What's in Store for Law and Order: SVU Season 22

In light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the attention being brought to police brutality many people are calling for the defunding or reformation of the police. Some people also want cop shows to end, worried that these shows glorify police too much or make brutality seem okay.

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit has been one of the most well known and loved cop shows through the years, focusing on sex crimes and bringing victims to justice. It just finished it’s 21st season and was recently renewed for an astounding three more seasons. Since day one Olivia Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay) has been lauded and admired by many as a voice for survivors and for justice. Mariska Hargitay has made SVUs mission her own, when she founded The Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004. It’s mission, to “ transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.”

The show’s writers room had already been hard at work planning how to include the pandemic in their upcoming season, including the increase in domestic violence it has caused. Now the writers, headed up by showrunner Warren Leight, are finding ways to include George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests in the coming season.

In The Hollywood Reporter’s TV’s Top 5 podcast Warren Leight candidly discussed how throughout season 21 he made a conscious effort to have a more diverse writers room and cast. Especially with the introduction of Kat Tamin, a new face in the squadroom who is a bisexual Lebanese American woman. In the writers room he has introduced new individuals, some of whom have never written for TV before. “I think we’ve tried really hard in the last year to show how class and race affect the outcomes of justice in society,” said Leight.

As SVU looks towards it’s 22nd season they need to be even more intentional with the type of stories being told. Leight explained that they cannot have a bad cop in every episode but there are other ways to show the impact of our current cultural climate. For example, since the show is told from a cop's perspective it will show how trial is navigated differently when the jury doesn’t trust the police. Leight added, “I think we’re trying to depict how justice should be handled for victims and for perps. Olivia makes mistakes...but she’s empathetic, which is I think what separates the cops on our television show from what we’re seeing these days.”

Leight also touched on the hero cop belief, discussing the importance of the cop’s on SVU showing what justice could and should look like, but also showing what the current reality is. However, in showing that reality he voiced his concerns, “A flawed cop with a tendency towards violence who’s glorified, to me, is a real recipe for legitimizing police brutality.” Leight freely admitted that especially in earlier seasons of the show violence and brutality were more often portrayed, he believes that that needs to stop on cop shows everywhere. People need to stop making this violence seem normal or okay because it is neither of those things.

What has set SVU apart throughout the years is that they show what the justice system could and should be. More often than not justice is served on the show, but in reality 995 out of 1000 rapists walk free. The police on SVU believe survivors and are a voice of hope and healing for millions. In general, this is not how the criminal justice system in the United States works, often survivors are blown off or not believed. As season 22 approaches the aim is to continue telling stories of survivors being believed and justice being served. They plan to continue showing what justice should look like, while also showing the realities of our broken system.

Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi

It’s Been 15 Years Since *That* Iconic Grey’s Anatomy Scene

From the very beginning Grey’s Anatomy has been a massive success, drawing in millions of viewers. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t well known when Grey’s first started but has since blossomed into one of the most successful screenwriters in the country, known for putting everyone straight into their ‘feels.’ This past week marked the 15th anniversary of one of the most iconic scenes of Grey’s Anatomy, and quite possibly one of the most iconic scenes in the history of television.

Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo has been the star of the 16 season plus hit drama. At the culmination of its widely successful first season Meredith found out that her boyfriend, Derek Shepherd AKA McDreamy (played by Patrick Dempsey) was married. In the infamous scene Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh traveled to Seattle from New York to come get her wayward husband. She went to the hospital to find him and ended up walking in on Meredith and Derek who were about to leave together on a date. Addison responded with this phenomenal line, “You must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband.” Leaving Meredith and all Grey’s Anatomy fans stunned.

Earlier this week Kate Walsh tweeted about the anniversary of this scene saying, “Unreal that today marks 15 years ago to the day since this little lady walked on to your screen and checked ya for screwing her husband.” Ellen Pompeo quickly responded saying, “Thank god I messed with your hubby!! It worked out well for us both!!! Love you so much and THAT scene...when your character showed up...was such a defining moment for this show. From that point on we had them hooked!!!” As if that wasn’t enough Kate put her own twist on the popular twitter challenge, sharing a meme of what their hopes and plans were and what 2020 has ended up being. She shared a picture of Meredith and Derek, saying “my plans:” and a picture of Addison coming saying, “2020:”

From the very beginning Grey’s Anatomy has been a hit, to this day it’s still going strong. In fact, April 9th was the last episode of the 16th season, a season which was cut short like many other shows due to the COVID 19 pandemic. However, don’t fear, Grey’s Anatomy is set to have a 17th season once things are able to resume for filming. Even though Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, now works for Netflix and even 15 after that scene aired, Shonda still has the power to put fans and her actors right back in their feels. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi

Killing Eve Star, Sandra Oh Killing Fashion in her Latest Photo Shoot

Sandra Oh has been a household name for years, known in the industry for many roles. Most notably, for playing Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy for 10 seasons and now rogue agent, Eve Polastri, on the cat and mouse spy thriller, Killing Eve. Sandra brings a depth of talent, dedication and rawness to each character that makes her captivating to anyone lucky enough to watch her.

Killing Eve is known for its amazing fashion, especially in terms of career assassin, Villanelle, strutting her stuff in Chloé suits and J.W. Anderson jackets. Her outfits boast bright colors, unique textures, and all the latest in fashion. Sandra’s character, however, sticks to more earthy tones, baggy clothing, and turtlenecks. There is a definite clothing discrepancy between Eve and Villanelle, one of intention of course. Sandra joked, “It kills me...I go into wardrobe and see that bitch’s clothing, and I’m just like, ‘Can I get something above Uniqlo? No?” Sandra had a chance to display her own fashion brilliance in a photo shoot for Elle, Canada which will be featured in June’s issue. Sandra graces the cover in sequined Gucci, and inside there is an interview in which Sandra talks about everything from Killing Eve, to social media, and Hollywood representation. Also featured are numerous jaw dropping looks from the Elle photo shoot.

Gucci is definitely a highlight of the shoot, both the cover as well as one of the looks inside boast gorgeous sequined Gucci looks. Another look was made complete with a satin dress from Christopher Kane and heels from Versace. Still another boasts a billowing taffeta dress by Valentino. Possibly my favorite look of all is the silk shirt and leather skirt from Louis Vuitton.

Sandra Oh is an immensely talented actress, she’s genuine, enthusiastic, charismatic, and has classy fashion sense to boot. Read more about it in the Elle Canada June issue, https://www.ellecanada.com/culture/celebrity/sandra-oh-elle-canada-cover-interview-

Report: Rebecca Vanderkool

Amy Poehler at the Center of "Parks and Recreation" Special

When stay-at-home orders were just beginning to be enforced a tweet began circulating that said, “Leslie Knope would have a binder for this.” Unfortunately, the champion-of-the-people character from “Parks and Recreation” isn’t around to help in these trying times, but fans were treated to the next best thing.

The cast reunited to film a special episode from their separate homes in which the characters check in on each other via Gryzzl, a fictional internet company from the show that serves the same function as Zoom, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Knope, played by Amy Poehler, has a daily chain in which she checks in on one of her friends using Gryzzl, in this case Ron Swanson, played by Nick Offerman, who then checks in on another character. A simple premise, but it gives the viewer a chance to see how each character from the show is coping during the pandemic. One of the show’s greatest strengths was the chemistry between some of its characters, such as that of Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle who are played by Aziz Ansari and Retta, respectively, and the one-on-one interactions that take place over Gryzzl show that the chemistry is still there despite this being the show’s first episode in more than five years. That feat is made all the more impressive given the fact that each cast member recorded their lines without interacting with each other.

Unsurprisingly, Knope has the most screen time of all the characters. Just like she did throughout the series, Knope embodies the warm, fuzzy, goofy spirit of the show which, despite a much different production method, is felt throughout the episode and is a much-needed respite from the real-life consequences of the pandemic.

The highlight of the episode is the entire cast coming together for a rendition of “5,000 Candles in the Wind,” an ode to Li’l Sebastian who is the famous miniature horse from the show’s fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Longtime fans understand the significance of the song and hearing it again during our current real-life circumstances is enough to bring those fans to tears.

The show was also made with the intention of benefiting Feeding America’s COVID-19 response. In total, the episode raised approximately $2.8 million for the organization. The episode is currently streaming on Hulu and NBC’s website.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia and Flickr user BagoGames

Report: Michael Rosen

Chris Meloni Set to Return to Law and Order: Special Victims Unit for the Season 22 Premiere

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit just finished it’s 21st season lead by star Mariska Hargitay who's been a part of the show from the beginning. This season broke the record for TV’s longest-running prime time live-action series. For the first 12 seasons Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay starred alongside Elliot Stabler, played by Chris Meloni. However, at the end of season 12 Chris’s character, Elliot, was in a controversial shooting which led to his sudden departure from the squad. Leaving Olivia Benson confused and heartbroken because he didn’t even reach out to her about his leaving.

Recently, news came out that Chris Meloni will be reprising his role as Elliot Stabler in a new Law and Order spinoff show dealing with organized crime. Production was halted before it could start due to the coronavirus, but the current thought is that once SVU starts shooting for season 22, Chris’s new show will also begin.

This past Friday SVU showrunner, Warren Leight confirmed through the SVU official podcast that Elliot Stabler will be making an appearance in the season 22 SVU premiere. SVU’s season was cut short due to the pandemic, but Leight explained that the plan had been to bring back Elliot Stabler’s family, most likely son and wife for the SVU finale to segway into Elliot’s returning in season 22. Since that was not able to happen, there is much speculation about how Elliot will be brought back and how they will explain his 10 year disappearance.

There are mixed reactions among fans about Elliot’s return. Some people are excited and hope to see a lot of Elliot Stabler on SVU, and crossovers with his new show. Others hope for a romance between him and Olivia, one that some have been hoping for since season 1. Some are upset because he betrayed Olivia by disappearing without a trace even though he claimed that she was his best friend. In addition, they cite the immense character growth in Olivia since Elliot left.

Although there are varying opinions one thing is certain, Elliot Stabler's return to SVU will definitely shake things up for the squad. We look forward to Chris’s new show and to Mariska led SVU season 22 as well as any crossovers and interaction between the two shows.

Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi

Fumero’s Physical Comic Skills on Full Display in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season Finale

One of the arcs of the seventh season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is the impending birth of Sergeant Amy Santiago’s, played by Melissa Fumero, and Detective Jake Peralta’s, played by Andy Samberg, first child. It comes as no surprise that the birth of the married couple’s son was one of the central storylines in the show’s season finale.

A blackout hits Brooklyn just before Santiago’s water breaks while Peralta and his best friend Charles Boyle, played by Joe Lo Truglio, are out investigating the cause of the blackout. They try to make it back in time for the birth of the baby via a party bike, while back at the police station Santiago tries to juggle managing blackout protocol and holding off on the birth until Peralta arrives.

Fumero, who herself was pregnant during filming and gave birth to her second son on Feb. 14, 2020, gives a typical solid performance, balancing the serious tone her character would take in that situation very well with the physical and facial expressions that come with being on the verge of giving birth. In general, Fumero has always done a great job of incorporating humor into a usually very uptight character.

Santiago, a female Cuban-American in a position of power, is one of many characters on the show who subtly challenge the double standards we have seen in television characters for decades. Perhaps most notably it has created LGBTQIA+ characters, such as Detective Rosa Diaz played by Stephanie Beatriz and Captain Raymond Holt played by former “Homicide: Life on the Street” star Andre Braugher, whose sexualities are not an overly exaggerated trait of their personalities.

The show was renewed for an eighth season last November, which may very well be the show’s last. Still, its been one of the more consistently enjoyable shows on television for the better part of the last decade, and its nice that its series finale, come season eight or at a later season, will have the necessary time to give the series a fitting end, something that would not have been the case had the show remained cancelled after Fox dropped it following its fifth season.

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Report: Michael Rosen

The Must See Binge-Worthy Series Is Here!

If you haven’t done so already, make sure to tune in to Red Bull’s second season of “The Cut” hosted by record producer, OG Parker! It’s a must-see television series you don’t want to miss! This binge-worthy series consists of 18 unsigned songwriters and producers who must work together to come up with a smash hit. Did I mention that they all are meeting each other for the first time? With only 10 hours to spare, each group has to come up with the best song to present to one another. Here’s the twist! After each group present their song, they have to come to a vote on who should proceed to the next round and cannot vote for themselves. Who will make it to the final round and win the grand prize?

The cast includes: Adonis The Greek, Charlie Shuffler, Cryssy Bandz, Desta Dawn, Errol Bangz, Jeleel!, Jermaine Elliott, Jess Carp, Jon Swaii, Kid Lennon, Mother Wata, Ramii, Relaye, Ta$ha Catour, Versus XX, Xian Bell, Ye Ali, and Zil. While some groups had an instant music connection, others weren’t so lucky. Find out how each artist overcomes their battle and the wonderful music they’ve created on https://www.redbull.com/us-en/shows/the-cut !

Photo Credits: Red Bull & Instagram: ogxparker

Report: Jessica Tamay

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