Burton Lowe is a minor character in Law & Order: SVU with a big impact on the series’ main character, Olivia Benson. How do the two know each other?
Burton Lowe (Aidan Quinn) appears in only two episodes of Law & Order: SVU but he leaves a memorable impression thanks to his relationship with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Law & Order: SVU is the first of six spinoffs of Dick Wolf’s Law & Order series. Like the original, Law & Order: SVU follows dedicated detectives who investigate felonies in New York City. However, in this series, the crimes they investigate are of a particularly heinous variety: sexually-based offenses.
One of the longest-running primetime TV shows ever, SVU has been nominated for 23 Emmy Awards, winning six times over the years. One of these awards, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, went to Mariska Hargitay in 2006 for her starring performance as Olivia Benson, now the Captain of the 16th Precinct’s Special Victims Unit. Benson has a tough exterior when confronting suspects, but that belies an emotional core that allows her to connect with victims. Her early life is marked by tragedy, starting with her father raping her mother, Serena, and then taking his own life. And Burton Lowe is part of Benson’s tumultuous SVU past too.
Burton Lowe Is Olivia Benson’s Ex-Fiancé
Benson’s relationship with her mother was permanently affected when she met Burton Lowe. They started dating when Olivia was 16, and he was 21, and a student of Serena’s, who was an English professor. Lowe proposed to Benson, but Serena threatened the young man to stay away, which he hesitantly agreed to. Law & Order SVU season 23, episode 6, “The Five Hundredth Episode”, sees Lowe, now a true crime podcaster, return to Benson’s life when they both investigate a cold case and old feelings are reignited. However, their reunion is short-lived when Lowe is accused of sexually assaulting a former student who wants him arrested.
Lowe denies these allegations, but Benson realizes her relationship with Lowe was inappropriate because she was minor. Instead of denying it, Lowe claims they were in love. When Benson demands an admission of guilt, Lowe refuses, and the two part. Benson’s younger years were filled with anger and abuse but she had never considered one of the happy memories would end up being secretly terrible. As an investigator, her great skill is that she can connect the dots that others don’t see, including her own. What Benson has learned at SVU exposes a wound in her past and while it may be painful, it’s healthy that she finds the truth.
Lowe Becomes A Registered Sex Offender
Lowe returns in SVU season 23, episode 21, “Confess Your Sins To Be Free”, having spent five months in Alcoholics Anonymous, now attempting to apologize to those he’s wronged. However, Benson remains angry and claims that he is just using his addiction to alcohol as an excuse and isn’t truly sorry unless he apologizes to all the women he’s abused. Later, another woman comes forward with recorded evidence that Lowe sexually assaulted her. When Benson confronts Lowe with this information, he breaks down and finally accepts responsibility for his actions, even agreeing to register as a sex offender to spare his accuser a traumatic trial.
Benson once again shows just how effective her method of crime-solving can be when she confronts Lowe. She’s not angry or vengeful; she tries to connect with him on a human level. Her empathy for the victims finally connects with Lowe and convinces him to admit his life of wrongdoings. The best Law & Order: SVU episodes often see Benson finding closure for victims of sexual assault, so it’s gratifying to see her find her own.
