Season 1 – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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Fabrícia F O programa policial mais famoso da Tv, apresenta casos criminais de cunho sexual que desafiam as autoridades e a justiça. Uma ode à busca pela justiça e proteção às vítimas. A detetive Olívia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) e elenco de ouro protagonizam episódios complexos de tirar o fôlego. Absolutamente bem recomendado. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Megan L This show is such a catch and keeps you hooked, theres comedy and gory all in one. One bad thing is that in the beginning sometimes the acting isn't always believable, but the stories each episode tells keeps the viewers hooked Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Since when is it all right to criticize white people? This week I heard the actor Ice (T) mention to his partner how irritating it was to see white people congratulate themselves. Imagine if that word "white" was turned into "black" or "Hispanic", it would then be considered racist. I've lost respect for the show. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Michael M Law & Order is certainly not a good source for information on police procedure and courtroom decorum. The series presents the legal system in a light which makes for entertaining television, a light which does not always represent the realities of the system. When detectives or lawyers make blatant procedural errors in the original series, however, there are usually consequences - for instance, McCoy is pulled before the disciplinary committee for his actions in "Under the Influence". The two lead detectives in SVU, Benson and Stabler, often make serious procedural errors such as continuing to question a suspect after he calls for a lawyer or roughing up a suspect. Rarely during the first season does this result in a lawsuit or evidence being thrown out. In combination with the righteous portrayals of these actions, this produces the impression that the show condones the misconduct. Granted, most of the people Benson and Stabler arrest deserve to spend the rest of their lives in jail, but the parent series depicts the reason these rules exist - breaking the law to break a case can result in the wrong person being convicted. Taking place after season 8 of its parent series, which was the point at which the writers began experimenting with story arcs, SVU naturally includes a small number of multi-episode subplots. This could serve to the show's benefit by fleshing out the characters and creating a sense of continuity, but unfortunately most of the subplots are lackluster. While it is probably unfair to compare almost any other television show to The Wire, that show handled its subplots much better. The Wire's subplots lasted seasons and would substantially develop the characters involved in them, amounting to character arcs. SVU's season 1 subplots, on the other hand, often last for only a couple of episodes (besides the hunt for Benson's biological father, which is still underway at the end of the season) and merely reaffirm existing character traits. A final criticism I have of the show, one which I am reluctant to mention as it is a matter of personal taste, is the removal of the "Order" portion of Law & Order. The district attorneys from the parent show make occasional appearances, but the show is focused primarily on the police detectives, with episodes usually ending with the arrest of the perpetrator. Law & Order's status as a hybrid of a police procedural and a courtroom drama distinguished the show from the sea of shows in those genres released before and since and helped draw me to the franchise over those other series. The removal of the courtroom portion of the show removes one of the main reasons I took notice of the original show and makes me question why I should spend my time watching this show over titans in the genre such Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, Blue Bloods, or The Wire. Incidentally, I believe this change to the formula is partially responsible for my initial criticism - a format which depicts the trial as well as the arrest is more conducive to depicting the consequences of bad police work. If I sound entirely down on the show, that is unintentional. Season 1 of SVU does have several commendable qualities. The show bears the quality craftsmanship associated with the Law & Order brand. The acting is good, featuring a cast including Homicide alum Richard Belzer (playing the same character as in Homicide, oddly enough) and immigrant from the parent series Dann Florek, playing the dour Captain Cragen. The investigations themselves are also interesting when the main characters are not blatantly violating police procedure. Sadly, these positive traits only mitigate the problems with the show given how deeply the issues I've described are ingrained into the show. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/07/19 Full Review Read all reviews

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 1

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