Dick Wolf's award-winning Law & Order franchise hit a huge home run with the SVU spinoff, and fans everywhere can finally get the second year on DVD.
The idea of following one case from crime to courtroom was perfected in the Law & Order series. Law & Order, the original series, is still one of the best dramas on television. Law & Order: SVU carries the torch beautifully.
Set in New York City like its predecessor, the detectives of the Special Victims Unit deal with some of the worst criminals in the city: rapists, child molestors, and other sex crimes. Christopher Meloni (from the HBO series Oz) is Detective Elliot Stabler, a former Marine with a wife and four adolescent children. Stabler is a true hardliner when it comes to criminals. Perhaps the most disturbing part of his job is dealing with predators who victimize children; in his department he sees it constantly, which makes his home life strained as he tries to protect his family from the filth and crime he sees daily. Stabler is a good man and even better cop, but he's not above breaking rules now and then to get the job done. He's not a renegade, just a realist, and he believes in getting the criminals off the streets.
Stabler's partner is Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Benson shines as an example of a detective trying to balance her emotions with her duties. The product of a rape herself, Benson has a hard time with some cases. Often her sympathy for the victim can cloud her judgment and Stabler needs to steer her back on course. At times, however, her way of being able to emotionally connect with the victim can get results when Stabler's no-nonsense approach hits a brick wall.
Other detectives include John Munch (Richard Belzer, "Homicide: Life on the Streets") and Fin Tutuola (Ice T). Munch took his 20-year pension from the Baltimore PD and moved to New York City, where he joined the Special Victims Unit. Fin Tutuola came from the Gang Unit and Narcotics Division, and his street-smarts and in-your-face demeanor are a perfect compliment to Munch's conspiracy theories and sarcastic, razor-sharp wit.
Article comments
1 - Suzanna
I watched most of SUV last night for the first time. While I am a fan of the original Law and Order I have never much liked the offshoots. It was clear to me why the show is so troubling. It has no heart and just cynically manipulates the basest feelings of the audience. Why it is considered "entertainment" the story of young persons travails in trying to transform his gender. The result was the savage gang rape of this person. In addition, the writers end the episode as if there is a lesson to learn. There is no lesson, this is just the kind of prurient writing that this program indulges in. The writers brutalize the audience’s sensibilities they justify it by saying this is real life. This is not real life this is a horror show. There is no education, enlightenment, and thoughtful commentary. It is just easy opportunity to shock people to sell airtime. Gross, easy, and sensational television does not entertain but terrorizes people. But that is the idea right? Frighten everyone.
2 - Nora
I love SVU, but I'm confused. Does anyone know why Stabler and Benson are almost never on at the same time anymore?
3 - Tiffany Leigh
Nora -- first off, full disclosure: I work for the show, so this isn't me winging it with a response.
Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are still partnered up show to show. There are occasions when either Det. Stabler or Det. Benson get their "own" episode - one in which the other is barely in it, or not in it at all. This is as close to a "very special episode" that SVU gets - for the writers & characters it's an interesting deviation from the traditional storytelling.
During the SVU shooting schedule an episode usually takes eight days to film. Sometimes they film *two* episodes at the same time - this is called a "tandem" - and because of this, the actors can't be in the same place for two different episodes at the same time, so they will write a script that features each of them independently.
For the past two weeks, the two episodes that aired on January 10th and 17th were from the last "tandem" we completed. It just happened that they aired the shows consecutively, so for two weeks they split them up. We did four total episodes this season that are like this, and all have aired.
There won't be another "solo" episode like that this season (save for repeats).
Hope this helps =)
4 - samantha
I love svu!!!!!!!!! I watch it all the time. But I really like the ones with ice-t in them.
5 - Mariska Hargitay Gives Birth to Law & Order: Baby Unit
I am addicted to Law & Order SVU to the point that I wrote a short satire of how they will work Mariska's baby into the show!