Image Credit: Will Hart/NBC
Perhaps it’s my affection for his now-documented relationship with his wife. Perhaps it’s my love for the way his character is the rare comic relief on Law & Order: SVU. Perhaps it’s the fact that he’s confident enough to sport a ponytail that looks all too similar to a rat tail. But I can’t help but wonder why, when Chris Meloni leaves Law & Order: SVU, Ice-T’s Det. Fin can’t replace Det. Stabler.
As a huge fan of Meloni’s departing Det. Stabler, I’ll admit whoever replaces him has big shoes to fill. He (or, heck, she) needs to have a commanding presence on the small screen, prove he could master the procedural, and be an interesting enough character to encourage viewers to tune into SVU every week. But Ice-T — who has signed on for two more seasons on the series — has all those traits: He’s stolen scenes from his Emmy-nominated co-stars plenty of times, is actually believable as a New York detective (most don’t look fantastic and photo shoot-ready while chasing a criminal, Mariska Hargitay), and would introduce a fascinating dynamic on the show as Det. Benson’s partner. While Stabler was the aggressive ying to Benson’s emotion-laden yang, Fin and Benson would hardly work together in harmony: Many times in the past, we’ve seen Fin criticize Benson for her, ahem, slightly more prudish ways. (Remember when he criticized her for poo-pooing a pastime he enjoys, online porn?) We’ve watched SVU tackle brutal murder after brutal murder after brutal murder — some new tension in the workplace could be what the show needs to keep things fresh.
Plus, viewers are already comfortable with Ice-T’s Fin. For NBC to encourage viewers to return without Meloni, they need to make SVU a safe zone. Too often when shows attempt to replace stars with even bigger stars, they end up altering the whole fabric of the series, transforming it into an Emmy vehicle for whichever movie star decided to briefly dabble in television. (See: Jeff Goldblum on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.) But Hargitay and Meloni — hardly household names when SVU premiered in 1999 — have proven that you don’t need a big-budget movie credit on your resumé to hit on the small screen. SVU ain’t broke, NBC — don’t feel the need to fix it with the latest trophy-clamoring movie actor. Ice-T, quite simply, is cool. So let him be the next actor to heat up the series.
Who’s with me?
Follow Kate on Twitter @KateWardEW
Read more:
Ice-T re-ups with ‘Law & Order: SVU’
Christopher Meloni out of ‘SVU’
Should ‘Law & Order: SVU’ just end already?
I like it!
I hate it. Totally hate it. He has no ‘range’ at all. He is totally ‘one note’ and it’s grating. His character is already well and truly played out. They need fresh blood.
I love the idea at well, but it won’t happen. The guy is black after all, and there’s a rule with showrunners and network executive that the leads in any drama must be white. Non-white people get to play the comic relief, the side kick, the gay neighbor. Maybe just maybe a show where there are 6 semi leading roles, but a true actual lead in a two-hander? No freaking way. Laurence Fishburn already got the one available token slot.
I wish this wasn’t the case…but it sadly is. When I saw the title for this article, my mind immediately answered “because he’s black”. Hollywood is ridiculous.
Mine went to – he’s not that good of an actor. For his role on the show, he is fine but as a lead … he’s just not good enough.
This is why racism is so rampant in our country, people see it where it isn’t and then spread the rumor that it is true. The law and order franchise has had black leads or excellent supporting roles. Look at Lt. Vanburen. Not only black, but a woman; and Det Green; however, I hope you are wrong and they let him lead because he is good. He is one of my fave characters on the show. I liked him better with the pony tail though.
I am with you. Ice rules on this show. Usually he’s the most interesting thing on. Make him the star!!!!!!
He has ONE facial expression (in the middle of taking a dump) ONE vocal inflection (sarcastic pissoffism) and he’s never had a sympathetic interaction with a victim.
You’re wrong about the victim interaction. One episode in particular stuck out in my mind because at the end the victim said she would hug him but she knew he didn’t like to be touched.
Out of 200 or so episodes he had a sympathetic interaction with a victim ONCE? Guess that makes my point!!
No matter what SVU does, at least we’ll have less of that man-hating Benson to deal with. She never met a suspect with a pen!s who she felt had one 1 millionth of a percent chance of being innocent, no matter how much doubt was clearly written into the script!!
This may come as a shock Gazmo, but Ice T doesn’t write the scripts for SVU. Hence, it isn’t for him to decide how sympathetic he is with victims. It may also come a surprise to learn that supporting characters are usually less developed than the protagonist.
I can think of 4 specific episodes off the top of my head. The Martha Plimpton episode, the Lewis Black one with the immigrant children, the one with the mother who’s child was stolen from a foster home, and the one with the special needs girl who he sweetly scolded for talking to strangers.
Ron,
Excuse me if I do not write English well. This is not my native language.
Olivia does not hate men. She only ever seen so many rapes and assaults by men. So it is normal distrust of male suspects. I can cite several episodes in which she stood beside the men against mulheres.Olívia is always just and fair.
Fin but I like to think he would not be the ideal replacement for Stabler. I want a manly, handsome detective to team with the beauty that is Olivia.
Wrong, Plimpton, can’t remember her fist name. She was a drug addict. Mary Streenberger played her crazy mother. Ice T was very concerned with her well being. Her saw something in her and helped her.Ice T and Mariska won’t work well together, however…
I second that motion. Ice t would be perfect as a lead character. I have always felt he needs and deserves more screen time. And bring back Casey! She totally rocks!
I have always wished Finn and Much had bigger roles…so I whole-heartedly support the idea of increasing Ice-T’s presence. And PLEASE don’t hire some wimpy little girl like Love-Hewitt for this show.
I agree. Munch may not be the “cute guy” but remember the episodes with Marlee Maitlin? He did a fabulous job with his character.
I’d rather Munch be the lead guy … he’s played that character for how many years in how many programs? He’s earned it.
ICE-T can carry the show.
This is why NBC is a mess,they just don’t see what is in front of them.
I’d love to see more Ice-T, Belzer and B.D. Wong! I think SVU fans are loyal enough to support these guys!
Perfect!
Maybe Ice doesnt want more screen time. Each three minute scene takes hours to film, and maybe he doesnt want an even larger commitment. BD Wong quit.
Yes! I completely agree with you.
why? because he cannot act, and when he is the center of a scene, it loses credibility….
i 2nd tat!
also he has 0 sex appeal. i mean him vs chris=apples vs oranges.
I agree… he’s ok on a supportive role, but I don’t find him interesting enough to have as a lead character, least of all to replace someone like Meloni.
YEAH!! Make Munch the male lead, and bring back Ruberosa for some down and dirty hot lovemaking scenes with him!!
That’ll reignite this dead franchise!!
Yep, because New York cops are supposed to have sex appeal (because that’s totally how it is in real life).
You’re an idiot.
akgakgak:
Is that your name or the sound your girlfriend makes when she sees you naked?????
Uh, yeah. The dude cannot act. And I doubt he looks as good shirtless as Chris Meloni.
I don’t care…just pick ANYONE other than Jennifer Love Hewitt, pretty puleeeese!!?
True. He’s absolutely awful. And his character comes off as a cromagnon jerk. Anytime I tune in to the show and see that it’s a case where he’s the primary, I turn it off.
I agree with Glen. Ice cannot take over for Meloni because, simply put, he’s not an actor. I agree he has excelled in is current role as a supporting actor on the show, but that in no way means he can handle the lead. If NBC is so concerned about “don’t fix what’s not broken”, then leave Ice-T were he is, where he does well.
I’m gonna miss Chris Meloni’s character on SVU, and I like the prickly chemistry between Fin and Munch. Richard Belzer was originally on Homicide: Life on the Street, and when that show was cancelled he moved over to the spin off series from Homicide; Law & Order. The Law & Order franchise has shown that they can trade characters between the different incarnations of Law & Order. I propose that if they don’t move Fin into a more prominent position, how about bringing Vincent D’Onofrio as Goren onto SVU? Law & Order: Criminal Intent is airing it’s last 8 episodes now, and they’re bringing back Goren and Eames to wrap things up. Chris Noth as Mike Logan successfully moved from Law & Order to Law & Order: Criminal Intent, but getting rid of Goren & Eames and bringing in Jeff Goldblum in after firing D’Onofrio and Katheryn Erbe was a HUGE mistake. The network is wrapping up L&O:CI and has cancelled L&O:LA so the original L&O and SVU are all that’s left. I hate to see such fascinating characters, Fin, Munch, & Olivia too, diminished or discarded along the way.
They didn’t fire D’Onofrio. He was suffering from exhaustion and they decided to split the show into two teams for the Major Case Squad.
Using Ice-T as Stabler’s replacement would be a mistake, but not because Ice-T is a bad actor. It would be a mistake because the show is already long in the tooth (not that it’s bad, it’s one of my favorites on television) by most cop drama standards and it would take too long to bring out whatever is inside Odafin Tutuola’s character to make the show sustainable for more than one season.
We’ve seen some decent and credible interaction between Benson and Tutuola on at least 2 occasions. One was when she was nearly raped in prison and the other was an extension of that when she was suffering from PTSD and nearly killed a guy (the episode with the murder of the pregnant soldier).
I guess the bottom line is that Ice-T taking over the lead male role, no matter how good of an actor he is, would basically kill the show because he isn’t that kind of an actor. His advancement to male lead, as much as I would like to see him be a lead character in a show, would not work for L&O:SVU because it would change the dynamic of the show too dramatically. People don’t like change. That’s why L&O:LA failed. It went too far outside what L&O’s demographic needed it to be. Had it been titled something else, it might have been more successful.
Brilliant idea!!!!!
Wonderful idea!!
I totally agree. His character is the main reason I have watched the show.
geez, kate, “stolen scenes from his costars plenty of times”?…reality check….
The epi where the victim wanted to hug him at the end was all Ice. And the one where he comes to terms with his son being gay was another. That’s just 2. People forget that the character of Fin was an undercover vice/narcotics cop and emotion and expression could have meant getting killed in that aspect of police work. That’s what Fin for the greater part of his career until he transferred to sex crimes. It’s not that Ice can’t act, it’s the persona of the character of Fin that is that way. There is a big difference.
Excellent point. I would love to Fin challenged at having to deal with a victim on an emotional level.
Love it! I think Ice-T is pretty cool in this show. I think him a Mariska would be good together.
I thought Hargitay was leaving also. Is she staying now?
She’s scaling back. It was announced after the season finale and the revelation of her real-life adoption of a little girl. Some reports say that the producers are talking with Jennifer Love Hewitt to come in as a regular (though presumably not as the same character from her guest episode this season.) Maybe like the way Diane Something became Casey Novak after guest starring as someone else in an earlier season’s episode?
Sorry, that seemed awfully callous to Diane Neal after I submitted it. Her last name is Neal–I just couldn’t place it originally.
you are very polite, thank you!
That’s what I’ve been saying!
I think your point about looking inside the show is great, and I like Fin as a character, but I really don’t think Ice-T is a very good actor. They don’t really have anyone on the inside to replace Meloni, but I think you’re right that they should look for someone who’s not a moviestar
agree, he can’t act
I have always thought Fin and Benson work well together, I have enjoyed epis with that match