It’s SVU’s groundbreaking 25th season, and there’s something special in the air. “This is a historic, unprecedented year and an amazing gift for the fans, especially those that have been with the show for so long,” promises co-showrunner Julie Martin, who has been with the drama since 2011.
A lot is familiar in this landmark season as the Special Victims team tracks down the perps of heinous sex crimes and metes out the usual much-deserved justice. But within the tried-and-true formula, the episodes also delve into self-reflection, healing, and life-changing decisions. For instance, the third installment has a rare uplifting ending, when insecure dermatologist Vincent Prochik (David Krumholtz, Numb3rs) not only accepts that he was raped, but also goes undercover and triumphantly helps take down the culprits, thereby transforming himself.
Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) really does the heavy lifting, however, as the savior of many abused victims finally gazes inward to try to save herself. “There’s a part of Olivia she has never fully looked at in an introspective way,” says co-showrunner David Graziano. The case of Maddie Flynn (Allison Elaine), a 15-year-old who goes missing in the season opener, “triggers [Benson] to look at parts of herself that might feel lost.”
Over several episodes, Benson is haunted by the case. She feels responsible for not stopping the abduction when she saw the girl in a van but ignored a gut feeling that something was off. To help her uncover the sources of her guilt and self-doubt, the captain reluctantly sees a therapist (Tricia Marie Paoluccio).
And Benson has plenty of emotional scars already baked in, growing up as the daughter of an alcoholic mother who was raped by Olivia’s biological father and dealing with the stress of investigating an untold number of horrific crimes. Add to that the times the fearless cop has been taken hostage, stabbed, beaten, shot and nearly raped. And the single mother’s pain goes deep when she and her squad can’t save a child. No wonder she’s diagnosed with PTSD!
“Benson has been knocked off her feet a bit,” says Peter Scanavino, who plays cop turned assistant district attorney Sonny Carisi. “She’s given her life to this job, helping survivors and trying to bring justice to these cases. Now, she’s a little more reflective about what those sacrifices cost her personally. When you take on the pain of other people, how much room does that leave for yourself?”
Carisi tries to help Olivia quell her pain, as she has for him in the past. Their growing bond comes in handy in an episode described by Graziano as “a very special case that is Benson- and Carisi-centric,” taking place in and around the Big Apple’s courts.
But Benson tackles this difficult dig into her psyche as she does everything in her life — with grit and determination. “We’ll see her make broad strides toward healing,” says Graziano.
Even amid her struggles, the captain remains stable on the job. In Episode 4, she stands up to police chief Tommy McGrath (Terry Serpico), going to Internal Affairs to report him after he threatens to kill a high school math tutor wrongly suspected of raping his daughter, Shea (Grace Culwell). He later holds a gun on the father of the actual perp, and it’s clear he’ll lose his job, leaving a new acting police chief to take over.
Thankfully, help at the SVU arrives for Benson and her crew (which includes Ice-T’s Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola and Kevin Kane’s Det. Terry Bruno) with several female law enforcers joining the unit, replacing departed detectives Grace Muncy (Molly Burnett) and fan fave Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish). (So far, Giddish has made several visits to the show, including in the premiere, when Rollins and hubby Carisi celebrated their newborn’s baptism with godmother Benson.)
Longtime Internal Affairs Bureau captain Renee Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly), who jokes in Episode 4 about “the plethora of Y chromosomes” in the squad, is keen to quit “the rat squad” and join Benson. (Good thing Olivia has forgiven Curry for investigating her years ago!) However, Graziano warns, “She’s used to dealing with misconduct, not sex crimes, and the job’s emotional aspect hits her hard and fast.”
Emotions also crop up with Special Agent Shannah Sykes (a recurring Jordana Spiro, Ozark), on loan from the FBI. Her teenage sister was kidnapped years earlier — and tragically never found — prompting Sykes to become an expert in child abduction. All too clear on how personal tragedies can interfere with the job, “Benson urges Sykes to deal with her pent-up feelings before they consume her,” notes Graziano.
And, of course, we can expect more will-they-won’t-they interplay between Benson and her former partner Det. Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) on both SVU and his series Organized Crime as they continue to sort out their feelings. Last season, they nearly kissed, though Benson demurred, saying she wasn’t ready.
Stabler seems to be. In the previous season, he told a fetching Italian agent he was “in love with another woman.” He also gifted Benson a necklace with a gold compass that was inscribed J for joy, C for compassion, L for love, and E — left undescribed. Could it stand for Elliot?
In the season premiere, Carisi’s cousin Steven Mancuso (Hamish Allan-Headley) asked Benson if the compass’ L had pointed her in the right direction. She responded, “Not yet.” Still, she’s been wearing the jewelry, which the actors designed together, during much of Season 25. Will therapy and the heartfelt gift lead her to acknowledge she’s ready to be with Elliot — or will she admit they’ll never be more than friends?
