It’s official: Law & Order: SVU’s writing team has decided not to work star Mariska Hargitay’s pregnancy into the show’s storyline, so the actress will take a maternity leave for several episodes while a special guest star fills in. Given that the long-running series already features one character poached from another show — Homicide’s Det. John Munch (Richard Belzer) — I thought it would be fun to debate which already established TV crime fighter could pinch-hit for Hargitay’s Det. Olivia Benson (pictured). Given my Profiler obsession, I’m tempted to suggest Dr. Samantha Waters (Ally Walker) join the special victims unit to track down a pervy serial killer in a multiple-episode sweeps stunt. But if the SVU team wants to stick with its self-contained storylines, then might I suggest the recruitment of Boomtown’s sorely missed Det. Bobby ‘Fearless’ Smith (Mykelti Williamson)?
What do you think, PopWatchers? Am I on to something, or do you have a better suggestion?
Comments (1-30) of 102 Add your comment
Oh dude I am all about Ally Waters. When I was in high school I loved Profiler. Creepy Jack that was all about the mind games. I loved it. I vote for that definitly.
Julianna Margulies would be a good choice.
I really liked Yokas on Third Watch. I thought she played tough and vulnerable well.
Fearless is perfect! I missed Boomtown when it was first on but I caught up with it on DVD and can’t believe I missed it. Anyway, Fearless is a great character and shares Benson’s intense personal emotional response to sex crimes (she’s a child of rape, he’s a victim of sex abuse) so I think he could fill Benson’s place on the show, at least temporarily.
They’ll probably just pick a boring young actress instead, like when Eames went on maternity leave on Criminal Intent. Not that Eames has the juiciest role, but it made you really appreciate what Kathryn Erbe does with the part because her absence was defintely felt.
It would also be great if any of the cops from The Wire were cast. Det. Munch is from a show based on a work by David Simon, the creator of The Wire. Munch has the Baltimore connection to help it make sense. I’d love to see Bunk on SVU but Freamon might fit in better. Plus, it would give The Wire some much deserved attention!
Well, if we are dreaming, then give me Andre Braugher reprising Frank Pembleton.
Stick with the Homicide cast! How about Sgt Howard (Melissa Leo), Capt Megan Russert (Isabella Hoffman), or Det. Laura Ballard (the just killed on Battlestar Gallactica Callie Thorne.)
I vote for Eliza Douche-ku!
The important thing is: they better bring Benson back after the pregnancy. The character irritates me sometimes, but, she is pivotal to the show. And, speaking of Eames on CI: I feel that she and Goren have the best partner chemistry that I have ever seen on a cop show.Her absence during her pregnancy was most Definitely felt.
I don’t watch this show, but if you get Fearless, I’ll tune in….LOVED Boomtown.
Fearless would be awesome!
Allison Janney.
Does anyone know the identity of the special guest star? Certainly they must have picked the person already.
I second Julianna Margulies! Completely random, but it’d be awesome. And Mariska and Jules are good friends, so they could exchange pointers, or something.
Cynthia Nixon
Ally Walker – “Profiler”
How about Bebe Neuwirth….didn’t get the chance to see
L & O Trial by Jury, but she is a great actress.
Fearless is a great match with that team… but hard for the writers to flesh out properly. That’s a very brilliant character written in a complex format, and they might have to dumb him down…
I’d suggest Greg Medavoy, but Clapp already appeared on SVU!
I’d personally love to see Jarod from The Pretender do a stint, sort of a 6-episode version of the normal Pretender episode, where he makes some good busts and helps some people, just before the Center comes looking for him… as long as they bring in Goren from Criminal Intent to match wits with him on the last episode of the arc!
Dakota Fanning would be a coup. The ratings would skyrocket.
Get Alfrey Woodard off Wysteria Lane and put her with Detective Stabler so she can use her acting chops!!
I know who the guest star will be…it was in this week’s US Weekly…it’s Marcia Gay Harden..who guested a few months ago as an FBI agent after some neo-nazi’s…the one where Stabler got shot at the end…I think she’ll be great.
I thought it was so obvious, I can’t believe no one has mentioned it…Chloe O’Brien from ‘24′!
No one can replace Olivia(Mariska). They should just leave it to other cast members.
Marica Gay Harden reprising her role as the FBI agent, no contest. However should different producers choose to do a cross-over of two shows, then put Patricia Arquette as Allison DuBois in NY for a couple of episodes.
Scully, anyone?
Lisa Rinna would be awesome for the part …
Someone else from “Homicide” and “Battlestar Gallactica”, Michelle Forbes.
Braugher will be back this spring on FX in “Thief”, I can’t wait!
Fearless would be awesome!! However, my other suggestions are Det. John Clark from NYPD Blue, Bosco from Third Watch or Sgt Scream (now out of the army and in the NYPD)from Over There. Yeah, Sgt Scream, that’s the ticket! He’d whoop some sex-offender ass!
I think they should just use the cast of great characters they already have. Tamara Tunie did an excellent job revently. We all love IceT and Belzer, not to forget Diane Neal and Dan florek…With all those talented people on board, why do they need to add anyone? Hey, a team pulls together when one of the team is temporarily incapacitated, right?
Julianna Marguilies is a good suggestion mentioned. Love her and rarely see her since her ER days.
But my hubby is the HUGE Law & Order CI fan in my household and he thinks NO replacement needed, would like to just see more of Ice-T and the others.
Kathryn Erbe (Donofrio’s partner) would be great. That way she could actually do some detective work; instead of just being his sidekick.