SVU Season 1, 25 years later

Although Law and Order: SVU is going strong a quarter-century after its debut episode, several harsh realities about the first season become apparent upon rewatch. Law and Order: SVU is considered one of the best Law and Order series because of its commitment to supporting and empowering survivors. From the first episode, it was clear that the goal of this series was to give a voice to the victims of heinous crimes that aren't often talked about, and the show is often innovative in the way it takes sexual assault and similar crimes seriously.

That said, this long-term process It has changed over the years in many ways. Benson Law and Order: SVU The Season 26 crew features almost all new faces, and Mariska Hargitay is now the only cast member who has been on the series since its debut episode, as Ice-T joined at the beginning of Season 2 and everyone else is relatively new ones. That's why, it is not surprising that Law and Order: SVU It was very different during its first season than it is todayand many of the changes are for the better.

10

Law & Order: SVU's First Season Was Much Less Respectful of Gender Nonconforming People

SVU often used derogatory terms for men who wore women's clothing

Although recent episodes of Law and Order: SVU explored transgender issues in a respectful way, this was not always the case. Law and Order: SVU The first season sometimes contains language that today would be condemned as offensive when dealing with victims, witnesses or suspects who are transvestites or transgender. This is established early on with Munch's (Richard Belzer) reaction to discovering a male murder victim who may have been raped and had women's underwear stuffed in his mouth, which included questioning the man's identity using a slur.

The type of language used — along with the strangeness on the part of police officers in cases involving gay men — was common in 1999, when Law and Order: SVU it started. The intent of the procedure was likely to portray police officers as realistically as possible when trying to support survivors of sexual violence. Unfortunately, the zeitgeist did not allow this mission to treat LGBTQ+ survivors, especially those under the transgender umbrella, as equal to cisgender women. which constituted the majority of the surviving population in these early episodes.

9

Stabler often went too far to continue working for SVU

Stabler, letting his anger get the better of him was normal

Law and Order: SVUElliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) was always temperamental and often acted impulsively, characteristics that have not completely disappeared 25 years later. However, in season 1, he often crosses the line with witnesses and suspects. He often stands too close to suspects and his physical intimidation sometimes turns into actual violence, making it likely that confessions and other evidence would be rejected if it happened today due to the appearance of coercion.

Unfortunately, this kind of bad behavior on the part of law enforcement was more acceptable on television in 1999, and Stabler isn't the only character who would have to be toned down if the first season was rewritten. Stabler's behavior is a bit too much for his superiors, and he is sometimes reprimanded for it, but he doesn't face real consequences until the end of Season 1. Ironically, he gets in trouble for admitting that he had secret fantasies about killing pedophiles, rather than for anything he actually does when interacting with suspects.

8

Benson Often Violated Boundaries and She Was Vindicated for Her Intentions

Some of the ways Benson tried to help were inappropriate

Benson struggles with boundaries in Season 1, a recurring problem throughout the series but one that was particularly pronounced in the early episodes. In the series premiere, she needs to learn Captain Cragen's lesson that "we don't choose the victim[tim]."During this storyline, Benson engages in inappropriate behavior such as alienating a widow by informing her that her husband was a rapist. and that she better start talking about what she knows and questioning a suspect alone while Stabler is busy.

This behavior continues into later seasons, such as Season 2, which includes Benson being hit with a restraining order when she becomes overly involved in helping a young girl who claims she was abused by her parents. This trend has also returned, considering Benson's obsession with the Flynn family in season 25. However, it is particularly pronounced in season 1 when Benson's overstepping of boundaries was often attributed to her being new to the Special Victims Unit.

7

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Had Much Less Victim Diversity

Most of the victims at the beginning of SVU were white cisgender women

Law and Order: SVU has offered more diverse stories in recent years, with victims of various genders, races and sexual orientations. However, Law and Order: SVU The first season is mostly about white cisgender women who were assaulted by men. This was a problem that would take many years to resolve and reflected the lack of diverse representation on television in the early 2000s.

That said, there was some effort at diverse representation even during this initial season. One episode features a victim who could be a transvestite and another features a gay man. There is also an episode near the end of the season that revolves around a man who was once a victim and who was now abusing young boys. However, these episodes were in the minority and were based, to some extent, on stereotypes, diluting their power.

6

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Didn't Take Male Victims All That Seriously

SVU's First Significant Male Victim Storyline Doesn't Occur Until Season Three

Technically, there was a male victim in Law and Order: SVUDebut episode of, when the story begins with a taxi driver who was stabbed and castrated. However, the focus of this episode quickly shifted to the fact that the victim was a rapist who was likely attacked by one of his victims, making it difficult for Benson to take his case seriously. This story established the new series as a show for survivors – however, although some of Law and Order: SVUThe saddest episodes revolve around male victims, they don't happen in the first season.

During the first season, the only male victims featured were LGBTQ+ men, reinforcing stereotypes that gay and trans men are weak and that only weak men become victims of this type of crime. The only exception to this problem occurs in “Nocturne,” which involves a man victim of child sexual abuse who grows up to molest children himself. This episode is closer to the inclusion type Law and Order: SVU would embrace later, but focuses on the problem of abused boys becoming abusive men, rather than men and boys being abused.

5

Benson's mother could have added more to the story if she survived

After appearing in the pilot, Serena Benson disappears until her death in season 2

Serena Benson (Elizabeth Ashley) is only seen in the premiere episode of Law and Order: SVU. She appears in a short scene where she tells her daughter: “I would like you to consider leaving that unit."This appears to be part of an ongoing argument between Benson and her mother, who does not think it is good for her daughter's mental health to work for the Special Victims Unit. Additionally, Serena acts as a sounding board for the case, pointing out that she, too, would have killed her rapist if given the opportunity.

It's a shame that Serena was cut from the cast after the first episode and killed off-screen in the following season. The conflict between Olivia Benson and her mother over her work is compelling, and Serena's death later leaves Benson without a family. Not only would Serena have been an effective sounding board and semi-supportive character throughout the series, but her reaction to Olivia's encounter with her half-brother years later would have made the drama stronger.

4

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Writing Jeffries

Michelle Hurd's character was dropped at the beginning of season 2

Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd) could also have been a powerful addition to the Law and Order: SVUcast, but unfortunately her character was not developed properly. She is the first black detective in Law and Order: SVU and could have been a good partner for Munch; the two worked together occasionally, but were never permanently joined. Instead, the character was only used in small roles, making it clear that she would be written out eventually. Hurd opted out at the beginning of Season 2, and her character's exit is extremely disappointing.

After a traumatic experience, Jeffries begins acting recklessly and is placed in a desk job because she admits to sleeping with a suspicious ex, which leads her to quit her job. Although his behavior is punished, Stabler is eventually exonerated and reinstated after also being suspended for admitting to fantasies about killing criminals, making Jeffries' departure twice as unfair. The only silver lining is that Jeffries was replaced by Fin (Ice-T), who has been a fan favorite for the past 24 years. Regardless, it's obvious that Jeffries had more potential than was ever utilized during his short tenure.

3

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Made It Clear That Stabler and Benson Didn't Intend to Be a Couple

Stabler was a family man whose main concern was his wife and five children

Stabler's home life during Law and Order: SVU the first season gave the series a somewhat similar feel to Blue Bloodas each episode has a subplot involving a problem with one of Stabler's teenage daughters that he and his wife had to try to resolve. Although Stabler's professional obligations, especially those involving Benson, sometimes irritate his wife, there is little indication that his marriage is unhappy or that he wants more from Benson than a solid working partnership.

Stabler and Benson had obvious chemistry from the start, but that was not important to Stabler. He was married, had children, and had no romantic interest in Benson. Later in Stabler's original run in Law and Order: SVUThings got more ambiguous, but the types of storylines he was given in the first season make it clear that the writers didn't intend for Benson and Stabler to become anything close to a couple.

2

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Technology Ages the Show

There were no smartphones and digital tools available at that time

It's hard to believe how much technology has evolved since the first season of Law and Order: SVU. While there were cell phones and the Internet, there were no smartphones or apps, and DNA testing wasn't as advanced. The relative lack of technology means that the first episodes of Law and Order: SVU feel like relics of a previous time even though they were filmed only 25 years ago. One such reminder occurs when Cragen (Dann Florek) tells Munch not to "waste time"looking for things in an Internet archive — something that is now part of routine investigations.

1

Law & Order: SVU Season 1 Crew Judged Prostitutes and Other “Disgusting” Victims More

SVU began to treat all victims with respect

Law and Order: SVU has always featured sex workers as victims and witnesses, but the first season often doesn't treat these people with respect. The team frequently discusses the possibility of someone being involved in sex work using derogatory language, and cases involving these types of victims are not taken as seriously. The series stopped short of suggesting that sex workers were to blame for their plight, but it didn't consider those cases equally worthy of the team's time.