Law & Order: SVUmade the biggest mistake of its long run with Benson (Mariska Hargitay), and it is not the type of error that can be repaired. Benson has been the heart of the procedural since its 1999 premiere. Many ofLaw & Order: SVU’s best episodes involve Benson’s efforts to support and empower sexual assault survivors.
In the last few seasons, Benson has overcome several challenges as the new head of the Special Victims Unit.Benson’sLaw & Order: SVUteamwas short-staffed for a long time, and she butted heads with Deputy Chief McGrath before he was forced to resign. Benson’s status as captain also creates logistical challenges forLaw & Order: SVU.
SVU Made Benson A Captain In Season 15 After Cragen’s Forced Retirement
This Was A Significant Change To The Procedural’s Dynamic
For the first 15 seasons,Don Cragen (Dann Florek) was the captain of the Special Victims Unitwhile Benson was a detective who worked under him. This set-up led naturally to a formula for most episodes in which Benson and Stabler (or another detective once Stabler left) did the initial investigation and Cragen instructed them on their next steps.
However, in real life, the NYPD mandates retirement is between 62 and 65;Law & Order: SVUwrote this storyline into season 21. Cragen thus left the unit and Benson was promoted to Captain, becoming the new team leader.This change created a shift inLaw & Order: SVU’s dynamicthat did not work as well as intended.
Benson’s New Job Mandates Her To Work From Her Office More, Which Is Limiting
Some Of Her Involvement In Cases Is Unrealistic
Logically, there was no one better to lead the Special Victims team than Benson. The procedural could have brought someone new in, but that might havefelt like a betrayalof Benson’s long years of service. However, promoting her putLaw & Order: SVUin a bind it can’t escape.
Since Benson is the captain, realistically, she needs to stay in the officerather than conduct investigations herself, but doing so contradicts the show’s core premise.Law & Order: SVUis more than a procedural; its focus is on supporting real-life survivors.
…it is unrealistic for Benson to act like a detective rather than a supervisor, so having her be in the field all the time isn’t a viable option.
Benson’s empathy and ability to empower survivorswhile leading investigations are central to the series' theme. Thus, she cannot simply stay in the squad room. However, it is unrealistic for Benson to act like a detective rather than a supervisor, so having her be in the field all the time isn’t a viable option.
How Law & Order: SVU Could Have Moved Benson’s Story Without Creating A Problem
It Would Have Been Better For Her To Be Someone Else’s Second-In-Command
When Cragen first left theLaw & Order: SVUcast,Benson was second-in-command to Declan Murphy, but that didn’t last long. Murphy was an undercover agent, so he soon needed to depart the unit permanently, leaving Benson in charge. This allowed Benson to become a lieutenant and then a captain to assume command of the unit.
One wayLaw & Order: SVUcould have avoided the logistical problems associated with Benson becoming the leader of the unit would have been to keep Murphy in the series for a longer period. Conversely,Murphy could have been recurring so that Benson sometimes had to stay in the office.
Benson taking charge allowedLaw & Order: SVUto put a woman in a leadership position at the unit, which is likely why Murphy didn’t stay for long.
Benson taking charge allowedLaw & Order: SVUto put a woman in a leadership position at the unit, which is likely why Murphy didn’t stay for long. However, it would have been a stronger arc if Benson had gradually moved into that position and became the full leader in the series' final episode. Now, the show is stuck with this dynamic.
As a survivor herself,Benson’s ability to connect with victims of heinous crimes has always been her most important trait.Law & Order: SVUcannot set her up to operate like Cragen because that would limit her ability to highlight why she has been such an effective member of the Special Victims Unit for decades.
