Saint Olivia Benson: Mother to Us All

[dttruman]

The SVU intro has always gone like this "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." Will they change it to this "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detective, Olivia Benson who investigates these vicious felonies is a leader of  members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are her stories."?

[CelticBlackCat]

"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, Saint Olivia Benson poses as a dedicated detective, who investigates these vicious felonies and by divine intervention leads the members of her elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are her stories."

I thought the new intro meant a new lineup of the SVU players which will include Brooke Sheilds.  If she shows up in the season opening lineup, it means she'll be much more than just another family member of someone.

[WendyCR72]

Hee! To all of these. But I'm guessing new opening just means, once again, altered opening credits with the narration remaining as is.

[wknt3]

On 9/4/2017 at 2:05 PM, dttruman said:

The SVU intro has always gone like this "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." Will they change it to this "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detective, Olivia Benson who investigates these vicious felonies is a leader of  members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are her stories."?

 

I hear that Mariska's agent proposed that last season (except they specified "THE leader"), but Dick Wolf didn't want to spend the money to redo it and wouldn't go for it so he let her come up with all the plots instead. They also wanted all the cast pictures to be the characters gazing adoringly at Liv or taking orders from her and the final shot to be her standing in the center of the squad room in a classic power pose while Ice-T stands behind her to the left and the rest of the cast is seated at the desks looking up at her. But again, it was too much money so they let her direct the 400th episode.

[Aethera]

Insanely, we don't have an Olivia topic, so I renamed this one as that's really what it's about, and voila. A topic to discuss Olivia in all her Maternal Glory.

[dttruman]

On 9/8/2017 at 9:18 AM, Aethera said:

Insanely, we don't have an Olivia topic, so I renamed this one as that's really what it's about, and voila. A topic to discuss Olivia in all her Maternal Glory.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this over the last couple of months, but Yahoo News service has picked up a few stories concerning Mariska Hargitay and her family. A couple of them did mention SVU and her husband's numerous appearances on the show. Was this an indirect attempt to put an idea into the viewers' head "to watch SVU this fall" and focus on "Benson".? I think it's even money, that we will see her husband make another guest appearance this season.

[dttruman]

On my TV-guide of my cable box, I jumped ahead to find out what the 1st episode for this season is about. It states "Finn crosses international borders to catch a fugitive rapist, and this causes a political tug-of-war which derails Barba's case. Meanwhile shocking allegations against Benson lead to a return of an old friend".

Over the last few years how many times have we seen or heard this "derails Barba's case"?

I wonder which plot line here will get precedence, the rape case or allegations against Benson?

[QueenMab]

I'm going with "all about Benson". And since Dean Winters is in this episode, he's probably the "old friend". Why do they insist on calling all the guys Benson has banged "friends"? ALL OF THEM. I mean, thats her MO. 

[wonderwoman]

What makes the incessant focus on Olivia and Noah all the more tiresome is that she never, ever,  behaves as a real parent would. She's never even raised her voice, much less lost her temper with her kid -- not even a glimmer of impatience.  A world of difference from how Stabler's home life was portrayed. I mean Hargitay has three kids IRL, so she must know that they've idealized parenthood in a most unrealistic way.  That she's an EP only highlights her ego. 

And this coming child abuse story looks to be unbearable. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by wonderwoman

[Gigglepuff]

1 hour ago, wonderwoman said:

What makes the incessant focus on Olivia and Noah all the more tiresome is that she never, ever,  behaves as a real parent would. She's never even raised her voice, much less lost her temper with her kid.  A world of difference from how Stabler's home life was portrayed. I mean Hargitay has three kids IRL, so she must know that they've idealized parenthood in a most unrealistic way.  That she's an EP only highlights her ego. 

And this coming child abuse story looks to be unbearable. 

She's a saint! 

[Joe Hellandback]

It has become the Olivia Benson show, I remember the poster a few season back was just her. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I've missed some episodes, but, have caught some bits and pieces. Can someone tell me the name of the episode in which Noah is almost hit by the car?.............................

Nevermind.  I think I found it.  I think it was the first episode this season.  

Edited November 8, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[ForeverAlone]

Yeah, let's just say that I wholeheartedly disagree with this article. I watch and love this show DESPITE Olivia these days, not because of her. I would welcome a deeper focus on the other characters (and minimal Noah of course). The endless Mariska ass kissing just makes me shake my head. They really don't either want to really acknowlege or care about the fanbases for the other characters.

 

http://eonline.com/amp/news/892539/law-order-svu-noah-and-brooke-shields-why-giving-mariska-hargitay-s-benson-a-son-is-the-show-s-best-move-in-years

Edited November 10, 2017 by ForeverAlone

[wonderwoman]

20 minutes ago, ForeverAlone said:

Yeah, let's just say that I wholeheartedly disagree with this article. I watch and love this show DESPITE Olivia these days, not because of her. I would welcome a deeper focus on the other characters (and minimal Noah of course). The endless Mariska ass kissing just makes me shake my head. They really don't either want to really acknowlege or care about the fanbases for the other characters.

 

http://eonline.com/amp/news/892539/law-order-svu-noah-and-brooke-shields-why-giving-mariska-hargitay-s-benson-a-son-is-the-show-s-best-move-in-years

Edited 16 minutes ago by ForeverAlone.

So wish readers could comment on this piece on the site. Think the author might be surprised.  

Edited November 10, 2017 by wonderwoman

[Xeliou66]

Benson is a completely unfit mother, it’s ridiculous that she would ever even be given custody of a kid. She’s never at home, Lucy is the one who apparently cares for Noah all the time, and Benson just puts him to bed. She’s going to screw him up as well with all of her worrying that he’s going to become a rapist. She’s a completely unfit mother, and I’m so sick of the Benson-Noah storyline but we’ve had it shoved down our throats every episode this year because MH wants to show off what a perfect mother she is and also how wonderful adoptive mothers are since she is one in real life, I guarantee that’s why Sheila and every other bio relative of Noah is made bad because she wants to only portray adoptive parents in a good light. What Mariska doesn’t realize is that she isn’t Benson and while she has a ton of money and adoption is easy for her it certainly wouldn’t be for a single woman who’s also a police officer full time, especially one who has no other relatives.

I’m so sick of how Barba has had his balls chopped off by Benson and he can’t seem to do anything without the guidance of the almighty St Olivia. We rarely get any courtroom scenes or anything with Barba when he isn’t around Benson.

And the whole Hallmark family feel of the show makes me sick. I wanted to throw up at the ending scene of episode 9, this isn’t L&O, this is a soap opera-family show about the trials and tribulations of Benson and Noah. We never saw everyone go to someone’s house and have some happy family gathering on any of the other L&O shows or on SVU until now, even when we had a bunch of Stabler and Amaro family bullshit we never saw the whole squad over at someone’s house talking about how much everyone loves everyone. Mariska’s delusional ego has taken over the show and ruined it, this is no longer a crime show, it’s a family soap opera. Too bad Dick Wolf is too focused on his Chicago shows to step in and make this show into L&O again.

[SunnyBeBe]

I haven't been watching lately for the reasons Xeliou66 states above.  I was wondering whether there would be any chance that Olivia would NOT be able to keep Noah.  The thought of her raising the child is heartbreaking.  I was actually hoping that something would happen to have him removed permanently. 

[Demian]

I kinda hate saying this, but Mariska Hargitay really, really, really needs to rethink her makeup and hair strategy for the new season.  She's really starting to look like Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

(Or maybe Sarah Huckabee Sanders is trying to look like her.  Whatever.  Olivia needs a new beauty strategy.)

Edited August 24, 2018 by Demian

[QueenMab]

Yeah, I've been describing MH's "hairdo" as the "thirteen year old runaway" look. From some of the new pics of them filming her hair is now side parted instead of a center part, but other than that, it's still long and stringy. And yeah, her lack of eyemakeup has just accentuated what I describe as her "dead, crazy woman eyes".  Personally, I think the chin length, layered bob she had after she took hedge clippers to her hair which magically resulted in a $1200 Paul Mitchell layered bob, was the most age appropriate, flattering hairdo she's had in a long time. I wish she had kept it and stop trying to have long glamorous "bed hair". Brutal but true.... she's too old for that look. She just looks messy, not professional.

[QueenMab]

Well kiddies...the Emmy noms are out. Let's see....Elizabeth Moss for "The Handmaid's Tale", Keri Russell "The Americans", Tatiana Mazslanky (?) , Sandra Oh....oh gee. No Mariska. Stiff competition there. Well, poop! I guess panting like she's having a panic attack, open mouthed silent movie faces, and whispering, just don't come up to the level of an Emmy winning actress. We could have told her that ( we did) ...oh well, I guess she has another decade to try again (?!?).

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, QueenMab said:

Tatiana Mazslanky (?)

Tatiana Maslany 

[QueenMab]

Thank you. Seen her, didn't know her name.

[cfinboston]

Did she won one for that insipid 911 episode?

[dttruman]

Part of episode 5 for season 20, states "A member of a women's empowerment group is found murdered, leading the cops to the group's charismatic male leader.". Does anybody see an obvious oxymoron here. A women's empowerment group with a charismatic male leader. Something tells me Benson will be pulling one of her many over dramatic stunts here. Will she be grandstanding the entire episode?

[AdorkableWitch]

5 minutes ago, dttruman said:

Part of episode 5 for season 20, states "A member of a women's empowerment group is found murdered, leading the cops to the group's charismatic male leader.". Does anybody see an obvious oxymoron here. A women's empowerment group with a charismatic male leader. Something tells me Benson will be pulling one of her many over dramatic stunts here. Will she be grandstanding the entire episode?

I think this is a ripped from the headlines story based on the cult that Smallville actress was in. 

[Josette]

1 hour ago, AdorkableWitch said:

1 hour ago, dttruman said:

Part of episode 5 for season 20, states "A member of a women's empowerment group is found murdered, leading the cops to the group's charismatic male leader.". Does anybody see an obvious oxymoron here. A women's empowerment group with a charismatic male leader. Something tells me Benson will be pulling one of her many over dramatic stunts here. Will she be grandstanding the entire episode?

I think this is a ripped from the headlines story based on the cult that Smallville actress was in. 

Yes, it definitely sounds like Nxivm. 

[dttruman]

It looks like the moderator took away the discussion concerning season 20 and it speculations and what not

It looks like we may have found Benson's next love interest. At the beginning of "Accredo" it looks like Benson is flirting with her trainer.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

On 9/20/2018 at 8:27 PM, cfinboston said:

Did she won one for that insipid 911 episode?

Yes.

[HunterHunted]

I watch this show and How to Get Away with Murder. Both shows feature absolutely terrible ludicrous plotting. However, the things that rescue How to Get Away with Murder from the dung heap are that HtGAwM has much better written dialogue and far superior acting. Additionally, Viola Davis and Peter Nowalk don't feel the need to give short shrift to the other actors/characters just because Viola is the star. It's not entirely surprising because Viola is a talented professional who respects the work of her colleagues. Also Viola likes to hone her craft by taking different projects across many entertainment mediums: film, TV, and Broadway. She also has an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony to show for her work. When was the last time Mariska took a non-SVU  or Dick Wolf adjacent roll? She's become really lazy. And it's not the show because Meloni took random film, TV, and theater roles during his run on SVU. 

[Gigglepuff]

On 8/25/2018 at 1:22 PM, shapeshifter said:

Tatiana Maslany 

Remember when a couple of seasons ago there was the big push from the writers, WL, a few others, and several stans to nominate MH for an Emmy? It was the year that Tatiana Maslany won for Orphan Black? She was onscreen almost all the time and played multiple characters (clones). I couldn't believe that anyone seriously felt that Mariska was in the same league. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I'm convinced those NBC staffers were payed to say MH deserved an Emmy that year. A dead person would have been able to see that Maslany could act circles around MH. 

[Aethera]

On 10/18/2018 at 10:18 PM, dttruman said:

It looks like the moderator took away the discussion concerning season 20 and it speculations and what not

It looks like we may have found Benson's next love interest. At the beginning of "Accredo" it looks like Benson is flirting with her trainer.

Sorry I just saw this. It's here, wasn't removed, just fell down the list from disuse :) You can totally discuss her potential love interests in this thread though, if you want!

[MrsRafaelBarba]

On 11/3/2018 at 1:15 AM, HunterHunted said:

I watch this show and How to Get Away with Murder. Both shows feature absolutely terrible ludicrous plotting. However, the things that rescue How to Get Away with Murder from the dung heap are that HtGAwM has much better written dialogue and far superior acting. Additionally, Viola Davis and Peter Nowalk don't feel the need to give short shrift to the other actors/characters just because Viola is the star. It's not entirely surprising because Viola is a talented professional who respects the work of her colleagues. Also Viola likes to hone her craft by taking different projects across many entertainment mediums: film, TV, and Broadway. She also has an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony to show for her work. When was the last time Mariska took a non-SVU  or Dick Wolf adjacent roll? She's become really lazy. And it's not the show because Meloni took random film, TV, and theater roles during his run on SVU. 

That's why I wasn't surprised Meloni landed firm on his feet post SVU.

 

Booking features and tv work.

 

As for Mariska's other projects, remember The Love Guru?

[HunterHunted]

19 hours ago, Gigglepuff said:

Remember when a couple of seasons ago there was the big push from the writers, WL, a few others, and several stans to nominate MH for an Emmy? It was the year that Tatiana Maslany won for Orphan Black? She was onscreen almost all the time and played multiple characters (clones). I couldn't believe that anyone seriously felt that Mariska was in the same league. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I'm convinced those NBC staffers were payed to say MH deserved an Emmy that year. A dead person would have been able to see that Maslany could act circles around MH. 

The thing I've always found unbelievable about Orphan Black, which had its own writing problems, is that you could watch an entire episode and forget that Tatiana Maslany hadn't had single scene with any other actors. She'd go 30 - 40 minutes only acting against herself as 2 or 3 different characters. It was wonderful to watch. Or James Nesbitt in Jekyll; Jekyll and Hyde looked and moved different even though the only physical difference was that one of characters slicked his hair back. No makeup changes. No costume changes. It was masterful.

Even if you liked Mariska, she was never any great shakes before. Now that she's got this producer weight to throw around, she's only gotten worse. I know she's started directing, but I actually think if she started writing she might actually figure out some of her lazy shortcuts as a performer.

I was in the Unpopular Opinions thread when we started talking about the X-Files and how Duchovny was actually a really great writer and director.

Or even a lot of the Star Trek actors from the spin offs. Most of them were ok actors, but many of them turned into really good directors, producers, and writers, especially when they branched out to shows that they weren't currently starring on. If she'd branch out a little more she'd realize that she's not even close to doing her best work as an actress, director, or producer.

[dttruman]

Just read a review of the "Alta Kockers" on TV Insider and apparently they insulted some people. I didn't even catch it myself. Hargitay apologized for the mistake.

 

https://www.tvinsider.com/734989/law-and-order-svu-return-alta-kockers-transgender/

[Xeliou66]

Some people just look for reasons to be offended IMO, I didn’t find anything offensive about the dialogue. This show has a massive pro SJW agenda in a lot of episodes because of MH’s influence, it gets tiresome.

[balmz]

svu has never been good with lgbt people or plots, they do really poor or offensive plots, my advice as someone who is lgbt? don'y include them in the show if you can't do a decent plot. FOr me I would rather not be included in the show if they aren't going to do lgbt plots right.

[dttruman]

On 12/14/2018 at 5:52 PM, balmz said:

svu has never been good with lgbt people or plots, they do really poor or offensive plots, my advice as someone who is lgbt? don'y include them in the show if you can't do a decent plot. FOr me I would rather not be included in the show if they aren't going to do lgbt plots right.

Would you say it's due to poor research and lack of good story telling skills?

[balmz]

Just now, dttruman said:

Would you say it's due to poor research and lack of good story telling skills?

more poor research then anything,  and forgetting a very basic thing i learned as a small child, if in doubt about someone who is very different, just treat them like a human being i.e. an equal 

[dttruman]

6 minutes ago, balmz said:

more poor research then anything,  and forgetting a very basic thing i learned as a small child, if in doubt about someone who is very different, just treat them like a human being i.e. an equal 

IMO, they have sacrificed proper research and good story telling, just so they can push a certain social or political issue. I have nothing against lgbt, liberal, or conservative issues, I just wish they would just tell it in a less skewed manner. It just seems like the top priority is to make Benson look good and then it doesn't matter what comes after that.

[balmz]

Just now, dttruman said:

IMO, they have sacrificed proper research and good story telling, just so they can push a certain social or political issue. I have nothing against lgbt, liberal, or conservative issues, I just wish they would just tell it in a less skewed manner. It just seems like the top priority is to make Benson look good and then it doesn't matter what comes after that.

indeed, tbh i get why people say the show has become sjw but i find this highly questionable. tbh they seem to just choose some plot or idea that will make mariska look best that week without doing proper or at least a small amount of research.

[dttruman]

I thought that we were critiquing the shows here accurately enough, but now I want to throw out another question that maybe something she is not directly responsible for. I may have asked this question before and I am too tired to go back and try and find it, so if I did please stop me. When SVU was granted another season, was there a stipulation that their budget and would be strictly enforced? This could explain some of the deficiencies concerning the quality of the episodes. Are the writers responsible for creating an episode, where remote shoots are frowned upon? We already have discussed the quality of the research for a couple the shows, but who is responsible for that? Bottom line, is it a successful episode to them, if it is brought in under budget?

[wknt3]

6 hours ago, dttruman said:

I thought that we were critiquing the shows here accurately enough, but now I want to throw out another question that maybe something she is not directly responsible for. I may have asked this question before and I am too tired to go back and try and find it, so if I did please stop me. When SVU was granted another season, was there a stipulation that their budget and would be strictly enforced? This could explain some of the deficiencies concerning the quality of the episodes. Are the writers responsible for creating an episode, where remote shoots are frowned upon? We already have discussed the quality of the research for a couple the shows, but who is responsible for that? Bottom line, is it a successful episode to them, if it is brought in under budget?

The budget has always been strictly enforced- this isn't ER or The West Wing. Dick Wolf is notoriously cheap and doesn't allow overages. What has been changing is the overall budget has been cut over the years to make it profitable for NBC and that Mariska has been getting more and more money. This is why the cast has been cut down, secondary characters get less screen time (instead of giving the actors raises), recurring characters have been eliminated, and there are fewer extras, fewer remote shoots, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they have even cut technical advisors and research.

[WendyCR72]

7 hours ago, wknt3 said:

The budget has always been strictly enforced- this isn't ER or The West Wing. Dick Wolf is notoriously cheap and doesn't allow overages. What has been changing is the overall budget has been cut over the years to make it profitable for NBC and that Mariska has been getting more and more money. This is why the cast has been cut down, secondary characters get less screen time (instead of giving the actors raises), recurring characters have been eliminated, and there are fewer extras, fewer remote shoots, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they have even cut technical advisors and research.

I think Dick Wolf wants to get the show's corpse to S21 (after denying the Mothership that goal, reportedly for the turd that was L&O: Los Angeles) and then maybe call it a day. And if that means filming a scene with a simple chair and light bulb for the scene, he'll pinch the pennies to make it happen.

[wknt3]

7 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I think Dick Wolf wants to get the show's corpse to S21 (after denying the Mothership that goal, reportedly for the turd that was L&O: Los Angeles) and then maybe call it a day. And if that means filming a scene with a simple chair and light bulb for the scene, he'll pinch the pennies to make it happen.

Oh he totally wants to break Gunsmoke's record and he will do anything to make it happen except spend his own money. I'm not sure he'll be willing to call it a day, since he's never let a series go quietly once it's made it to syndication and he's tried desperately to revive just about every L&O branded series that got cancelled, but it's certainly likely that NBC pulls a Criminal Intent and announces a final season and Mariska and the writers wrap it up while Wolf pitches SVU:TNG to all the streaming services and cable networks.

[dttruman]

I don't know how many people watch SVU on the USA channel, but I Just found out they are doing a marathon concerning episodes that deal with Hudson University. I was wondering if they have done this before or did they finally read some of our comments concerning Hudson University?

[SunnyBeBe]

Benson has disgusted me so much over the last few years, that I can't even watch vintage L&O SVU without feeling a little ill.  Just the sight of her on the screen is difficult watch.  And, these are seasons before I despised her. 

[SG11]

I can’t imagine anyone not being completely turned off by the shows development into The Olivia Benson SJW Hour. I mean, she could spend most shows pushing an agenda I agreed with and I wouldn’t be interested in that sort of bias either. I’ve watched this show and its reruns forever and when I watch older episodes of SVU and am reminded of what good writing and storytelling is compared to this leftist speech every week, it makes me sad.

And don’t get me started on the gun stuff. If you own a gun, you’re bad. When she chided blondie not to “get all Second Amendment” when she made a normal, valid point, that was it. I retired from 20 years in LE and I don’t know anyone who is as aggressively anti gun rights as Benson. Why doesn’t she work in Seattle?

its sad what this show has become, and it’s all Olivia. At least her biannual surgery gives us something to look forward to, although I do miss the Katlyn Jenner look she was going for awhile back.

[catlover79]

I forget what episode it was, but I howled laughing at the moment in S20 when Benson was trying to foil a store robbery (of all things) when the "bad guy" threw a pill bottle at her and it hit her in the face. Too bad that can't happen every episode. 😉😂

[dttruman]

On 6/7/2019 at 2:36 AM, catlover79 said:

I forget what episode it was, but I howled laughing at the moment in S20 when Benson was trying to foil a store robbery (of all things) when the "bad guy" threw a pill bottle at her and it hit her in the face. Too bad that can't happen every episode. 😉😂

They have to put in a little segment now and then to show Benson's tough cop persona. She can't be compassionate all the time and her "I know exactly how you feel as a victim and let me tell you why" speech would become too cliche.

Edited June 10, 2019 by dttruman

[catlover79]

10 hours ago, dttruman said:

her "I know exactly how you feel as a victim and let me tell you why" speech would become too cliche.

You mean it's not already? 😉

[dttruman]

6 hours ago, catlover79 said:

16 hours ago, dttruman said:

her "I know exactly how you feel as a victim and let me tell you why" speech would become too cliche.

You mean it's not already?

So true! That's one of her turnoffs for me concerning the show, she is almost always doing that. With this attempted Dirty Harry move, I guess they are just trying to clear the palate.