Since first appearing as Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU in 1999, Mariska Hargitay has brought the character to many other Dick Wolf shows.
Since first appearing as Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU in 1999, Mariska Hargitay has brought the character to many other Dick Wolf shows. Benson has been on an incredible journey in SVU, eventually rising to the rank of captain after years of dangerous and thrilling cases. Hargitay quickly became one of the standout performers on the show when it first aired, and her consistency has given her an even more important role on SVU. Season 25 of Law and Order: SVU is on the way, and Hargitay shows no signs of slowing down.
Due to Hargitay’s star power, she is often used as a draw when other Dick Wolf shows need some extra attention. This has been most evident in her appearances on Law and Order: Organized Crime in the last couple of years. Organized Crime reunites Benson with Elliot Stabler, her long-time partner on SVU. The compelling chemistry Hargitay shares with Christopher Meloni helped SVU become a hit, and it’s doing the same for Organized Crime. But Olivia Benson has also shown up in a number of other Dick Wolf shows to help tackle complicated investigations.
Olivia Benson’s first appearance outside of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit wraps up the loose ends of a case she had been investigating on SVU, in an episode also called “Entitled.” Benson makes a tough opponent for ADA Jack McCoy in a trial that airs the dirty laundry of a politically influential family. SVU was still in its first season, and it’s interesting to look back now and see how Olivia Benson changes on SVU in the following years.
When Olivia Benson first crossed over into Law and Order, her partner Elliot Stabler came along with her. In the episode immediately following “Entitled,” the duo have to investigate a woman whose boyfriend is charged with murdering her sister and one other victim. While the prosecution relies on her testimony, Benson and Stabler suspect that she may also have some involvement or knowledge about the murders that she is keeping hidden, and they must try to uncover it before the trial.
Law and Order: Trial by Jury didn’t enjoy the longevity of many other shows in the Law and Order franchise. It only ran for a single season in 2005. In episode 11, “Day,” Benson and Stabler help ADA Kibre to prosecute a serial rapist who uses his wealth and influence to sweep his crimes under the rug. The defendant can afford the very best legal representation, and they aren’t above intimidating witnesses, so the prosecution have to do all they can to present an airtight case.
Five years after her last appearance on Law and Order, Mariska Hargitay had already become a recognizable TV star. “Flaw” wraps up a story from the SVU episode “Design,” which had aired just a day earlier. An undialed cell phone number found in a homicide victim’s hand turns out to be Benson’s number, so she is called in to assist the investigation. The perpetrators are found to be a mother-daughter team of con artists who Benson had previously let slip through her fingers. “Flaw” is notable for being Odafin Tutuola’s first episode in Law and Order.
Mariska Hargitay’s first appearance on Chicago P.D. came in the third part of a crossover event which also featured SVU and Chicago Fire. Olivia Benson, Amanda Rollins and Nick Amaro from the SVU are brought in by the intelligence unit to investigate a mysterious pedophile ring. Although Stabler isn’t there, the team work together to bring down the perpetrators. Benson’s expertise in interrogation is key to solving the crime, especially her wealth of experience with the delicate nature of special victims cases.
Mariska Hargitay has only appeared in one episode of Chicago Fire so far, despite the show running for 11 seasons. In “We Called Her Jelly Bean,” Benson travels to Chicago when an apartment fire uncovers a rape and an attempted murder which seem to be linked to an unsolved case in New York City. The episode is the first of a three-part crossover event which also features Chicago P.D. and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
One day after the Chicago Fire episode “We Called Her Jelly Bean,” the crossover event continued with an episode of Chicago P.D. Benson calls in Fin and Amaro to assist her with the investigation, and the harrowing details of the case slowly start to unravel. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, and the story doesn’t conclude until the SVU episode “Daydream Believer”. The episode features an introduction which mimics SVU, with its voiceover about the criminal justice system.
Following on from the events of the SVU episode “Nationwide Manhunt,” Benson and Fin travel to Chicago to track down a convicted murderer who escaped from prison in New York. Gregory Yates is especially dangerous because he isn’t just trying to free himself from incarceration. He also wants to continue his killing spree, which had been targeting members of the Chicago police. The episode also features Ethan Choi and Wallace Boden, who crossover from Chicago Med and Chicago Fire respectively.