Whose Grave Does Olivia Visit In Law & Order: SVU Season 26, Episode 16? Serena Benson’s History Explained

Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson visits the grave of an important member of her family in Law & Order: SVU season 26, episode 16, titled “Let Me Bring Pardon.” Law & Order: SVU doesn’t often share what happened to victims after a case is over. However, “Let Me Bring Pardon” offers an update on one of Law & Order: SVU’s creepiest cases when Benson visits Laura Hughes (Jama Williamson) and learns that while Ellie (Jen Parker Davis) is still in a coma, she is now pregnant.

“Let Me Bring Pardon” focuses on Benson’s quest to get justice for Ellie when she gets proof the baby is the product of a rape while she was in the trauma unit, but the episode begins with the SVU captain visiting a graveyard. During this visit, Benson discusses how hard she is working in therapy on forgiveness, which underscores how difficult this Law & Order: SVU season 26 case is for her because she was the product of rape like Ellie’s baby. The circumstances of Benson’s birth and who her mother was were established in the procedural’s earliest episodes.

Olivia Benson Visits Her Mother’s Grave In Law & Order: SVU Season 26, Episode 16

In the opening scene of “Let Me Bring Pardon,” Benson is seen approaching a gravestone with flowers and then kneeling in front of it. The gravestone is clearly marked as belonging to Serena Benson, her mother, with the epitaph, “BELOVED MOTHER” visible in large letters. Benson’s visit is surprising, as her mother has not been mentioned since her Law & Order: SVU season 3 death, and SHE acknowledges this, stating that she hasn’t been to the gravesite in a while. Although, she admits that she has been thinking about her mother during therapy sessions.

Although Benson does not visit Serena’s grave again, at the end of the episode she visits Ellie. She acknowledges their shared pain, telling Ellie that she knows the baby she is carrying will come into the world burdened by the circumstances of their conception. However, she also says that she knows that Ellie’s mother loves her unconditionally. This scene implies that Benson realizes that Serena also loved her despite the circumstances of her birth and the unhealthy relationship they had while her mother was alive.

What Happened To Serena Benson & How She Connects To Olivia’s Law & Order: SVU Career

Serena only appeared in one episode of Law & Order: SVU — in the pilot, when Benson was still living with her. Serena annoyed her daughter by suggesting that Benson’s first case at the Special Victims Unit would be too much for her and that she shouldn’t go ahead with it. Benson pushed back on this idea, leading to an argument in which it was revealed that she was the product of rape and was fighting for people like her mother by taking this job.

Serena’s death not only leaves Benson’s conflict with her unresolved, but triggers Benson’s memories of her mother abusing her while drunk when she was a child.

Sadly, Serena disappears after the pilot episode, though Benson occasionally references the strain in their relationship. Serena was said to have relapsed into alcohol use, which turned out to be fatal. Serena died in Law & Order: SVU season 3, episode 2, after leaving a bar and taking a fatal fall down some stairs while drunk. Serena’s death not only left Benson’s conflict with her unresolved, but triggered Benson’s memories of her mother abusing her while drunk when she was a child.

Although Benson’s feelings about her mother remain conflicted after Serena’s death, she understands that Serena’s treatment of her stemmed from the trauma of being assaulted and impregnated. This understanding fuels Benson’s passion for getting justice and support for other survivors in Law & Order: SVU.

Why Killing Serena Benson In Law & Order: SVU Was A Mistake

One of the harshest realities of rewatching Law & Order: SVU season 1 involves realizing how much potential the series wasted by getting rid of Serena after the pilot. Serena was originally a loving mother who was overly concerned about the way working for the Special Victims Unit would impact her daughter’s mental health. It would have been a more powerful exploration of how trauma affects people differently if Serena had remained in the series with this aspect of her character intact, making her a recurring antagonist who interfered with Benson’s career choice because of her fear for her.

Benson’s discovery of her half-brother, her later decision to adopt Noah, and her heartbreak when Stabler suddenly disappeared would have all been more powerful stories if Serena were in the background…

Additionally, many of Benson’s arcs would have been more interesting had Serena been available to share her opinions. Specifically, Benson’s discovery of her half-brother, her later decision to adopt Noah, and her heartbreak when Stabler suddenly disappeared would have all been more powerful stories if Serena were in the background clumsily attempting to support her daughter. Instead, Serena was shuffled off-screen and changed into an alcoholic who abused Benson. It’s especially disappointing that Law & Order: SVU didn’t give her a real death scene, instead writing her out without giving her a story to go with her tragic ending.