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
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