“In This Case, Nobody’s Stepping Back” ‘Law & Order’s Hugh Dancy Explains the High-Stakes Crossover With ’SVU’

In a matter of hours, fans will sit down for the Law & Order crossover event. The flagship Law & Order as well as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will join together to solve a case that is all-too personal for Mariska Hargitay‘s Captain Olivia Benson. Ahead of the crossover, Law & Order star Hugh Dancy (Ella Enchanted), who plays ADA Nolan Price, teased to TVInsider what to expect from the high-stakes event.

“I think that one of the reasons both episodes are really strong is because it brings Benson and Brady (Maura Tierney) together in a very interesting way, and I think Mariska and Maura are both fantastic together, and that’s because this case really ties back into their past for both of them separately in very personal ways, and that’s part of the DNA of the story, I guess, is how much should that personal connection drive you and how much should it maybe be a reason for you to step back? As you know, in this case, nobody’s stepping back.”

The ‘Law & Order’ Crossover Event Is About to Get Personal

The crossover, titled “Play With Fire” Parts 1 & 2 will follow Captain Benson being called to a crime scene, only for her to discover it’s the murder of Maria Recinos. If that name sounds familiar, Maria was a little girl Olivia saved as a detective in the standout SVU Season 7 episode “911.” As Dancy explained, the “case really ties back into their past for both of them separately in very personal ways” for both Benson and Brady. The promos for both episodes show that, at least at one point, Dancy’s ADA Price is calling out Captain Benson for how she thinks justice needs to be sought. That difference of opinion will likely be what brings Christopher Meloni‘s Elliot Stabler into the fold of the crossover, to help his old partner solve the case (and then some maybe? Please? Pretty please?)

In addition to the crews of the 2-7 the 1-6 coming together, it will also include the ADA’s of the respective units. Dancy also spoke on working with SVU’s Peter Scanavino ADA Dominick Carisi, and how that duo will differ from NYPD’s approach to the case:

“Yeah, that’s right. I mean, they’re going at it, I mean, not quite loose cannon style, but definitely making leaps and jumps, and Price and Carisi, to a certain extent, are saying, okay, that’s all very well, but there’s a process. There’s no point leaping into the void if, when it comes to trial, everything gets thrown out and we can’t actually prosecute the person we have to. So that’s another source of tension.”