SVU,’ but Never Like This

When your show is about detectives who investigate “especially heinous crimes,” it should come as no surprise that they sometimes find themselves in harm’s way during said investigation. In Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, no character proves this more than Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). In 26 seasons, she has been stalked, kidnapped, verbally and physically assaulted, and had her son kidnapped. Truly, anything you can think of has probably happened to Benson. Still, she continuously puts herself on the line for victims and survivors, sharing her strength and resilience with not only her fellow characters, but audiences as well. Every episode of SVU shows how badass and strong she is, but the Season 9 episode “Undercover” really shows just how far Benson is willing to go to get justice.

What Happens in the ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Episode “Undercover”?

Being a detective means that, from time to time, Benson and her colleagues will go undercover to investigate a crime. Stabler (Christopher Meloni) goes undercover often. Undercover operations don’t always go to plan, though, and while the detectives are always in danger — particularly Benson — it was “Undercover” that really put Benson in a perilous situation unlike any we had seen her in before.

The episode’s primary case is a teenage girl, Ashley (Shareeka Epps), who has been raped by a corrections officer at the prison her mom is in. Her uncle is the initial suspect, but both he and Ashley deny the accusation, and he points the detectives to a guard who works at the prison where Ashley’s mother is imprisoned. This is a solid lead, but when the rape kit goes missing, the detectives no longer have proof, so Benson makes the brave decision to go undercover at the prison and catch the officer herself. With the help of Dr. Huang (BD Wong), she creates a persona that allows her to enter the prison seamlessly. Later, Ashley’s mother dies, and Warner (Tamara Tunie) determines it was murder by the guards and not suicide, as reported.

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For extra protection, Fin (Ice-T) is sent undercover as a fellow guard to watch over Benson, which turns out to be a blessing in literal disguise because he manages to save Benson at the last second from an attempted rape by the guard captain. His attorney manages to get the charges dropped, using the excuse that he didn’t know Benson was a cop. He is bafflingly allowed to return to work, but after some gentle prodding from Benson, Ashley is brave enough to ID him by an identifying mark that Benson can corroborate, and he is taken away for good. The episode ends with Warner (Tamara Tunie) asking Benson if she was raped, to which she replied, “it’s the closest I’ve ever come.” It’s that haunting moment that bookmarks “Undercover,” making it not only one of the hardest to watch, but also a major turning point for Benson’s character.

“Undercover” Is One of the Hardest ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Episodes To Watch

As mentioned, Benson has gone through a lot in her time working at the Special Victims Unit, but “Undercover” was the first time we truly saw her in immediate danger that felt unstoppable. As soon as she is brought to the basement and the door is locked, anxiety sets in. Yes, Fin is around and is keeping an eye on her, but he also can’t give up the ruse, so he has to somehow figure out where she is without giving away his cover. Plus, when he does find out, he has to find a way into the locked basement. Benson is doing her best to fight off the guard, but he’s overpowering her, making it both hopeless and horrifying. Benson’s fate in that moment feels like it could go either way, but luckily, Fin manages to save her at the last second.

Benson spends so much time trying to protect victims, and in the process of doing so, becomes one herself. It’s a devastating turn in the story, and so hard to watch. Many consider William Lewis’ (Pablo Schreiber) storyline as the most traumatic and hard-to-watch Benson storyline, but I’d argue that “Undercover” could beat it. While it may not be as drawn out and brutal as the William Lewis saga, “Undercover” put Benson through so much. Not only was she very nearly raped by a guard, but she was beaten and bullied by the guards as well.

Seeing Benson, who is normally so strong and put together, be pushed to such extreme vulnerability by being placed in prison and having all of her rights taken away is jarring. She’s often the one putting people in prison, not the other way around, and the realization of her surroundings is daunting. Without her badge to back her, Benson is relatively powerless against the guards in the prison, and she witnesses firsthand the cruelty that comes from them. It’s an especially bleak and disturbing episode, not that SVU is all sunshine and rainbows, but the prison setting that we spend the majority of the episode in is particularly miserable, and relentlessly so. It really drives home that the most unexpected people can be monsters, and that the hero sometimes gets hurt.

Law and Order: SVU

Release Date

September 20, 1999

Network

NBC

Showrunner

Robert Palm, David J. Burke, Neal Baer, Warren Leight, Rick Eid, Michael S. Chernuchin, David Graziano

Writers

Dick Wolf

Franchise(s)

Law and Order