that's become central to the show is beyond aggravating. As the most liberal, feminist, pro-immigration, anti-racist, anti-fascist person around, having the views I already believe in forced down my throat every time I'm trying to chill out and watch TV is frustrating. It's also even more frustrating knowing how pointless it is - SVU is a crime show, it's not going to make anyone reconsider their politics, and it's dumb to isolate people from a show they've enjoyed for decades just because their politics differ to yours. The way it's all approached feels really patronising and tacky too - and the "my way is the right way" attitude is unhelpful in creating any positive political discussion.
Season 19 has been better than the past few seasons - there's been a few more engaging plot lines. It's still not even close to how it used to be though, where virtually every episode was an 8/10 with 9's being a common occurrence. Now it's more like every episode is a 5/10, and we're lucky if we get a 7.
I don't watch the show regularly anymore; I just resort to it when there's literally nothing else I can think of to watch. It sucks because it was so good, and I don't even think the new cast is too bad (yeah, they're not the OG's, but I can deal with it if the plots are good). It seemed to get a lot worse when Mariska Hargitay took over as Executive Producer.
Bring back engaging plots please and stop the political tripe. :(
Maybe the best crime-series at the moment and very underrated I feel
stamper25 January 2005
When I am communicating with other people interested in crime series it is remarkable how many people seem to watch either CSI or CSI: Miami or both. Rarely (actually never) have I heard talk about this show, unless I brought it up myself and ended up discussing it with them. Of course I do not know the situation in America and other countries regarding this show, but I feel it is very underrated in the Netherlands. Of course this has a lot to do with it's programming spot. While CSI is usually on Saturday's at 8:30 or 9:30 p.m. and CSI: Miami on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., SVU's spot has been Sunday's around 11p.m. for quite some time now. That's hardly what I call a prime time spot. Just to compare I looked up the share's of those 3 shows on the internet. CSI has a share of 26 in the US and 17,5 in the Netherlands. For CSI:Miami these numbers are 15,0 and 13,2 and for SVU they are 17,0 and 7,7. This doesn't mean much, but once bring the number of households into it, it gets a lot clearer. CSI has about 18,6 million viewers in the US while CSI:Miami and SVU have 10,5 and 11,9 viewers respectively. In the Netherlands these figures are 1,175 million; 910 thousand and 370 thousand. This means that SVU has less than one-third of the viewers CSI has and MUCH less than half the viewers CSI: Miami has. In America SVU has two-thirds of the viewers of CSI and about 10% more than CSI:Miami. In my opinion this has a lot to do with the extremely bad programming spot SVU has gained in the Netherlands and the fact that the program is not advertised as vigorously as the two CSI's, for I feel it cannot have anything to do with it's quality.
The thing that makes SVU stand out so much in opinion, is that the stories depicted are very realistic and heart felt. I personally appreciate it very much, that there are no cheap attempts to make you cry by extending dramatic scenes or underscoring them with sad music. Mostly the sad parts happen quite suddenly and are relatively short. Maybe that's just another 'trick' to get you to cry without being as obvious as many soap opera's. TO me though, it makes the stories appeal much more life-like and truly gut-wrenching and sad.
Also all of the characters are good. If you watch long enough, you can get bits and pieces of information on everyone of them, thus discovering what makes them tick. I must admit that the series has changes it's emphasis a bit in recent years. In the first year there were numerous episode's that featured theme's or events from the investigator's home environment (especially Stabler's). This trend has somewhat diminished over the years, yet you can still see each individual's background shining through into their work ethics. One thin I really had to get used to was Richard Belzer's (Det. John Munch) role getting smaller. It seems to me that in the first few years of the series he was present much more and he made much more cynical remarks, something I really enjoyed. But overall the series has not changed for the worse, for I feel it has actually improved. While a few years ago I'd given this series an 8 out of 10 I'm much more inclined now to rate it even higher. What I've come to appreciate these last 2 or three years, were the additions of Ice-T (Det. Fin Tutuola), B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang) and Stephanie March (A.D.A. Alex Cabbot) to the team. Stephanie March's character provides the viewer not only with an insight to what the D.A's job is, but her involvement in the series also shows what difficult decisions need to be made at times when the victim becomes the pursued or when a suspect cannot legally be brought to justice. Huang's intense involvement lately is in my opinion the biggest and best evolution the series has undergone (up until now). Not only because there have been few if any series which placed the work of the forensic psychiatrist is in the spotlight, but also it is much more realistic than for instance the media's depiction of profilers in The Silence of the Lambs or the TV-series Profiler. Also I think it is good (in addition to being very interesting) to show the public that not every offender is purely bad, but there is often much more when you go beyond the surface. As for Ice-T's character, I think he really completes the mix in the show, as the tough street cop. Him and Belzer are an ideal couple, just like Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni).
The reasons, I personally feel SVU is the best crime series on the tube at the moment, are easily summarized. It has very much diversity, it offers insight into the psyche's of both victim's and perpetrators and it is realistic in every aspect.
9 out of 10
The thing that makes SVU stand out so much in opinion, is that the stories depicted are very realistic and heart felt. I personally appreciate it very much, that there are no cheap attempts to make you cry by extending dramatic scenes or underscoring them with sad music. Mostly the sad parts happen quite suddenly and are relatively short. Maybe that's just another 'trick' to get you to cry without being as obvious as many soap opera's. TO me though, it makes the stories appeal much more life-like and truly gut-wrenching and sad.
Also all of the characters are good. If you watch long enough, you can get bits and pieces of information on everyone of them, thus discovering what makes them tick. I must admit that the series has changes it's emphasis a bit in recent years. In the first year there were numerous episode's that featured theme's or events from the investigator's home environment (especially Stabler's). This trend has somewhat diminished over the years, yet you can still see each individual's background shining through into their work ethics. One thin I really had to get used to was Richard Belzer's (Det. John Munch) role getting smaller. It seems to me that in the first few years of the series he was present much more and he made much more cynical remarks, something I really enjoyed. But overall the series has not changed for the worse, for I feel it has actually improved. While a few years ago I'd given this series an 8 out of 10 I'm much more inclined now to rate it even higher. What I've come to appreciate these last 2 or three years, were the additions of Ice-T (Det. Fin Tutuola), B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang) and Stephanie March (A.D.A. Alex Cabbot) to the team. Stephanie March's character provides the viewer not only with an insight to what the D.A's job is, but her involvement in the series also shows what difficult decisions need to be made at times when the victim becomes the pursued or when a suspect cannot legally be brought to justice. Huang's intense involvement lately is in my opinion the biggest and best evolution the series has undergone (up until now). Not only because there have been few if any series which placed the work of the forensic psychiatrist is in the spotlight, but also it is much more realistic than for instance the media's depiction of profilers in The Silence of the Lambs or the TV-series Profiler. Also I think it is good (in addition to being very interesting) to show the public that not every offender is purely bad, but there is often much more when you go beyond the surface. As for Ice-T's character, I think he really completes the mix in the show, as the tough street cop. Him and Belzer are an ideal couple, just like Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni).
The reasons, I personally feel SVU is the best crime series on the tube at the moment, are easily summarized. It has very much diversity, it offers insight into the psyche's of both victim's and perpetrators and it is realistic in every aspect.
9 out of 10
Helping me through cancer
mmayfield-6070712 August 2019
an excellent show, absolutely stunning
The_Amazing_Spy_Rises3 March 2005
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is one of the best and most underrated shows on TV. It stars Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, a tough-as-nails detective who makes his hatred of pedophiles and child molesters well known many times throughout the show. He has another side, a vicious side, that Criminal Intent's Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) lacks. I'm very pleased that he's been nominated for an Emmy. Mariska Hargitay won an Emmy for her performance as Olivia Benson, another fantastic detective. Benson has more edge than CI's Alex Eames (Kathrine Erbe), but is revered for her ability to communicate to troubled witnesses and gouge confessions out of suspects. Her life is put in danger at least twice a season, yet she continues to be strong. Next is the sarcastic detective Jon Munch, played by the excellent comedian Richard Belzer. Munch may seem annoying at times, but his ability to relate to witnesses is excellent, and he plays the "good cop, bad cop" role very well. The final detective is Finn Tutuola, played by former rapper Ice-T. Ice-T plays the character reasonably well, but I think we'd all like to see a meaner side of him. He was very good in the episodes entitled "Rage," and "Rooftop". They are led by Don Cragen, played by Dann Florek, and Cragen is as good a captain as any, as Florek reprises his role he held on "Law & Order" for a few years. Adam Beach recently joined the show, bringing something new to the table in youth and his almost 'surfer dude' approach to detective work. The ADA now is Casey Novak, played by Diane Neal, who could be better, but she gets the job done. She's been better of late, and the contrast between her and her predecessor is really helpful to the show. Her predecessor, Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) was great also. The team is also aided by an FBI psychiatrist, George Huang (BD Wong), who aids them in finding out the true horrors of a person, witness or suspect. His best performance was in the episode called "Coerced." The members of this unit investigate sexually based crimes (rape, rape-homicide) and child based crimes (school shootings, child abuse, child molestation). The show has had extraordinary guest stars, from evil (Johnny Messner, Reg Flowers, Asio Highsmith, Jeff Kober) to touching (Leland Orser, Jerry Lewis) to lost (Brittany Snow) to famous and legendary actors (Jerry Lewis, Dean Cain, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Henry Winkler, Robin Williams, Matthew Modine, Alfred Molina, Cynthia Nixon, John Ritter). This is a truly great show that not only shows the line of work in this graphic department, but shows the emotional stress a detective goes through. 10/10
My favorite show on television
jlhracer10 September 2009
I am not usually into law all that much but this show is an exception. Each actor does an excellent job portraying their character and the show keeps me on the edge of my seat in every episode I watch.
Also, they do a excellent job at making the least suspected character that many don't think did the crime, the one who actually did do the crime.
They also do a good job at making the storyline for each episode. Instead of keeping the same old ones in every episode, they mix the story lines between rape, poison, kidnap, beating, child abuse etc. You just never know what the show is about until you watch it and that is what makes it so great.
Overall, I give this excellent show a 10/10.
Also, they do a excellent job at making the least suspected character that many don't think did the crime, the one who actually did do the crime.
They also do a good job at making the storyline for each episode. Instead of keeping the same old ones in every episode, they mix the story lines between rape, poison, kidnap, beating, child abuse etc. You just never know what the show is about until you watch it and that is what makes it so great.
Overall, I give this excellent show a 10/10.
Stick a fork in it!
bigpoppa2064 October 2019
Especially Heinous
bkoganbing5 August 2012
I've always thought that Special Victims Unit was qualitatively inferior to the original Law And Order. Not that the cast was bad and certain individual episodes were outstanding. But overall the concept of focusing on sex crimes led our detectives way far field into areas that certainly were not in their jurisdiction. In real life Benson, Staebler, Tutuola, and Munch should have handed off cases to other squads and investigative units and even other police agencies.
Still Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay made a most professional team and their biggest contribution to the show's staying power was demonstrating that two people could have a most professional relationship without becoming romantically involved. When Meloni started having marital issues they were not over Mariska.
It took awhile, but Richard Belzer who retired from the Baltimore PD and went right to work for the Sex Crime Unit at the NYPD finally came up with a chemically compatible partner in Ice-T. In fact all four of the detectives register with unique personalities and a take on life.
The producers of Law And Order owed Dann Florek big time for dropping him from the prime series so it was nice to see him back in charge of this squad. A nice connection to the original series.
This show's gets far more way out in its stories, but they are delivered with pride and professionalism as befits the cast. Only the most especially heinous of crimes are dealt with here.
Still Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay made a most professional team and their biggest contribution to the show's staying power was demonstrating that two people could have a most professional relationship without becoming romantically involved. When Meloni started having marital issues they were not over Mariska.
It took awhile, but Richard Belzer who retired from the Baltimore PD and went right to work for the Sex Crime Unit at the NYPD finally came up with a chemically compatible partner in Ice-T. In fact all four of the detectives register with unique personalities and a take on life.
The producers of Law And Order owed Dann Florek big time for dropping him from the prime series so it was nice to see him back in charge of this squad. A nice connection to the original series.
This show's gets far more way out in its stories, but they are delivered with pride and professionalism as befits the cast. Only the most especially heinous of crimes are dealt with here.
Hargitay ego trip.
mrrcave17 April 2020
I used to love this show, but now it's all about Benson. She leads the charge, delivers all the crushing lines, saves the day, swans around as is SVU was her baby, and we get her flamin personal life thrown in to boot.
I am irritated now by her. Her twee soft voice when trying to appear caring, her cocking her head to the left when trying to appear sympathetic.
Mariska can't act. She has for some reason risen up through the ranks of this once brilliant show and now in her leading lady role, as well as producer and director has turned it into a one trick, three legged donkey.
I am irritated now by her. Her twee soft voice when trying to appear caring, her cocking her head to the left when trying to appear sympathetic.
Mariska can't act. She has for some reason risen up through the ranks of this once brilliant show and now in her leading lady role, as well as producer and director has turned it into a one trick, three legged donkey.
Another great show drawn on too long and lost sight of it's roots
olsent-4607219 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I started watching this on Netflix as a binge show. I fell in love with the original cast from the beginning. Stabler kept Benson in check, and Capt. Kragen kept them both in check. Then comes season 11 (i think it was) that ends with Stabler shooting the kid in their squad room. So no more stable to keep Benson on track. Then one of the best characters retires - Sgt. Munch. and the show needs a new Sgt. so who else but Benson gets it. Oh and then Kragen retires, and now they need a new leader, so obviously, this show is now The Olivia Benson show. It's stopped being about the SVU, it's now a drama about Benson. Her kidnapping, her torture, her adoption, etc.
They need to get back on track and involve the rest of the cast more, like they used to do. This 1 man (or woman rather) team of Olivia Benson and her wishy washy law enforcement is getting really old. I finally made it through season 20, I'm finding it very hard to make myself start watching Season 21
They need to get back on track and involve the rest of the cast more, like they used to do. This 1 man (or woman rather) team of Olivia Benson and her wishy washy law enforcement is getting really old. I finally made it through season 20, I'm finding it very hard to make myself start watching Season 21
Quality till all ruined in season 22 !!!
mark-9820027 July 2021
Was great but now is just the Olivia Benson show
ScarletElizabeth7 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I loved this show for the first 12 seasons maybe 13 seasons. The stories were great and well told and the character dynamics were really good. As the seasons have gone on and more of the original cast has left the show has started to focus way too much on Olivia Benson and it's become repetitive.
Cragen as a captain was never as involved as Olivia is as a Captain.
Having the old cast with supporting characters such as George and Melinda made the show better and varied. So did having more court scenes and being able to truly follow the story through. The original law and order has also done the split of law and order better anyway.
The show in my opinion has passed the point it should have ended. When it's so repetitive in its storytelling it becomes boring to watch.
The original concept and cast made the show what it was. The newer cast just isn't doing it in the same way for me.
Cragen as a captain was never as involved as Olivia is as a Captain.
Having the old cast with supporting characters such as George and Melinda made the show better and varied. So did having more court scenes and being able to truly follow the story through. The original law and order has also done the split of law and order better anyway.
The show in my opinion has passed the point it should have ended. When it's so repetitive in its storytelling it becomes boring to watch.
The original concept and cast made the show what it was. The newer cast just isn't doing it in the same way for me.
Disappointing Lately
spots-039447 January 2023
Opening last night's episode with Benson getting a beatdown on the street in front of her son was totally unnecessary violence. How often will this happen to a police captain in real life? The character has seen enough trauma over the years. At this point, any more just seems like overkill; a needless attempt to generate more sympathy for the character.
Was also disappointed that Rollins' departure episode devoted so much time to Noah discovering and visiting a sibling. If the writers wanted to go there, it should have been in a separate episode. After such a long run, any personal stories should have been about Rolllins.
Was also disappointed that Rollins' departure episode devoted so much time to Noah discovering and visiting a sibling. If the writers wanted to go there, it should have been in a separate episode. After such a long run, any personal stories should have been about Rolllins.
Best one in the L&O Franchise
canadianfreak_1718 November 2004
I have never one been that big of a fan of the original Law & Order. I would watch it for time to time and it was an alright show but never really had anything jump out at me to make it one of my can't miss shows. Then this show came on. I watched this show when it premiered back in 1999 and was impressed from the get go. Sure it followed the basic premise of it's original cousin but was much more loose on it's format and execution. Some episodes hardly ever involve the court room at all where the original week in week out follows a distinct pattern. First half hour is the law then the next is the order. This show although does sometimes follow the same pattern like i mentioned it is much more loose in how it executes it. Mariska Hartigay is excellent as her portrayal of Det. Olivia Benson. The whole cast as a whole is magnificent. Now I know a lot of people will disagree with me that this show is in no way better than the original but for me it is. It has given me something that the original never did.
The best on the box
cosmic_quest9 March 2006
A spin-off of the 'Law and Order' series, 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' has to be one of the best police shows on television in a long time. While I do enjoy the original 'Law and Order' series, it has to take a distant second place to SVU with it's gritty, involving scripts, well-depicted characters and excellent performances from all the cast. It is never afraid to portray the darker side of humanity and what depths people can go to in hurting another.
The characters give the audiences different means of venting their disgust and shock of the abuse cases the SVU team deal with. From Christopher Meloni's Elliot Stabler, who openly displays the utter hatred of paedophiles that we all identify with (and I hope there are many officers like Stabler in the police forces across the world), to Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson, who shows deep caring for the child and abuse victims she comes into contact with. The rest of the cast are also brilliant and give you a feel that these are characters who care for each other and the people they protect.
With the amount of rubbish that is aired on British television at the moment, SVU reminds me why I bother to keeping buying a TV license.
The characters give the audiences different means of venting their disgust and shock of the abuse cases the SVU team deal with. From Christopher Meloni's Elliot Stabler, who openly displays the utter hatred of paedophiles that we all identify with (and I hope there are many officers like Stabler in the police forces across the world), to Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson, who shows deep caring for the child and abuse victims she comes into contact with. The rest of the cast are also brilliant and give you a feel that these are characters who care for each other and the people they protect.
With the amount of rubbish that is aired on British television at the moment, SVU reminds me why I bother to keeping buying a TV license.
Great show before Olivia Benson became in charge of SVU
lovettstough29 October 2016
I still do not like the character of Olivia Benson being in charge of SVU as she is not good at it at all as she strictly is all for the females every time as far as victims go but then she doesn't trust or get totally along with Rollins maybe she sees her as a threat or something because Rollins sees & hears both sides males & females. They need to bring in somebody else to be in charge of SVU & bust Benson back down to just being a detective. The last & latest episode I'm on the fence or almost over the fence because the "victim" liked the guy when she first seen him telling her cousin he is hot & then the whole bathroom scene & other witnesses from the party said she was all over him even as they went outside. I do not think it warrants rape. Also in this episode Benson makes it sound like before we have sex every time we have to ask permission & wait for a firm definitive yes or no whether it's our wife or girlfriend or whomever & that way off point & wrong. Rape is or should be when somebody says no or is fighting you off while at the same time the perp doesn't care what the female is saying & forces it on her anyway.
Overstayed its welcome years ago
ShooShooFontana24 May 2019
I used to LOVE this show. Like many, I was sad when Stabler left and kept hoping he'd return but, hey, at least we still had Munch, Cragen and Fin. The show should've ended when Munch and Cragen left. Since then, it seems the sole purpose of this show is to surpass the record set by the FAR SUPERIOR original "Law & Order" which NEVER should've ended (or, at least been given the proper send-off it deserved). The last several years of SVU have been completely unwatchable. Not because of the so-called "leftist propoganda" some viewers have accused but because the writing, acting, and overall feel and tone of the show has descended to the immeasurably low quality formerly found only in embarrassingly inferior "Law & Order" wannabe franchises (CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, et al).
This show doesn't deserve to have the record for longevity when the quality has been sorely lacking for at least the last 1/3 of its run. Just END it already!
This show doesn't deserve to have the record for longevity when the quality has been sorely lacking for at least the last 1/3 of its run. Just END it already!
The best show on television.
michiruwater8 April 2004
Some people prefer the original. Some people (a limited group, I must say) prefer CI (though it gets the worst reviews of the three). Some people just seem to hate Mariska, for whatever reason.
But I love this show more than anything, and Mariska, I think, is probably the high point of the show. After all, what would the show be without Olivia Benson?
The cases suck you in through their sheer momentum - rape, child abuse - things most people find sickening, which is why it's so amazing that this show even exists. And the plots are excellent at that.
And then you have the characters. L & O is famous for not giving you much depth into their characters - SVU is easily the one with the most character development. You've got John Munch, who's gone through numerous wives, is in love with the ideal of love even though he's never found it, used to work Baltimore homicide, and is a complete smart ass in love with conspiracies. Elliot Stabler is a former marine with 4 kids and a 20-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. Fin - well, Fin's the most private of the four main detectives, which works for him.
And then you have Olivia. The only female member of the squad, her history is part of what drew me to the show. Her mother was raped by her father, and Serena Benson had Olivia through that horrible crime. A drunk, she wasn't the best of mothers, but you can tell that Liv still loved her. But it's a past that still haunts her.
All of the actors and actresses do a fantastic job at conveying the emotions of these people. I'm still bemoaning the loss of Stephanie March as Alex Cabot, and really hope that I'll stop hating Casey (Diane Neal) Novak for replacing her sometime soon.
But lord knows, I will keep watching this show for as long as I can.
But I love this show more than anything, and Mariska, I think, is probably the high point of the show. After all, what would the show be without Olivia Benson?
The cases suck you in through their sheer momentum - rape, child abuse - things most people find sickening, which is why it's so amazing that this show even exists. And the plots are excellent at that.
And then you have the characters. L & O is famous for not giving you much depth into their characters - SVU is easily the one with the most character development. You've got John Munch, who's gone through numerous wives, is in love with the ideal of love even though he's never found it, used to work Baltimore homicide, and is a complete smart ass in love with conspiracies. Elliot Stabler is a former marine with 4 kids and a 20-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. Fin - well, Fin's the most private of the four main detectives, which works for him.
And then you have Olivia. The only female member of the squad, her history is part of what drew me to the show. Her mother was raped by her father, and Serena Benson had Olivia through that horrible crime. A drunk, she wasn't the best of mothers, but you can tell that Liv still loved her. But it's a past that still haunts her.
All of the actors and actresses do a fantastic job at conveying the emotions of these people. I'm still bemoaning the loss of Stephanie March as Alex Cabot, and really hope that I'll stop hating Casey (Diane Neal) Novak for replacing her sometime soon.
But lord knows, I will keep watching this show for as long as I can.
Best of the "Law & Order" spin-offs
dee.reid18 August 2007
Other than the original "Law & Order" police-drama created by Dick Wolf, spin-off series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is the best. This series focuses on the SVU, a section of the New York Police Department that specializes in sexually-based offenses. Here, on the "Law" side, we're introduced to ultra-cool cop duo Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), supported by John Munch (Richard Belzer) and Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) and watched over by Cpt. Donald Cragen (Dann Florek). Other supporting characters include M.E. Warner (Tamara Tunie) and Dr. Huang (B.D. Wong). On the "Order" side, we have ADA Casey Novak (Diane Neal, who replaced ADA Alexandra Cabot, who was played by Stephanie March for five seasons). I think this is the highest-rated spin-off because it's the most accessible. We have characters we really like, and we're continuously showed their lives on and off the job, and I think that's what draws us in each week for more. I still occasionally read stories about how some of the actors on "SVU" are approached on the street by fans of the show and are told how much they mean to them. That's a mark of truly great television, don't you think?
10/10
10/10
One of the best shows on TV - must watch!
englishinvasion13 April 2010
The best part about SVU is that each episode has it's own unique style and can range from political to religious, personal to international and by no means at all do you have to wait until the season finale for an amazing episode. Episodes range from their worst as good television to their best as absolutely phenomenal. The dramatic writing is great (the comedic usually consists of not-so-subtle puns and one-liners, but that's to be expected), and the acting is prime: Olivia and Elliot are a powerhouse duo and Hargitay and Meloni play them with passion and purpose. I'm surprised they haven't won more awards than they already have. Supporting characters and guest actors are consistently great too.
Even though its in its 11th season, the stories are still new and exciting and must be watched!
Even though its in its 11th season, the stories are still new and exciting and must be watched!
I used to love this show
dragonseeker11328 September 2018
I used to love this show, and still enjoy most of the earlier episodes. I've become tired of the political themes though. I watch to see a crime show, not have agendas shoved down my throat. I'm not even conservative and I find it annoying. After seeing the previews for next week's episode, I probably won't watch it. If all the episodes this season are like this, I'll likely just stop watching altogether.
This show should be called Law order and Perfection.
crazy_israelit2 January 2008
Okay i started watching this show not when it premiered because that was 9 years ago and i was 10 back then, and not allowed to watch shows like that back then lol. But as soon as i started to watch this show i knew it was the show for me, this show honestly has EVERYTHING. acting top notch, directing, producing, story line, suspension, everyhting that a show should have :). In addition to all those factors this show is completely educating. I am a psychology major and half of the material we learn i learn watching this show. Every time i answer all questions in my class without reading the material. I think that children these days are much more mature than they used to be and if they watch this show starting at age 13-14 instead of watching other shows that they should not be, they would be much more educated in this world of ours. Aagin this show is an amazing show, these writers sure know what they are doing. Other shows should take a great big example from this show:) Thank you
A Good Show Turned Predictable and Annoying
leonegrao25 January 2018
When a show loses the main chemistry, it's not easy to go back to how it was. The right thing to do is try, and if the new plan doesn't work, give up. Unfortunately, SVU still tries things that were already done a long time ago, done better.
The main problem with the show started when they lost their main character, the partner of Det. Olivia Benson. They tried several times to recreate that chemistry, but they failed. So, the new strategy was to focus on Olivia.
Now the show is completely different from what it was ten years ago. Back then, it was a show about police cases with a little bit of background stories for the detectives. Today, the show puts the cases in second plan and focus too much on the detectives. I'm tired of watching Olivia, or those other characters with weak stories. I'm also tired of the cases that are so predictable. All of the Law & Orders had a very basic plot: a crime happens, the detectives go see the crime scene, the investigation starts with a very good suspect, some other suspects are shown and they find the guy, but then, in a plot-twist they find out that the one who did it was the first suspect all along. Now, when you do that for almost 20 years, even a kid can find out how the story ends. And there's only a limited number of ways to rape and hurt women and children.
If anybody wants to watch this, go to the first seasons, they're amazing. Since 2012, the show turned into a circus, it's everywhere and too much is happening for us to actually care.
The main problem with the show started when they lost their main character, the partner of Det. Olivia Benson. They tried several times to recreate that chemistry, but they failed. So, the new strategy was to focus on Olivia.
Now the show is completely different from what it was ten years ago. Back then, it was a show about police cases with a little bit of background stories for the detectives. Today, the show puts the cases in second plan and focus too much on the detectives. I'm tired of watching Olivia, or those other characters with weak stories. I'm also tired of the cases that are so predictable. All of the Law & Orders had a very basic plot: a crime happens, the detectives go see the crime scene, the investigation starts with a very good suspect, some other suspects are shown and they find the guy, but then, in a plot-twist they find out that the one who did it was the first suspect all along. Now, when you do that for almost 20 years, even a kid can find out how the story ends. And there's only a limited number of ways to rape and hurt women and children.
If anybody wants to watch this, go to the first seasons, they're amazing. Since 2012, the show turned into a circus, it's everywhere and too much is happening for us to actually care.
What Happened?
jak_rabbit17 November 2020
I've watched every episode of Law & Order SVU. I enjoyed the "escape" from life and was entertained by the creative and thoughtful storylines. The actors are incredibly talented as well.
However, the first episode in 2020 was an absolute train-wreck. My wife and I couldn't even finish it. There has been an incredible amount of tension in our country this year, and it is very sad that the director thought we needed more of the "current events" in this show, especially all at once.
Like many, I really looked forward to this season. I was excited for a favorite show of mine to come back and restore a tad bit of normality to life. These hopes were dashed within the first 5 minutes of the episode.
I do not plan to watch any more episodes this season if this is how it's going to go. Please, just give us the show we love, the show that has had huge success over many years. I hope to see a future article that says the team realized they went in the wrong direction with this one and they will give us back the show we enjoy. If not, you can count on me not watching anymore.
However, the first episode in 2020 was an absolute train-wreck. My wife and I couldn't even finish it. There has been an incredible amount of tension in our country this year, and it is very sad that the director thought we needed more of the "current events" in this show, especially all at once.
Like many, I really looked forward to this season. I was excited for a favorite show of mine to come back and restore a tad bit of normality to life. These hopes were dashed within the first 5 minutes of the episode.
I do not plan to watch any more episodes this season if this is how it's going to go. Please, just give us the show we love, the show that has had huge success over many years. I hope to see a future article that says the team realized they went in the wrong direction with this one and they will give us back the show we enjoy. If not, you can count on me not watching anymore.
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