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Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Since 1999, Law and Order: Special VIctims Unit has been one of the most popular crime procedurals on TV, and there have been plenty of changes across its 24 seasons. SVU is currently in season 25, but even its oldest episodes still make for great viewing. In the early days of the show, the focus was squarely on the exciting cases presented each week, as a team of detectives sought to unravel the tangled web of criminal deceit.
Unfortunately, this is one of very few standouts in season 22, as the show struggled to strike the right chord after a fresh wave of questions against American law enforcement in 2020. SVU seemed unsure of how to approach such a delicate subject, and the result was a bit of a mess. With so many real-world struggles mirroring that of the show, it became hard for fans to engage with it the way they used to.
Episode 16, "The Newsroom" plays on the harassment claims at Fox News, as Benson and Barba team up to gather evidence about a news anchor accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate workplace conduct. It's an interesting dive into the psychology of survivors who stand up to famous perpetrators, but not all of season 18's efforts are as nuanced.
20 Season 21 2019-2020 After initially departing after season 17, Warren Leight returned as showrunner for season 21. His seasons can be identified by the show's increased focus on the personal lives of the detectives, which suited season 21 perfectly, as Olivia Benson was made Captain and Carisi became Assistant District Attorney. These were big changes for the characters, but also natural progressions for a show that had been on the air for 20 years.
18 Season 3 2001-2002 Season 3 continued the long process of piecing the show together. It added some important fan-favorite characters to the show, like technology expert Ruben Morales, ADA Elizabeth Donnelly, and defense attorney Trevor Langan. All of these characters would go on to become vital to the show's detailed portrayal of the criminal justice system.
16 Season 19 2017-2018 Most seasons have made one or two cast changes, and the big news in season 19 was ADA Barba leaving SVU. Barba has made a couple of guest appearances since, but season 19 was his last major involvement. Season 19 also marked a new showrunner for the long-running series. Under the guidance of new showrunner Michael S. Chernuchin, season 19 gets off to a slow start, but the show eventually finds its feet.
14 Season 1 1999-2000 Close Law and Order: Special Victims Unit faced a tough challenge as the first spinoff from the original show, but season 1 makes a solid start. Initially, it kept to the same format the original series had, but focused on sex crimes instead of strictly murder investigations. Cragen crossed over from Law and Order, and a few other regular cast members made guest appearances in SVU season 1 to help get the series off the ground.
Season 2 gives them some great episodes together, such as "Legacy" and "Manhunt," but they also frequently help out in the background. "Legacy" in particular is a great episode for expanding Munch's character. Though he and Fin are the backup to Benson and Stabler, it's Munch whose history gets explored a bit more during the case. He relates stories of his childhood to Benson and even stays by the side of the child who survived being attacked.
Naturally, Benson becomes a key focus of the season, but Rollins also has a lot of great moments as her gambling addiction forces her into a corner and allows the audience to get to know her better. Even with these story lines simmering in the background, season 15 still has plenty of intriguing cases to keep things fresh on a weekly basis. Season 15 also marks Cragen and Munch's farewell.
9 Season 12 2010-2011 Season 12 was the end of an era for Law & Order: SVU, with Christopher Meloni and showrunner Neal Baer leaving before season 13. Crucial characters George Huang and Melinda Warner also made their final appearances in season 12, so the squad's technical help would never be the same. The show easily could have floundered under all of these big changes happening in the same few months, and while it did have to restructure, the series still found a way forward.
Most seasons of SVU feature cases based on real life, and season 5 is no exception. One of the most disturbing episodes is "Sick," which takes inspiration from the allegations against Michael Jackson, with an acute focus on the culpability of the parents of the victims.
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