Give that man a break!
On TV shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where everything revolves around crime and drama, there are no characters who are not traumatized in some way.
Whether it be mentally from some of the obstacles in their way or physically from someone trying to get revenge, there is no character who would stay happy and untroubled from the beginning to the end of their run.
Of course, when we talk about SVU, the character who has been through the most is Olivia Benson. However, she’s the one who arguably got the most out of it by making her way up the career ladder.
Also, her character was already flawed enough that all the misfortunes seemed to be balanced out by the problems she caused herself.
However, this was not the case with other characters. One that stood out to viewers as the most mistreated would be Detective Nick Amaro.
As much as fans would like to think that the problem was mostly in the plot, the real reason behind Nick Amaro being trapped in his own problems is the writers.
If you go back and watch all the seasons from 13 to 16 where he was present and his storyline was significant, you may notice some similarities that Amaro shares with the truly beloved Elliot Stabler.
He was brought in to replace Stabler as the male lead, which put the character on shaky ground. Fearing that audiences wouldn’t feel the same way about him as they did about his predecessor, the writers decided to force the same character traits on him that had worked before but didn’t work for him specifically.
The portrayal of a single father struggling in every aspect of his life, starting with his family and ending with his relationship, did not fit with his anger issues.
At some point during Season 16, Nick’s storylines became too much for the fans to handle, with the audience almost demanding a break for the man.
What no one really wanted to see, however, was his departure. His departure is still seen as one of the most upsetting by the fandom, as many feel he deserved to stay just as long as Amanda Rollins.
If you want to revisit the seasons covering Nick Amaro’s run, you can stream Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Hulu or Peacock TV.
