Law & Order: SVU in the Media

[CelticBlackCat]

5 hours ago, Fellaway said:

Kelli Giddish on the Law & Order: SVU Renewal and Hopes for Rollins in Season 20

Like Rafael Esparza, Kelli is singing the praises of Saint Olivia as BFF.  I wonder if it's true or just PR or if she has to say that to keep the peace and the train rolling with The Almighty Mariska, Executive Producer.

[Xeliou66]

I’m sure it is PR designed to keep the Queen Bee happy. It’s absurd how everyone on SVU seems to say the same things about how awesome Mariska is, I think it’s scripted and their managers tell them they must say it as part of the role. 

[RIVERSANGEL]

If I had my hopes, I would have Mr. Esparza & Mr. Piño back!  I totally miss that sexy Latino intensity and flare that they brought to the show as a whole. I do not like Winchester(Stone) AT ALL he does not fit in well with the cast and I don’t particularly care for him as an actor.  I keep asking myself every week how in the world did this man get this role?!!  However bringing a character in that is more hardcore is mos def needed! 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

It’s absurd how everyone on SVU seems to say the same things about how awesome Mariska is, I think it’s scripted and their managers tell them they must say it as part of the role.  

Yep. SVU is starting to remind me of that old Twilight Zone episode called "It's a Good Life." The main cast is probably afraid they'll get banished to a cornfield or something if they don't give Mariska public virtual tongue baths at least a couple of times a year.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Has Phillip Winchester tongue bathed Mariska yet?

[Xeliou66]

I saw where Winchester said good things about the cast, including Mariska, but he hasn’t done the ass kissing of Mariska that a lot of other actors have done, at least not as far as I’ve seen. I hope he doesn’t start, it’s extremely phony how so many people on the show have said the same thing about how wonderful MH is.

[QueenMab]

Maybe she gave them a serious pay raise? 

[Xeliou66]

28 minutes ago, QueenMab said:

Maybe she gave them a serious pay raise? 

I’ve said for a while that I feel it’s part of the actors contract to kiss Mariska’s ass and say what a wonderful inspiration he is. 

[marceline]

This is off topic but I can't find any of the old threads where we talk about our favorite scenes because this news story made me immediately think of Cragen and the monkey basketball.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/monkey-on-the-loose-today-san-antonio-international-airport-texas-2018-05-21/

[wknt3]

A couple of articles covering the ratings for last night's finale (since we don't have a ratings and scheduling thread here)  The gist is that ratings were up from last week, stable compared to last year. and perceived as pretty good by those who follow such things professionally. So when we wonder why they keep going back to the well of hostage situations, etc. and why NBC keeps renewing this show the answers are they work and the show's still making money and doing better than a lot of their scripted programming.

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/primetime-ratings-fox-wins-with-empire-finale

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-wednesday-may-23-2018/

[Gigi43]

That is one thing that impresses me with the show its in season 19 and isn't being killed by younger shows in the ratings , the numbers that night compete. Of course shows that night have tumbled (Empire especially while higher doesn't tower over it or the week) but being even with the year before is considered a win in this era of crumbling  viewership. 

 

Too bad there was no way to track who is watching out of sheer loyalty and who is actually enjoying the show. Steady numbers probably doesn't inspire a lot of change but they will have a new night to bring viewers too. I don't expect the 10pm time spot to have an impact even though they can do/say more at 10.

[Xeliou66]

Anyone else see the interview with Churnuchin after the finale about next season? I didn’t like what he said at all. He basically said that Benson will be supporting Stone in the wake of his sister’s death, meaning we will probably get a similar relationship to what Barba and Benson had, and this is the last thing the show needs. I’m sick of them trying to shove Benson/Stone down our throats, why does Benson always have to have a close relationship with the ADA? And Churnuchin’s comments about the SVU detectives “loving” Stone after this, why does their have to be such a close relationship there? I enjoyed the tension between Stone and Benson, please don’t turn Stone into a spineless loser like Barba became.

[QueenMab]

Xeliou...this is what I was referring to when I wrote that Benson gets to spend the 20th season , ok, "involved" with a much younger ADA. You know it, I know it, most of us know it. The endless effort to present "Steven Seagal" as the eternal sex goddess to be attained. And as long as this show insists on pushing her as a sexual desire to all men, I will continue to point out how silly and unattractive she is doing this. I'm not sure who exactly is buying that silly crap but somebody is because they keep shoving one hookup after another down our throats. I read Chernuchin's interview too. And I swear I gagged. At this point I don't want to see Barba come back ever. You know what they'll do. Either he'll be a bearded hippie who gave up the Law to strap on a backpack and discovering what Tibet is all about...or they will tell us he and Liv couldn't be without each other and he's come back to marry her. I mean, the show has gotten that absurd when it comes to Jayne Mansfield's daughter who seems hell bent on showing the world she's a bigger "sex goddess" than her mother ever was. ( I think she hated her mother..MHO). I guess we can say "ENOUGH!" until we're blue in the face....they're going to keep doing this assinine bs.

[Bexx88]

16 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Anyone else see the interview with Churnuchin after the finale about next season? I didn’t like what he said at all. He basically said that Benson will be supporting Stone in the wake of his sister’s death, meaning we will probably get a similar relationship to what Barba and Benson had, and this is the last thing the show needs. I’m sick of them trying to shove Benson/Stone down our throats, why does Benson always have to have a close relationship with the ADA? And Churnuchin’s comments about the SVU detectives “loving” Stone after this, why does their have to be such a close relationship there? I enjoyed the tension between Stone and Benson, please don’t turn Stone into a spineless loser like Barba became.

The interview was a lot of nonsense. Acting as though Stone had difficulty fitting in with the detectives when he was there for all of five seconds before everyone was all over his dick, or that the audience has any interest in yet more personal misery for Benson. I'd love to see some stories about Law and Order, not some bloke trying desperately to eke out a tear while a mysteriously now 16 year old Noah tells him it's okay, he has daddy issues too. They should have just left Chernuchin to write out his Chicago Justice self insert fanfiction about the strong bare chested crusading lawyer with a heart of gold and a troubled past and given SVU to someone who knows how to write an ensemble procedural.

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, Bexx88 said:

They should have just left Chernuchin to write out his Chicago Justice self insert fanfiction about the strong bare chested crusading lawyer with a heart of gold and a troubled past and given SVU to someone who knows how to write an ensemble procedural.

Chernuchin has also written for the Mothership and the occasional L&O: Criminal Intent episode, too, so he knows this franchise. Or should. I think everyone is just burnt out now, running on autopilot and cashing the checks, just trying to keep the numbers good enough to get to S21, and then mercifully putting the show out of its misery.

[wknt3]

3 hours ago, Bexx88 said:

They should have just left Chernuchin to write out his Chicago Justice self insert fanfiction about the strong bare chested crusading lawyer with a heart of gold and a troubled past and given SVU to someone who knows how to write an ensemble procedural.

 

54 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Chernuchin has also written for the Mothership and the occasional L&O: Criminal Intent episode, too, so he knows this franchise. Or should. I think everyone is just burnt out now, running on autopilot and cashing the checks, just trying to keep the numbers good enough to get to S21, and then mercifully putting the show out of its misery.

I think that he knows the larger franchise well , although not necessarily this series as well as we might hope given that they seem to want to go back to basics a bit. And he knows how to give Dick Wolf and NBC Universal what they want while maintaining some level of quality control. And while I am not particularly happy about L&O:SBU (St. Benson Unit) I think it is simply untrue that he doesn't know how to write an ensemble procedural. Not only do we have a body of work, but I think any reasonable evaluation of this season would have to come to the conclusion that the scripts were much improved over last season and that it was much more of an ensemble than it was last season. And much more of a procedural too with actual investigations being depicted. I don't think there is any showrunner that can solve the problem here which IMHO isn't burnout except in a few particular cases (Julie Martin and Ice-T are clearly in paycheck mode), but something just as incurable. This show has become a star vehicle and the star is the problem. And the agenda of the people in charge is just what you said - keep the show going until Season 21 by whatever means necessary. I think Chernuchin did an admirable job of giving us some quality television within those constraints. I think it's fair to blame the showrunner for certain things like the way he wrote out Barba's character or the way he was pushing his own character, but not for the overall direction which is the fault of Mariska, Dick Wolf, and NBC. You could have Rene Balcer, David Simon, Tom Fontana, or the ghost of Steven Bochco as showrunner and it wouldn't change what most of here are complaining about.

[Xeliou66]

1 hour ago, WendyCR72 said:

Chernuchin has also written for the Mothership and the occasional L&O: Criminal Intent episode, too, so he knows this franchise. Or should. I think everyone is just burnt out now, running on autopilot and cashing the checks, just trying to keep the numbers good enough to get to S21, and then mercifully putting the show out of its misery.

I think Churnuchin is doing the best he can, but MH’s ego is unstoppable. This season was a big improvement over season 18, but Mariska is still an executive producer and has enormous power, and it’s her ego that is hurting the show. All of the weaknesses of this season : the Benson/Noah crap, the heavy focus on Benson throughout, the PSA like preaching and political agendas in some of the episodes, all of that is on Mariska. Churnuchin is a good writer, the main people who hate him are the ones who hate Stone and think there is too much focus on him. The writers aren’t the problem, MH is, and unless someone intervenes and takes away her power, she will continue to drag down the show.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I think everyone is just burnt out now, running on autopilot and cashing the checks, just trying to keep the numbers good enough to get to S21, and then mercifully putting the show out of its misery.

If true (and likely it is) it's a shame to not give some fresh talent a chance to use this vehicle to tell the daily appearing relevant headline stories that are ripe for the ripping and for thoughtful development.

[Bexx88]

6 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

I think Churnuchin is doing the best he can, but MH’s ego is unstoppable. This season was a big improvement over season 18, but Mariska is still an executive producer and has enormous power, and it’s her ego that is hurting the show. All of the weaknesses of this season : the Benson/Noah crap, the heavy focus on Benson throughout, the PSA like preaching and political agendas in some of the episodes, all of that is on Mariska. Churnuchin is a good writer, the main people who hate him are the ones who hate Stone and think there is too much focus on him. The writers aren’t the problem, MH is, and unless someone intervenes and takes away her power, she will continue to drag down the show.

Mariska has said that the whole Sheila idea and “dragging Benson through hell” was brought to her by Chernuchin. He said in his interview that there is more misery upcoming because no one wants to see Benson happy. People grossly overstate Mariska’s power. She has an influence, no doubt, but the heavy focus on Benson, the poor plotting, the amateur plot twists, the terrible dialogue, the lack of representation and the offensive treatment of serious issues absolutely comes from the show runner and writers. Though I accept the network should also take some blame there, Benson is popular with the viewer base, no doubt they push for more of her.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Bexx88

[wknt3]

On 5/28/2018 at 3:10 AM, Bexx88 said:

Mariska has said that the whole Sheila idea and “dragging Benson through hell” was brought to her by Chernuchin. He said in his interview that there is more misery upcoming because no one wants to see Benson happy. People grossly overstate Mariska’s power. She has an influence, no doubt, but the heavy focus on Benson, the poor plotting, the amateur plot twists, the terrible dialogue, the lack of representation and the offensive treatment of serious issues absolutely comes from the show runner and writers. Though I accept the network should also take some blame there, Benson is popular with the viewer base, no doubt they push for more of her.

The last sentence is the key. We often lose sight that NBC Universal is the 800 lb gorilla here. And that they make the final decisions with Dick Wolf. I think that it's possible to overstate Mariska's power, and we don't know exactly whose saying what in the rooms were these decisions are made, but personally it's easier to say "Mariska's ego is the big problem" than "NBC and Dick Wolf's reaction to viewer research showing that a large portion of fans are watching to see how Benson's story is concluded is the big and Mariska's agreement with them and using her creative influence to further that change in direction exacerbates the situation." I don't subscribe to the theory that it's a cult or that she personally makes all the decisions (as I said that is Dick Wolf and NBC, but she has a say), but there is plenty of evidence that the focus on Benson, the portrayal of her, and the increased focus on certain types of cases and victims does not come from the show runner. The big one is that it has occurred over the last 2 1/2 seasons with 3 different show runners and that it was worst with the least experienced show runner with the least independent influence of their own. And we shouldn't forget when we read interviews that there is a PR element. I doubt any star who is any good at PR is going to say that her character's overall arc was part of the mandate given to the new EP by the network and the production company and that he just came up with the details.

[Jaded]

The last time I saw Mariska be interviewed was on Late Night with Seth Meyers where the interview segments are shorter so her ego isn't able to completely spread it's wings apparently. She's on

The Late Late Show with James Corden right now and she's gotten more obnoxious as the interviews with her and co-guest on the couch Holly Hunter has gone on. Her face looks different and there were times during the interview where her voice sounded different too. The show just moved on to get ready for tonight's musical guest so of course I came here to post about her behavior and appearance. The way she talks about herself came across as so bizarre and different compared to most other famous people on these shows. It's hard to describe in words though. 

Should I have posted this in the Saint Olivia Benson, Mother to Us All since some of the character threads get discussion about the actors themselves at times?

[Jaded]

No wonder her ego is so huge when Dick Wolf is talking about her like this...

Dick Wolf: Mariska Hargitay, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Pioneered #MeToo ‘A Long Time Ago’

[Xeliou66]

It is certainly insane how large Mariska’s ego has become, and everyone on SVU will just kiss her ass and make phony statements about how wonderful and inspirational she is, it is bizarre. 

[Gigglepuff]

4 hours ago, Jaded said:

No wonder her ego is so huge when Dick Wolf is talking about her like this...

Dick Wolf: Mariska Hargitay, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Pioneered #MeToo ‘A Long Time Ago’

About a year ago, Dick Wolf also had the nerve to say that Benson was the longest running female character in TV history. She's not even close. 

[WendyCR72]

5 hours ago, Jaded said:

No wonder her ego is so huge when Dick Wolf is talking about her like this...

Dick Wolf: Mariska Hargitay, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Pioneered #MeToo ‘A Long Time Ago’

Oh. FFS.

[Fellaway]

Will Stabler & Barba Return to Law & Order: SVU? & Mariska Hargitay Weights In

The best bit, I think:

"Will Raúl Esparza (Assistant D.A. Rafael Barba), who exited last season, be back?

Yes. I can promise you that."

[Gigglepuff]

59 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

No wonder her ego is so huge when Dick Wolf is talking about her like this...

Dick Wolf: Mariska Hargitay, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Pioneered #MeToo ‘A Long Time Ago’

Does anyone here know if Mariska or Dick Wolf  ever gave credit to the people who are the actual SVU detectives, the crisis workers, the suicide hotline people etc... who work with survivors every day for a lot less pay and glamour, or do they just sit back and pat themselves on the back and congratulate each other? I'm not saying that the show and its stars haven't done good in raising awareness, but c'mon already. The show didn't materialize out of thin air, it was based on an actual police squad in NY, and many major cities had a specialized SVU or sex crimes unit by the time 1999 and Law and Order SVU came around. FFS, Wolf and NBC capitalized on that. 

Also, what a total insult to Tarana Burke. Must Mariska be credited with things she didn't do and had no part of? It's actually sickening that she sat back and let Dick Wolf make such a claim. 

Sorry, but that interview with Wolf and Mariska seems just like a mutual congratulatory wank fest.  

Edited June 6, 2018 by Gigglepuff

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, Gigglepuff said:

Does anyone here know if Mariska or Dick Wolf  ever gave credit to the people who are the actual SVU detectives, the crisis workers, the suicide hotline people etc... who work with survivors every day for a lot less pay and glamour, or do they just sit back and pat themselves on the back and congratulate each other? I'm not saying that the show and its stars haven't done good in raising awareness, but c'mon already. The show didn't materialize out of thin air, it was based on an actual police squad in NY, and many major cities had a specialized SVU or sex crimes unit by the time 1999 and Law and Order SVU came around. FFS, Wolf and NBC capitalized on that. 

Also, what a total insult to Tarana Burke. Must Mariska be credited with things she didn't do and had no part of? It's actually sickening that she sat back and let Dick Wolf make such a claim. 

Sorry, but that interview with Wolf and Mariska seems just like a mutual congratulatory wank fest.  

While the message is ridiculous and I agree, I just wanted to clarify I didn't write the quoted message you responded to.  :-) Quoting must have gotten messed up somehow.

[dttruman]

Has anyone seen this yet? 

https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/941475/law-and-order-svu-will-run-as-long-as-mariska-hargitay-wants-to-play-benson-a-role-she-s-still-deeply-inspired-by

[Xeliou66]

So has anyone seen the interview with Mariska where she says Barba is returning for sure? That should be interesting, I look forward to seeing what Barba is doing after his departure, and I hope Barba has scenes with the other SVU detectives and Stone and not just Benson, I hated how Barba was reduced to being Benson’s puppet and had his character assassinated. What does everyone else think?

[CelticBlackCat]

The only logical way Barba can come back is to face a trial for murdering the baby, brought on by a complaint and investigation by the father of the baby who was not agreeable to letting his baby die.  Remember, it was Barba and the mother in the room, and Barba allegedly pulled the plug in lieu of the mother doing it.

[WendyCR72]

10 hours ago, dttruman said:

Has anyone seen this yet? 

https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/941475/law-and-order-svu-will-run-as-long-as-mariska-hargitay-wants-to-play-benson-a-role-she-s-still-deeply-inspired-by

Oh, good. We can have Law & Order: The Nursing Home Years, if MH just wants to keep going and going and going like the Energizer Bunny. This makes me glad that VDO/KE were fine with just 10 seasons for CI (Heck, they seemed to want out based on S9/reports before that..)   A show should not go on indefinitely; the diminishing returns (IMO) eventually can sour the whole thing depending on how bad the quality goes.

I do hope this is just hyperbole and MH wraps this by S21. (You know there will be one, if just to make up for The Mothership.)

[Xeliou66]

34 minutes ago, CelticBlackCat said:

The only logical way Barba can come back is to face a trial for murdering the baby, brought on by a complaint and investigation by the father of the baby who was not agreeable to letting his baby die.  Remember, it was Barba and the mother in the room, and Barba allegedly pulled the plug in lieu of the mother doing it.

You’re completely wrong and have no understanding of the legal system. Barba has already been tried and acquitted in that case, and you can’t be tried twice for the same crime. Barba could come back any time for a guest appearance, I’m sure it will have nothing to do with his exit, he could be doing anything now. You sound completely clueless in this post.

[dttruman]

You both have neglected the one person who can make this episode occur. If MH wants Barba to stand trial again, all she has to do is snap her fingers and the writers will make it happen, "reality be damned".

1 hour ago, Xeliou66 said:

You’re completely wrong and have no understanding of the legal system. Barba has already been tried and acquitted in that case, and you can’t be tried twice for the same crime.

[ChristiKRN]

I want to see Barba back only if he has grown back the balls he had before Benson neutered him.  I also don't want him back if he is back to profess his unrequited love for 
Benson; I just could not handle that. 

[Fellaway]

A huge part of me would love Barba to come back, even if it's just one ep, but with the rate of character assassination this past season, for him, for Rollins...  Not to mention the show is now the All Singing, All Dancing Olivia Benson Hour, apparently, so...  Unless they can get back to what they had in Season 17, i.e. get Leight back, Barba/RE might best stay gone.

And, best to get gone, for me, would be Stone.  I can't even hate the guy, he's that bland.  I don't know who signed off on bringing a character from a failed TV show over to replace Barba, but they need to check themselves.  

The only thing keeping me watching is Carisi, and even there, I watch in fear of what they're going to do to him.

[ChristiKRN]

"And I get to change my cast and work with the best actors. I’m so happy I can’t see straight." - Mariska Hargitay at the Paley Center event yesterday

This quote disturbed me so much... no wonder everyone professes their love of working with Mariska- they're afraid of losing their job!

[Fellaway]

9 minutes ago, dttruman said:

You both have neglected the one person who can make this episode occur. If MH wants Barba to stand trial again, all she has to do is snap her fingers and the writers will make it happen, "reality be damned".

Reality was already damned with that ep.  Based on the law, I can't see how Barba got off.  That jury must've been purely motivated by emotion.  The defense didn't even put on a good case.

Yeah, much as I love Barba/RE, maybe he should just stay away.  If he does come back for an ep, I at least hope it's not all about Olivia and how she put the color in his rainbow, or however that line of crap went, and how it's changed his life for the infinite betterment.

Who am I kidding?  Of course it will be.

[ForeverAlone]

The character of Rafael helped get me back into the SVU fandom after taking a break after Christopher Meloni left.  So I really, really, really love that character. However, the character I love was created and overseen by Warren.  I do think the season 18/19 writers completely assassinated his character. They took away his intelligence and his balls and put them in Olivia's purse where they remained. Before, if Rafael took a questionable case to court, that judgment error and the resulting tension between him and Olivia was baked into the episode. It didn't feel like he was bending over backwards to please her, plus the fact that there weren't THAT many weak cases taken to trial during the Warren years. Certainly not as many as season 18, where they miraculously got convictions they should never have gotten. 

I can't figure out if the season 18 writers just had no clue about what Rafael was like, or they just didn't care, because everyone in Olivia's orbit was supposed to worship her and support her at every turn. Plus the writers seemed to throw red meat at the romantic Barson shippers, so that also inevitably weakened his character. While I think Michael Chernuchin is an overall better showrunner and writer than Rick, I also don't get the feeling he was interested in restoring Rafael back to his glory days. Part of that could be that Michael maybe wasn't as familiar with seasons 14-17 Rafael. It is also likely that because Raul had already elected to leave before Michael came on board, that he had no interest in writing Rafael the way he used to be, because he was excited for his new ADA playtoy that would replace Rafael. 

UNLESS Rafael's character, intelligence and independence could be restored to the Warren Leight years, I would rather Rafael stay away. I can imagine all sorts of things for Rafael that please me more than what seasons 18-19 gave me. I would hate for him to return and see how further they could drag his character into the mud. I mean, his parting act was to unplug a baby that he had no connection to. About the only way it could get worse is if he was accused of rape. If the writers thought his final episode was serving the character and sending him off well, I have zero desire to see what they would do for a sequel. 

[Xeliou66]

I will like seeing Barba again if he is more like he was before he became a spineless bitch, and if they give him scenes with the other SVU detectives and Stone, I will not like it if Barba’s whole appearance revolves around Benson and he’s the same as he was when he left and we have to see the nauseating Barson crap again. Either way it will be interesting to see what Barba is up to now that’s he left the DA’s office.

And Mariska has officially lost all touch with reality. I mean just look at what she says in her interviews, she thinks she is saving rape victims everywhere just by playing Benson, and everyone involved with the show is forced to kiss her ass or they will be fired.

[ForeverAlone]

Yikes. I finally read that TV Insider interview, and I personally don't think it was a good look for the character of Olivia. It really does reinforce the idea that Mariska's ego has driven this image of St. Olivia to ridiculous extremes.

 I mean, this show actively encourages Olivia to be out in the field (which no LT would ever do, since they have an actual important job elsewhere). "[Olivia] needs to make sure her guys are safe, but there’s something in her you that makes her feel she can do it better. [Olivia] needs to be in the field. She needs get through to the victim because she thinks there’s a direct line with the survivor and herself." This has basically the central complaint about Olivia for the past several years (probably since about season 15 or 16, but I think it got worse after season 17). She basically feels that only SHE can do the job of detective (if so, why ever accept a promotion) and her squad is not as good at their jobs as she is (which can be a reflection of her lack of leadership, because she has failed to develop her team in the same way Cragen developed her). Olivia has lost all objectivity (which the season finale showed in spades), which makes her a poor leader. So many times, she seems to make the cases more about her rather than the victims, and the show reinforces that by having all victims worship her and credit her entirely with a successful case. I honestly think this show has some interesting material to work with if they only developed what her job should actually be. We didn't get to see that much of what Cragen was up to, but what little we did see, I found fascinating. Considering that both the show and real world SVU are understaffed and underbudgeted, we don't see her fighting much the political or resource aspect of her job, which is an important way of fighting to get justice for victims. Olivia is a woman of fair amount of power in a heavily male dominated profession, and that alone could produce some interesting stories. But they want to have it both ways by giving Olivia the power, but also doing the same damn job she has done for the past 19 years, when she has a mostly competent team to do that work for her. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by ForeverAlone

[Nisha]

15 hours ago, ChristiKRN said:

"And I get to change my cast and work with the best actors. I’m so happy I can’t see straight." - Mariska Hargitay at the Paley Center event yesterday

This quote disturbed me so much... no wonder everyone professes their love of working with Mariska- they're afraid of losing their job!

That just sounds so arrogant. Unbelievable.

[wonderwoman]

17 hours ago, ChristiKRN said:

 

"And I get to change my cast and work with the best actors. I’m so happy I can’t see straight." - Mariska Hargitay at the Paley Center event yesterday

This quote disturbed me so much... no wonder everyone professes their love of working with Mariska- they're afraid of losing their job!

 

would love to hear what the rest of the cast really thinks. say, after a couple of drinks and off the record -- no recording devices allowed...

[CelticBlackCat]

20 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

You’re completely wrong and have no understanding of the legal system. Barba has already been tried and acquitted in that case, and you can’t be tried twice for the same crime. Barba could come back any time for a guest appearance, I’m sure it will have nothing to do with his exit, he could be doing anything now. You sound completely clueless in this post.

My 62-year-old brain was having a senior moment when I posted this.  I had forgotten that Babykiller Barba had his day in court and was exonerated of pulling the plug because he looked so devastated and teary-eyed that the jury thought he should get off scot-free.  I just remember him walking off into the sunset after his Olivia Luvs Rafa scene.

Thank you for being so kind in pointing out my mistake.  ;)

[Nisha]

2 hours ago, wonderwoman said:

would love to hear what the rest of the cast really thinks. say, after a couple of drinks and off the record -- no recording devices allowed...

I bet the "best actors" are silently wishing they could also act with a fine actress; not an over dramatic, fake whispering diva with the perpetual "I smell rotting fish" expression.

[dttruman]

Got some more bad news for you all. MH reveals a little more. I almost had a stroke when I read it

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/m/95c401fb-dcac-3bbe-881e-17d29c9033bf/ss_mariska-hargitay-opens-up.html

[Jaded]

I wonder if she allows the others to be that flexible with their schedules? I haven't watched the show for almost two seasons (quit for good after the first few eps of season 18) so I keep up with the show and the actors here. These MH interviews in print and on TV compared to other cast members on the show just magnify how differently she sees her reality as compared to the others living theirs.

[CelticBlackCat]

3 hours ago, dttruman said:

Got some more bad news for you all. MH reveals a little more. I almost had a stroke when I read it

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/m/95c401fb-dcac-3bbe-881e-17d29c9033bf/ss_mariska-hargitay-opens-up.html

Sounds to me MH is due for a psych eval.  If she's crying when she goes home and can't function, there may be an underlying depression she should be dealing with.  She also exhibits symptoms of having delusions of grandeur.  She is taking her acting job a bit too seriously.

3 hours ago, Jaded said:

I wonder if she allows the others to be that flexible with their schedules? I haven't watched the show for almost two seasons (quit for good after the first few eps of season 18) so I keep up with the show and the actors here. These MH interviews in print and on TV compared to other cast members on the show just magnify how differently she sees her reality as compared to the others living theirs.

The other cast members and crew probably can't wait for her to have to do "one of her kid's things" so they can get rid of her and stop pretending she's their BFF and how much they love her!

[ForeverAlone]

If Mariska wants more time for some work life balance, that could easily be accomplished by bringing Olivia's job in line with what it should actually be. Give more to the detectives doing the actual work and more of the ADA prepping and trying cases, and Mariska could go home. There is no reason the show HAS to spend so much time on Olivia. There is plenty of work to go around. I'm not even talking about writing Olivia like they wrote Cragen, but write her like they used to do, when the show was more of a true ensemble. And since she is an executive producer, she could actually get this done if she really, really wanted it. But this interview practically contradicts the TV Insider interview where she has the vision of Olivia not willing to let her subordinates do their job, because she feels she can do it better than them, and she MUST create a relationship between her and the victim. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by ForeverAlone

[Nisha]

On 6/7/2018 at 5:55 PM, CelticBlackCat said:

Sounds to me MH is due for a psych eval.  If she's crying when she goes home and can't function, there may be an underlying depression she should be dealing with.  She also exhibits symptoms of having delusions of grandeur.  She is taking her acting job a bit too seriously.

The other cast members and crew probably can't wait for her to have to do "one of her kid's things" so they can get rid of her and stop pretending she's their BFF and how much they love her!

I call BS. Great actors like Daniel Day Lewis are supposed to delve so deeply into their characters, they have trouble switching back to themselves. Their performances are testimony to their talent and dedication. MH claiming to "cry" etc etc is a load of horse poo. She is not at all believable in her role, she over-emotes and is so fake and phony. And despite the 24 hour days she is portrayed to pull as a dedicated cop, her makeup and hair are NEVER out of place. If she claims this is affecting her SO badly - it's only a sorry attempt to portray herself as a serious actress. Which, if she really was, there would be no need to keep bleating how she can't tell herself and Benson apart. Her acting should be able to do that, not her interviews.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Nisha