24 ‘SVU’ characters who ought to make a comeback

Dick Wolf will continue to produce television shows on NBC for at least three more years.

In what could be considered an unprecedented move, NBC renewed Wolf’s four shows Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a further three seasons. This will take each show into their eighth, 11^th, 10^th and 24^th season, respectively.

SVU in particular is notable for making history with its 21^st season, currently airing on NBC. The premiere of this season made it the longest-running primetime drama in television history. The show previously tied with the Mothership for that record and will continue to shatter it for three more years.

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— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 (@lawandordertv) February 27, 2020

Presumably, series star Mariska Hargitay will continue her role as Captain Olivia Benson, as she has since the show’s inception in 1999. Indeed, Hargitay is synonymous with the series itself and it’s as much her show as it is the people’s show. Her co-stars Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Jamie Gray-Hyder will likely return for future seasons as well.

In honor of SVU being renewed through Season 24 (#SVU24), here’s 24 characters who should make return appearances in the show. I think you’ll like my picks, especially those at the bottom of the list.

In no particular order:

Dr. Elizabeth Olivet

Dr. Olivet (Carolyn McCormick) has been a staple of the entire Law & Order franchise since 1991. She starred in several episodes of the Mothership in the 90s and has guest starred on several of the spinoffs, including SVU. Olivet was the franchise’s first psychologist and helped the detectives of the 2-7 solve crimes with her insight into the human psyche.

Rita Calhoun

Rita (Elizabeth Marvel) first appeared in season 14 as a formidable defense attorney and adversary of A.D.A. Barba and the SVU squad. She has represented some of the worst criminals on the show, and even represented Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) when Internal Affairs was investigating the death of William Lewis (Pablo Schreiber). Calhoun hasn’t appeared for some time on the show, but it would be fascinating to see her go up against Carisi (Peter Scanavino) in the courtroom.

Bayard Ellis

Bayard Ellis (Andre Braugher) first showed up in season 13, defending a black man accused of raping a white woman at gunpoint. Although on opposing sides of the law, he and Benson strike up an unlikely friendship. Benson even recommends Ellis to the wife of an SVU suspect. Ellis was a recurring guest star in season 13 and has appeared a handful of times since. It would be great to see him and Benson team up again.

Marvin Exley

“Marvin Exley. How do these guys always know who to get?” Cabot’s first assessment of Exley (Ron Rifkin) was accurate in describing the type of client Exley usually represents. Exley was shown as a high-priced defense attorney defending some truly disturbing people. He even represented Madam Delia Wilson, who accused Captain Cragen of murdering a prostitute. Exley appeared briefly in season 16, but is certainly due for a comeback.

Carolyn Maddox

One of the first lawyers of color to appear on SVU, Maddox (CCH Pounder) quickly proved herself as a capable defense attorney. She was not above using some frowned upon methods of ensuring justice for her clients, even threatening to out a judge as a rape victim during one case. Maddox even represented Stabler’s daughter Kathleen at one point, causing some friction with her frequent opponent in the law.

Jack McCoy

Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) is the franchise’s longest-running prosecutor. He served as EADA for 13 years on the Mothership before becoming District Attorney in 2007. McCoy was show as DA in the season 19 episode of SVU The Undiscovered Country. McCoy was last seen attempting to persuade Barba to stay with the DA’s office. It would be somewhat poetical to finally see McCoy retire from the DA’s office; he’s certainly earned a quiet retirement.

Dana Lewis

FBI agent Dana Lewis (Marcia Gay Hayden) was known for frequently going undercover. However, in her latest appearance in season 14, it’s revealed she had kept a decades-long secret of her murdering the fiancé of the man she loved. Wouldn’t be interesting if Lewis returned to SVU after serving a prison term and attempt to reclaim her name?

Chief William Dodds

Though Dodds (Peter Gallagher) has appeared in season 21, it was likely his last appearance for a while. His final act as the chief of all SVU boroughs was to make Benson the Captain of the Manhattan SVU squad, showing that he truly believed in her all along, despite their initial rocky relationship. It would be great to see Dodds check in with Benson to see how she’s doing and to see how he is adjusting to his new career.

Rebecca Hendrix

Hendrix (Mary Stuart Masterson) was brought in when Huang was on leave with the FBI (in reality BD Wong was starring on Broadway). She was introduced as a former police academy student who studied with Benson and ended up leaving the academy to become a psychiatrist instead. She frequently worked with the SVU squad and in her last appearance, she recommended to Cragen that Benson and Stabler had to keep working together unless he wanted to lose his two best detectives, despite them being “too close.”

Michael Cutter

Cutter (Linus Roache) was brought in from the Mothership as the new bureau chief of SVU ADAs in season 13. He worked alongside Cabot and Novak in prosecuting SVU cases, even taking the lead in the squad’s first case with Ellis as the defense counsel. He no longer appeared after episode Father’s Shadow and no explanation was given to his sudden disappearance. Perhaps he was taken down in the Delia Wilson scandal? Only a reappearance would tell us for sure.

Liz Donnelly

Donnelly (Judith Light) was the first bureau chief of SVU ADAs introduced on the show. She served as the supervisor to both Cabot and Novak before being elevated to judgeship in season seven. Donnelly briefly returned to the prosecutor’s table in season 10, where she prosecuted the case against a woman who had escaped imprisonment in the 1970s, which Donnelly had not let live down since. She last appeared in season 12, but no explanation was given for her exit.

Declan Murphy

We first thought Murphy (Donal Logue) was a major player in a gambling conspiracy. As it turns out, he was undercover, and he helped save Rollins’ (Kelli Giddish) shield. Later, Murphy was appointed temporary commander of SVU during the (second) William Lewis affair. Once that was done, he returned command of the squad to Benson to go undercover on another case. He later crossed paths with the SVU team during that undercover assignment and during that reunion, he and Rollins conceived Rollins’ first child Jesse, though Rollins told Murphy she didn’t need help from him. Murphy has never struck me as a guy who would stay away with such a big responsibility, so it’d be nice to see him return and try to have a relationship with his daughter.

 Calvin Arliss

Before Noah came along, Benson had already stepped into the role of mother, albeit temporarily, in season 12. She was given custody of Calvin Arliss (Charlie Tahan). His mother was a drug addict who relapsed when she learned she was the product of a rape of her mother. Calvin’s mother gave Benson custody of Calvin, though it was later revoked and Calvin went to stay with his grandparents. Calvin briefly appeared at Halloween the next year in the season 13 episode Missing Pieces, but he hasn’t been seen since. Wouldn’t it be something for Calvin to act as a big brother to Noah?

 Dr. George Huang

Dr. Huang (BD Wong) joined the SVU team early in the show’s run, becoming the squad’s resident psychiatrist. He would frequently diagnose the criminals the SVU squad arrested, and would diagnose the victims as well in order to better help the squad, and indeed the DA’s office, be prepared for what the defense could throw at them. Although Huang departed the show after season 12, he has made periodic appearances since. In his latest appearance, he went up against Benson and the rest of the squad and the last meeting was not a happy one. Perhaps it is time for Huang to redeem himself.

 Monique Jeffries

In the first season of the show, Jeffries (Michelle Hurd) was on-hand as an extra officer during the cases the SVU squad handled. She was given a leg up with the departure of Brian Cassidy, becoming Munch’s’ primary partner. This partnership was short-lived, however, as Jeffries later revealed to a department psychologist that she had a one-night stand with a man who was a suspect in a sexual assault case. This led to her dismissal from the squad and Fin Tutuola’s (Ice T) entrance, though Jeffries did appear in a handful of season two episodes, having transferred to the Vice Squad.

 

David Haden

Haden (Harry Connick Jr.) appeared in a four episode arc midway through season 13. He proved himself as a reputable prosecutor, one who worked so well with Benson that she ended up dating him. When their relationship was nearly exposed and Haden promoted to oversee Benson’s old cases, they broke it off to avoid a conflict of interest. Haden was the best match for Benson and though he resigned from the DA’s office in the wake of the Delia Wilson scandal, he was always a good guy and deserves a reunion with Benson.

 Dr. Melinda Warner

Our beloved Dr. Warner (Tamara Tunie) has appeared in nearly every season of SVU. She’s been a major player in many SVU cases, and was even a member of the main cast from season seven through season twelve. We’ve learned a lot about Warner over the years, including her military service, and it would be wonderful to learn even more about a character who has done so much for the squad.

Nick Amaro

The man who helped Olivia grow significantly during their partnership, Amaro (Danny Pino) was a hell of a cop. Though he would sometimes cross the line and would let his anger get the better of him, he always tried to see justice done. He was never perfect, but he came pretty close, especially when it came to his daughter Zara and later his long-lost son Gil. Amaro left because of an injury that would likely keep him on desk duty indefinitely and he left to get a clean start in California, where both of his children had moved with their mothers. It would be great to see Amaro back with the squad, even if just for an episode, to see how he’s doing and what’s he done in California.

 Rafael Barba

The first male ADA the squad worked with, Barba (Raul Esparza) proved himself as a tough-as-nails fast-talking prosecutor who was willing to do whatever it took to get justice, even if it made him unpopular. Barba quickly became close with the squad, particularly Benson, and became friends with all of them. He left the DA’s office after he was nearly prosecuted for murdering a baby (he took the baby off of life support at the request of the mother, but against the father’s wishes), realizing he was becoming too emotionally involved in cases. Barba recently appeared via video chat in a season 21 episode, revealing he was working in Iowa ahead of the caucuses. Perhaps Barba will run for Congress next and have the SVU squad vet him for the public?

 John Munch

Munch (Richard Belzer) joined the SVU squad following his retirement in Baltimore (the character originated on Homicide: Life on the Street). Known for his conspiracy theories and his blunt sense of humor, Munch would often provide comic relief for the dark cases the SVU squad investigated. Munch’s backstory was also expanded in SVU, and we learned just how much guilt he has over his treatment of his father before his father died by suicide. Munch retired from SVU in season 15, joining the DA’s office as a special investigator. He has reappeared a handful of times since his retirement, most recently babysitting Noah for Benson and teaching him to be a conspiracy theorist. SVU is certainly overdue from a visit from everyone’s favorite conspiracy theorist.

 Captain Don Cragen

SVU’s beloved first captain, Cragen (Dann Florek) was hired again by Dick Wolf for this spinoff after being fired from the Mothership in 1993. Cragen grew significantly during his time in SVU. He was shown as suspended three times because of his willing to go to bat for his people, always willing to stand behind his detectives and their work. In his last major storyline, Cragen was set up for the murder of a prostitute, who was a witness in an SVU case. He was eventually cleared and served out the remainder of his tenure with the NYPD before retiring in 2014. Cragen appeared once since then and it would be wonderful for him to see Olivia in his old role as captain.

 Casey Novak

In her first appearance on SVU, Diane Neal was on the opposite side of the law. She played a woman accused (with two other women) of raping a man. Neal’s character then helped the SVU squad make its case after making a deal. Neal would return two years later as ADA Casey Novak. Novak eventually became the franchise’s longest running female ADA (she held the title for both sexes until Barba surpassed her), serving for five consecutive seasons and appearing later in seasons 12 and 13. Novak was a tough prosecutor with a higher than average conviction rate. She’s formidable in the courtroom and is due for a reappearance.

 Alexandra Cabot

Cabot (Stephanie March) is the character who can’t stay away for long. She served as SVU’s ADA for three seasons before she was shot and left for dead by a Colombian drug cartel. Cabot returned to help put away the man who shot her before disappearing again. She briefly appeared in Conviction before returning to SVU in seasons 10, 11 & 13. Cabot most recently appeared in season 19, having retired as an ADA and now helps women who are abused disappear, sometimes faking their deaths. Though perhaps unethical, Cabot nevertheless wants to protect vulnerable women, a true testament to her character. Though she’s definitely needed in the courtroom again (perhaps working the prosecutor’s table with Novak).

 Elliot Stabler

Benson’s partner for 12 years, Stabler (Christopher Meloni) abruptly resigned in season 13 after he shot and killed a young girl who was shooting at SVU suspects who killed her mother. Stabler was a staple of the show for 12 years, and was something of a hero, though he was far from perfect. Stabler would let his emotions get the better of him and he often clashed with Benson, but they worked well together and got the job done as best as they could. It’s been nearly nine years since Stabler left; he could certainly make a reappearance and catch up with his long-term partner. Many of the fans have certainly demanded it.