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  • NBC
  • Sep 23, 2003
  • NBC
  • Sep 23, 2003

Summary "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."

Created By: Dick Wolf

  • NBC
  • Sep 23, 2003
  • NBC
  • Sep 23, 2003
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 5
26 Seasons
Season Premiere: Sep 23, 2003
Metascore Available after 4 critic reviews
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Where to Watch

Summary "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."

Created By: Dick Wolf

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

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Episode 1 • Sep 23, 2003 • 41 m
Tragedy
When a pregnant woman is kidnapped and carjacked, the squad thinks, at first, that she's the latest victim of a serial rapist, only to realize that she's the victim of an intricate ransom plot.
Episode 2 • Sep 30, 2003 • 42 m
Manic
While investigating a school shooting that claimed the lives of two students, the squad realizes that the surviving victim is actually the shooter and the side effects of a medication may have caused his actions.
Episode 3 • Oct 7, 2003 • 42 m
Mother
Episode 4 • Oct 14, 2003 • 44 m
Loss
Episode 5 • Oct 21, 2003 • 41 m
Serendipity
The discovery of the bodies of a newborn and her mother leads to a dermatologist coming under suspicion of the rapes of young girls.
Episode 6 • Oct 28, 2003 • 42 m
Coerced
In resolving the kidnapping case of a little boy by a schizophrenic, Stabler uncovers further crimes at an adult group home with Huang's help.
Episode 7 • Nov 4, 2003 • 41 m
Choice
Episode 8 • Nov 11, 2003 • 41 m
Abomination
Episode 9 • Nov 18, 2003 • 43 m
Control
The Detectives find themselves hunting for a person who cut off a man's genitals and left him to die.
Episode 10 • Nov 25, 2003 • 43 m
Shaken
A toddler seems to have been abducted from a park while her babysitter is several yards distant talking to a nanny. Searching detectives shortly after arriving on the scene find the child unconscious behind nearby bushes.
Episode 11 • Dec 2, 2003 • 41 m
Escape
A pair of inmates jump a guard and escape from prison using the guard's clothes. One of the two kidnaps his own son's older half-brother, a son who was born after the escapee was imprisoned for raping the older brother.
Episode 12 • Jan 6, 2004 • 42 m
Brotherhood
Episode 13 • Jan 13, 2004 • 42 m
Hate
After an Arab-American woman is set on fire, the detectives discover an intensely xenophobic man aiming to cleanse America.
Episode 14 • Feb 3, 2004 • 41 m
Ritual
Two garbage collectors run into what they first think is a scene of animal sacrifice.
Episode 15 • Feb 10, 2004 • 41 m
Families
A high school student is found murdered, and it appears she's the victim of incest.
Episode 16 • Feb 17, 2004 • 41 m
Home
Detectives interview an overprotective mother to find out why her son is scavenging for food.
Episode 17 • Feb 24, 2004 • 43 m
Mean
When a schoolgirl's body is found in the trunk of a car, Stabler and Benson find themselves investigating allegations of bullying among her classmates.
Episode 18 • Mar 2, 2004 • 42 m
Careless
After a young boy dies during a church vigil, Tutuola and Munch investigate the boy's foster parents and social worker for neglect.
Episode 19 • Mar 30, 2004 • 41 m
Sick
Two children claim that they were molested by a billionaire.
Episode 20 • Apr 6, 2004 • 41 m
Lowdown
When the death of a prosecutor is staged using information gleaned from a coworker's caseload, Novak endangers her career to obtain a confession.
Episode 21 • Apr 20, 2004 • 42 m
Criminal
When it becomes obvious that a forensics expert raped and murdered a student, the investigation focuses on a criminology professor that Cragen arrested decades earlier for similar crimes.
Episode 22 • Apr 27, 2004 • 42 m
Painless
A woman claiming to have been raped and left for dead commits suicide while waiting to be treated in the emergency room.
Episode 23 • May 4, 2004 • 40 m
Bound
The investigation into the murder of a senior citizen leads the squad to suspect that the killer is actually a serial killer who preys on elderly women.
Episode 24 • May 11, 2004 • 55 m
Poison
Novak enlists Clark's assistance in obtaining evidence to remove a judge from the bench after his bias in two child abuse cases leads to the death of a child and and the wrongful incarceration of an innocent woman.
Episode 25 • May 18, 2004 • 45 m
Head
A urophile, cyber-Peeping Tom catches a child abuse case on video.
26 Seasons

Top Cast

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Mariska Hargitay

Detective Olivia Benson, Captain Olivia Benson, Lieutenant Olivia Benson

Christopher Meloni

Detective Elliot Stabler

Ice-T

Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola, Sergeant Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola

Dann Florek

Captain Donald 'Don' Cragen, Donald 'Don' Cragen

Richard Belzer

Detective John Munch, Sergeant John Munch, DA Investigator John Munch

Kelli Giddish

Detective Amanda Rollins, Professor Amanda Rollins, Amanda Rollins

BD Wong

Special Agent Dr. George Huang, M.D., Dr. George Huang

Tamara Tunie

ME Dr. Melinda Warner, Chief ME Dr. Melinda Warner

Peter Scanavino

Detective Dominick 'Sonny' Carisi, Jr., ADA Dominick 'Sonny' Carisi, Jr., ADA Dominick Carisi Jr.

Raúl Esparza

ADA Rafael Barba, Defense Attorney Rafael Barba, Rafael Barba

Diane Neal

ADA Casey Novak, Amelia Chase

Stephanie March

ADA Alexandra 'Alex' Cabot, Alexandra 'Alex' Cabot

Danny Pino

Detective Nick Amaro

Octavio Pisano

Detective Joe Velasco

Mike Doyle

Forensics Technician Ryan O'Halloran, Assistant M.E. Karlan

Joel de la Fuente

TARU Technician Ruben Morales, TARU Lieutenant Ruben Morales

Joanna Merlin

Judge Lena Petrovsky

Caren Browning

CSU Captain Judith Siper, Dr. Sheila Queen, Mrs. Davies

Lynn Marocola

Police Officer, NYPD Officer, FDNY EMT, FDNY Emt, EMT, FDNY Paramedic, Police Office

Ryan Buggle

Noah Porter-Benson

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Critic Reviews

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Critic Reviews

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50
Jun 28, 2013
Sometimes compelling and sometimes too lurid to take.
By Terry Kelleher FULL REVIEW

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