My TV Hero Olivia Benson
Despite being the most popular girl’s baby name again in the UK, I don’t know many Olivia’s. But to share my namesake with my TV hero, Olivia Benson, is a true honour. Detective, Sergeant and Captain Benson have been on our screens for over 20 years in the iconic Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. A show, that even in internet-less Derrynoose, was on our screens via Sky since my childhood. I’ve just caught up with season 24’s latest episodes and wanted to reflect on the brilliance that is the show in general and the topics they tackle but also Mariska Hargitay. The star, executive producer and driving force.
Who is Mariska Hargitay?
Mariska is an American actress, director, producer and philanthropist. Without sounding like her Wikipedia page her parents were stars in their own rights too. Her mum was Jayne Mansfield, a blonde bombshell and sex symbol of the fifties who tragically died in a car accident when Mariska was 3 and a half years old, she was in the backseat when this happened with her 2 older brothers. Her father is Mickey Hargitay or as others know him, “Mr Universe” a famous bodybuilder. Mariska married recurring actor and law on SVU Peter Hermann and together they have 3 children, 2 of which are adopted.
Her values on and off the screen
For me, Olivia Benson is a character never seen before on TV and due to the nature of the show, there is no one else like her. The storylines tackle so many issues, stereotypes and biases that exist in our society against women and men. Every time she is fighting for the victims and survivors, no matter what politics or optics the NYPD are worried about. I appreciate how the writers don’t paint every woman as the victim, because like it or not, not all women are goodies. There I said it.
A particularly evocative episode was a case of domestic violence instigated by the wife. Another episode in season 24 showed a female businesswoman as the mastermind behind a ploy to blackmail all the powerful men in New York. Something Benson and Rollins discussed over a cup of coffee, who are the main perpetrators of the crimes against women and men? The latter and I know I know - not all men.
By being such a big advocate for survivors of abuse, this quality of empathy translates to Mariska’s work off-screen in the form of the Joyful Heart Foundation and the campaign to “End the Backlog”. When researching the role of Olivia Benson and investigating abuse in America, Mariska came across the shocking backlog of untested rape kits in the US. All of these victims who underwent this invasive exam never even had the chance to catch their attacker. So she did something about it, and in response to thousands of letters from survivors, Mariska aims to reform rape kit legislation and completely eliminate abuse and the harmful way society responds to survivors of assault.
Joyful Heart Foundation
“Since 2004, Joyful Heart has been a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.”
The foundation focuses on education and advocacy for survivors, trauma professionals and the public. It is innovative in its way of treating trauma with programme participants taking part in holistic retreats. They also support therapists and caregivers who witness and hear details of trauma through their work. It’s important to note that Joyful Heart is not exclusively for female survivors but also for males with its “Engaging Men” efforts. These take the form of public service announcements and resources on how to tackle domestic abuse and how not to be a bystander to harassment.
“End the Backlog” campaign
The Joyful Heart Foundation developed a nationwide campaign with one goal to pass comprehensive rape kit reform legislation in all 50 states. They did this in partnership with advocates, survivors, legal teams and state leaders. The End the Backlog website has a wealth of information about the work they’re doing, survivor stories and how to support.
They’ve officially run out of actors
Yes, Olivia is the star but she is joined in the squad room by an incredible team of interesting characters. A member of the core team Detective, now ADA Dominick Carisi Jr. played by Peter Scanavino, is no stranger to the interrogation room. This is because he already played a perp on the show known as Johnny Dubcek just the year before he took the role of Carisi. Despite this, his character has an incredible story arc particularly due to his catholic background which is sometimes challenged when dealing with cases involving the church.
Then there’s Ice-T’s character Fin Tutola who has been by Benson’s side since season 2. He recently became the longest-running male character in TV history - no mean feat. Fin is famous for his one-liners that really break the tension during difficult scenes of which there are plenty. Rollins, played by Kelli Giddish, is leaving the show in season 24 as one of the most complex characters on TV. She has so much trauma in her life from being assaulted as a young cop by her chief to having a gambling addiction. Most recently she was shot which forced her to think about what life would be like for her 2 young girls without a mom.
The best thing about this team is how different each of them is and this involves their views. Whilst all fighting to take down the bad guys, they each have a different level of trauma in their lives, and different ways of dealing with it. They have family problems, relationship issues and varying political and social opinions. It’s a complex presentation and some viewers will resonate more with a particular cop than another. That’s the point, society will always be fractured, that’s the whole point of democracy but for this squad, it’s crucial they come together when is most important.
Noah Benson
Olivia becoming a mom to Noah Benson was an incredible and dramatic storyline. From the tragic and inhumane death of his biological mother Ellie Porter and his pimp father Johnny Drake to his maternal grandmother Brooke Shields kidnapping him, there’s a lot to unpack. Despite all this trauma, Noah is so lucky to have Olivia as a caregiver and role model. But their union was never going to be portrayed as a happy ending for Benson.
She struggled as a single mother, the demands she faced at work as an SVU Captain and the accusations that she was abusing Noah with the bruises on his arm when she was really grabbing him so he didn't run out into the street.
In a particularly subtle move and reversal of gender roles in season 21, Noah tells Olivia he doesn’t want to play baseball anymore and wants to dance - obviously she supports him and takes him to his first lesson which showed a tender moment between mother and son.
Part 99
Despite the entertainment value of SVU, the most important factor is the discussions it prompts. Does it scare me sometimes? Absolutely. Does it make me not want to trust anybody? 100%. Some man slightly smiled at me on the street the other day and I nearly ran a mile. The Benson part of me kicked in.
The show is a social mirror of actual events happening today in America which is truly frightening. Corruption, immigration, exploitation and gangs - I’m not ignorant enough to think these things aren’t happening in the UK and Ireland because they undoubtedly are. But we don’t have a show like SVU to bring these to the forefront.
The fact that Mariska wasn’t aware of the backlog of rape kits until she was researching background for her role highlights the problem, lack of information and transparency. And with her platform she is able to bring light to this horrendous issue in the States, even enticing the then vice-president Joe Biden to be in an episode of SVU.
Of course, there is so much more to be done, and the series isn’t real life, but we can learn from the storylines and put ourselves in the shoes of the characters. Many of the ideas presented are cultural shifts over the years from white supremacists, and incels to the ever-present victim blaming. Real issues that affect real people.