In 2019, when Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered its 21st season, not only did the show become the longest-running prime-time drama in American TV history, but Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) became the longest-running prime-time drama character. It was within that season that the show released its 500th episode, giving us a better look at Benson’s past before she was the woman we have all come to love and respect.

Whether you started watching Law & Order: SVU when it first came out in 1999, your mother introduced you to it when you were nine years old (I know, a bit young), or you are now catching up on the many, many episodes, you have undoubtedly come to love Olivia Benson. She has become a fan-favorite and a comfort character for the millions of viewers who watch the show around the world. It is precisely that which makes her deserving of the title of longest-running character. Where would we be without Benson?

RELATED: Law & Order: SVU Takes a Hit in Diversity

Even though the entire show is focused on shedding light on the struggles and the cruel reality victims of sexual assault have to face, it is Benson’s character that makes victims and survivors both on and off screen feel safe. She has fought until the very end, bending the rules, going against her supervisors, and standing up for those who no longer have a voice.

Her empathy and compassion are the two qualities that shine the brightest when you see this character. Whether she is in a hospital room talking to a victim or walking them through the trial, she will always do her best to guarantee victims feel safe with her. For over two decades, she has become a safe haven for all of those women and men who were assaulted and had to set foot into her squad room.

Olivia Benson played by Mariska Hargitay holding a baby and kissing his cheek.

The truth is that Olivia Benson is a very complex, well-rounded character who has also been through her fair share of trauma. From the moment her storyline is introduced, we find out that she was the product of an assault and her relationship with her mother was always a complicated one — made even worse due to her mother’s alcoholism.

Afterward, as the seasons go by, we learn that one of Benson’s biggest dreams is to become a mother. However, she is rejected for adoption given the nature of her job. It isn’t until many years later when she comes across Noah during an investigation that this dream is finally fulfilled. Nowadays, fans can be happy knowing that Benson finally got the family she was always dreaming of.

RELATED: Law & Order: Time to Overanalyze Benson and Stabler (Again)

But even though she has had her happy moments, trauma and tragedy seem always to follow her around. She has been beaten up, kidnapped, held hostage, and assaulted. The culmination of it all came with the William Lewis saga when she was kidnapped and tortured until her team found her. So, it is fair to say that being an Olivia Benson fan comes with its own side of pain.

Even through the ups and downs, she has remained resilient and hasn’t given up on her mission. Benson will always show up for victims and survivors, for everyone who is going through the worst day of their life and needs help and support, even during her darkest days.

Olivia Benson played by Mariska Hargitay standing in an interrogation room.

And for those who love juicy drama and slow burns, Olivia Benson has been in one of the longest and slowest burns we have seen in TV history. The will they/won’t they relationship (or situationship) she has been in with Elliot Stabler from the beginning of the show is something that has kept fans coming back.

Whether you want to see her end up with Stabler or not, this dynamic has given room to the possibility to see that there is more to Benson than her work. It is important to find balance in a show in order to make a character more rounded. If everything that’s written for her is about work, most likely fans will lose interest. But Benson’s life has always been entertaining. Many men have come and gone in her life, love interests that didn’t stick for long enough. And yet none of them were able to give her the happy ending she deserves.

For someone who gives so much love to those around her and focuses so much on the goodness of life, it has been a bit disappointing not to see her love life thrive. She deserves all the love she preaches about.

RELATED: Law & Order: Exploring 5 Crucial Stabler and Benson Moments

One of the things that have made Olivia Benson stand out and probably why it makes so much sense that she is the longest-running character is that she belongs to Mariska Hargitay. The actress has put so much love and dedication into this character that Benson has surpassed the screen and become so much more than simply a woman on TV.

Since submerging herself in the world of Benson, Hargitay has also fought the good fight for victims and survivors of sexual assault. She created her own foundation to help survivors and has vocally fought against the backlog that exists in analyzing rape kits. Even if the words are written for her by talented writers, the acting choices and the heart of the character all belong to her.

She told The New York Times, “I’m more engaged now than ever, and I was pretty engaged when I started this. It turned me from sort of actor to activist.”

RELATED: Law & Order: Why SVU’s Olivia Benson Deserves True Love

With another season coming up for the 2023-2024 TV season, Benson will continue to add episodes under her belt, continuing with the streak of longest-running character. We can expect her to continue speaking up for survivors, fighting the good fight, and showing up when others may have turned their backs on victims.

All we can hope for is that Benson’s regime continues for as long as possible, giving us so much more of our favorite SVU Captain.

This article was originally published in July 2023. 

Why Fanfiction Has Such a Big Role in Fandom Culture

Latest posts by Lara Rosales (see all)