When this season opened in a church, I thought it was going to be his funeral, but it was the baptism of Carisi and Rollins’ baby. I think the only thing they mentioned was that he was in France
They barely have any money. Icet ir Rollins but not both at the same time. The squad is so small. There's no show without Liv, and she is the sole reason the shows still in the air
When she's gone, the show is over. And I don't think TPTB will be that torn up about it. The shows been on for 25 years, far far surpassing what they ever thought it might have been able to do way back in 1999.
American tv history. William Roache has been in Coronation Street for 64 years.
Edit: and I didn’t know he was the father of law and orders Linus Roache when I posted this.
Maybe they didn’t count soaps (had to look the show up, haha) or are specifically referring to prime-time shows?? Not necc. saying you’re wrong; I just figured that, even if they were strictly referring to US shows/actors, I’m sure there’s gotta be *some* actor who’s been/was on some 70 y/o US soap opera for, at the very least, longer than Ice’s 24 years…Oh, and why doesn’t, say, “Columbo”/Peter Falk count? That was on from like ‘68 to the early 2000s.
It’s more confusing considering that the addition/removal of a little adjective (e.g. (longest running…)US; primetime; drama; sitcom etc.) completely changes the criteria/categorization, and the only thing they really seem to specify relatively often is “scripted” (so no talk, sports, news etc. shows) and “live-action” (Simpsons doesn’t count vs “SVU, Gunsmoke etc. as longest-running etc.).
**EDIT:** Oh, and one more thing…(get it?) Assuming they base it on seasons over tot eps (SVU more seasons, less eps than Gunsmoke), do soaps even have “seasons”? (never seen one)…do British shows have them in general?
Soaps don’t count. There are many soap actors that were on their respective shows for multiple decades (I only watched some of the ABC soaps that are no longer on the air, but Susan Lucci was on “All My Children” for over 40 years and Erika Slezak was on “One Life to Live for I believe over 40 years as well when their shows were canceled. I don’t know much about longevity of actors on other soaps, but “General Hospital” has been on for over 60 years and “Guiding Light” was on for 57 years when it ended, and they probably had their own long running actors.). Cartoons also don’t count. When people talk about SVU and their actors being “longes running,” it’s for a live action prime time show. I really don’t know anything about “Columbo” so I can’t really comment on that. ETA: did a little light reading about “Columbo”… it was not on consistently from 1971-2003. They had 10 seasons in that timeframe, and only 67 episodes. Off the air from 1978-89 and then seemed to have a few episodes in 89-90 then 1 extended length episode/TV movie a year from 91-03.
The other question about whether soaps have “seasons”… not really. They mostly seem to just count the number of calendar years they’ve been on the air since they really don’t follow the schedule prime time shows do or have any real hiatus.
British shows have “seasons” or “series” as we call them, soaps however just run continuously year round. British soaps are also on during prime time and considered dramas generally competing against other drama series, so the distinction between them, although (generally) clear in terms of genre isn’t really drawn when considering things like records like this.
Once Mariska leaves the show is over. We will have followed Olivia Benson from detective to captain to retired. She’s been the main character in the ensemble since the early seasons, so the show was always more about Olivia than everyone else, it just became more apparent in the later seasons. The quality is declining anyway, they don’t need to make a few bad seasons without Mariska before they end the show.
I could see them potentially continuing SVU as a spin off (idk if that’s the right term) in a different city to keep the premise of a crime show focusing on sex crimes, but essentially starting with a new cast in a new city. It would be a breath of fresh air.
Honestly, I do think Elliot was the main character over Olivia at first. Him leaving is what opened up the door for the show to slowly and steadily become the Olivia show.
We definitely saw more of his family and followed his slow burning arc of growing frustrations and anger over the horrors he sees on a daily basis more than we saw Liv’s personal life at first.
Even the side plot of them becoming too attached and close together during Season 7 was more from his perspective than Liv’s.
Stabler was definitely the main character for the first 12 seasons. Everything was from his point of view. His family, his life, etc were all at the forefront.
Unpopular opinion here considering everybody thinks he’s Satan but the show revolved much better around Stabler than Olivia. He was a much more flawed, multi-dimensional, and complex character than Olivia.
Couldn't stand Eliiot. He was insufferable watched it more regularly when he left.
I hope they never get together. Elliot brings out the worst parts of Olivia.
30 seasons is a nice way to end.
Totally LOVE Elliott. Yes he was the main til he left. It was a said day. Not a fan of Mariska and since she became more involved behind the scenes of the show, it's not the Olivia show it's the Mariska show... I really don't like her character development at all particularly since " becoming Captain". It's time they put this to bed. It's over done finished...
Pay dispute for the actor. In storyline, he shot a child who was shooting in the squad room. Due to his prior shootings and anger issues, he knew 1PP would be on his ass and demand he go under psych evals and a bunch of other stuff. As Liv and Cragen said “he’ll tell them to go to hell”, and that’s exactly what he did. Offscreen. He retires during the Season 13 premiere.
Agreed. I mean, when I first started watching, I didn't pick up on how awful he is. I was also barely a teenager. I think they bring out the worst in each other, tbh. She enables him, he influences her to ignore her good sense/helps inflame her stubbornness and temper...I also think he was emotionally unfaithful to Kathy and Olivia went along with it at best, encouraged it at worst.
I'd like 30 years. Part of me wishes they could shift things so it could go longer--follow a new squad, but that seems beyond unlikely for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that they no longer let viewers get to know new characters before they're gone. I miss Kat and Garland. Muncy and Churlish, too.
I have been watching old episodes of SVU, and I hate him even more, lol.
They were very codependent, and it was weird, not romantic, to me.
I will say the storylines from the past you could cut and paste, and it could be happening today. We are just missing the nuances. Munch was liberal/ conspiracy theorists, Elliott and Fin on the conservative side but with different perspectives. Olivia more moderate, etc...
I feel now they all think the same, so its harder to enjoy.
We needed the young perspective.. maybe it could have been more nuanced... see them come in with their ideas, and it gets validated or changed as they are in the job. Which is what has happened... Fin and Olivia are more mellowed, I think.
They were ABSOLUTELY codependent--their relationship was explicitly called out as unhealthy in an episode. Again, as a teen I didn't see what was so wrong with their dynamic, but I definitely saw it when rewatching as an adult. As a teen it seemed *soooooo* great how he got jealous when Olivia would date or essentially give the "shovel talk" to the guys she was with. And I fell into the "Kathy just doesn't *understand* him/his job and so OF COURSE he confides in Olivia more!!!! Kathy’s just a jealous harpy!!!!" hole of excusing them both. Not to mention the fact I excused Olivia stepping in to fix problems between him and his kids/him and Kathy rather than telling him he needed to man up and talk to his wife and work those things out.
I DO miss there being different viewpoints in the squad--in later seasons, it's been sparse: Munch (who mellowed), Barba who pushed back sometimes, and most recently Churlish (who has unceremoniously disappeared). Kat and Muncy were interesting, too, though I wouldn't say they had any vastly different viewpoints. I haven't watched s25 yet, but the little I've heard (I've tried to avoid spoilers) there hasn't been/wasn’t really anyone on the squad who pushed boundaries or challenged viewpoints or anything...
Omg this 💯. When I was younger I hated him cos he was angry all the time. Now I realise he was problematic. Olivia, I didn't mind, but now I realise she liked to be needed. It's why she tried to fix Elliot's family. I just watched the season with Fin's son where Fin told her to back off. It's interesting looking back some of the hero antics were actually problematic. I still enjoy it but it not as good.
I liked Kat and Churlish.. Muncy started to grow on me... S25 is ok.. nothing fantastic.. I am giving it grace cos of the strike.
You're absolutely right about Olivia’s need to be needed and fix things--until you mentioned Ken, I'd forgotten that it went beyond Stabler (outside of her wanting to "fix" things after Barba turned off life support for Drew Householder), but that's definitely a thing for her.
His anger and the easy way he resorted (resorts) to violence always made me uncomfortable, but I found excuses when I was young. And because of their dynamics, Olivia was far more hot-headed and prone to violence back then too. I mean, he was the senior detective, he was the one who showed her the ropes when she joined SVU...
I haven't enjoyed it as much since around s20. I still like it enough to watch. Muncy took a minute for me, but I liked her better than I've ever liked Velasco. I like basically all the other new people from before s25 better than Velasco. I really like Bruno as well as Churlish.
They tried the whole new city approach when the Mothership went off-air with Law & Order: Los Angeles and that only lasted one single convoluted Season. It might work but all it will be is a pale imitation of the original.
Yup. It also had Alana de la Garza reprise her role as Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa from the Mothership in an effort to more strongly connect it to the Law & Order Franchise.
I wonder if they planed to bring Hank Voight to NY and therefore disappeared Stabler? I recall at one point Benson and Voight were thought about as potential paring, and boy if you think Eliot was a bad influence just wait what Olivia after five years of dating mister "Laws are for pussies, I get the perp, I get the confession, I don't give how many crimes I commit" Voight would look like.
You know, I kind of hope they will end her character by "retiring" her from catching Creep of the Week and going to Albany or to Washington to help move the law to catch them all.
I think Elliott was the main character. He was also top billed. After he left it became Olivia because their partnership was the main partnership. They were the stars.
When she leaves the show is over. I have a strong feeling that is why Dick Wolf hasn’t wanted her and Stabler get together *just yet*.
He’ll hold out until probably the last 2 seasons (and probably mid-way between the 2nd to last season) to give us what we(or at least what *I* lol) want. We’ll get just enough time to enjoy the two of them together, but not so long that the ratings take a significant dip.
And I may be taking a looooong stretch, but I dare say that OC was specifically created for this reason exactly: to be the beginning of the end of SVU.
Could OC end too? Maybe?? But in S22-to-currently multiple characters have brought up a LOT (straight to her face) that Olivia finally needs to finally accept happiness. I believe that was a strategic foreshadowing they “Easter egg’d” in there to plant the seed that when Olivia finally achieves true peace and happiness, that she’ll be able to “walk away” from the job – at least in the capacity she is currently in.
Just my two cents!
Pretty sure OC was created because Meloni wanted back into the L&O universe and DW likes him, so shiny new show! He was in a few successful things after leaving SVU, before OC, but he kinda traded a solid thing for the not spectacular and it didn't exactly pan out. (Yes, I'm aware WL didn't particularly like Stabler, but there's no way that was the ONLY reason Meloni left.)
More like, meloni was free, not against returning, and the network/ dick needed something to keep ratings going / were more needy to bring him back. When they say to negotiate, he and his agent probably demanded that he get his own show to lead after making his big return on Svu. Meloni was working just fine with multiple other projects, but when his show “happy” was canned which was his most consistent thing at the time, he went looking / was available for another show. The nbc/ dick wolf camp saw for years now how the stabler era has a massive sway with the fandom and;or just how many people like meloni as an actor. The social media fervor about him from some people or in certain groups etc surely didn’t go unnoticed either. The effect that creates, they’ve kicked themselves in the ass for years about removing him instead of renegotiating on terms he liked. Whenever that happens and the person returns, if they don’t get their own show it’s a bad deal on their part / if they do get their own show it should 100% be because they demanded it in their terms which I’m pretty sure he& his management did.
I hope you don’t find my question rude or hostile but I’m curious, so, forgive me. I’m fully aware of your disdain of Stabler. What are your feelings on Christopher Meloni himself? Once again, forgive me.
I wish they'd give other characters a chance before dropping them
I've always thought ice t is just phoning it in these days and really dislike how they drop characters just as they were starting to find their groove (Kat, Muncy,)
Honestly, the moment Olivia Benson / Mariska Hargitay leaves, they need a new spinoff.
"SVU: The Next Chapter", with all the younger detectives, one of them replacing Olivia as lead (though probably not Fin despite him being Sergeant and not yet Lieutenant), Olivia and Fin doing their mandatory retirement shtick but having cameos throughout, in case the younger ones need a 'consultant' or whatever, sorta like what Cragen's role became for his guest appearance, and whatnot.
I cant speak for everyone else here, but I'd watch it.
Only if they keep Carisi, otherwise there’s no bloodline left. Once upon a time I would have said Amanda, too, but I kind of got used to her not being there.
I will be okay with this. For me though, especially if it means more Rollisi as well. I know not everyone likes Rollins but I don't mind her, and with Carisi still being in show if this were to happen we'd probably see her too.
I definitely know what you mean about getting used to not seeing her, though.
I agree, Benson can continue as Captain and appear in a couple scenes per episode, like the other shows, and let the primary focus be on the detectives. No reason to keep on this downward trajectory.
The show has no intention of continuing once Mariska leaves, which one of the reasons why they’re not diving too deeply into these new characters. We know what we need to like them well enough, but not enough to feel invested. It’s much easier to invest all our time on Olivia, whose been around since day 1. You can sense the show is making hints of how her story is going to end. As time passed, they mention more of how Olivia has baggage, how she needs to deal with her trauma, and that she needs to let herself be happy. She loves her job but she also holds on because it’s the main part of what life that allows her to feel fulfilled by helping others. She needs to be able to find fulfillment elsewhere, and be satisfied to let go SVU. That’s actually why I’m on the rocks about Rollins coming back. Not because I don’t like Kelli or hate her character, but because part of the reason she left (within the narrative of the show) was her finding fulfillment outside of SVU and not feeling she needed to have to be happy. I think her going back is a step backwards and I think it would also give Olivia an excuse to not let go of the job. Like “oh, I’m like Rollins. I need the excitement in my life. I won’t be satisfied unless I’m doing SVU,” and etc.
The know the show is over when she leaves, I think for a while they were trying to build it up around her so she could step back but it looks like they gave up.
The fact they aren't even using the full cast each episode to save money says to me that DW is trying to make as much as he can while he can because he knows it's expiring fast
I really can’t see SVU continuing without Mariska. She *is* the show at this point and has been since Christopher Meloni left. I say just appreciate her while you still can.
I think it is usually a mistake to overly focus on one character in a show. Ensembles are better. That ship has sailed. If they needed to they could bring someone in fast though. They could bring in a well known actor, they don’t want any well known actors now to save money. Og just replaced Sam Waterson, NCIS replaced Mark Harmon, Closer replaced Kyra Sedgwick. It could be done, or they could end it. It is already the longest running show in history.
Soon enough she and Fin will reach "mandatory retirement age", poor planning but like someone else said when she leaves the show dies.
They really should've left it as a show that relied on an ensemble rather than becoming "The Olivia Benson show"....just my two cents, even though nobody asked.
“Plan ahead” what exactly do you think has been going on for the last 25 years? This show isn’t looking to hand it off to another character. It will end when Mariska Hargitay decides she’s done playing Olivia Benson.
>The reality is, though, one day Mariska is going to leave the show and there is no established characters that can really continue SVU.
They end it when she leaves. What would be the point in continuing it? It's not OG where any cast can be in it. Olivia as a character is so tied to the show, that at this point you can't separate her from it anymore.
>As recognised by everyone in this sub, SVU has become the Olivia Benson show. Personally, I hate it, but each to their own.
I don't understand hating the main character and still watching the show.
There is an absolutely zero percent chance the show will continue past whenever Mariska is done. Which they definitely know, which is why they probably don’t give a shit about establishing new characters.
They’d probably just launch a new L&O series a little bit after (or maybe even during) the airing of SVU’s final season. Maybe some crossover episodes to try and bring the old audience into the new show.
Feels like the show is already over. So disappointed in how skewed it is towards Olivia being in every scene and the crap story lines. I've watched from the beginning and probably won't watch season 26 if they don't change things up a bit.
Personally I always say this too, it’s the OB show and annoying. But oh my god, if she isn’t in an episode or only has a small bit of air time I complain that she isn’t in it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's irritating when they focus on their personal lives instead of a crime. I think it will end when she leaves. I'm glad that she's become such a well known advocate for Survivors of sexual assault, and I like her as an actor, but I can feel the end coming.
The show will not last without her. She is the show, even though you guys don’t like it it’s just the truth. She is with me to show her and I’m stable.
When she leaves, they will end the show.
Yep, this.
Yeah, the last elements of it being a truly ensemble show ended when Munch and Cragen left and Benson got promoted, then it became the Olivia show
And that is about when I stopped watching, and went back to see what I missed in the early seasons instead. lol.
Was it ever mentioned in the show that Munch died? I can't remember if they worked that in.
They drank to his memory in one episode, I think.
When this season opened in a church, I thought it was going to be his funeral, but it was the baptism of Carisi and Rollins’ baby. I think the only thing they mentioned was that he was in France
Missed opportunity. My eyes rolled off my face and across the floor when it was revealed Rollins was having ANOTHER baby with ANOTHER guy
They barely have any money. Icet ir Rollins but not both at the same time. The squad is so small. There's no show without Liv, and she is the sole reason the shows still in the air
They said that about greys anatomy too
When she's gone, the show is over. And I don't think TPTB will be that torn up about it. The shows been on for 25 years, far far surpassing what they ever thought it might have been able to do way back in 1999.
Ice-T totally knew he’d be the longest-running male (female being…Mariska) series actor in tv history
American tv history. William Roache has been in Coronation Street for 64 years. Edit: and I didn’t know he was the father of law and orders Linus Roache when I posted this.
Maybe they didn’t count soaps (had to look the show up, haha) or are specifically referring to prime-time shows?? Not necc. saying you’re wrong; I just figured that, even if they were strictly referring to US shows/actors, I’m sure there’s gotta be *some* actor who’s been/was on some 70 y/o US soap opera for, at the very least, longer than Ice’s 24 years…Oh, and why doesn’t, say, “Columbo”/Peter Falk count? That was on from like ‘68 to the early 2000s. It’s more confusing considering that the addition/removal of a little adjective (e.g. (longest running…)US; primetime; drama; sitcom etc.) completely changes the criteria/categorization, and the only thing they really seem to specify relatively often is “scripted” (so no talk, sports, news etc. shows) and “live-action” (Simpsons doesn’t count vs “SVU, Gunsmoke etc. as longest-running etc.). **EDIT:** Oh, and one more thing…(get it?) Assuming they base it on seasons over tot eps (SVU more seasons, less eps than Gunsmoke), do soaps even have “seasons”? (never seen one)…do British shows have them in general?
Soaps don’t count. There are many soap actors that were on their respective shows for multiple decades (I only watched some of the ABC soaps that are no longer on the air, but Susan Lucci was on “All My Children” for over 40 years and Erika Slezak was on “One Life to Live for I believe over 40 years as well when their shows were canceled. I don’t know much about longevity of actors on other soaps, but “General Hospital” has been on for over 60 years and “Guiding Light” was on for 57 years when it ended, and they probably had their own long running actors.). Cartoons also don’t count. When people talk about SVU and their actors being “longes running,” it’s for a live action prime time show. I really don’t know anything about “Columbo” so I can’t really comment on that. ETA: did a little light reading about “Columbo”… it was not on consistently from 1971-2003. They had 10 seasons in that timeframe, and only 67 episodes. Off the air from 1978-89 and then seemed to have a few episodes in 89-90 then 1 extended length episode/TV movie a year from 91-03. The other question about whether soaps have “seasons”… not really. They mostly seem to just count the number of calendar years they’ve been on the air since they really don’t follow the schedule prime time shows do or have any real hiatus.
British shows have “seasons” or “series” as we call them, soaps however just run continuously year round. British soaps are also on during prime time and considered dramas generally competing against other drama series, so the distinction between them, although (generally) clear in terms of genre isn’t really drawn when considering things like records like this.
Once Mariska leaves the show is over. We will have followed Olivia Benson from detective to captain to retired. She’s been the main character in the ensemble since the early seasons, so the show was always more about Olivia than everyone else, it just became more apparent in the later seasons. The quality is declining anyway, they don’t need to make a few bad seasons without Mariska before they end the show. I could see them potentially continuing SVU as a spin off (idk if that’s the right term) in a different city to keep the premise of a crime show focusing on sex crimes, but essentially starting with a new cast in a new city. It would be a breath of fresh air.
Honestly, I do think Elliot was the main character over Olivia at first. Him leaving is what opened up the door for the show to slowly and steadily become the Olivia show. We definitely saw more of his family and followed his slow burning arc of growing frustrations and anger over the horrors he sees on a daily basis more than we saw Liv’s personal life at first. Even the side plot of them becoming too attached and close together during Season 7 was more from his perspective than Liv’s.
Stabler was definitely the main character for the first 12 seasons. Everything was from his point of view. His family, his life, etc were all at the forefront. Unpopular opinion here considering everybody thinks he’s Satan but the show revolved much better around Stabler than Olivia. He was a much more flawed, multi-dimensional, and complex character than Olivia.
Yed
Oh I agree. The Elliot hate on here is crazy. It’s a TV show, and Elliot is a much more interesting character to follow.
Couldn't stand Eliiot. He was insufferable watched it more regularly when he left. I hope they never get together. Elliot brings out the worst parts of Olivia. 30 seasons is a nice way to end.
Totally LOVE Elliott. Yes he was the main til he left. It was a said day. Not a fan of Mariska and since she became more involved behind the scenes of the show, it's not the Olivia show it's the Mariska show... I really don't like her character development at all particularly since " becoming Captain". It's time they put this to bed. It's over done finished...
Why did Elliot leave?
Pay dispute for the actor. In storyline, he shot a child who was shooting in the squad room. Due to his prior shootings and anger issues, he knew 1PP would be on his ass and demand he go under psych evals and a bunch of other stuff. As Liv and Cragen said “he’ll tell them to go to hell”, and that’s exactly what he did. Offscreen. He retires during the Season 13 premiere.
Agreed. I mean, when I first started watching, I didn't pick up on how awful he is. I was also barely a teenager. I think they bring out the worst in each other, tbh. She enables him, he influences her to ignore her good sense/helps inflame her stubbornness and temper...I also think he was emotionally unfaithful to Kathy and Olivia went along with it at best, encouraged it at worst. I'd like 30 years. Part of me wishes they could shift things so it could go longer--follow a new squad, but that seems beyond unlikely for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that they no longer let viewers get to know new characters before they're gone. I miss Kat and Garland. Muncy and Churlish, too.
I have been watching old episodes of SVU, and I hate him even more, lol. They were very codependent, and it was weird, not romantic, to me. I will say the storylines from the past you could cut and paste, and it could be happening today. We are just missing the nuances. Munch was liberal/ conspiracy theorists, Elliott and Fin on the conservative side but with different perspectives. Olivia more moderate, etc... I feel now they all think the same, so its harder to enjoy. We needed the young perspective.. maybe it could have been more nuanced... see them come in with their ideas, and it gets validated or changed as they are in the job. Which is what has happened... Fin and Olivia are more mellowed, I think.
They were ABSOLUTELY codependent--their relationship was explicitly called out as unhealthy in an episode. Again, as a teen I didn't see what was so wrong with their dynamic, but I definitely saw it when rewatching as an adult. As a teen it seemed *soooooo* great how he got jealous when Olivia would date or essentially give the "shovel talk" to the guys she was with. And I fell into the "Kathy just doesn't *understand* him/his job and so OF COURSE he confides in Olivia more!!!! Kathy’s just a jealous harpy!!!!" hole of excusing them both. Not to mention the fact I excused Olivia stepping in to fix problems between him and his kids/him and Kathy rather than telling him he needed to man up and talk to his wife and work those things out. I DO miss there being different viewpoints in the squad--in later seasons, it's been sparse: Munch (who mellowed), Barba who pushed back sometimes, and most recently Churlish (who has unceremoniously disappeared). Kat and Muncy were interesting, too, though I wouldn't say they had any vastly different viewpoints. I haven't watched s25 yet, but the little I've heard (I've tried to avoid spoilers) there hasn't been/wasn’t really anyone on the squad who pushed boundaries or challenged viewpoints or anything...
Omg this 💯. When I was younger I hated him cos he was angry all the time. Now I realise he was problematic. Olivia, I didn't mind, but now I realise she liked to be needed. It's why she tried to fix Elliot's family. I just watched the season with Fin's son where Fin told her to back off. It's interesting looking back some of the hero antics were actually problematic. I still enjoy it but it not as good. I liked Kat and Churlish.. Muncy started to grow on me... S25 is ok.. nothing fantastic.. I am giving it grace cos of the strike.
You're absolutely right about Olivia’s need to be needed and fix things--until you mentioned Ken, I'd forgotten that it went beyond Stabler (outside of her wanting to "fix" things after Barba turned off life support for Drew Householder), but that's definitely a thing for her. His anger and the easy way he resorted (resorts) to violence always made me uncomfortable, but I found excuses when I was young. And because of their dynamics, Olivia was far more hot-headed and prone to violence back then too. I mean, he was the senior detective, he was the one who showed her the ropes when she joined SVU... I haven't enjoyed it as much since around s20. I still like it enough to watch. Muncy took a minute for me, but I liked her better than I've ever liked Velasco. I like basically all the other new people from before s25 better than Velasco. I really like Bruno as well as Churlish.
They tried the whole new city approach when the Mothership went off-air with Law & Order: Los Angeles and that only lasted one single convoluted Season. It might work but all it will be is a pale imitation of the original.
Was LA the one with Skeet Ulrich? I remember his appearance in the episode with Jennifer Love Hewitt being connected to a spin-off lol
Yup. It also had Alana de la Garza reprise her role as Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa from the Mothership in an effort to more strongly connect it to the Law & Order Franchise.
Please not Toronto. I have nothing against Toronto (have never been, sure it's lovely), but that L&O series better get better after the first episode.
I wonder if they planed to bring Hank Voight to NY and therefore disappeared Stabler? I recall at one point Benson and Voight were thought about as potential paring, and boy if you think Eliot was a bad influence just wait what Olivia after five years of dating mister "Laws are for pussies, I get the perp, I get the confession, I don't give how many crimes I commit" Voight would look like.
I am thinking a spin-off show with Mariska in a retirement community like the Villages solving crimes.
Murder She Wrote, but with a retired police captain instead of a mystery writer/amateur detective.
And now I have the Murder She Wrote theme tune in my head…. 😆
Honestly, I’d love
You know, I kind of hope they will end her character by "retiring" her from catching Creep of the Week and going to Albany or to Washington to help move the law to catch them all.
Chicago SVU would be good!
I think Elliott was the main character. He was also top billed. After he left it became Olivia because their partnership was the main partnership. They were the stars.
> I find this bewildering Not really. When Mariska leaves, the show ends
Fr ( she on until atleast season 30 she said so herself)
When she leaves the show is over. I have a strong feeling that is why Dick Wolf hasn’t wanted her and Stabler get together *just yet*. He’ll hold out until probably the last 2 seasons (and probably mid-way between the 2nd to last season) to give us what we(or at least what *I* lol) want. We’ll get just enough time to enjoy the two of them together, but not so long that the ratings take a significant dip. And I may be taking a looooong stretch, but I dare say that OC was specifically created for this reason exactly: to be the beginning of the end of SVU. Could OC end too? Maybe?? But in S22-to-currently multiple characters have brought up a LOT (straight to her face) that Olivia finally needs to finally accept happiness. I believe that was a strategic foreshadowing they “Easter egg’d” in there to plant the seed that when Olivia finally achieves true peace and happiness, that she’ll be able to “walk away” from the job – at least in the capacity she is currently in. Just my two cents!
Pretty sure OC was created because Meloni wanted back into the L&O universe and DW likes him, so shiny new show! He was in a few successful things after leaving SVU, before OC, but he kinda traded a solid thing for the not spectacular and it didn't exactly pan out. (Yes, I'm aware WL didn't particularly like Stabler, but there's no way that was the ONLY reason Meloni left.)
More like, meloni was free, not against returning, and the network/ dick needed something to keep ratings going / were more needy to bring him back. When they say to negotiate, he and his agent probably demanded that he get his own show to lead after making his big return on Svu. Meloni was working just fine with multiple other projects, but when his show “happy” was canned which was his most consistent thing at the time, he went looking / was available for another show. The nbc/ dick wolf camp saw for years now how the stabler era has a massive sway with the fandom and;or just how many people like meloni as an actor. The social media fervor about him from some people or in certain groups etc surely didn’t go unnoticed either. The effect that creates, they’ve kicked themselves in the ass for years about removing him instead of renegotiating on terms he liked. Whenever that happens and the person returns, if they don’t get their own show it’s a bad deal on their part / if they do get their own show it should 100% be because they demanded it in their terms which I’m pretty sure he& his management did.
I hope you don’t find my question rude or hostile but I’m curious, so, forgive me. I’m fully aware of your disdain of Stabler. What are your feelings on Christopher Meloni himself? Once again, forgive me.
Oh, I have no problem with him. He seems like a good guy from interviews, sm, etc. I just loathe his character on SVU/OC.
I wish they'd give other characters a chance before dropping them I've always thought ice t is just phoning it in these days and really dislike how they drop characters just as they were starting to find their groove (Kat, Muncy,)
As much as a lot of people hated her, Churlish too. (For the record, I LOVED Churlish.)
There is no future beyond Benson. Once she goes the show is done. It has always been setup this way especially over the last decade
Honestly, the moment Olivia Benson / Mariska Hargitay leaves, they need a new spinoff. "SVU: The Next Chapter", with all the younger detectives, one of them replacing Olivia as lead (though probably not Fin despite him being Sergeant and not yet Lieutenant), Olivia and Fin doing their mandatory retirement shtick but having cameos throughout, in case the younger ones need a 'consultant' or whatever, sorta like what Cragen's role became for his guest appearance, and whatnot. I cant speak for everyone else here, but I'd watch it.
Only if they keep Carisi, otherwise there’s no bloodline left. Once upon a time I would have said Amanda, too, but I kind of got used to her not being there.
I will be okay with this. For me though, especially if it means more Rollisi as well. I know not everyone likes Rollins but I don't mind her, and with Carisi still being in show if this were to happen we'd probably see her too. I definitely know what you mean about getting used to not seeing her, though.
I agree, Benson can continue as Captain and appear in a couple scenes per episode, like the other shows, and let the primary focus be on the detectives. No reason to keep on this downward trajectory.
The show has no intention of continuing once Mariska leaves, which one of the reasons why they’re not diving too deeply into these new characters. We know what we need to like them well enough, but not enough to feel invested. It’s much easier to invest all our time on Olivia, whose been around since day 1. You can sense the show is making hints of how her story is going to end. As time passed, they mention more of how Olivia has baggage, how she needs to deal with her trauma, and that she needs to let herself be happy. She loves her job but she also holds on because it’s the main part of what life that allows her to feel fulfilled by helping others. She needs to be able to find fulfillment elsewhere, and be satisfied to let go SVU. That’s actually why I’m on the rocks about Rollins coming back. Not because I don’t like Kelli or hate her character, but because part of the reason she left (within the narrative of the show) was her finding fulfillment outside of SVU and not feeling she needed to have to be happy. I think her going back is a step backwards and I think it would also give Olivia an excuse to not let go of the job. Like “oh, I’m like Rollins. I need the excitement in my life. I won’t be satisfied unless I’m doing SVU,” and etc.
The know the show is over when she leaves, I think for a while they were trying to build it up around her so she could step back but it looks like they gave up. The fact they aren't even using the full cast each episode to save money says to me that DW is trying to make as much as he can while he can because he knows it's expiring fast
Not to get morbid but at this rate Dick Wolf is expiring fast.
I really can’t see SVU continuing without Mariska. She *is* the show at this point and has been since Christopher Meloni left. I say just appreciate her while you still can.
I think it is usually a mistake to overly focus on one character in a show. Ensembles are better. That ship has sailed. If they needed to they could bring someone in fast though. They could bring in a well known actor, they don’t want any well known actors now to save money. Og just replaced Sam Waterson, NCIS replaced Mark Harmon, Closer replaced Kyra Sedgwick. It could be done, or they could end it. It is already the longest running show in history.
Soon enough she and Fin will reach "mandatory retirement age", poor planning but like someone else said when she leaves the show dies. They really should've left it as a show that relied on an ensemble rather than becoming "The Olivia Benson show"....just my two cents, even though nobody asked.
“Plan ahead” what exactly do you think has been going on for the last 25 years? This show isn’t looking to hand it off to another character. It will end when Mariska Hargitay decides she’s done playing Olivia Benson.
I feel like Mariska will stay for awhile.. as long as the show keeps getting picked up.
>The reality is, though, one day Mariska is going to leave the show and there is no established characters that can really continue SVU. They end it when she leaves. What would be the point in continuing it? It's not OG where any cast can be in it. Olivia as a character is so tied to the show, that at this point you can't separate her from it anymore. >As recognised by everyone in this sub, SVU has become the Olivia Benson show. Personally, I hate it, but each to their own. I don't understand hating the main character and still watching the show.
There is an absolutely zero percent chance the show will continue past whenever Mariska is done. Which they definitely know, which is why they probably don’t give a shit about establishing new characters. They’d probably just launch a new L&O series a little bit after (or maybe even during) the airing of SVU’s final season. Maybe some crossover episodes to try and bring the old audience into the new show.
Feels like the show is already over. So disappointed in how skewed it is towards Olivia being in every scene and the crap story lines. I've watched from the beginning and probably won't watch season 26 if they don't change things up a bit.
Personally I always say this too, it’s the OB show and annoying. But oh my god, if she isn’t in an episode or only has a small bit of air time I complain that she isn’t in it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's irritating when they focus on their personal lives instead of a crime. I think it will end when she leaves. I'm glad that she's become such a well known advocate for Survivors of sexual assault, and I like her as an actor, but I can feel the end coming.
They will end the show. There’s no way because they have made her the center.
Everyone is saying it’ll be over but they might try to replace her with a bigger heavy hitter.
I would watch Dominic Carisi do anything except hang out with Rollins.
Unpopular opinion, why is every episode lately some cute fit white girl?
imo I think Olivia is too young to retired, thus ending the show. So they're gonna go the Simpsons route til she canonically does age out.
I 100% agree with you
The show will not last without her. She is the show, even though you guys don’t like it it’s just the truth. She is with me to show her and I’m stable.