HOLLYWOOD—I’ve always been a bit of a legal junkie throughout my early career, so watching a show like “Law & Order” is great. There have been many spin-offs from the original series, but one that television viewers will enjoy is “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” The series tackles difficult issues as detectives investigate heinous crimes. The cast includes Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer and Ice-T.
There’s a great amount of chemistry between detectives Stabler (Meloni) and Benson (Hargitay). They’re both hotheads who are not afraid to voice their opinions, especially when it involves cases that strike them at the core. There’s also detectives Fin (Ice-T) and Munch (Belzer) who are partners. They’re not afraid to go that extra mile to capture a witness or accomplice to a crime. While much of the drama on the show involves our primary characters hunting down clever crooks, there are moments when the stories are connected to the characters’ lives, whether it’s issues from their past or family members. As an officer of the law, it’s difficult to not get entangled in the cases because things can be personal when discovering the nature of some crimes.
Viewers get an inside scoop on what goes on between the police department and the district attorney’s office when gathering evidence and prosecuting a suspect for a crime. While what is depicted on television may be exaggerated to maintain the audience’s attention, it’s a nice slice of the legal system many aren’t knowledgeable about.
The writing is sharp and dialogue driven. With each episode the audience is introduced to an eclectic range of sociopaths who have committed unspeakable crimes. The guest stars on the show include Debra Messing, Sharon Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ludacris, Martin Short, Robin Williams and Brittany Snow to name a few. Many of the episodes involve stories taken from headlines but fictionalized a bit.
The series relies on its twists throughout the episode to keep the audience on edge. For example, take the episode that recently aired where Detective Stabler found himself in a tough situation, and he was forced to work with a kidnapper who was holding a woman hostage. It was a riveting story as the audience soon discovered the kidnapper’s true intention was to force the police to help him find his little brother who went missing years ago. The surprise that left me floored was after locating the missing child the audience discovers the woman who was kidnapped was never in danger at all; it was all a hoax.
The viewer easily becomes attached to the victims in each episode. Even though things are fabricated for television, despicable crimes happen in everyday life. Audiences empathize with those victims. A riveting episode that was difficult to watch, yet I couldn’t turn my eyes away, involved Jennifer Love Hewitt. She portrayed a rape victim who had been terrorized for years even though she continued to move and eventually became a hermit. Detective Benson was determined to catch the culprit and help the victim have a sense of normalcy in her life.
Anyone who loves suspense will appreciate not knowing what will happen next. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” takes advantage of all the story twists. Just when you think you know who the culprit is or the motive, a curve ball comes out of left field and catches you off guard. I can’t think of an episode where I was actually right; maybe it’s because I become so sutured I forget to pay attention to detail. While the series isn’t intended for children, adults who enjoy clever writing and multi-layered characters will love this crime drama. “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
