Olivia Benson - Blog Posts

Building a Home, my SVU AU ideas/general plot

Elliot Stabler is an architect with his own firm. Does lots of projects to build schools, hospitals etc for the less well-off/the local community. He was travelling and doing that in other countries before, then decided he could also make a difference at home, wants to meet someone and settle down, have a family snd be an involved/present dad and he really missed his family.

Big, loving Irish family: siblings Shannon and Dee, Randall, Benjamin ( deceased after fighting in the armed forces) then there’s Elliot after a big gap and another big gap before Joe Jr. Dad Joe is a cop and basically parents like Elliot does, and Bernie teaches art at school and to adults/the elderly. Her bipolar is spotted early on and she goes on medicine that works for her and is supported by her kids and husband. His sisters and older brothers all have kids from more or less good relationships. One is  Aisling, she’s a young adult who interns/works for her Uncle El ( answers the phone, makes appointments, opens mail).

Olivia is paired with Munch and they have to investigate a crime, one of Elliot’s former employees/clients is involved/the victim so they talk to him. Aisling calls him Mr Stabler at work, keeps things very professional but later Liv and Munch go through his texts/e-mails and/or see him having dinner with his niece, they see them laughing/hugging/using her first name or an endearment like honey or sweetheart/he kisses her cheek so they think he’s dodgy. After some questioning, he is found innocent and Olivia offers to take him out for a drink as an apology ( they both had major heart eyes for the other when they met), which turns into dinner then dating. 

They get pregnant fairly quickly but Olivia miscarries. They call the baby Aidan Michael. 

They get married as Olivia rises through the ranks, and go on to have Charlotte Olivia, Sophia or Stella Bernadette, twins Matthew Joseph ( Mattie) and Margaret Joy ( Maggie) followed by an anniversary celebration « oops baby » called Elinor Grace. They could also adopt Calvin and/or Noah. 

Olivia makes Captain and Elliot mostly works from home and has some help from his parents/family/a nanny. 

Liv’s partners all stay in touch with her and are honorary aunts and uncles. Elliot becomes great friends with Carisi. 

Is there a specific episode/moment that made you fall in love with Carisi?

I loved how good with the kids he was with the ultra-Christian vlogging family, how he didn’t judge his sister for considering an abortion when her partner was in and out of her life, how respectful he was of everyone when he joined the team ( always using their rank, taking on board their constructive criticism/feedback and letting them take the lead, while also managing to get himself opportunities to try to do things without help, volunteering for the boring/tedious jobs, making sure everyone on the team was included in social events and inviting people who were having a hard/sad/bad time to join him or others for socialising/food). How he cares for Amanda throughout her pregnancy with Jesse and once she has given birth… So lots of little things from the start ( he arrives with zeppole, which was a nice touch for a guy who shows his affection for those he loves by providing foid for them) that all added up over time. Also Liv asking him to be Noah’s guideparent after only knowing him a year or so says a lot about his character. If Liv or Fin think the person is a good one/innocent, they are usually right, so that also helped consolidate my feelings for him. He’s just a kind, funny, hard-working family man who talks about his feelings and dreams.

Evidently, losing the god awful moustache helped a lot too!

SVU Season 24 thoughts and OC musings

Not so interested in the actual cases this Season, and find a lot of the new characters indistinguishable/hard to keep track of. Velasco seems to look different every episode, then there is Duarte too…

Churlish has a stupid name, it means petty, moody, rebellious. They could have gone for Furnish or Cornish!

I quite like Muncy. I think she comes from money and was expected to be perfect growing up so is now applying that to the job, and it’s not working!

Fin’s mentoring skills are excellent, I think he really does a great job.

I like that Stabler and Rollins have a close friendship, but would love to see Stabler bond with Carisi, as Carisi is what Stabler could have been with a non-abusive childhood. Those two at a bar having a beer talking about their kids would be fab. 

I only really watch for the Rollins-Carisi relationship, and they had some lovely moments this season. Loved how Carisi told Liv about the pregnancy, he was clearly bursting to tell someone. 

I have been thinking about OC, and how Eli wasn’t in New York for the award ceremony. I think he’s at soccer camp in Italy of staying with a friend, so never got to see his mum in hospital or say goodbye to her properly. That’s got to have screwed him up emotionally, especially as we don’t know how or when he was told, as would Elliot have told him over the phone ( about the accident) or waited until Eli arrived in New York to tell him, as the window of time between the accident and her passing is fairly small, a day or two, I think? However Elliot tells him is going to make him sad and angry. I would have liked to have seen more of the 5 stages of grief from all the Stablers, maybe with Bernie’s Alzheimer’s making her confuse Kathleen or Maureen  with Kathy and Dickie or Eli for Elliot. 

Lots of fanfic ideas of the sad variety are now percolating in my brain!

Final thoughts on SVU Season 23

Yay, the first “I love you” exchange between Rollins and Carisi. I adore that she said it first, that’s a big step for her. Carisi, on the other hand, has been wanting to tell her probably since she was in the hospital when pregnant with Jesse. It was sweet how he told Velasco that that is when he realised she was the one. I like how close they are, Carisi really does get on with everyone. He is a regular Mr Congeniality! 

Both of them have spoken to friends and family about the other/their new relationship, as Amanda told her mom about Carisi and Carisi has told his middle school buddies who are now priests. Them asking Carisi if he was at the church to book it for his wedding to Amanda was funny but sweet, as it shows how well they know him, that getting married has always been a major goal of his. 

Olivia’s therapist is great, but Amanda got straight to the point, telling her to take Stabler to a hotel and get it out of their systems. That would definitely be an option! 

I wish Olivia could reconcile with Barba, but I understand why she can’t, as I don’t think I would be able to either. 

Burton Lowe could go to prison forever and it wouldn’t be long enough, frankly. He did so much damage to Olivia and that has impacted her future relationships/expectations a lot. I wonder what would have happened to her if she had married him, and whether she’d h1ve had a different career. Maybe an English teacher or a counsellor at high school?

More SVU Season 23 thoughts

The disclosure episode for Rollins and Carisi was amazing. Both their fears/viewpoints were valid, and they are both invested in the relationship and clearly love each other a lot. It was cool to have them have the conversations in the same place, and I love that Amanda puts her hand on his chest before kissing him, mirroring their first kiss. Yay! Squee! I love them together, Your Honour! 

Her calling him Counsellor is already becoming a thing, it’s sooooo cute!

Jesse was adorable, asking him if he’s Billie’s daddy. Maybe she was asking  a little bit for herself too, as we know that Declan has had no contact with her since before she was born, so Carisi is her main male father figure, as he is for Billie. 

When they go undercover as a married couple, I wanted so much more of that, they were so cute!

Very weird to hear Mia calling Carisi Uncle Dom and not Uncle Sonny. Her “Finally!” when Amanda came for dinner at the Carisi household was lovely, and Amanda’s jubilation that Mrs Carisi likes her ( obviously she does, she makes her beloved son extremely happy and is awesome) was so sweet. 

I’d have loved to have seen Dominick Carisi Sr, but I think what we hear from Carisi’s phone call with him is that he is a pretty great guy/dad as he tells his son he loves him as Carisi says “I love you too” at the end of their chat, is patient when Carisi has to field another call, goes to fix stuff that isn’t working at his daughter’s place, and he raised Carisi to be a great guy. 

Is it just me or does the actor playing Velasco look wildly different, maybe even unrecognisable from episode to episode? Sometimes he’s clean shaven, the next he has a beard, then he has stubble. That might just be because episodes are filmed out of order.  He’s not bad, but I am not very invested in him as a character. 

It was nice to get a bonus episode, which was the crossover with OC where Eli steals his grandmother’s medication and runs away to Jersey. It was great to finally be able to watch it in English. It’s definitely an emotional one! 

The trial for Richard Wheatley was so tense! I am sure I saw Eli there at first, but he was absent by the time his dad took the stand. Eli looked very uncomfortable, covering his ears and looking down, so maybe he went home after a bit, when he realised he couldn’t cope with it emotionally. 

It was great to see Carisi in action, I thought he did a fantastic job .

I was prepared to hate the new judge/chief legal person but then realised she wasn’t all bad, and she’s really helped Carisi come into his own. 

The episodes are pretty good, I am enjoying them a lot.

The one with Burton Lowe was incredible! I could tell from the Season 1 episode ( Wanderlust)  that she’d been groomed ( and I thought her retelling of the relationship didn’t mesh with what we knew about her character so far). When Liv realises that he is a serial groomer and she was one of his victims, then left his hotel room, I cheered. I loved seeing all the flashbacks with Elliot, that was so nostalgic. It was a really powerful episode. It was also an interesting choice to have Nick Amaro come back, he was 100% correct in what he said to Olivia, it shows just how much he cares about her. 

I like that the show is moving with the times, regarding technology and the jobs involved with that. 

SVU Season 23 thoughts

Yay, I finally have Season 23 and have started watching!

Loved seeing Rollins and Carisi making out and both being somewhat in disbelief that this is actually happening! And he asked her out to dinner, as that is what he believes she deserves and it’s what you do when you date.

Their episode 2 conversation in the courtroom ( with matching colours in their outfits, yay!) was adorable with the “I am taking this seriously” “So am I” exchange, showing that they are on the same page,  and the comment about Amanda loving Sonny’s guilty Catholic side. Squee to the max! 

Oh Kat, no! I loved Fin staying with her in the ambulance, he was really fatherly towards her and kept so calm in spite of internally freaking out. 

I can see why she would be want to quit, and loved that she’d talked to Carisi about her fears/doubts. He gives good advice and seems to be a good friend to everyone. 

Fin trying to set Stabler up with Phoebe’s relative but nothing happening surprises precisely nobody, I believe. 

Tut tut, Olivia lying to her therapist. But it’s good that she’s going, unlike some people *cough*Stabler*cough*.

Velasco I am intrigued by, but can we please have a cop without an absolutely crappy home life/childhood/parents? It was so refreshing to have Carisi with his slightly complicated but ultimately loving and supportive family. 

Currently looking into finding Season 24 and 25 for a non-ridiculous sum of money, but I am invested and need to keep watching!

Law and Order OC Seasons 1 and 2 thoughts

I have just watched the first two seasons of  SVU OC, as I wanted to see the episode when Eli runs away. 

Unfortunately I can only watch the episodes in French, so have to put up with the dubbing, which is not the worst but it could be a lot better.

I don’t really follow the actual crimes part, I mainly watch for the Stabler family interactions, dynamics and development.

 I like Stabler’s new team. Ayanna is great, Jet is super cool ( she seems to be on the autistic spectrum, as she sometimes takes things literally, isn’t very comfortable with touch/affection and goes into hyper focus mode when it comes to work). I love the bond she has with Stabler, he’s very fatherly and protective of her. There’s an episode when he goes to pick Eli up from school and he gives him a fistbump when he tells him he’s made the soccer team, then, either before or after, Jet helps him out with some tech issue or finds out some useful info through cyber digging, and he does the same to her. There’s also a sweet moment when he is talking to Ayanna about protecting his family as they are at risk, and she just sidles over silently and puts her arms around him. Elliot is surprised but pats/rubs her arm in response, then they talk about her fears and he reassures her. 

It reminded me a bit of the Season 1 episode, Nocturne, where he is reading to Lizzie and Dickie, who are about 7. They are climbing all over him and giving him hugs and kisses, and he’s just so patient with them, answering their questions about why it can’t be Christmas every day and being used as a human climbing frame.

He’s definitely more relaxed as a dad with Eli, though he is trying to be a mother and a father to him. He’s much more patient with teen Eli than he was with  Maureen, Dickie and Kathleen when they were teens. He listens before jumping to conclusions when he finds Eli in New Jersey, whereas with the other three, he let his fear and protective side take over, which manifested in anger. 

Like in Swing, Olivia is there to help, which is a neat parallel, and I only just realised that Stabler must be worried that Eli could be bipolar too and that’s why he’s run away because he is in a manic state. 

I really like how he shows his affection for Eli in small ways, like he’ll fix his son’s collar or give him a pat on the shoulder, when he’d really like to hug his son but doesn’t want to demand a hug. He can also be quite playful with him, as after giving him a hug, they tease each other affectionately and Elliot pushes at his face with his hand. 

I also think it’s normal that Eli wants to know more about his grandparents/his roots, as the only grandparent he knows is Bernie, and even then, he doesn’t know her extremely well. Having just lost his mum, he’s trying to figure out who he is, where he is from and where he is going, with lots of changes going on around him, having moved to a new country, a new home, a new school and school system, having to make new friends and also going from having a dad who was around a lot to one who is absent a lot. Eli is also trying to look after Elliot, which he should not be having to do, but he won’t leave to stay with one of his sisters as he doesn’t want to lose his dad as well. 

In Season 6, when Kathy leaves Elliot, she goes to stay with her mom, so we can assume her dad is not in the picture, and, presumably being Catholic too, he’s probably dead, rather than divorced from Kathy’s mum.

Elliot is still super closed off about his past and his relationship with his father, and his feelings are intensified as he investigates the story behind his father’s bravery medal.

Finding out he really did want to be an architect ( he tells Frank about it when they are on a stake-out) but his father knocked the idea out of his head ( probably literally as well as verbally) broke my heart. 

In Season 10, Swing, he outright denies Bernie’s claim that that is what he wanted to be, claiming he’s always wanted to be a cop. 

It shows that Bernie really understood him, she tried to encourage him as best she could and clearly loves him very much. 

They are so much closer in OC, which is lovely to see. They even share a laugh, when she asks him if he’s a phone salesman now as he has a few phones for all the different undercover jobs he’s doing, and he says no, he stole them. They both sarcastically “ha ha” at the other person’s quip, but it is a moment full of affection and understanding.

They also start talking properly, which is a very good thing, and Elliot’s love for his mom and family are very touching. 

The episode where Elliot gets the reels of the recordings of his childhood and watches them with Bernie at the end made me cry, and has lodged itself in my brain. While it was lovely to see Elliot have some sweet moments with his dad, it’s heartbreaking that they couldn’t always have had that, and there must always have been that fear that he’d flip and become physically abusive, like he did in the diorama incident referenced in Season 7 that Elliot tells Dr Hendricks about. Hearing about that left me in tears. Destroying your kid’s project in a fit of rage because they changed one minute detail is just awful, but then beating them for crying too is just unforgivable! 

The dinner scene when Bernie tells Eli about Joe boxing Elliot’s ears, slapping him upside the head and putting soap in his mouth for attitude/disrespect leave Eli absolutely stunned, like he’s seen, heard or read about such punishments in books or films but didn’t think actually happened in real life, as Elliot has never physically disciplined any of his kids like that, and was probably more relaxed/lenient with Eli than he was with the other four children. The only time he comes somewhat close to getting physically aggressive with one of his children is with Dickie in Turmoil ( Season 11), when Stabler asks him if he’s lost his mind and Dickie sasses back that he wouldn’t be the first Stabler to do so, referencing both Bernie and Kathleen’s manic episodes. Elliot shoves Dickie up against the wall, but he quickly lets go and holds then pats or squeezes his shoulder, as if he wants to pull his son in for a hug. 

I like seeing how hard Elliot has worked on not being like his father was, trying so hard to give his children a home life that is predictable and safe, with  boundaries, consistency, encouragement ( when Maureen wants to get into Columbia and is disappointed by a B+, he is so supportive of her and says she’s done/doing great) and he tells his kids he is proud of them and that he loves them regularly. 

His difficulties with technology are very endearing, he usually has to ask Jet for a non technical translation, and his kids have been helping him since Season 1 with computer/phone issues, with Maureen in Season 1 bypassing the parental security lock on the computer and, in Season 8 he mentions that his kids had to help him put the numbers he wanted on speed dial. 

One annoying thing about the show is how the flashbacks at the start of the episode sometimes show an SVU scene, which I haven’t seen, like Kathy’s funeral, for example. It was cool to see Carisi in an episode though, and Olivia is a pretty regular recurring character too. 

Seeing Stabler’s complicated relationship with Liv is so interesting.

Because I am watching in French, there is no ambiguity about who he is saying “I love you” to during the intervention scene, as he uses the singular/informal/friendly you form, then, 20-something seconds later, he says “I love all of you”, using the plural you form this time. 

It was so interesting to see Eli try first, then Kathleen ( the kids he is closest to and the ones he talks to/confides in the most), but they both fail, so Olivia steps in. She actually stands in front of the children, as if to protect them from Elliot’s potentially angry outburst.

Her chat at the diner with Kathleen was really moving, it reminded me of when Liv talks to Bernie in Swing.

I’m looking forward to watching the next three seasons to see how everything plays out. 

SVU Season 16-17 rewatch

Season 16 is really good as a way to get to know the characters if, like me, you stopped watching after Season 12 ended and weren’t sure if it was worth continuing with.

I am very glad I did!

Amaro is just Stabler 2.0, as far as I can tell, but with a little more self-awareness as he realises he needs anger management classes and realises he needs to get out of the force for his physical and mental well-being and that of his kids. 

Olivia was obviously very attached to him, so I felt bad for her as she just keeps losing people. Working with Amaro evidently helped her get over Elliot leaving, and it seems like her relationship with Amaro was healthier than the one she had with Elliot. 

Amaro’s been linked romantically to Amanda, I believe? They are very similar from their upbringing and the way they internalise everything, so I c1n see why they would be drawn to each other.

When the two of them are talking/working  together and Carisi comes to give them some info/an update and they simultaneously answer that he’s not interrupting was funny. 

There’s a courtroom scene where Amanda is being questioned/cross-examined and she is asked about doing the right thing/having enough emotional support/what it means to be a good person and she’s looking in Carisi’s general direction. Very subtle, but made me squee!

I love that he hangs out with her and Fin outside of work, at the video games convention. Fin is still calling him noob/newbie at this point, so perhaps Rollins invited him? Those two always know all the celebrity gossip and who the famous people they need to talk to are. It ties in nicely to their later hang outs where they watch trashy reality TV together. Carisi I can see reading all his sister’s magazines and going to the movies with them to watch rom-coms growing up, as he seems to know a lot about them/says he loves them in the ep with the former teen actress and the producer.

Do we ever get the story about how Sonny was saved by the priests at his Catholic church? He mentions it in the big vlogging/TV religious family episode. I always saw him as a good student. For example  he’d be top of the class but would always ask questions so the other shyer kids who might not have understood and didn’t dare to ask would understand. Or he would tutor them. He seems to work very hard and be very focused, so I think he would be a favourite of the teachers. 

We know he was bullied physically and probably verbally too ( by Bobby Bianchi, at the very least), maybe because he was a bit of a goody-two-shoes. I really can’t see him ever getting into trouble at school or at home. We know he wanted to be a priest, so maybe he just spent a lot of time at church events to escape the bullying/find some real friends.

I was so prepared to hate Mike Dodds but he is very humble, is a bit annoyed to be there because of his dad’s nepotism and he refuses to be a tattle-tale. He apologises when he oversteps his boundaries, listens to feedback and generally gets on with everyone on the team. If he hadn’t had a fiancée, I’m sure he would also have fallen in love with Olivia too! 

Olivia is a very good Lieutenant. I see a lot of Cragen in her, as he would often give the team one-on-one pep talks and always tried to do the right thing when it came to members not doing things by the book. 

Maybe it got lost in translation, or I just struggle to pay attention to and understand the courtroom scenes, but Barba apparently says “Booyah, Fordham Law!” as a comeback/closing argument in a Season 16 episode, but I have never seen it though this is my second time watching. 

He was funny too when Carisi gives his personal and legal opinion on something and Barba says “That’s just your opinion, but yes, it’s correct”. 

Barba also wears fun, brightly coloured socks which are visible when he puts his feet up on the desk. I thought that was a fun way to show that he’s got a soft/emotional/fun side. Maybe because I know how he behaves in later eps towards Olivia, but I definitely find him less cold/unlikeable than I did during my first viewing. 

Something I read about was that potentially the show was going to have Barba and Carisi become romantically involved. Apparently the actors and writers were on board, but the network head said no. 

This would have deprived us of Rollins and Carisi though, and that would have been a big loss. Maybe someone like Dodds could have been gay and had a fiancé, thus having an openly gay member of the team and maybe some tension with Dodds Sr there. However,  Fin’s son Ken gets a storyline in that vein, when he and his husband have a child. 

On the tu/vous ( informal and formal you form) thing, Carisi uses tu with Amanda when she is at the hospital. This may be because they are of the same rank, but it definitely shows a level of friendship/closeness. 

Olivia, on the other hand, uses vous with everyone! Even Dr Huang, who she runs into with Barba, and she’s not in the office. She uses vous with Dodds Jr, even though she outranks him! 

How do you feel about Carisi calling Liv “Lou”? Personally, I love it and think it’s so sweet! It feels (to me) like a very Carisi way of showing respect. I don’t think anyone else calls her that (?), which feels right. It’s like mustache Carisi, he’s gonna do his own thing. 😂🫶

I haven’t noticed him calling her that, but it’s sweet, even though Lou is not a logical nickname for Olivia. Ah, perhaps it’s short for Lieutenant! He’s very big on calling people by their proper rank, which is another thing I love about him. It is very Carisi, it’s sweet and I am sure it comes from a place of love.

SVU Further post Season 9 AU ideas

After having watched Season 16 to 22 of SVU after stopping at the end of Season 12, and seeing Elliot back, Kathy dying and bits of OC, I just keep thinking about what if Kathy and Elliot weren’t together shortly after Eli’s birth. I always felt they ultimately would have ended up divorcing at some point after Eli came along, as they only got back together because of Kathy’s pregnancy, and Elliot was still working all hours in Season 10/11/12 and Kathy nearly left him again! 

So my brain went to what if she died following complications from the accident, so in the Season 9 finale or early Season 10. She could have had to have an operation for some side effect/condition she developed after the accident, so she goes in for surgery in the Season 9 finale, we see her go into surgery, with one or several of the big kids/his mum/Liv waiting with him, the doctor comes out and calls for Mr Stabler and Dun Dun, cut to black. Season 10 finale, we see the doctor talking to Stabler and whoever is with him. There are tears and hugs. Then we have the funeral, Liv  and the team are there. Elliot ends up becoming a stay at home dad ( something he seemed interested in doing in at least one episode) while Olivia navigates training a new partner and moving up the ranks, eventually becoming Captain. 

There could still be all the drama with Kathleen and Dickie, plus some from Lizzie as she was criminally underutilised. 

Maybe Elliot works as a private consultant so can still help out with cases, and Olivia is over at the house more and more. They eventually get together romantically and have at least one kid together ( either biologically, or they can adopt Calvin and/or Noah, kind of following the show). 

So that leaves room for the new team members to come along as they do in canon, there can be some adoption/fostering drama… 

El and Liv would definitely be friends with Carisi and Rollins. He has very similar values to Carisi, so I can see them being buddies. And it would mean Billie and Jesse would have another strong male presence in their lives, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. 

Obviously it would impact some of the storylines, like William Lewis wouldn’t happen fully. I haven’t seen Seasons 13-15 so not sure how I could rewrite that, but I’d like to try! 

I have so many other missing scenes of family life ( Stabler and his kids, Liv and the young Stablers, Carisi and the Rollins girls…) that would be easier and more fun/less traumatic!

Liv became the captain right after Carisi went to the DA office. It was the very end of an episode. Could that scene with Dodds saying goodbye and telling her about the promotion been cut? Also during the Sonny party, he is surrounded by extras who were in the squad room. On a podcast he aka Sonny mentioned how that was something he missed changing jobs on the show seeing the background cop actors as he wasn’t working the same days.

Ah, thank you! Maybe I missed that bit of dialogue or it was badly translated. Aww, that’s sweet that Scanavino wanted the background actors in the squad room to be a part of his goodbye party. He sounds like a stand up guy.

Season 21 SVU thoughts

Aww, the good luck/semi-goodbye party for Sonny was perfect. He definitely deserved it and was happy to be surrounded by his work family ( he seems to be universally adored, with good reason).

He’s unsurprisingly doing a great job as ADA, and he always goes above and beyond for the victims. I loved that he contacted his former law professor. He really does keep in touch with everyone and gets on with 99% of people. His righteous anger at injustice/stupid laws is really touching, he’s so morally upstanding and it makes me love him more.

He still seems to be a cop in some episodes, so maybe the episodes are yet again out of order on the site I am watching them on? 

Wish he had more time with Amanda outside of work. Those two are my favourite pairing and I am dying for them to get together. 

The new DA, Hadid, is great, and the new recruit, Kat, seems to be proving her worth/doing a good job. The new unit boss seems like a decent guy too, and it is interesting to have so many female characters in the precinct at once. Fin is officially outnumbered. 

SVU is still recycling its guest stars, with Zach Gilford playing a douchebag again, but this time as a grown man, not a teen like he was in Contagious ( Season 6, a favourite episode of mine).

Loved Amanda having Billie christened and choosing Olivia and Carisi as godparents for her. I think Carisi is guideparent to Noah too, alongside Barba and Amanda, unless I am mistaken? Olivia had a Unitarian blessing ceremony for Noah a few years ago, Carisi was definitely there.

His story to the religious judge about his mum getting pregnant and having an abortion in her 40’s was very moving, but I wish we know how old he was at the time. Did his mum tell his dad she’d miscarried? 

Arrghh to people letting Olivia in/her giving them a chance and then they leave or die! I was particularly upset when Stone left, I thought he would have been a great match for Olivia, they had a lot of chemistry and similar values. 

The episodes are interesting. It’s good to have minorities represented and not judged as they were in earlier seasons.

Also the jump in tech is incredible. Even going from Season 12 to 16, the computers/phones/devices the team uses are so much more developed than the slightly older episodes. 

SVU Season 20 thoughts

The episodes are evidently not being played in order, as I saw Amanda give birth in one episode, then a few episodes later, she’s pregnant and thinkiing about moving in with Dr Al.

Carisi telling her that flowers, chocolates, fancy dinners and expensive gifts to not equate to taking care of someone and then offering to come and cook for her ( he was trying so hard to not be mortally offended by the fact that she eats frozen pizza) and hang out with Jesse and Billie was adorable. I wish we’d got to see that scene! 

I love that he has a healthy relationship to look up to and it’s what he aspires to have too. 

I love that he was the one who seemingly looked after Jesse while Amanda was giving birth, and how when the nurse/doctor/midwife refers to him as the dad, he tries to correct her but Amanda makes no such effort. 

Peter Stone I am very attached to, he’s kind, good at his job but not married to it, good with Noah and I think he has the hots for Olivia, though it would be easier to list who doesn’t/hasn’t been in love with her! I know he leaves at the end of the Season, which makes me very sad. 

Fin I adore, he’s usually very good at knowing his limits/what he can cope with and when to apologise. There’s an early-ish episode ( Season 6 or so) with a religious cult leader who is impregnating teen girls. He ends up shooting all the kids in his flat before running away when the team come to investigate, and the team all have psych interviews to see if they can/want to carry on with the investigation. Fin goes first and says he can’t deal with it so is off home, Olivia cries and thinks she’s going to be sent home, and Stabler is all “Yeah, it’s terrible, what do you want me to do? Sit here and cry about it?” but Stabler gets sent home and Olivia ( who had the most normal reaction of all of them) stays on to investigate.

He does something similar in an episode this season and apologises to Phoebe for thinking she was a bent cop. 

I think this is my favourite iteration of the team, as they all get on most of the time, as they are all friends and do things together outside of work. There’s no tension with the ADA either. I am really attached to all of them, for different reasons. I think Carisi is the lynchpin, he is close to all of them and is always trying to spend time with them, either as a group or one-on-one. 

He must be super frustrated at not being able to be an ADA, but he’s so patient and continues to give 100% to his work. 

I only have a few episodes left, I am definitely going to be getting Seasons 21-25. 

I like how it seems much more normalised for there to be gay couples/parents on the show, trans people as, when the show started, some of the things that were said about sex workers/gay people/trans people were shocking at best and offensive at worst. 

SVU Season 19 thoughts

Some great episodes so far!

Loved Carisi and Amanda investigating at the out of state bar, they have such a great rapport and OMG, they nearly got together! Carisi’s face when he saw Amanda coming out of her room with a guy broke me! Poor poor woobie! 

However, Amanda is still working through some issues, like how to be vulnerable. Carisi is trying to encourage her to do that, and their friendship/partnership is so good that I am quite happy to enjoy that for the moment. 

Barba is growing on me, he actually joked ( though he did have to explain that he was joking, which kind of defeated the point). 

And he was so very kind to Olivia when Noah was missing, so calm and just listened to her, which is just what she needed. He has asked her out for a drink several times, I think it would be good for her to accept. He understands the demands of her job, is clever and kind but I think he is a little bit boring for her. She’s also got chronic normalitis, as diagnosed by Dr Elliot Stabler, but she deserves to be happy and to have a stable relationship. Barba would definitely give her that!

I snorted out loud at Carisi and Fin’s expressions when watching the missing daughter and her family being interviewed. They definitely did not believe a word she or her brother were saying! 

Also when Dodds comes by the office and Fin’s expression and words are v friendly and polite, but you can.tell he’d thinking just the opposite. 

Loved the end of the kidnapping episode with Olivia surrounded by almost all the people she loves/us close to, but her little wistful glance made me think she might be wishing Elliot were there. 

The episode with the dodgy rehab centre made me very sad, and this episode with the special needs children is really gripping too. I am always happy to see Coroner Warner ( yes, I know she’s a Mediczl Exsminer/Forendics specialist, but I like the rhyme!). 

Looking forward to the rest of the season and the rest of the series. 

SVU Season 18 thoughts

It will come as no surprise that I am more and more charmed by the lovely Sonny Carisi!

A post on here ( talking about how he definitely brought Barba Italian treats to say thank you for letting him shadow him/sit in on his legal prep) and described him as a golden retriever in human form, which is 100% accurate! 

He is gentle with victims, tough with suspects and even if he is angry, he keeps it under control ( no lockers have been harmed by his fists so far, which is good). I particularly love how he takes care of his colleagues. 

He can tell that Amanda is internalising everything she’s feeling about being a bad mother when the little boy is kidnapped by his nanny ( really did not see that one coming, and, as someone who works in childcare, it upset me as I could never do that!). He knows exactly what to say to Amanda and offers practical care in the form of food and trashy reality TV. 

In the hockey team episode, you can tell they come from very different homes and have had very different upbringings. Amanda has lived through her parents’ unstable relationship, that was probably full of physical and verbal abuse, while he was raised in a supportive, affectionate environment with two parents who loved and liked eachother and still do. It is implied they were financially stable, as he claims he just asked his mum for 400$ for university supplies a few days before he started. I get the impression Amanda did not have that, and that her parents prioritised their addictions rather than putting food on the table or providing for education.  There were probably some raised voices (80’s/90’s big Italian family is probably going to be a bit loud sometimes) and minor disagreements, but they all genuinely seem to like eachother and are fairly close.  So he thinks the mum should just leave with the kids/go to the police and she knows it’s not that simple.

Carisi and Rollins really understand eachother well, and work super well as a team, like a much calmer and healthier version of Olivia and Elliot. They truly are really good friends, which explains how she can tell that his Bobby Bianchi story was true. Poor bullied Sonny! I imagine he was tall, probably on the thin side ( in spite of eating his body weight in pasta/pizza/canneloni, I reckon). It explains why he has so much empathy for victims and tries to help everyone in any way he can. 

I think Amanda is incredible too! She’s a great cop, a good friend and an excellent mother, but she struggles with being vulnerable and asking for help. The storyline with her sister would have been a perfect opportunity to have Liv contact Kathleen Stabler to give Kim some advice/guidance, who I can see being in the mental health field in some capacity and/or a rape survivor counsellor. I miss the Stabler kids, it was always interesting to see how they coped with their dad doing the job and how it impacted his relationship and interactions with them. 

Olivia keeps losing her romantic partners, I was very sad for her when Tucker left her, but I also thought he was still married ( or separated, at best) so maybe it worked out how it should. 

I really like Olivia and Fin, they are two characters that I have really become attached to over 18 and 16 seasons respectively. The show would not be what it is without Ice-T, who was only supposed to guest star for a few episodes while Munch got a new partner. But those two are one of my favourite partnerships, with their penchant for snarky comebacks and teasing banter. On paper it sounds like a disaster, as the characters are very different but the actors and the writing really made it work. 

This story is just so so good! I cannot wait to see how it plays out!

Memento Vivere - Chapter Twelve

an SVU story

TW: n/a

Chapter Summary: Olivia talks to Elliot.

Read on FFN

or Ao3

Thoughts on Season 17 of SVU

What an opening episode! My hate for Dr Yates is immense, it has no limit! He must have been investigated when Stabler was still there, somewhere between Season 5 and 8, as it was apparently 10 years ago. However I can find zero episodes that feature him during that time frame! 

Yates is so creepy, so calm and so sleazy! 

Carisi is an excellent cop, he works really hard, has excellent instincts, takes instruction/feedback well and takes initiative when appropriate. He also sometimes spots things that his colleagues have missed or has a novel way of approaching the case/victim/suspect.

He is always actively observing how his colleagues handle situations ( victims, suspects, the big cheeses in charge…) and everything that’s going on in the courtroom. He’s obviously really into his legal studies as he’s accompanying Barba when he’s dealing with that side of things.

In a few years ( I stopped watching when S 12 finished), everyone seems much more accepting/open-minded and mindful of the language they use regarding trans females/males ( currently on episode 2 with the trans teen girl) and sex workers/drag queens… Some of the language used by the team in the first few seasons is really shocking, and some of them are really judgemental ( yes, Stabler, I’m looking at you!) when it comes to mental health and sex/gender issues. 

The tech is also much improved, as the earlier seasons were all about the dangers of this new-fangled internet and Stabler didn’t even have a cell phone until quite late. 

Wish Fin had taken the sergeant’s exam, would have meant no nepotism from William Dodds and his spy of a son taking on the job. I haven’t met him yet but hate him on principle! 

 I remember how annoyed Fin was that Munch took and passed the sergeant’s exam behind everyone’s back, possibly on a dare/because he lost a bet, so nice callback/continuity there. 

Lots of big names in supporting/guest roles: Sean Robert Leonard and Whoopi Goldberg that I can name, but lots of faces that are familiar to me. 

The pronunciation of some names in French is still appalling!

In the overworked social workers episode, the dubbers made Keisha/Keysha sound like Petit Chat ( Little Cat, which is used a lot as a term of endearment from French parents towards their little kids) and Keith sounds like a cross between Kiss and Keys ( the “th” sound is notoriously difficult for French people to master).

Just watching the baby shower episode and snorted at Fin’s comment about not having any idea how Mike Dodds got the sergeant’s job. He always seems to say what everyone else is thinking but doesn’t dare to say.

So far, Dodds seems competent and not too annoying, so that’s good. His dad however really got my heckles up by telling Olivia how to organise her team and do her job. 

Really not fans of Amanda’s mum and sister, they are walking disasters.

Was also disappointed by Carisi’s gift to Amanda for the baby shower. A wipe warmer is just so impersonal even though it is practical and recommended by his sister. I feel a bit cheated as we haven’t seen Carisi being awesome with his niece, or at least mentioning her from time to time. 

Some more thoughts on Season 16 of Law and Order SVU.

I miss Munch, particularly his snarky exchanges with Fin, which brought some levity to the darker episodes. Those two together were comedy gold and such a great partnership.

I’ve enjoyed seeing Carisi working with Rollins, he is v respectful of her and lets her take the lead, and offers to work with her quite a few times, and openly admits to her that he still has a lot to learn about the job. 

It is refreshing to see a team where everyone works well together, as Fin complained whenever he was paired with Stabler, and I think Stabler was a bit annoyed at being paired with Munch a few times too. 

Loved seeing Barba as a son and grandson, actually getting emotional, as, up until that point, I had found him a bit cold/robotic. 

The way he held Noah was hysterical as well, like he was holding a bag of toxic waste! Should have called Stabler or Carisi instead, Liv!

Adored meeting Bella, Carisi’s sister. I liked how non-judgemental he was about her maybe not keeping her baby as he didn’t say anything but was just quietly supportive. Stabler would have been more vocal in his Catholic views, I believe, 

Sonny’s anger is always so righteous but I feel he is always in control of it, so even though he was rough with Tommy, he didn’t go too far and beat him to a pulp/hit him. 

He also has a lot of empathy for the victims and their families, just like Olivia does, and he connects with people very easily, like with the lawyer daughter in the Marcia Cross episode where her character is married to a writer with ailing health. 

I love that he’s told his family about Olivia is awesome and that he loves his job and working for her, that was a sweet moment! 

Also, good job to the casting directors for the actress who plays Bella, she and Peter Scanavino look like they could actually be siblings!

He also did an awesome job being undercover, and looked super hot with the gelled back hair and the glasses.

The episode with Amaro’s dad reminded me a lot of Stabler and his equally awful childhood. They are both really hot-headed and internalise everything until they take it out on their lockers. At least Amaro is going to Anger Management classes!

I liked seeing Amaro with his ex’s boy, who he considers to be his son. He is also a good dad to his daughter, so that has made me warm to him a little more, though I still don’t miss him if he’s not there! 

Just finished watching the serial killer who is a doctor who has committed crimes in Chicago, New York and elsewhere. He was terrifying in the courtroom scene, loved seeing Coroner Warner, she’s so great and one of my favourite minor characters. 

I now want to rewatch the ep he is in from somewhere between Season 5-8, as the passing of time on this show is Very Wonky ™! 

I am approaching the end of the Season, I think I will be getting Seasons 17 to present day too, even if they are in French and I have to deal with names being mispronounced ( Ezzer for Heather was particularly bad!).

I also googled the William Lewis scenario and it seems like I bypassed it and there is zero chance he will ever come back, as K could barely cope with reading about it let alone watch it! 

I have been able to purchase Season 16, on Apple TV, but, unfortunately, it is in French, even though the episode summaries are in English.

I am not really a big fan of the dubbing, but I can just about live with it.

So far, I don’t really know any of the characters except for Fin and Olivia, and we don’t get much info about them/their home lives, though stuff is implied through characters’ looks or reactions when talking to suspects or victims.

Amaro is a major hothead, but doesn’t seem to have any particular trigger. At least he’s working on controlling it, unlike Stabler. He reminds me a bit of Chester Lake, who was just kind of there sometimes and I didn’t miss him if he wasn’t!

Amanda seems like she’s very unassuming/submissive, but is as tough as old boots. In the ep with the young incel guy she was incredibly brave and tough, and I loved her description of good guys who are kind, gentle and hold doors open for ladies- was she thinking of Carisi? I like to think so.

I have gathered that she is from a small, gossipy city and doesn’t have a great relationship with her mother or men in general. It seems like something happened with her and Amaro, which I cannot see as being healthy or happy at all! 

Carisi I adore! He’s good at listening quietly, observing and taking everything in when he needs to, and heeds warnings/instructions well too. However, he can take initiative when he needs to. He’s always watching his colleagues and the victims, absorbing info and silently taking everything in. I love how he brings food to the team and is full of surprises ( goat’s cheese and sundried tomato rather than pepperoni, but that shows how considerate he is, as there may be vegetarians on the team, so he got something that they can eat too). Was not loving the moustache, so glad that disappeared pretty quickly. I also love that he knows celeb gossip/the latest trends/fashion/music which shows he listens to and spends time with his niece. 

Peter Gallagher in what I assume was Ed Tucker’s role makes Ed look like a declawed kitten. He’s very tough and demanding, but it seems to be pushing Olivia towards being Captain, which is a good thing.

Barba I find a bit cold and slightly shark like. He’s very much a straight to the point/direct kind of guy who is all business and nothing else. He also really doesn’t like to lose! Makes for a great lawyer, but not a very interesting character. He’s no Casey Novak, that’s for sure! 

I hope all the William Lewis stuff is done and dusted as I do not see myself coping well with that storyline at all! 

Great to see Liv being a mum to Noah, but it really makes me miss Stabler! If he’d been there, I’m sure he would have given her loads of Eli’s old clothes/toys/paraphernalia as well as advice. I’m sure he’d have volunteered to call Noah if he’s crying, but hopefully Carisi ( does anyone ever call him Sonny apart from his family?) can step up and be the Baby Whisperer ™ if Olivia needs that.

The episodes are quite interesting, nothing with a big twist or a super big name yet, but am looking forward to seeing what episode 6 and beyond have in store. 

i love this fic😩😩😩

i’m not saying a suit and jacket update could fix me. but i’m also. not NOT saying that. or something

me just sitting here still shipping cabenson convinced alex and liv are soulmates💀💀😭😭

this is not how straight people look at each other

THATS MY EDIT OMG 😳😳😳

She wouldn't even have to ASK!! 😩

nick: so, did you kiss her?

olivia: no, the moment wasn't right. look, rollins could be my future wife and i want our first kiss to be amazing.

fin: aww, liv, that's so sweet! you chickened out like a little bitch and now you're making excuses.

help casey did not listen to a single word that came out of olivia mouth lol

gay ass interaction

olivia get ur shir together for the love of god YOU ARE IN PUBLIC

if not girlfriends then wtf is this behavior!??

and then AGAIN olivia is sleeping on the couch that night

THIS.

this is why they have a hold on my heart, the tension, the lingering looks… benovak i’ll always be your number one fan.

CASEY YOU DIDN'T

Amanda: Have you ever accidentally sent someone a spicy message and it was the wrong person?

Casey: Lexie's work phone in my phone is just called 'Alexandra'

Amanda: Okay

Olivia: .....

Casey: Lexie's dad's name is Alexander

Amanda: Oh no

Casey: Oh yes

Currently watching law & order svu season 8 ep 7… Elliot Stabler this picture is for you