These episodes have the correct amount of Law and Order. Welcome to MsMojo, and today, we’ll be counting down our picks for the most beloved “Law & Order: SVU” episodes that had the biggest impact on its fanbase. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
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00:00I'm sorry for what happened, sir. I really am.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most beloved Law & Order
00:10SVU episodes that had the biggest impact on its fan base. Warning, spoilers ahead.
00:16He said he was greater than God, but nobody is.
00:25Some of the hardest-hitting SVU episodes reveal the complexities of the legal system.
00:29And this one is no exception. Here, justice is served, but not in the way we hope.
00:35When billionaire Billy Tripley's indecent behavior toward young victim JJ comes to light,
00:40he's arrested and interrogated by the police.
00:42You're just loving them, right?
00:44Yes, but not in the sick way you're thinking. I don't think that way.
00:49There's nothing more natural and more beautiful than loving a child.
00:52You're sick.
00:53However, after a second set of allegations are ultimately revealed to be false,
00:58Billy manages to escape accountability.
01:00The episode offers an insightful look into how the law can be manipulated,
01:04and also highlights corruption and bad parenting,
01:07as JJ's parents prioritize Billy's hush money over their son's well-being.
01:11By the end, you'll likely feel angry and frustrated,
01:15a testament to how true to life the story is.
01:18I've been vindicated, but the real winners are the children.
01:22One of these kids is gonna be his next victim.
01:25It's sick.
01:26Number 19. Identity.
01:28After a botched circumcision in infancy,
01:31Lindsay, who was born male, was subsequently raised female by their parents.
01:35Lindsay doesn't find out about this until much later,
01:38and the revelation upends their life,
01:40leading them to revert back to their original genetic gender.
01:43It also brings to light the horrible treatment
01:45that both Lindsay and twin brother Logan endured
01:48at the hands of their therapist, Dr. Blair.
01:50It was important to differentiate their gender roles.
01:53Hers had to be learned.
01:54But there was nothing wrong with Logan. Why was he there?
01:57He had to be there. They're identical twins,
01:59which makes him the perfect experimental control.
02:01But before Blair can be held accountable by the legal system,
02:05one of the siblings takes justice into their own hands.
02:08Identity examines the ugly side of unchecked power,
02:11highlighting how Blair's toxic influence ruined the lives of the siblings
02:15and their parents, and ultimately led to his own demise.
02:18He's only answering to Luke now.
02:20We've been grilling them for hours. Their stores are locked.
02:22I went to a movie together. They got the ticket stubs to prove it.
02:25Double feature. Alibis one of them through the time of the murder.
02:30Sexual assault is a difficult topic to address,
02:32but it's always important to raise awareness about it.
02:35SVU tackles this in Undercover by having Olivia pose
02:39as a prison inmate to catch the perpetrator.
02:41Let me give you some advice, hon.
02:44Don't mouth off to the officers. They don't mess around.
02:46That's exactly what he was doing.
02:48Yeah, well, you're lucky. He could have done a lot worse.
02:50The episode looks into mistreatment from authority figures
02:53as a prison guard is revealed to be the guilty party.
02:56Despite the constraints of network TV, Undercover makes for uncomfortable viewing,
03:01complete with prison brutality and extreme harassment.
03:04Even the usually tough and gritty Olivia finds herself buckling under pressure,
03:08as the storyline captures the helplessness
03:10any person might experience in such a situation.
03:13Fortunately, the episode delivers a satisfying conclusion,
03:17with the antagonist getting his due punishment and then some.
03:20He's gonna get his own cell soon.
03:22I got nothing to say to you. Talk to my lawyer.
03:25You first. You're gonna need him.
03:28Morton. Get him out of my prison.
03:32After so many years on the air,
03:34some fans might think they've got law and order figured out.
03:37However, episodes like Hot House prove that's far from the case.
03:41Here, the circumstances behind a young victim's death stump the team.
03:45The more they investigate, the further they go down the rabbit hole.
03:49What initially appears to be a trafficking case
03:52turns into a disturbing tale of peer pressure and parental maltreatment.
03:56It was one of my dad's pedagogical techniques.
04:00Two lines are perpendicular if and only if
04:04the product of their slop is a negative one.
04:07Hot House might go around in circles, but it keeps us invested throughout.
04:12Like other high-impact episodes,
04:14this one divides viewers between sympathizing with the antagonist
04:17and wanting to see them face justice.
04:19An insanity plea?
04:20That's the last stop for every hack lawyer too stupid or lazy
04:23to prepare a credible defense.
04:25But if the facts support it, it's a winner.
04:27Your girl missed a nap that doesn't justify murder.
04:30Though the resolution isn't the most fulfilling,
04:33it effectively shows that sometimes,
04:35cases like these are never simply black and white.
04:3916. Alternate
04:41Crime fiction has long been fascinated by the topic of multiple personalities,
04:45whether on TV or in films like Primal Fear.
04:48Law & Order SVU explores this concept in Alternate,
04:51where a woman named Janice Donovan becomes the primary suspect
04:55in the murder of her own parents.
04:56Things get complicated after she displays signs of dissociative identity disorder,
05:01making it difficult to hold her accountable.
05:09-"I know. It's really crazy, huh?"
05:15For most of the episode,
05:16viewers are led to sympathize with Janice and her sister,
05:19until everything is suddenly flipped on its head by the end.
05:22Alternate shows that a narrative structure like this is always gripping,
05:26as the twist allows fans to revisit the entire episode,
05:30amplifying its impact and replay value.
05:33-"I was good, wasn't I? Janice caught you in my web."
05:38-"I'm starting to feel integrated.
05:40I guess I'll be getting out of here pretty soon."
05:42-"Shut up, Janice."
05:43-"It's okay, Kaz. Double jeopardy's attached.
05:47There's nothing they can do to me."
05:4815. Authority
05:50-"The court can find you a lawyer."
05:52-"Oh, some court-appointed hack.
05:54A mouthpiece who will sleepwalk through a trial,
05:57a client who won't make him rich or won't have the book rights for it?
06:00No, thank you. Thank you."
06:01Who doesn't love Robin Williams?
06:04Probably anyone who's only seen him on SVU.
06:07In the aughts, the actor took on darker roles,
06:10like in Insomnia and the SVU episode Authority.
06:13Williams' character Merritt Rook deliberately breaks the law,
06:16driven by a deep-seated hatred for authority figures.
06:20As the episode progresses, Rook's crimes escalate,
06:23each being more intense than the last.
06:25-"I'm in charge now.
06:29So sit down and listen.
06:34Sit down!"
06:36As with any other Law & Order antagonist,
06:38Rook's backstory reveals a complex reason for his actions,
06:41adding a human element to the character.
06:43Despite the compelling backstory,
06:45his face-off with Stabler and Benson still has us firmly rooting for the heroes.
06:50Williams lives up to his A-list reputation here,
06:53playing a villain who is both detestable and deeply nuanced.
06:5814. Scavenger
07:00Stakes are inevitably raised when it's a race against time.
07:03This fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping episode
07:06has the team scavenging for clues to save the victim.
07:09The plot later transitions from the protagonist's attempt to beat the clock
07:13into a battle of wits against the villain.
07:15-"I needed a place to sleep.
07:17You people were all over my apartment.
07:19I figured this spot was as good as any,
07:22now that it's, um, vacant."
07:25This episode encourages viewers to crack the many codes the villain lays out,
07:28making it a perfect match for those who enjoy a mental challenge.
07:32While the show has previously featured antagonists with their own agendas,
07:36Scavenger stands out for its deep dive into the bad guy's twisted psyche.
07:40-"Shut up! Please, shut up!
07:43Don't you ever shut up!
07:45Don't you ever shut up!"
07:48It's also a refreshing change of pace from the show's usual format,
07:51serving as a fresh take on the Law & Order formula.
07:5513. Demons
07:57The show is notorious for fooling audiences with the real villain's identity,
08:01yet it sometimes opts for the obvious choice.
08:04In this instance, it's not a matter of who the antagonist is, but when he'll strike.
08:09Stabler goes undercover to confirm his suspicions of Ray Schenkel,
08:13a recently released sexual predator.
08:15-"I'll get him to talk to me.
08:18Ray had a partner before, he needs one now.
08:21I'm it.
08:24I promise I'll stop him before he hits again."
08:26As expected, Schenkel has less than noble intentions,
08:30leaving it up to Stabler to figure out how to rescue his latest victim.
08:33Demons is another episode that goes all in with its heavy content,
08:37showing us how some criminals are beyond redemption.
08:40At the same time, it also sheds light on good people like Stabler
08:44who refuse to let evil have its way.
08:46-"I'm okay. He was a doctor though."
08:5212. Slaves
08:54Law & Order SVU was a bit of a tough sell in its first season,
08:58partly due to its sometimes disturbing material.
09:01In fact, original executive producer Robert Palm left the show because of this.
09:06Looking at the first season finale, you can't really fault him.
09:09The episode sees 80s heartthrob Andrew McCarthy take a 180 turn with his image as Randolph Morrow.
09:16-"Honey, I'd like a mineral water, no ice."
09:18-"And I'd like your balls in a blender but ain't like a bitch."
09:21Morrow's treatment of women, including his own wife, is horrifying.
09:25While the episode doesn't show us all of his crimes,
09:28we learn enough to visualize his heinous actions.
09:31SVU manages to handle things with a delicate touch,
09:34assuring viewers that such corruption of human decency isn't without its consequences.
09:38-"You made it easy for us."
09:40-"Most wives will go to the electric chair for their husbands, but not yours."
09:44-"You really screwed it up. Your power is gone, my friend. We took your control."
09:4811. Fault
09:50It's not just the cases that keep us coming back for more.
09:53The Benson-Stabler partnership is also one of SVU's biggest selling points.
09:58Fault looks into how much they mean to each other, for better or worse.
10:02-"How could you let him get so close to you?"
10:03-"There were innocent civilians around. I couldn't get a shot."
10:06-"Well, he got close and Ryan's dead."
10:09-"So this is my fault?"
10:10-"No, I can't do this anymore. I can't be looking over my shoulder making sure you're okay."
10:14While pursuing a criminal who is abducting children and killing their families,
10:18Benson and Stabler's relationship takes a devastating turn.
10:21After years of teasing something between them,
10:24SVU surprises fans by portraying their dynamic in a negative light.
10:28Combining character development with the case of the week provides the episode with a certain depth.
10:33-"What about me?"
10:36-"Look, we both chose each other over the job. We'll never let that happen again."
10:40It marks one of the most defining moments for the Benson-Stabler duo,
10:44while leaving viewers eager to see how it all unfolds.
10:4810. Behave
10:50Law & Order has always attempted to take real-life cases and convert them into compelling episodes,
10:54but sometimes they break the fourth wall and address the public.
10:57-"Thank you so much for watching this episode tonight. In the course of my time on SVU,
11:02I've learned so much about the difficult facts of sexual violence in the United States.
11:08One in four women experience sexual assault in their lifetime."
11:11The season 12 episode, Behave, revolved around backlogged sexual assault kits.
11:16After the episode, Mariska Hargitay, also known as Detective Olivia Benson,
11:20and her co-stars took a few minutes to discuss this issue with viewers.
11:24Her plea to national law enforcement and criminal justice systems is heartbreakingly sincere,
11:29and it left many sitting in stunned silence.
11:31-"I was shocked that something like this could exist in the United States,
11:35and then I was moved to action."
11:36When it comes to the episode itself, Behave is bursting with sincerity and urgency
11:41even after all this time, and it left an indelible impression on those who watched it.
11:45-"And because the sample was stored in California,
11:47the people can't prove the chain of custody was preserved.
11:51Therefore, I have no choice but to rule the DNA insufficient
11:55to corroborate Miss Sayre's identification of Mr. Harris."
12:00Number 9. Raw.
12:02Things tend to go from bad to worse for Detectives Benson and Stabler.
12:06-"Which building?"
12:07-"All of them. People were shooting from all different directions."
12:11-"So there was more than one shooter?"
12:13-"No, just one. He must have been somewhere on the playground."
12:16When they investigate a school shooting that killed one and injured several others,
12:19they discover that one of the victims is being molested.
12:22After the abuser is apprehended,
12:24Detectives Munch and Tutuola stumble upon an underground neo-Nazi ring.
12:28-"I don't recognize the authority of the puppets of the Zionist occupied government.
12:33How do we have right to call your daddy on his cell phone,
12:36telling him that I've been taken from a local prison?"
12:39However, the story doesn't stop there.
12:41This episode highlighted the issues of white supremacy and domestic terrorism,
12:45and both began and ended with examples of outrageous violence.
12:48The final courtroom scene is punctuated by a sudden shooting, proving that no one is safe.
12:53-"We all have to make sacrifices."
12:55Gang violence and hate crimes are a pervasive problem,
12:58and they affect everyone innocent or guilty.
13:00By perfectly visualizing this message, Raw is a brutally unforgettable episode.
13:06Number 8. Zebras.
13:07In the Law & Order universe, things aren't always what they seem.
13:11-"It's alive.
13:14And innocent."
13:15-"Maybe we are looking for a zebra."
13:18This was certainly the case for the season 10 finale,
13:20which led viewers on a wild and occasionally hilarious ride
13:23to uncover the truth and find a murderer.
13:25This quirky episode tackled conspiracy theorists in the form of Munch's ex-wife,
13:29and had one of the most surprising twist endings of any Law & Order episode.
13:34Sometimes the greatest enemies are the ones that call themselves our friends,
13:37as Detective Stabler discovers.
13:39-"You tried to kill Judge Donnelly.
13:42You gassed Zimmer.
13:44Killed O'Halloran too.
13:47And now...
13:50you."
13:50The beauty of this reveal is that it's sewn into the fabric of the entire episode,
13:54warranting several re-watches.
13:56-"How'd you know?"
13:59-"Stucky said you wanted to get sushi.
14:01You and Raw Fish?"
14:03Number 7. Nocturne.
14:05This season 1 episode addresses one of the most complex issues
14:08facing victims of sexual assault or molestation,
14:11the cycle of abuse.
14:12-"Not now. Not again."
14:14-"That's not a different kid."
14:17-"It's the same person."
14:19-"Growing up?"
14:25While many episodes of SVU tackle troublesome topics,
14:28Nocturne does so in a heart-wrenching, stomach-plummeting way
14:32that audiences are rooting for the prodigious victim of a child molester.
14:35-"Holt's got a nice pub.
14:36Yeah, I guess there's a price to pay for everything, huh?"
14:39-"For him too.
14:40That's why we need you to tell us who these kids are."
14:43-"Holt's my teacher.
14:46And he cares about me a lot.
14:48He even bought me a coat one year."
14:49That is, of course, until it's revealed that the victim
14:52is not as innocent as he first appears.
14:54The cycle of abuse is a very real thing,
14:57but it's often ignored.
14:58By shining a light on the subject,
15:00SVU actively helps victims of abuse from repeating the cycle,
15:03which is an amazing feat.
15:05Equally, Nocturne on its own is an amazing episode.
15:08-"Yeah, and you were the one who was telling Evan
15:10that everything was gonna be okay."
15:12-"It is okay if he's the victim, not the abuser."
15:16-"He's both."
15:16Number six, Venom.
15:18When the child of a police officer commits a crime,
15:20it can be tricky to draw a line
15:22between professional and personal responsibilities.
15:24-"We're trying to get the charges vacated.
15:26Ellie and Olivia are talking to Ken now.
15:28There's nothing you can do."
15:29-"Get out of my way."
15:30-"You're not going in there."
15:31-"That's my son in there, Captain.
15:32Why don't you call me?"
15:33-"Because he didn't want us to.
15:34He's over 18 and he's in a lot of trouble.
15:37You plan on making it worse?"
15:38So when Sergeant Tutuola's son becomes a suspect in a homicide case,
15:41the entire SVU team is floored.
15:44And while it seems like Finn's nephew Darius,
15:46played by Ludacris, is the one to blame,
15:48Ken's cousin threatens to claim nepotism
15:50if Finn's son isn't charged.
15:52-"You damn right it's about the family.
15:55Every last one of you is gonna have to be in that courtroom.
15:58You're gonna have to testify.
16:01Your lives out in the open.
16:02For everyone to judge.
16:04Same way y'all been doing to me since day one.
16:08They gonna know what kind of cop you are
16:11and what kind of husband and father you weren't."
16:13It's easy to assume that the family members of police officers,
16:16detectives, and investigators are immune to crime.
16:19But this episode helps prove that that idea is just ludicrous.
16:23-"Finn, he didn't do this so make him cooperate."
16:25-"Come on, prisons are filled with innocent people
16:27and we both know what color most of them are."
16:30-"So you don't trust the people you work with?"
16:31-"I don't trust this system.
16:34Not completely."
16:35Number 5.
16:36Pixies.
16:37Several episodes of Law & Order SVU are based on true stories
16:41and Pixies focuses on the very real pressure young gymnasts endure
16:45while working towards Olympic gold.
16:47-"Squeeze your legs together.
16:49Again!
16:51You want to be champion,
16:53you must accept nothing less than perfection."
16:55-"My ankle!"
16:56-"Pain is the price of glory."
16:58And while it's easy to blame adults,
16:59especially those that have creepy intentions,
17:01it's sometimes better to look a little deeper.
17:03-"Do you know a guy named Kyle Hubert?
17:06Do you know him?"
17:07-"I hate how he's always staring at us."
17:09-"Do you ever give you presents?"
17:12-"Sometimes, like a new outfit or a gym bag.
17:17Or this one time he gave me body lotion.
17:19He told me to think of him when I used it."
17:21Children training to take part in an Olympic sport
17:23are encouraged to be competitive,
17:25sometimes to a fault.
17:27But this SVU episode does a brilliant job of exposing
17:30why that's not necessarily a great thing to instill in young athletes,
17:33showing that some competitors may be willing to kill
17:36for their chance at a moment in the spotlight.
17:40Cults can ruin lives,
17:42and not just the lives of willing adults.
17:44Often, cults focus on children as a means of continuing their teachings
17:48and keeping adults from leaving.
17:49-"It's over now.
17:51You tell me where's Melanie."
17:52-"She's with her father now.
17:54All nations rightly give him praise."
17:57In Charisma,
17:58one particularly slimy cult leader marries and impregnates a girl named Melanie.
18:03As awful as that sounds,
18:05it actually gets worse when the doctor reveals something to Detective Benson.
18:09-"She say who the father is?"
18:10-"No, this isn't the first time she's been pregnant.
18:12Scarring suggests she's delivered before."
18:14-"You find her parents?"
18:16-"Refuses to tell us where they are.
18:17Only says her first name is Melanie and she's 12 and a half years old."
18:21This heartbreaking episode reveals how cult leaders
18:23can take over the lives of seemingly well-to-do people,
18:26brainwashing them into acting irrationally.
18:28It's difficult to watch despite its powerful message.
18:31Even Detective Benson struggles to handle her feelings after this case.
18:34-"This was an extremely traumatic event, Liv.
18:38The grief that you're feeling is completely natural."
18:44-"I know that."
18:45Number three, conscience.
18:47Many people assume that sociopaths are made and not born,
18:50but sometimes this just isn't the case.
18:53According to Dr. Wong,
18:54sociopathy is a personality disorder and it's not readily treatable.
18:58-"Sociopathy is a personality disorder.
19:01A lot of shrinks believe there's no cure."
19:03-"What do you believe?"
19:05-"You can't grow a conscience."
19:07This episode explores the psyche of Jake O'Hara,
19:09a young murderer without a conscience.
19:12He murders out of boredom and brags about it,
19:14two characteristics of sociopaths.
19:16He is likely to kill again,
19:18prompting the victim's father to take action.
19:20-"I knew the guy was wound too tight.
19:24Should have seen it coming."
19:26-"You didn't know Morton would shoot him.
19:27We all thought Jake was a victim."
19:29While the death of any child is a tragedy,
19:31this episode explores the death of a child sociopath,
19:34which is a pretty complex topic.
19:36Number two, mean.
19:38Harassment in school is a serious issue
19:40that affects the lives of millions of young people every day.
19:44-"Paige Somerby, Brittany O'Malley, Andrea Kent.
19:48These are Detectives Benson and Stabler."
19:50When vicious online gossip turns violent,
19:52the police are required to get involved.
19:54This episode premiered in 2004,
19:56and unfortunately,
19:57its theme and message are still terrifyingly relevant.
20:01As the initial prime suspect in this episode reveals,
20:04fake friends can ruin your life.
20:06-"In seventh grade, Emily got a fake screen name
20:09and pretended to be a boy I liked.
20:10Emailed me.
20:12The next day I talked to him
20:13and he didn't know what the hell I was saying.
20:16He pushed me into the mud.
20:17Emily and her friends thought it was hilarious."
20:21It's crucial to know who your friends really are.
20:23Some might be good-hearted folks
20:24who are just looking out for your best interests,
20:26but a few might be plotting against you in a major way,
20:29like a certain teenage murderer in this episode.
20:32-"Brittany went crazy!
20:34She just lost it.
20:35It was awful.
20:37She started punching Emily,
20:39and then she lit some cigarettes,
20:41and she started burning her with them.
20:43And she had these little scissors."
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21:03Number 1.
21:04911
21:05It's only fitting that the number one spot
21:07goes to one of SVU's most intense episodes,
21:10911.
21:11From the very moment it begins until the last few seconds,
21:14911 is a heart-pounding,
21:16nail-biting adrenaline ride.
21:18And it all begins with a simple phone call.
21:20-"Police operator 3529,
21:22where's your emergency?"
21:23-"Hello?"
21:24-"Where are you calling from?
21:28Hello?
21:29Are you in Harlem?"
21:30-"I'm in a room."
21:33-"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
21:35-"I can't get out.
21:36I'm hungry."
21:37Little Maria is kidnapped,
21:39but she struggles to describe her surroundings,
21:41and the detectives can't trace her call to a reliable location.
21:45Benson is devastated she can't find the girl.
21:47-"This is the police.
21:48We know exactly where you are."
21:52-"No, you don't."
21:58This episode prompted parents everywhere to teach their children
22:01what to do if they're ever kidnapped,
22:02like things that could help law enforcement find them.
22:04It also reinforces how important CPR is.
22:08And those are some fantastic lessons.
22:10-"She's not breathing."
22:12-"Okay."
22:17-"Stay with me.
22:18Come on, Maria."
22:19Which SVU episode do you have on repeat?
22:21Let us know in the comments.
22:23-"In this cause,
22:24all we need is you."
22:26Do you agree with our picks?
22:27Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
22:30And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
22:38you