It's time for SVU to turn in its badge
The Law & Order spin-off isn't what it used to be
“In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.”
Audiences have been hearing that opening narration since Law & Order spin-off, Special Victims Unit (SVU for short) premiered in 1999. Since its debut, SVU’s made an undeniable cultural impact by raising awareness about sexual assault and redefining societal norms about consent. It’s a show that’s gone through several distinct eras, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
But as with almost every show that runs for so long, more recent seasons have been creatively stagnant. The show’s also veered into some seriously ethically murky territory.
During its early days, SVU was a gritty police procedural with engrossing (and sometimes flat out gross) episodes that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Sure, they would occasionally throw in a “ripped from the headlines” storyline, but now the show leans on them far too much.
And unlike recent seasons, the characters were human, flawed, and struggling with the day-to-day drain of investigating heinous crimes. And they grew, evolved, and developed. There was some drama, but always in service of the story. Nowadays, the show is less police procedural and more cop soap opera. It’s less NYPD Blue and more The Young and the Restless.
Since its 15th season or so, SVU is barely recognizable anymore. It used to be grounded in realism, now it’s melodramatic to the point of being ridiculous. The quality of writing has dropped off, there’s no character development to speak of, and instead of focusing on an ensemble cast…it’s pretty much the Olivia Benson show at this point.
Don’t get me wrong, Mariska Hargitay is a brilliant actress and was a key part of what made SVU so successful, but the whole show is about her now…and it’s boring.
Out of all the flaws SVU’s developed, though, the most egregious (and main reason it should be cancelled) is its questionable portrayal of police and the justice system. Although there was discourse around police shows before 2020, it (rightfully so) became more mainstream after the murder of George Floyd. So-called “reality” shows like Cops were cancelled, but SVU and others kept going when they probably shouldn’t have.
SVU, and other shows like Blue Bloods and Chicago P.D. are what critics call “copaganda.” It depicts cops as infallible superheroes rather than flawed human beings while refusing to address police reform and accountability. These shows are notorious for reinforcing misconceptions about crime rates, minority groups, and police misconduct. Instead of using their platform to foster discourse about the flawed justice system, they ignore those faults outright.
Despite being a highly successful, long-running show that’s made an irrefutable cultural impact, Law & Order SVU has stagnated creatively and become ethically questionable. Its problematic portrayal of police is a major issue that can’t be overlooked anymore. It’s time for NBC to move on and open the door to more entertaining, timely, and ethically responsible crime shows.
SVU is a product of its time…and its time has long since passed.
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