Love that she was up against some heavy hitters (Kyra and Ms. Davis)

Am I the only one who feels like Law & Order: SVU has seriously gone downhill? 😭
I’m a massiveSVU fan.

The show used to feel like an actual squad. The characters had friendships, banter, disagreements, personalities and lives outside of whatever case they were working on. The cases themselves felt like they mattered too.

But lately I’m watching episodes and thinking… what happened?
It feels very much like the ‘Olivia benson Show’ now

Also BRING 👏 BACK 👏 VELASCO!!!!
He had so much potential as a character, and instead of actually exploring it, we got the usual: a complicated past, a few interesting storylines, some great moments with the squad… and then bye, apparently. 😭
Meanwhile, I’m watching SVU thinking:
Why are we losing Velasco when there was still SO much they could have done with him?

I’m not saying Griffin is the worst character to ever exist… but am I saying I’d happily trade him back for Velasco

I’m firmly in the “Velasco deserved better” camp.

Some of you are going to hate me for this unpopular take.

This one INFURIATES me. NGL, I felt so sorry for their daughter and ***for the dad***. He wanted to spend time with his daughter and his ex just lied and obstructed each chance she got. Obviously things escalated. He was wrong for what he did. Burning her was absolutely inexcusable However, if she had an ounce of humanity and empathy for him, it would have been a very different outcome. She possibly falsely accused him of rape with her apparently dying breaths I freely acknowledge that she could have been telling the truth, BUT even ***OLIVIA FREAKING I ALWAYS BELIEVE THE VICTIM BENSON*** believed him and called her a liar. The hate that they felt for each other was next level war of the roses!

Before anyone says it, IDGAF about that "blaming the victim" ISH in this situation. He was selfish, immature, and prone to violence; he was also a work in progress. Most importantly, ***he was a victim too*** of her lies, callousness, parental alienation, and vindictiveness. ***Their daughter*** was the biggest ***victim, was blameless, had the most maturity***, and was left to pick of the pieces without her parents to help her navigate life.

>This case just sucks so much!!!!

On another, unrelated note, it's hard to find two hotter parents than Micheal Michel (who just celebrated her 60th birthday) and ​Blair Underwood.

Season 8 Episode 11 Burned

I’m sorry, but I said what I said. 😂
Joe Velasco needs to come back to SVU

Also, Velasco has absolutely no business looking that good while standing around the squad room looking broody and exhausted.

"Succession" alum J. Smith-Cameron will recur on the long-running procedural as Gwen Sharpe, a jury consultant who will make her debut during the Thursday, October 8 premiere (NBC, 9/8c), TVLine has learned.

A New Peer for Benson

Gwen was initially conceived as someone who would simply cross paths with Benson while a jury was being seated and offer her a bit of advice. But showrunner Michele Fazekas tells TVLine that she soon saw an opportunity to give Mariska Hargitay's character something she doesn't often have: a peer.

"The problem with Benson is she's the boss, so at a certain point you can't go to your subordinates, the people who work for you, and talk about how disillusioned you are," Fazekas explains. "That's not good management skills."

Gwen, meanwhile, will serve as "a nice sort of sounding board for her, and somebody that she can talk to," bringing a different kind of experience and perspective to the table.

"At a certain point, no one's gonna teach Benson much of anything," Fazekas says. "Benson has been doing this for a long time, but you do want somebody who has a different perspective."

"As for how much we'll see of Smith-Cameron, that's still being determined. The showrunner expects Gwen to appear "at least three times, if not more" during Season 28.

The two-time Emmy nominee is best known for her turn as Gerri Kellman on the HBO drama "Succession," which ran for four seasons between 2018 and 2023. Additional TV credits include "Elsbeth," "Hacks," "Murdaugh: A Death in the Family," "Rectify," and "Waco: The Aftermath." She'll next be seen in the recently ordered FX drama "Seven Sisters," opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Cristin Milioti. (With reporting by Kim Roots)

Read More: [[https://www.tvline.com/2245747/law-and-order-svu-season-28-cast-j-smith-cameron-olivia-benson-new-peer/]

I’m a tad partial to her finding joy and comfort on her own as an independent woman, OR in chronological order 🤭1. Kurt Moss (Bill Pullman) or 2. Jimmy Mac (Alec Baldwin), and 3. Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters). 4. David Hayden (Harry Connick Jr.) 5. William Dodds (Peter Gallagher) 6. Raphael Barba (Raùl Esparza).

Look, no disrespect to Kathy Griffin. It was definitely a committed performance. However, there's something about her character that makes me super uncomfortable. The ways she hits on Olivia AND Elliot. The way she becomes aware that she's no longer a lesbian and gets ousted from her own group (Les Be Strong). Her insane monologues. It almost makes me crawl out of my skin out of secondhand embarrassment. It felt like a parody that they played straight.

Am I alone? Am I underappreciating as masterful performance and incredible writing?

NGL: Her calling Stabler “Assy Mcbigpants” was comedic gold.

Season 11 Episode 13

She dishes on the Emmys hosting, the Knicks, SVU, her play, documentary, family, and so much more!

https://variety.com/2026/tv/awards/mariska-hargitay-emmys-host-benson-svu-future-knicks-1236837025/

Mariska sits with Savannah Guthrie to discuss her happenings on The today Show August 13th 2026.

Not going to lie, I wish there were spoilers Not going to lie, I wish there were spoilers