Mariska Hargitay Reflects on the Emotional Return of 'Law & Order: SVU' and the Impact of Captain Cragen's Death
Mariska Hargitay, the star of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', recently opened up about the emotional impact of returning to the show for its 27th season. The premiere featured the funeral of Captain Donald Cragen, played by the late actor Dann Florek, who left the show in 2014. Despite the character's death, Hargitay found the experience 'rough' due to the powerful circumstances and the genuine love for her character and the actor.
During an interview on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show', Hargitay shared, 'It did indeed; we lost Captain Cragen. That was a rough one!'. The scene was made all the more special by the return of B.D. Wong, Dean Winters, and Christopher Meloni as Special Agent George Huang, Detective Brian Cassidy, and Detective Elliot Stabler, respectively. Hargitay noted the ease and effortlessness of the scene, suggesting that the actors almost played themselves due to the powerful circumstances and the genuine love for the character and the actor.
Hargitay also praised the show's longevity, which premiered in 1999, and the impact of having a female showrunner, Michele Fazekas, for the 27th season. She expressed her pride in the show and its evolution, stating, 'I'm so proud of the show and all the incarnations and all the amazing showrunners we've had, but I really wanted a female showrunner'. Fazekas, who previously worked on the show as a writer and co-executive producer, has brought a new energy to the show, with Hargitay noting, 'The show feels like there's this incredible renewal to it, and just that the women are running the show, literally'.
In addition to the show's return to its roots, Fazekas also revealed that the new season will bring 'a lot' of new elements, drawing inspiration from the show's earlier seasons. She shared, 'In some ways, I'm going back to when I was on the show, which was like seasons three through seven. We're bringing back some of the elements that worked well then'. The new season will also feature a new producing director, new cameras, and a twisty case that keeps viewers guessing, with Hargitay noting, 'We're also giving some challenges to Benson that she hasn't had in a while. In a great way, we're giving her something to push against'.
